Critical thinking is considered a necessary learning outcome for all college students and essential for academic and career success. There are many challenges to developing a comprehensive approach to teaching and assessing critical thinking skills. Although the literature has many examples of the incorporation of critical thinking and assessment…

A teaching experiment-using Mathematica to investigate the convergence of sequence of functions visually as a sequence of objects (graphs) converging onto a fixed object (the graph of the limit function)-is here used to analyze how the approach can support the dynamic blending of visual and symbolic representations that has the potential to lead…

Preparing pre-service teachers to effectively integrate technology in the classroom requires rich experiences that deepen their knowledge of technology, pedagogy, and content and the intersection of these aspects. This study examined elementary education pre-service teachers' development of skills and knowledge in a technology integration course…

The long-term aim of fostering creativity in all students is specifically included in Hong Kong's curriculum guidelines. However, implementation of teaching strategies to achieve this aim has presented difficulties for many teachers. It is likely that teachers with experience in gifted education are in the best position in this respect, because…

"You are never too old, too young or too busy to learn". This means that you can be a lifelong learner, truly enjoying your learning experience. This has been quite an interesting change of perspective in learning, which is worth investigating. Both in environments primarily thought for education and during "ad hoc" experiences…

This article describes an arts- and spatial thinking skill--integrated inquiry project applied to life science concepts from the Next Generation Science Standards for fourth grade students that focuses on two unifying or crosscutting themes: (1) structure (or "form") and function and (2) use of models. Students made observations and…

Enhancing the higher order thinking (HOT) ability of students is a worldwide educational goal. This has also become a significant objective in the curriculum reforms in Hong Kong, which aims at better preparation of students to meet the challenges of the new era. Cultural aspects are often regarded as salient in determining approaches to teaching.…

This article discusses the use of design thinking in an undergraduate decision-making course. The spaces of design are linked to the dimensions of liberal learning in a way that allows students to engage in the design of an organization that supports a new product created in a collaborative team. The article provides an overview of how the…

Many music educators teach students who are both gifted and possess a learning disability--what is commonly referred to as "twice exceptionality." This article describes some characteristics of twice-exceptional students, the challenges these students often face in school, and some strategies music educators can use to properly…

Critical thinking (CT) is purposeful, self-regulatory judgment that results in interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and inference, as well as explanations of the considerations on which that judgment is based. This article summarizes the available empirical evidence on the impact of instruction on the development and enhancement of critical…

Three-dimensional thinking skills are extremely useful for geoscientists, and at the undergraduate level, these skills are often emphasized in structural geology courses. Google Earth is a powerful tool for visualizing the three-dimensional nature of data collected on the surface of Earth. The results of a 5 y pre- and posttest study of the…

This study examined whether and how the effects of student-faculty interaction on a range of student outcomes--such as college GPA, critical thinking and communication skills, academic satisfaction, and cultural appreciation and social awareness--vary by students' academic disciplines. The study utilized data on 37,977 undergraduate students who…

In previous works we developed and assessed a teaching program, ARDESOS v.1, with which we aimed to improve the fundamental skills of critical thinking. The results obtained were positive, but modest. After analyzing the limitations of the program we introduced certain modifications and assessed the new version. The changes involved designing the…

This study investigates the relationship among (1) college major, (2) knowledge used in reasoning about common health beliefs, and (3) judgment about the accuracy of those beliefs. Seventy-four college students, advanced biology and non-science majors, indicated their agreement or disagreement with commonly believed, but often inaccurate,…

The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions of elementary school principals in Southeastern Virginia regarding implementation of 21st century skills. The Partnership for 21st Century Learning Skills framework was used as a foundation to identify the skills needed for the 21st century. In addition, the framework was used to examine…