This correspondence describes an adaptation of puzzle-based learning to teaching an introductory computer programming course. Students from two offerings of the course--with and without the puzzle-based learning--were surveyed over a two-year period. Empirical results show that the synthesis of puzzle-based learning concepts with existing course…

In the literature on intercultural education there is an abundance of text about what ought to be going on in the classroom and a lack of empirical descriptions of the dilemmas of intercultural education in practice. This article describes the practice of five teachers guiding discussions about sensitive issues in ethnically diverse secondary…

A field-based course at the University of Arizona called Sense of Place (SOP) covers the geology, ecology and cultural history of the Tucson area. SOP was quantitatively assessed for pedagogical effectiveness. Students of the Spring 2008 course were given pre- and post-course word association surveys in order to assess awareness and comprehension…

School social work takes place within the dynamic context of the educational landscape, yet research indicates that school social work practice has been slow to adjust to the demands of that landscape. Little research has assessed whether school social workers are being adequately prepared to address the educational shifts that underlie today's…

When political knowledge is scarce, affective attitudes, which can consist of emotion-driven feelings regarding political figures, government, country, and foreign nations, often assist policy judgment. Based on pre- and post-surveys administered in Introduction to American Politics courses, fall 2003-fall 2005, this study examines how political…

A variety of different arguments have been offered for teaching "both sides" of the evolution/ID debate in public schools. This article reviews five of the most common types of arguments advanced by proponents of Intelligent Design and demonstrates how and why they are founded on confusion and misunderstanding. It argues on behalf of teaching…

There are some who experience irreconcilable differences between their religious beliefs concerning a world created as is, on the one hand, and a scientific view of the world that has developed by means of natural evolution over billions of years, on the other hand. In this special issue, scholars from very different religions, backgrounds, and…

The ways to train creative talents are put forward by an analysis of talents-training mode, individual development, creative thinking and the optimization of teaching process.

The integration of spirituality content into curricula has accelerated dramatically during the past decade. Despite this trend, little discussion has appeared in the literature about the instructional methods best suited to teach spirituality. Adopting a new approach referred to as "pedagogical pluralism," the authors suggest that some aspects of…

This article describes a framework for selecting and designing case-based tasks suitable for professional development of mathematics teachers in order for such tasks to lead to substantial learning. The authors share an example they designed and used in content courses and give an account of the impact on their work and on students' learning.…

Chalmers University of Technology is actively promoting learning for sustainable development in its educational programmes. A compulsory part of the bachelor curricula is five full-time weeks of studies on environment and sustainable development. This paper presents an inventory of the contents in these courses performed as a series of discussions…

Last fall the author taught two sections of a first-year seminar on activism and volunteering, called "Raise a Fist, Lend a Hand: Activism and Volunteerism at the Dawn of the 21st Century," at a small liberal-arts college in the Midwest. She had noted in the course description that a community-service requirement was included, so she…

In this article, the author provides the contentions of intellectual historian John Patrick Diggins on the November 2008 elections and the presidential leadership. Diggins observed that "all people spoke about was winning the elections, and no one seemed to be concerned with the problems of the future." Diggins also expressed how he was skeptical…

Health of college students is a national public health concern, however general health courses which cover topics of concern such as responsible sexual behaviors, alcoholism, drug abuse, tobacco use, nutrition, weight management, cardiovascular health, and mental health issues are rarely a required course for college students. University health…

Working with member states, SREB developed the nation's first Standards for "Quality Online Teaching," which define the qualifications of a quality online teacher and the standards needed for academic preparation, content knowledge, online skills and delivery. Building on those standards, this report presents extensive guidelines that…