For the past twelve years, the author has been teaching a lower division introductory historical methods course that uses active learning to introduce students to the issues and practices of historical methods, the "how to" of historical inquiry, research and writing. In her methods course, she is working to take into account the perspectives and…

The preceding two essays focus on the ongoing challenge to engage students in meaningful conversation with the course content, their reading, their instructor, and one another. The authors, Maureen Neal and Ed Jones, have read each other's essays and provided the following brief responses. This cross talk between the writers is an attempt to make…

This active learning pedagogical technique aims to improve students' learning in a two-semester, upper-division biochemistry course sequence in which the vast majority of students enrolled will continue on to medical or graduate schools. Instead of lecturing, the Instructor moves to the side of the room, thereby becoming "the guide on the side".…

Facilitating productive class discussions is one of the most challenging tasks facing college educators, especially when potentially divisive issues are discussed. The author shares ten recommendations derived from teaching a course on current and controversial managerial issues via conversational learning. Excerpts from student comments are…

The purpose of this study was to explore women students' experiences and reactions to a core Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) class cross-listed with Women's Studies (WS). Using 6 focus groups with 22 women, we found that the course increased "awareness of gender" (Theme A) but was limited partially because of patriarchical beliefs,…

It is possible to get prospective elementary school teachers to learn interesting mathematics well by not only requiring that they learn the material in a mathematics course but also requiring that they teach it as part of an enrichment program at the middle school level. This article discusses the reasons for such a course, and describes a…

This article explores the possibility of combining in the same course heritage learners who are borderline or seminative speakers with advanced language learners of Russian. After providing typology of advanced language learners in Russian and establishing that register and genre can be the focal point of such a course, the article discusses the…

Fifteen years after the "peaceful revolutions" brought about the collapse of communism and the reunification of East and West Germany, a heated debate rages over the legacy of communism and the continuing impact of 1989. This paper describes a new course that explores the contentious issues in this debate through the innovative use of…

One of the most influential presidents of the University of California, Clark Kerr, was fired in 1966 shortly after convincing the Regents to lift the ban on political demonstrations on UC campuses. Despite numerous Supreme Court decisions articulating broad protections for free speech that include public college and university campuses, the…

This article describes a project integrating mobile learning games into the author's course at Appalachian State University, in collaboration with a community partner and for the community as a whole. The process of constructing educational mobile games can be as beneficial as the act of playing. Therefore, the author's beliefs about integrating…

The Common Ground Multicultural Dialogue program in the Department of Resident Life at the University of Maryland is an innovative peer education program designed to teach skills for engagement through exploration of contemporary multicultural societal dilemmas. The Common Ground Dialogue Program was launched in 2000 to provide undergraduate…

"Approaches and Strategies in Next Generation Science Learning" examines the challenges involved in the development of modern curriculum models, teaching strategies, and assessments in science education in order to prepare future students in the 21st century economies. This comprehensive collection of research brings together science educators,…

A professor of sociology and anthropology chronicles the development of a course in environmental problems, beginning with inquiry into the issues and culminating in design of a course focused on research and discussion rather than lectures. Students responded positively to the exploration of multiple perspectives, particularly those at the…

Offers a model for a collective strategy that can be used to deal more effectively with problems associated with race relations courses. Presents a multidimensional analysis of the constraints that create problems for race relations instructors and highlights a multidimensional approach to minimizing these problems. Includes references. (CMK)

This case study analyzes five science courses of a United States virtual charter school. Online quizzes and exams are provided by the corporate partner, while local teachers have selected report topics, virtual labs and at-home labs for students to complete. These assessments were coded for their correlation to the cognitive levels of the revised…