This paper reports on research carried out at the Contemporary Music-making for Amateurs (COMA) Summer School. A range of qualitative research methods were used to investigate participants' reasons for making music, and from these data a number of educational themes emerged: (i) general interactions between tutors and participants; (ii) evaluation…

This paper outlines the preponderant approaches to external quality evaluation, including the purpose, focus, object, rationale, and methods of external evaluations. Accountability, compliance and, in some countries, control are much more frequent rationales for external monitoring than improvement. Research on the impact of quality monitoring is…

This paper explores the contribution of virtual tools to student learning within full-time management programmes. More specifically, the paper focuses on asynchronous communication tools, considering the scope they offer for group-based collaborative learning outside the classroom. We report on the effectiveness of this approach for an economics…

This article is an extended description of a hypothetical school in which student, teacher, media, and administrative activities are all linked together through the use of Web 2.0 technologies, from classroom wikis to text messaging. Through this description, the author conveys an image of how the multimedia tools of Web 2.0 may eventually change…

This article describes a pumpkin activity that allows teachers to evaluate their students' understanding of standards-based science skills. This activity is a valuable tool for the teacher to assess all the concepts introduced in the beginning of the life science. It assesses the lab skills that have been taught in the first quarter: observation,…

This chapter considers Robert Kegan's concept of holding environments, as well as six steps necessary for creation of new or adaptation of existing learning environments that facilitate adult development across the life course.

Electronic field tripping is a relatively new form of large-scale distance education that attempts to provide contextually rich learning materials embedded within a coherent educational content base. Using Dewey's (1943) framework for the natural learning impulses of children, we describe the potential pedagogical benefits afforded by electronic…

Purpose: Action learning has long been a recognized mechanism for ensuring deep and effective learning. The purpose of this paper is to describe an MBA program where the approach to study is informed and driven by action learning. Design methodology/approach: The nature, ethos, and theoretical foundations of this degree are described. Action…

Physical education teachers often look for ways to bring any activity to life and give it meaning with all-out participation from students. To showcase the talents of each sports-enthusiast-students, schools facilitate an intramural activity. The authors of this article present an intramural program titled Ralleyball, which is an ideal way to…

It would be a mistake to underestimate the challenge of any attempt to elevate the current status of textbook research. The negativity surrounding textbooks in terms of use and status as both literary objects and vehicles for pedagogy is profound. There is a very deep-seated "anti-textbook ethos" witnessed throughout the education business. This…

In this article Lynne Meiring and Nigel Norman focus on the notion of entitlement and the demands this has made on schools and teachers to cater for the needs of a wide range of pupils previously denied an experience of foreign languages. In order to enable all pupils to realise their potential, facilities and strategies have to be reviewed and…

Service learning integrates classroom instruction with community service to enhance learning. This article describes the service-learning model used in a multicultural counseling course. The feedback received indicated service learning enhanced multicultural counseling knowledge, increased examination of cultural bias, increased community feelings…

Describes a project that was inspired by a previous article in "Arts and Activities" entitled "The Same Old Contour Drawing...Not!" Explains that students learn basic drawing skills by drawing shoes while learning about contour shapes. Lists the needed art materials. (CMK)

Provides background information on the effects of innovations in art materials on artists and their artwork. Introduces the 2003-2004 Clip and Save Art Prints that focus on innovative uses of art materials. Includes examples by artists such as Alfonso Ossorio. (CMK)

A multi-campus research survey of undergraduate students enrolled in service-learning courses asked students to describe how the service-learning course was designed in terms of the degree of integration of the learning and service component, the nature of the reflection activities, and the quality of the learning experience. Results indicated…