Evaluations of student's learning experiences hold increasing currency in deciding how to improve teaching and learning. This article proposes that students who use story-telling for evaluation help to facilitate this. Adding to previous research that shows the benefit and challenges of gathering qualitative feedback, stories written by 47…

This study assessed how students' perceptions of online quizzes and the use of three electronic devices to solve them affected their performance. A sample of 208 students enrolled in an introductory accounting course at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona completed online quizzes as part of their evaluation and filled in a questionnaire on their…

Increased accountability demands are being placed on teacher preparation programs across the USA to demonstrate competencies of their teacher candidates. As a means of evaluating teacher candidates' instructional effectiveness and readiness for their own classrooms, some programs are using standardized teacher performance assessments, with faculty…

A small proportion of students do not benefit sufficiently from standard intervention protocols, and require more intensive, individualized instruction. Data-Based Instruction (DBI) has a strong evidence base for addressing students' intensive academic needs, yet it is not widely implemented. In this study, we explored the usability and…

There is a growing interest in conceptualizing, defining, and assessing what are often called 21st century skills or deeper learning competencies. The purpose of this literature review is to explore the conceptualizations, definitions, and understandings in the research literature related to critical thinking. Key initial questions include: What…

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "Teaching Quality." Contents include: (1) State Policy Recommendations for…

Classroom management is critical for students' behavioral and academic success, and researchers have identified numerous discrete teacher behaviors within several broad areas of classroom management skills. Unfortunately, these skills are often overlooked during pre- and in-service professional development (PD). Additionally, research suggests…

Recent policy efforts in early care and education (ECE) have aimed to ensure that all children have access to high-quality ECE programming. However, there is debate about how to most effectively improve ECE quality at scale. The three papers in this dissertation provide new insights into the impacts of two widely-used policies aimed at improving…

As a form of teacher professional development, districts and schools are turning to an instructional coaching model for teacher learning, growth, and support. To date, however, few have sought to identify the specific characteristics and conditions that contribute to the success of the instructional coach, particularly in terms of the principal…

Background: The presence of red appears to hamper adults' cognitive performance relative to other colours (see Elliot & Maier, 2014, "Ann. Rev. Psychol." 65, 95). Aims and sample: Here, we investigate whether colour affects cognitive performance in 8- and 9-year-olds. Method: Children completed a battery of tasks once in the presence…

We tested the notion that action observation engages learning processes and mnemonic representations overlapping with those engaged in actual performance. An identical number of training instances, actual performance, or observation, was afforded on a finger opposition sequence task. Both training modes resulted in immediate gains in performance,…

The chapter examines MOOC student demographics, learner characteristics, and discusses six tensions that result from existing trends in who takes MOOCs.

Motor-skill training is an imperative element contributing to overall sport performance. In order to help coaches, athletes and practitioners to capture the characteristics of motor skills, sport scientists have divided motor skills into different categories, such as open versus closed, serial or discrete, outcome- or process-oriented, and…

Recent developments in the performing arts have led Western classical instrumentalists to reconsider their own creative input in their interpretative practice. Still recognising the composer as a main creative source, a fresh approach to interpretation specifically embraces possibilities for shared creativity. Such a shift of perception is…

A report from TNTP (formerly The New Teacher Project) raised eyebrows recently when it concluded that much of the professional development teachers receive does little to improve teaching quality. The report, provocatively titled "The Mirage: Confronting the Hard Truth About Our Quest for Professional Development," examined the…