A university-wide project team of academic and administrative staff worked together to prepare, deliver and evaluate a number of diagnostic, formative and summative computer-based assessments. The team also attempted to assess the University of Southampton's readiness to deliver computer-assisted assessment (CAA) within the "Code of practice…

This article examines the structure of topic movement within face-to-face postgraduate university seminar discussion forums through a conversation analytic approach. The analysis of 12 audio recordings of seminars showed that in spite of clear differences in the management style of sessions by seminar leaders there were important consistencies in…

Several decades ago it was shown that the differentiation of pupils into tracks and streams led to a polarization into "anti-school" and "pro-school" cultures. Support for this differentiation-polarization theory is mainly based on case studies. This paper presents findings of a quantitative study in Belgium (Flanders).…

Emerging from e-learning, mobile learning is going to be a significant next wave of learning environments. This is an evolving research area and many issues regarding mobile learning have not yet been exhaustively covered. This article focuses on implementing m-learning modules using a simple case study. Most existing typical e-learning systems…

3D interactive virtual reality museum exhibits should be easy to use, entertaining, and informative. If the interface is intuitive, it will allow the user more time to learn the educational content of the exhibit. This research deals with interface issues concerning activating audio descriptions of images in such exhibits while the user is…

Conflict is a very real part of relationships that occur on global, national, and local scales, as well as in daily interpersonal relationships. This article details the relevance of peace studies for children in the primary grades, both in terms of current events and in classroom applications. Suggestions are presented for addressing this topic…

Problem-based approaches to learning have a long history of advocating experience-based education. Psychological research and theory suggests that by having students learn through the experience of solving problems, they can learn both content and thinking strategies. Problem-based learning (PBL) is an instructional method in which students learn…

Reflective-thinking skills are important in problem-based learning environments as they help learners become deeply engaged in learning. The literature suggests several instructional-design factors (e.g., environment, teaching methods, scaffolding tools) that may prompt reflection in learners. However, it is unclear whether these factors differ…

Studies of comprehensive school reform suggest that such efforts often fail because of educators' unwillingness to examine the root causes of underachievement and of failure among students from low-income and racially or ethnically diverse backgrounds and because of their tendency to locate the problem within students, families, and communities.…

Introduction: The headmaster of a school (NRMV) in rural eastern Nepal, pleaded for help from the public health Department of Psychiatry, BKIHS, Dharan, Nepal, to prevent closure of his school as guardians of many students refused to send their children to his school, which was supposedly haunted by evil spirits. The author, along with his staff,…

Research on first-year students' perceptions of their learning environments revealed the aspects of their experiences that enhanced and hindered their learning. End of the semester reflection essays from first-year seminars were analyzed to ascertain students' views. Data analysis revealed that students need peers who provide personal and…

The author discusses three threats to the American way of life: the first threat is related to human and technological growth; the second is a new division of labor; and the third threat is security and safety. The author suggests two solutions to address these challenges: (1) better technological planning and decisions based on technological…

Through a detailed case study of one preservice teacher's development, the author examines the tension between basic skills and whole language discourses in literacy education. The author frames "the basic skills/whole language binary" as a "social imaginary,"--"an image that exists within the popular imagination or unconscious" and a force that…

Transgender kids and kids from trans families attend preschool and kindergarten. For the safety, comfort, and optimum learning of these students, trans-positive early childhood education environments are necessary. Through simple changes to existing curricula and equipment, teachers, parents, and administrators can create a trans-positive setting…

Transgender students are becoming more visible on college campuses. This qualitative study examines the experiences of undergraduate and graduate students who self-identify as transgender. Most of the participants reported that a hostile climate for transgender students exists on their campuses and that their colleges lack resources and education…