A description of learning experience that uses a four-step instrumentational framework involving concrete and representational experiences to promote conceptual understanding of abstract biological concepts by a series of closely-related activities is presented. The students are introduced to the structure and implications of DNA using four…

The social and emotional development of gifted students can be influenced by many factors. Genetics, experiences, learning, family values, perceptions, and interactions all contribute to the development of gifted children. Under the heading of experiences is students? use of computers. The potential effects of using these technologies is…

In this article, the author describes how she developed an interest in and originally became involved with international adult education. The author first became aware of the international aspects and activities of adult education while matriculating for her master's degree with Malcolm Knowles at Boston University. As early as 1983, the author…

It all started with an invitation from the Oxford Round Table. The author was summoned to participate in a lively debate at Exeter College in the Oxford University about, "Science and Faith: The Great Matter." If one has participated in an Oxford University summer experience, he/she will agree it is a once in a lifetime learning…

A voluntary peer-coaching program is described along with the accompanying cultural change that occurred at a suburban high school. Veteran teachers participating in this research reported that peer coaching gave them meaningful feedback, motivation to direct their learning, increased levels of trust and morale among themselves, and justification…

Higher education institutions are compelled to accommodate growing class sizes as student numbers have increased over time, especially at undergraduate level. Good teaching principles are relevant to all class sizes. For example, teachers of all classes are required to create safe learning environments, motivate and engage students, interact with…

Understanding factors in successful online course experiences can provide suggestions for instructors and students to promote improved learning experiences. A survey of 700 students regarding perceptions of online-learning quality was analyzed with a structural equation model. For students with online-learning experience, comfort with technology…

This essay shows the range to complexity for assessing academic service learning experiences. Corso recommends that instructors understand expectations for cognition, affective response, and communication competence as they place students into academic service learning experiences and as they assess learning outcomes within such contexts. Corso…

This pilot study examined the experiences of 24 teacher education students and nine caregivers who participated in a weekly community play session on a rural University campus in NSW, Australia. Students completed a questionnaire at the beginning of the 13 week semester and at the end of the semester and were asked about confidence levels in…

This investigation examined the impact of opportunity to learn content and skills targeted by a writing assessment on the achievement of English learners (ELs), including the potential for differential impact of increased exposure to literary analysis and writing instruction. Results revealed several factors contributing to students' writing…

"Chemical Engineering Modeling" is a first-semester graduate course traditionally taught in a lecture format at Oklahoma State University. The course as taught by the author for the past seven years focuses on numerical and mathematical methods as necessary skills for incoming graduate students. Recent changes to the course have included Visual…

Under the principles of critical pedagogy, this article examines the process and experiences of 22 pre-service teachers enrolled in a required teacher education course, "Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice", who collaboratively developed and taught the course syllabus to one another. Through surveys, observations, and informal meetings,…

We investigated whether and how prior knowledge activation improves learning outcomes for high school (less experienced learners) and university students (experienced learners) in a hypertext environment. Map coherence was defined as the extent to which relationships between the concepts in the map were made explicit. Therefore, we classified the…

Over the past few decades, community colleges have helped increase the representation of female and minority students in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Flexible schedules, low tuition, proximity to jobs, and open access admissions make community colleges attractive to a diverse student body, especially…

This article reports a survey that sought to capture a contemporary snapshot of curriculum collections in Australian universities. It highlights best practice and issues in collection organisation, development and access, the challenges facing these collections, and possible future directions. Many themes emerged, including: the need to make…