We identify five reasons why it is important for at-risk students to learn and be able to apply Creative Problem Solving (CPS). CPS builds on both creative and critical thinking (in harmony with each other). The CPS Version 6.1™ framework incorporates guidelines and specific tools for generating ideas ("creative" thinking) and focusing…

Sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system constantly control the heart (sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions) and blood vessels (predominantly the sympathetic division) to maintain appropriate blood pressure and organ blood flow over sometimes widely varying conditions. This can be adversely affected by…

Interactive tabletops can be used to provide new ways to support face-to-face collaborative learning. A little explored and somewhat hidden potential of these devices is that they can be used to enhance teachers' awareness of students' progress by exploiting captured traces of interaction. These data can make key aspects of collaboration…

This article describes how Paul Duncum teaches elements of realististic-style imagery. The elements he teaches are framing, angles of view, lighting, depth of field, and body language. He stresses how each of these elements contributes to meaning, and shows how they apply equally to old master paintings and today's digital photography.

In the previous issue of "LLT", I commented upon Stockwell (2010), suggesting that the learning activities investigated limited the scope of his research on the effects of the MALL platform. Professor Stockwell responded in the same issue with a spirited riposte. However, it became clear that much of the disagreement lay in a matter of definition.…

To create rich learning experiences, it is important to engage students from the very beginning of a course and lay the foundation for constructing a community of active learners. The activities described here using "organism cards" connect students' previous knowledge to course goals and address key themes in biology while initiating…

Distance running is often underutilized in elementary physical education due to three common misconceptions about using this activity with young children: (1) it is not enjoyable, (2) it is not safe, and (3) children will get mentally "burned out." Through reviewing the literature and offering guidelines, practical tips, instant…

Quantitative and statistical literacy are core domains in the undergraduate psychology curriculum. An important component of such literacy includes interpretation of visual aids, such as tables containing results from statistical analyses. This article presents a new technique for enhancing student interpretation of American Psychological…

To many students, theory can be confusing and difficult to retain. Therefore, instructors who put emphasis on theory in their courses and lectures must find new ways for students to connect to the sometimes obscure material. Through a hands-on approach to learning theory, students may be challenged to examine their own beliefs and knowledge…

Many studies have shown benefits associated with engaging students in problem-solving activities prior to administering lessons. These problem-solving activities are assumed to activate relevant knowledge and allow students to develop some initial knowledge structures, which support understanding of the lesson. In this paper we report the results…

Growing up in Loretto, Tennessee, population 1,700, people called it "going to town" when they went to any city big enough to have a McDonald's, Walmart, or a movie theater. If someone is not from a small town, they may not know what type of economic activities a small town can support. Will the town have a police department? Will there…

The paper explores the opportunities and challenges of combining media literacy and social-emotional literacy to promote mental health and well-being in school curricula. It describes the implementation of an experimental module within the program "Crescere insieme What's Up" (Growing up together What's Up). This upstream prevention and…

This paper proposes a novel interactive ubiquitous learning system (IULS) for authentically teaching a cultural heritage course and imparting relevant concepts to students. Experimental results demonstrated that learning performance was significantly improved after students used the IULS. This study also demonstrated that students using the IULS…

This article describes the theory-informed design of the "ELENA goes shopping" mobile game and reports on the evaluation of its effectiveness through a design research approach. The game aimed to foster young children's (aged 4-8) interest in a neighboring (geographically proximate) language and to familiarize them with its sounds,…

This article is about a year-long teaching and research project conducted with 696 4th graders (mostly 10-year olds) and their 36 teachers in Wyoming/USA. The researchers employed an action research approach. They planned and taught a two-day, Wyoming-themed, interdisciplinary unit, "We Are Wyoming", which integrated Social Studies,…