Research report on the severe ecological consequences of the defoliation program by American military forces in Vietnam. A significant fraction of mature trees in most forests are killed by single application of herbicides and almost completely killed by repeated sprayings. AAAS is urged to set up an international research program on the…

This second article in a series of four that explores the role of information technology in education focuses on our current view of information technology and argues for a new structure for using technology in education. Highlights include a framework for systemic change; and connectivity of physical settings, people, and knowledge development.…

This article discusses how drawing closer to nature, two profoundly important and powerful qualities are experienced. First, the entire world takes on a new degree of poignancy, luminosity, preciousness, subtlety, mystery, and intimacy. Second, the author points out how we increasingly experience ourselves in just the same way: poignant, luminous,…

Discussion about the nexus between research and teaching in higher education has so far tended to take place at a generic level, with comparatively little attention paid to the significance of subject-based variations. Drawing on an educational development project involving four UK universities, the article considers the research-teaching nexus…

Kansas is legendary for geographical monotony, for a landscape allegedly so absent of trees and relief that the state has become the butt of national jokes and a cultural synonym for flat. U.S. Forest Service researchers noted in 1999 that forests covered slightly less than 3 percent of the state. So prevalent is the idea of a treeless Kansas that…

Educators have identified four categories of "productive pedagogies" that are considered to lead to authentic student engagement and learning in the classroom. This study was designed to explore and extend these pedagogies in the context of learning in natural environments, in particular, through the programmes of Queensland…

The objectives were to explore the relation between the built environment of residence halls and the alcohol use of college students living on campus from the perspective of the theory of routine activity. This exploratory study examined data from two samples on one college campus. Online surveys assessed alcohol use, attitudes toward alcohol use,…

As a result of high profile shootings and critical incidents in schools on a national level, combined with the lack of a cohesive, standardized approach to safety and security in Idaho Schools, Superintendent Tom Luna requested an appropriation to address this issue and the Legislature allocated 5150.000 in FY 2008 for the Safe and Secure…

In the town of Madison, Indiana, the Mayor's Office started an initiative in 2000 called the Mayor's Eagles in partnership with Edward Eagleston Elementary School, known locally as the Eagles, using the historical expertise of Historic Madison, Inc., and the resources of the Madison Public Library. Through this program staff of Historic Madison,…

The authors present the development and the validation of the four-dimensional, twenty-five-item, five-point Kindergarten Environment Rating Scale (KERS). The Cohen's Kappa of the items indicates acceptable reliability for the instrument. The content validity and confirmatory factor analysis indicates that the data obtained using the KERS could…

This paper introduces a theoretical framework and practical means of teaching environmental literacy through the explanation of a structured day hike experience with university students along the Bruce Trail in the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada. Environmental literacy is about deeply knowing the details and histories of particular settings and…

In the real world, helping infants explore the earth is not always practical. The logistics of enjoying nature with a group of infants and toddlers in a city can be daunting; however, with a few smart policies and wise decisions about health and safety, sharing nature with young children brings rewards that more than make up for the…

In this review essay, Jan Nespor uses three recent contributions to place-based education, Paul Theobald's "Teaching the Commons," C.A. Bowers's "Revitalizing the Commons," and David Gruenewald and Gregory Smith's edited volume "Place-Based Education in the Global Age," to examine some fundamental conceptual and practical issues in the area. One…

"Approaches and Strategies in Next Generation Science Learning" examines the challenges involved in the development of modern curriculum models, teaching strategies, and assessments in science education in order to prepare future students in the 21st century economies. This comprehensive collection of research brings together science educators,…