Although most students view science through a positive lens they often have difficulty connecting the science that they study in school with the practice of science in general, and their personal experience with science in their everyday lives. In an attempt to mediate "school science" with a more authentic view of science a contextual model is…

Business and professional writing courses offer ideal contexts for incorporating service learning into the academic classroom. The focus of such courses on rhetorical analysis and language as social action provide a sound theoretical and practical ground for the application of writing and speaking skills to solve problems and effect change. In…

This study investigated the effects of the WebQuest Writing Instruction (WQWI) program on Taiwanese EFL learners' writing performance, writing apprehension, and perception of web-resource integrated language learning. Participants were students from two junior college classes. One class received traditional classroom writing instruction and the…

Computer games are no longer just for entertainment; they have also become a useful instructional strategy for acquiring knowledge. When games are used for purposes other than strict entertainment they become serious games. The goal of serious games is to enable the player to learn a task, master a strategy or develop a skill. Serious games can be…

Echoing the current emphasis on examining changes in teacher beliefs, combined with the central role of inquiry in reform, this article argues that science "education" research experiences should hold promise in shaping preservice teachers' beliefs about the role of inquiry in understanding classroom science teaching. The aim of this…

Evidence regarding the centrality of word recognition to the reading process is considered, based on a review of research on beginning reading from 15 secondary sources. The research includes diverse learners who are low performers, learning or reading disabled, remedial readers, high achievers, culturally disadvantaged, language delayed, and…

This booklet is part of a series of articles, reviews, and conference reports issued by Goldsmiths Association for Early Childhood (GAEC). This issue focuses on parents as partners from the point of view of parents, teachers, and childminders, discussing how the partnership between home and school continues to become a more equal one by…

This text reviews academic, emotional, motivational, and social learning theories that help children to be their own teachers and teachers to be aware of the advantages of taking charge of one's own learning, rather than depending on teacher education methodology. Learning is described as more than learning facts and figures or directive…

A study was undertaken at Utah Valley State College to assess the quality of learning experiences of students taking a sociology telecourse. This included comparing results for day students viewing the course in a classroom and students viewing the course at home or in other locations in the community. Surveys were distributed to 62 classroom- and…

This handbook presents a process for the assessment of college curricula and student learning in general education and liberal learning. The key concepts of the Coursework Cluster Analysis Model (CCAM) are described and explained. Some of the general guidelines on interpreting the results of CCAM analyses are presented as well as key decisions…

One of the aims of the Threshold Project was to examine the school-based learning experiences of children in lower primary grades in Southern African schools, particularly in relation to the changeover to English as the medium of instruction. Ethnographic observations were conducted in two Primary Education Upgrading Project (PEUP) schools and two…

This book contains 13 articles on learning from experience and its relationship to adult learning and adult education. The introductory article, "Understanding Learning from Experience" (Boud, Cohen, Walker), examines five propositions about learning from experience. The following papers are organized into three sections that focus…

This study used a case study approach to examine how 30 Pennsylvania State University students used out-of-class experiences while studying abroad to enhance their learning. Students, who spent a semester or academic year abroad during the 1990-91 school year, were interviewed about their experiences. Three basic categories of learning activity…

Beginning teachers' learning is complex and personal: they learn about themselves as teachers; they fight with newly revealed selves endeavoring to change; and they engage in a struggle that is both emotional and intellectual. This report presents narratives, based on both journals and taped conversations, of the learning experiences of six novice…

Effective leaders are decision makers, strategic planners, calculated risk-takers, and highly skilled negotiators. Interestingly, the critical skill of negotiating is not one that most women naturally demonstrate. Because the majority of women in the workplace do not negotiate, they often do not advance as quickly as they should, nor do their…