In numerous workshops and course design retreats, we have modeled the course design process using a fictional course (entitled "Colorado Mountain Hiking") to help instructors bridge the gap between course design theory and practice. We have found this example to be effective because it: a) is accessible to colleagues of different…

This study examined three cases in which an online support system was utilized to enhance creative problem solving (CPS) in a higher education setting. This study aimed to review instructional design strategies that allow the integration of an online support system into a university course. Creativity, which is defined as the ability to generate a…

The growth of online learning has created a need for instructors who can competently teach online. This literature review explores the research questions, program recommendations, and future research suggestions related to professional development for online instructors. Articles were selected and coded based on date of publication and the context…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how learning design and educational technology degree programs prepare students to evaluate in practice. This study involved the curricular mapping of 16 graduate instructional design programs and 29 semi-structured interviews with program faculty and recent postgraduates. Based on information…

This response builds upon some of the issues raised in the article "Windows and mirrors: three images of the US science curriculum as reflected through Kenya's Jua Kali" by Jomo W. Mutegi of Indiana University Purdue, U.S.A, and Lazarus O. Momanyi of Moi University. In particular, the need for an operational science education curriculum…

With the advent of the knowledge era, academia has begun to play new roles in society. As a result, requirements for the design of universities may also change. Milieus of lively and flourishing urban life that foster encounters and unforeseen collaborations within academia -- as well as between academia and society at large -- have been called…

Laboratory classes are a central element of all biochemistry and molecular biology programs. These play a role in developing students' hands-on and technical skills and also offer much more. The design of laboratory classes depends on many factors including the programs the students are enrolled in, the level they are at, employment destinations,…

This paper focuses on MOOCs (massive open online courses), a fairly recent paradigm in e-learning educational projects. Despite the high dropout rate, and the impossibility of benefiting from the opportunities that bring with it a face-to-face dialogue, several factors make MOOCs a good option for ongoing teacher professional learning. The MOOCs…

The purpose of this article is to advocate for an expansion of third-space ideology to the research conducted in clinical teacher preparation programs including research designs and methods of data collection. Clinical teacher preparation has been advocated since the 1980s and is now being systematically realized in the early 21st century. Thus,…

Cognitive load theory provides instructional recommendations based on our knowledge of human cognition. Evolutionary psychology is used to assume that knowledge should be divided into biologically primary information that we have specifically evolved to acquire and biologically secondary information that we have not specifically evolved to…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of occupational socialization on the development of United States secondary physical education teachers' beliefs and actions regarding curriculum design. Participants were 10 teachers. Data were collected with six qualitative techniques and analyzed using analytic induction and constant…

Transfer of training has not been perceived as successful for training programs in bringing about targeted knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSA). The review of current literature revealed a lack of consensus of the nature of transfer and ambiguity of the role an individual's attitude plays in the learning and transfer process. To provide insight…

Previous research evaluating grammar school effectiveness has generally relied on snapshot or longitudinal regression models to deal with pre-existing differences between grammar school pupils and those in non-selective schools. These passive designs are based on correlations, and cannot demonstrate clear positive causal relationships between…

With the growing complexity of societal and scientific problems, research centers have emerged to facilitate the conduct of research beyond disciplinary and institutional boundaries. While they have become firmly established in the global university landscape, research centers raise some critical questions for research evaluation. Existing…

Many research problems in social science involve multilevel phenomena. However, discussions about multilevel research designs are limited in the mixed methods (MM) literature. Building on early writings in the field, this methodological discussion advances a refined definition of a multilevel MM research design. The refinement emerges from a…