Discusses the thoughtful selection and organization of multi-use, multi-sensory items that hold their appeal as children grow, or that satisfy the interests of mixed-age groups. Suggestions include using real tools, pots and pans, and recycled food containers, as well as "wild" outdoor areas and learning or activity centers. (TJQ)

Recommends that middle school teachers try an inquiry approach in Earth science. Describes guiding the inquiry, formulating the problem statement, and establishing the rules for inquiry. (DDR)

Reviews psychological research on learning by doing, noting the role that learning-by-doing can play in education and training. Discusses how one University of Pittsburgh professor/researcher and his colleagues and students implemented this approach and describes lessons learned from the experience, explaining how improved forms of…

Describes a study performed in a microbial physiology course to increase students' self awareness of their misconceptions, promote sound research techniques, develop written and oral communication skills, stimulate metacognition, and improve team work and interpersonal relationship skills. (Contains 19 references.) (Author/YDS)

In this article, the author, who has an internet self-help radio program called "Maximizing Life with Scott Chesney" on VoiceAmerica, describes the joys and healing his children brings him daily since his diagnosis with Foix-Alajouanine Syndrome. He realized that, after a tour of 15 countries researching alternative medicine and speaking and…

There have been few attempts to introduce frameworks that can help support tutors evaluate educational games and simulations that can be most effective in their particular learning context and subject area. The lack of a dedicated framework has produced a significant impediment for the uptake of games and simulations particularly in formal…

Explaining new ideas to oneself can promote transfer, but how and when such self-explanation is effective is unclear. This study evaluated whether self-explanation leads to lasting improvements in transfer success and whether it is more effective in combination with direct instruction or invention. Third- through fifth-grade children (ages 8-11;…

We identify literature that argues the process of creating knowledge-based system is often imbalanced. In most knowledge-based systems, development is often technology-driven instead of requirement-driven. Therefore, we argue designers must recognize that evaluation is a critical link in the application of requirement-driven development models…

A generic teaching format in which students actively participate in a whole-class collaborative-learning experience is described. The entire class, divided into groups, made a joint effort to overcome a hypothetical outbreak of a new plant disease. High scores on an examination question concerning the project indicated successful assimilation of…

This paper provides a brief history of the work of Maria Montessori and traces the development of the Montessori method in English education. The first woman medical student in Italy, she developed an interest in the needs of mentally handicapped children. Contrary to the accepted view, she came to the conclusion that mentally 'deficient' children…

This guidebook is intended to help high school students discover the connection between themselves and the people from the past by being engaged in hands-on activities. The guidebook allows students to create artifacts or recreate a process known well to people from times past. The guide is arranged to provide historical background, materials…

A study was conducted to develop a test that is able to capture knowledge of an intuitive nature, such as that acquired through discovery learning. The proposed test format is called the "what-if test." Test items in this format consist of the presentation of a situation. A change in the situation is introduced, and learners have to…

This paper is the written account of a panel presentation about inquiry-oriented teaching practices. The purpose of this group of papers is to provide an opportunity to explore the state of knowledge of inquiry-oriented teaching based on direct observation of teachers, and analysis of those observations from an inquiry perspective. The paper…

Many educators believe that middle grades schools have a responsibility to capitalize on the natural curiosity of young adolescents through the use of an exploratory curriculum to help students understand the world in which they live. This study examined the status of middle grades exploratory programs in Alabama. A 22-item questionnaire was sent…

This activity book was designed especially for the classroom teacher who is constantly on the lookout for unique and interesting ways to challenge the students' learning capacity in the area of elementary mathematics. The material presented here places a strong emphasis on defining the particular skills to be covered in each activity. All the…