This article reviews several attempts to define degrees of freedom, and offers some simple explanations of how they are derived and why they are used in various contexts.

Despite considerable discussion and controversy over the native/nonnative distinction, there is no satisfactory definition of the terms. In addition, the literature tends to reduce the complexity of the distinction to an overly simplistic and problematic dichotomy. Using a qualitative case study approach, this research article examines the…

This article provides an overview of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the 2008 amendments to the act (ADAAA) as well as Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The article describes the major sections of the ADA, addresses the changes brought about to the ADA and Section 504 as a result of the ADAAA, reviews the outcome of…

This study examined preservice teachers' understanding of biotechnology and its related processes. A sample comprised 88 elementary education preservice teachers at a large university in the Midwest of the USA. A total of 60 and 28 of the participants were enrolled in introductory and advanced science methods courses, respectively. Most…

The concept and the process of retirement are rapidly evolving. As a result, psychologists are in a unique position to understand and explain the dynamics behind the changing face of retirement. We begin this article with a brief overview of the history of retirement and then note the various definitions used when studying retirement. We then…

Media scholars have long recognized the interaction between the medium that conveys the information and the information that is conveyed. This study examined the relative impact of different low- and high-tech instructional mediums (e.g., flashcards and the iTouch) on the acquisition of general education content-referenced sight words and…

With the growing demand for improving college completion rates has come a need for more thorough information about just how well or poorly colleges and their students are performing on a variety of measures. In a growing number of states, that data is being used to improve the number of students who finish their degrees. Some states and…

Over a decade ago, Lenning and Ebbers (1999) envisioned that information and computer technology (ICT) could be used to create virtual learning communities (VLCs) as a "future" form of learning communities. Indeed, almost all academic departments--including psychology--depend heavily on the use of ICT to create and sustain connections among…

The paper describes the theory and definition of the practice of librarianship, specifically addressing how Web 2.0 technologies (tools) such as synchronous messaging, collaborative reference service and streaming media, blogs, wikis, social networks, social bookmarking tools, tagging, RSS feeds, and mashups might intimate changes and how…

Despite the widespread popularity of social networking sites (SNSs) amongst children and young people in compulsory education, relatively little scholarly work has explored the fundamental issues at stake. This paper makes an original contribution to the field by locating the study of this online activity within the broader terrain of social…

With the growing needs to address the challenges that new teachers face and the popularity of social networking technology, this study explores how to increase the effectives of teaching through the use of such technology, and how the technology may serve to promote collaboration and open new resources of support in public education. In this…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a new music education program in Cyprus. The program which was created by the author of this study, combined early childhood music education and children's literature. Nine lessons were created which included three original children stories and six songs. Five primary music teachers implemented the whole…

Over the past year, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have received a great deal of attention from the academic community and the media. The EUA Secretariat has followed the development of the MOOCs since the beginning of 2012, surveying discussion forums and publications, but also assessing the websites of MOOC providers and participating in…

This article is a response to "Applying Graduate Student Perceptions of Task Engagement to Enhance Learning Conditions" by Jay Caulfield (2010). Caulfield's study on graduate students' perceptions of task engagement was an important one for people who are involved in graduate level teaching. The issues of motivation can easily be…

Concepts of genetics are often difficult to teach, specifically the central concept of gene. Even the scientists disagree when defining this concept. This paper investigates university students' understanding about the gene and its functions. The results show the dominance of two conceptions of the gene: the Neoclassical model and the Mendelian…