Analyzed data from a five-year followup of students in Tennessee's Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR) project, a four-year large-scale randomized examination of the effects of class size on academic achievement. Results suggest that class-size benefits persist for at least five years and remain large enough to be important to educational…

Identifies the problems and challenges of large lecture-class-format college classes and offers empirical and theoretical rationales for moving to approaches that emphasize small-group learning. Cites research showing small groups promote cognitive elaboration, enhance critical thinking, provide feedback, promote social and emotional development,…

Describes a number of informal "turn-to-your-neighbor" approaches that create an active learning environment in college lecture settings. These include: launching class in discussion, breaking up the lecture for comprehension checks, closing class with small-group conversation, and debriefing exams. (DB)

Proposes how to utilize a virtual environment to enhance learning and teaching activities in formal higher education. Predicts that future higher education will still require a campus equipped with information technologies to be used to improve student participation, provide asynchronous learning support, conduct field-based learning, and handle…

Research findings using data from the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS) database has shown that race, socioeconomic level, class size, and classroom heterogeneity are poor predictors of student academic growth. TVAAS findings indicate that teacher effectiveness is the main determinant of student academic progress. (SLD)

Analysis of a survey of 300 business majors found that though technology use in the classroom motivates students by increasing learning, enjoyment, and interest in material, such motivation does not necessarily lead to better student performance on tests or papers. Recommends instructors increase student involvement by making presentation…

Describes size, contents, organization, and social psychological function of teachers' rooms in Japanese junior high schools, which serve as centers of daily educational activities and interactions among teachers, between teachers and students, and among students themselves. (PKP)

Presents five beliefs related to the small schools versus large schools debate: Differences matter more than similarities, a large building offers more opportunities, larger schools attract better teachers and administrators, small schools reflect provincial values, and what matters most is class size. Discusses two implications for advocates of…

Reviews research that finds teachers assigned to smaller classes do not significantly alter the instructional methods they used in larger classes. (PKP)

Discusses available data on special-education costs, reviews New York State's initiative to document educational outcomes for special-needs students, and summarizes three service-delivery models. A cost-analysis of one district's program shows a model's cost is related to the identified number of special-needs students and their needs. (Contains…

The Roeper School is a pre-kindergarten through grade 12, co-educational day school for gifted children that was founded in 1941. Admission criteria include parent and student interviews, student observation, and individual testing by a psychologist. The current emphasis on accountability and outcome measurements may be more about what governments…

The authors provide a version of a double-auction market simulation designed for classes too large for most computer labs to accommodate in one sitting. Instead, students play the game from remote computers, wherever they may be and at any time during a given time period specified by the instructor. When the window of time expires, students can…

More than eleven hundred university students were surveyed to determine attitudes toward learning and accountability. Apathy, absenteeism, and grade inflation emerged as contributing to the lack of student accountability. This article suggests institutional changes to reanimate college classrooms: explicit expectations; smaller, engaged classes;…

Schools that fail to make "adequate yearly progress" under NCLB face sanctions and may lose students to other schools. In smaller schools, random yearly variation in innate student ability and behavior can cause changes in scores that are beyond the influence of teachers. This study examines changes in reading and math scores across…

Using focus groups and individual interviews, student teachers' perspectives on their program's design and delivery were examined. Data analysis using constant comparison revealed a set of 10 essential elements for effective teacher education programs: diverse student bodies, effective program faculty, useful curricula and pedagogy, theory into…