This article features original text passages from the primary source, "Diary of Judge A. N. Ferguson engaged as Civil Engineer with a U.P.R.R. [Union Pacific Rail Road] Surveying Party April 25, 1868 to May 10, 1869." Creative ideas for discussion are provided about topics such as weather, and the dangers the survey team endured as they completed…

In this commentary on Werth's (this issue) article, the author attempts to continue the work of "meaning making" by describing 10 lessons that were evident to him, based on 25 years of experience as an end-of-life researcher and clinician. He highlights the impact of stress, the importance of communication, the idiosyncratic definition of a "good…

Acknowledging the complex relationships which the field of didactics of mathematics has with other research fields (e.g. mathematics, educational sciences, epistemology, history, psychology, semiotics, sociology, cognitive science), the authors analyze in this paper some cases of fruitful and some of failed dialogue between experts of the…

The Internet has recently been identified as a potential enabler of lifelong learning. Web-based learning systems enable learners easily to access rich resources and actively participate in learning activities without time and distance limits. The main challenge in lifelong learning is providing the opportunity for discussion and collaborative…

Drawing on narrative theory, we propose a scenario-based approach to conducting discussions among junior and senior faculty about issues affecting job satisfaction. This study reports how discussions of fictional scenarios (based on data drawn from 123 faculty interviews) prompt open dialogue, foster greater consciousness, empathy, and empowerment…

This paper describes the development of the first in a series of e-learning courses intended to influence the professional practices of 200+ teachers in 15 locations across a western state. The course, anchored in a socially constructed view of learning, combined the use of interactive video, WebCT, and on-site discussion groups to implement…

Physical educators are often frustrated when a student behaves in a way that compromises the learning environment for the entire group. Inappropriate behavior may vary from kicking a ball across the room rather than returning it under the net, to consistent wisecracking during class. When such behavior is limited to one or two students, individual…

Students have their own attitudes and opinions about the various social problems that affect their world. When the author and his students discuss different social problems in class, students inevitably disagree with one another and they also disagree with him. Usually the disagreements are mild and respectful, but sometimes they can become…

Gustavson (Gustavson, L., "Journal of Children's Literature," 2000, 26(1), 16) used the award-winning novel "The View From Saturday" (Konigsburg, 1996) to investigate the discourses constructed by adolescent readers in after-school discussion groups. Participants in his study, instead of constructing interpretive discourse as Gustavson expected,…

Compelled by student interest and her search for more meaningful class discussion, teacher Elaine Insinnia found support from technology coordinator Eileen Skarecki for introducing chat room discussions about class reading. The results were more engaged students, deeper discussions, and more egalitarian participation. Along the way, Elaine learned…

As demands for accountability continue and increase, higher education administrators require tools for evaluating campus programs. Learning communities, as a course design strategy, have proven successful in confronting challenges associated with attrition and retention. Because high attrition is associated with online distance education,…

The purpose of this case study was to describe the role of teacher knowledge in the instructional methods of a community college developmental literacy instructor and determine in what ways that knowledge may have impacted the perceptions of the student participants regarding their authority over their academic progress in the class. Therefore,…

The present study investigated the effectiveness of integrating RCampus in EFL freshman classrooms on EFL students' reading and writing skills development. Forty-three freshman students majoring in translation participated in the study. Before instruction, the students were pretested. Then they received traditional in-class instruction that…

A purpose-built blend of teaching and learning activities was used with trainee teachers on a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) course, and subsequently evaluated in a cyclical action research study, over a period of two years. The purpose of the blend was to engender the formation of a learning community, by giving them access to each…

AS PART OF AN ADULT LIBERAL STUDIES PROGRAM (BASIC ISSUES OF MAN), AN EVALUATION WAS MADE TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COMBINATIONS OF TELEVISION, FILMS, WRITTEN MATERIALS, AND GROUP DISCUSSION IN EDUCATIONAL SITUATIONS INVOLVING EXPOSURE TO THE MEDIA ALONE OR IN GROUPS, THE AIM OF THE PROGRAM BEING TO BRING ABOUT ATTITUDINAL CHANGES. THE…