Describes using the case method of teaching in a sociology class. The case method is a student-centered, highly interactive pedagogy that changes the classroom process into a collaborative search for an analysis and solution to a specific problem based on a case (a text that provides information about a situation without analyzing it). (EV)

Examined whether students who studied together outside class did better on exams than those who studied alone, and whether pedagogical method (cooperative/active learning versus lecture) influenced students' out-of-class study behavior. Mean exam scores were generally higher for students who studied in groups, regardless of teaching style, and…

Presents an inexpensive activity to stimulate student interest in biotechnology that was developed in partnership with a biotechnology company. Focuses on the use of DNA by a commercial laboratory; describing the analysis procedure; important uses of DNA technology in modern society; and ethical, social, and legal issues related to biotechnology.…

The Core-Plus Mathematics project is a National Science Foundation project to design, evaluate, and disseminate innovative high school curricula based on National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards. The CPMP program has five mathematical and structural design features: multiple connected strands, emphasis on mathematical modeling, access…

Based on the author's experience as advisor to practicing administrators in their final year of a three-year part-time masters program in education management at a British university, this article explores whether the academic demands of an award-bearing program and those of action learning interact detrimentally. The strands of activity should be…

Explores the types of written questions students ask after reading one or more chapters from a textbook and investigates students' ability to improve their questions during the course of a single semester. Examines two comparable populations, undergraduate students who were taught in the traditional lecture format and students who were taught in…

Provides a chart comparing state and national objectives. Assesses student understanding of photosynthesis and explains the process of teaching students producer-consumer relationships. (Contains 14 references.) (YDS)

Explores the debate between academic, skills-oriented mathematics instruction and more discussion- and context-centered approaches and offers strategies to move beyond the debate and improve mathematics education. (EV)

Offers a framework for faculty and planners of distance learning programs to understand the impact of visuals and constructivist methods in distance learning and to guide effective practice and decision-making. Topics include interaction; constructivist learning, including active learning and authentic learning; authentic student assessment; and…

Examines student instructor communication in freshman classes taught either in traditional lecture style or by using a variety of student-centered, active learning approaches to engage students in the learning process (cooperative learning groups, wireless microphones, permanent name tags, in-class and out-of-class writing). Encourages students to…

Reports on a survey of faculty members (n=29) asking them to define active learning, to rate how effectively different teaching techniques contribute to active learning, and to list the three teaching techniques they use most frequently. Concludes that active learning requires establishing an environment rather than employing a specific teaching…

Teachers in constructivist mathematics classrooms actively engage students in the learning process. Although constructivist teachers use different methods, most employ five contextual teaching strategies: relating, experiencing, applying, cooperating, and transferring. Students learn that even in mathematics, the "right" answer can be a matter of…

Uses DNA laboratories to apply three different active learning strategies to undergraduate education: (1) teaming students; (2) opening laboratories; and (3) linking experiments. Discusses the effectiveness of the stream method on student attitudes and understanding. (YDS)

Points out the low student achievement in microbiology courses and presents an active learning method applied in an introductory microbiology course which features daily quizzes, cooperative learning activities, and group projects. (Contains 30 references.) (YDS)

Instructional design is an integral part of a balanced approach to teaching vocabulary instruction. The goal of this paper is to reflect on several lessons using research-based vocabulary strategies, and to present think-alouds that detail the steps in matching instructional design with those strategies in order to reach the learning outcome.…