Challenges to become what you want to be permeate higher education recruitment literature, inviting students to realize their dreams. Students do not interpret this invitation only in vocational terms. Other aspects of meaning for being and becoming are important for them: self-realization, and becoming who as well as what they want to be. A…

Many more teachers begin studying for masters' level awards than complete them. This situation is a concern to participants, providers and funders of courses. The research project reported here explores teachers' perceptions of factors affecting their success in completing assessed work. Questionnaire and interview responses from 46 students in…

This article reports on a piece of research conducted as part of an undergraduate dissertation, to identify student opinions on collaboration and perceived advantages, disadvantages and barriers to knowledge sharing. Collaborative behaviour is investigated and analysed, including the use of two specific online tools. Research is conducted through…

This article describes how music in the language classroom setting can be a catalyst for developing reading, writing, and understanding skills. Studies suggest that pairing music and linguistic intelligences in the college classroom improves students' grades and abilities to compose theses statements for research papers in courses that emphasize…

This article identifies some of the frustrations felt by a classroom practitioner as a result of the restrictions generated by current demands for accountability, and the limiting effect these can have on children's learning experiences. It goes on to consider the liberating impact of a more organic way of organising the curriculum, which allows…

Background: It has been suggested that children's learning motivation and interest in a particular subject play an important role in their school performance, particularly in mathematics. However, few cross-lagged longitudinal studies have been carried out to investigate the prospective relationships between academic achievement and task…

For the thirty-sixth year, the Research and Theory Division of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is sponsoring the publication of these Proceedings. Papers published in this volume were presented at the annual AECT Convention in Anaheim, California. The Proceedings of AECT's Convention are published in two…

Computer animation can be effectively incorporated into computer based instruction programs for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning environments. Computer animation is defined as computer-generated animated graphics that function as visual aids to instruction. The applications of instructional graphics fall into two categories: (1)…

This paper describes how comic books are used as instructional materials in an intensive English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) course and discusses the rationale for using them. The students in the course have low-intermediate English language skills with limited discourse and interactive competence. Comic books are used because they are authentic,…

This book is a guide to helping college students take charge of their learning in their school environment, by capitalizing on their motivation arising from curiosity. It helps students gain independence from the lecture-study-exam system, with a resulting sense of thinking "I know my stuff." The guide argues that many students who do not work to…

A study examined the relationship between teachers' perceived eagerness to communicate within the classroom and students' perceived affective learning. Subjects were 88 students and 9 instructors at a proprietary business school in a large midwestern city. Teachers completed a 21-item self-report questionnaire assessing their communication…

This book offers 80 original chants for teaching children to play with language, discover their ownership of language, and experiment with language. The book states that chants can provide a strategy that develops reading skills, ease in dramatic situations, sidebars in art work, communication abilities, awareness of self and environment, and…

The more that educators understand about student motivation, the better that teachers can tailor their pedagogy to prepare students for the job market. The purpose of this study was to acquire a more complete understanding of what drives secondary students and how student motivation and development relate to effective teaching. It is hoped that an…

Tools for teaching students how to question intelligently are badly needed. Science fiction provides many such tools in a variety of subjects by stimulating the imagination and thus motivating students to learn. Such vehicles are available at all grade levels. From Mark Twain and H.G. Wells to Anne McCaffrey and Isaac Asimov, novels and short…

Trends in research on participation in adult education have reflected social changes, shifting from sociodemographic surveys toward emphasis on understanding motivation for participating. Participation has been studied primarily from the perspective of service providers, gathering data on participants or dropouts. Since the 1970s, researchers have…