Peer learning is an active learning technique that has been used for students to internalize difficult concepts. We have developed a method of peer learning, a consensus-based education approach, which allows for discussion and class consensus in large lecture classes. We tracked student success on concepts that employed the consensus-based…

Many conversations surrounding improvement of large-enrollment college science, technology, engineering & mathematics (STEM) courses focus primarily (or solely) on changing instructional practices. By reducing dynamic, complex learning environments to collections of teaching methods, we neglect other meaningful parts of a course ecosystem…

Software engineering is a growing field, with ever-increasing demand for capable engineers who can design, implement, and test the software that is needed for the modern world. With this increasing demand for software engineers, there is a corresponding increase in the demand placed on computer science programs that graduate these engineers.…

Though theories about retention and student development have been in the literature for decades, they have mainly existed in silos with little exploration of how they could or should be used together. This scholarly paper seeks to engage with the idea that there are synergistic connections between student development and retention theories that…

This article describes the results of a study that investigated the effect of features of talk that appear to foster higher levels of interaction, within the scope of a larger study (Davies and Meissel in Br Educ Res J 42:342-365, 2016). Students were recruited from seven classrooms across three secondary schools of varying socioeconomic levels…

Student interaction at a whole-class level is tied to learning outcomes, but encouraging students to engage with their peers at a whole-class level is difficult. While little research has sought to promote student engagement with one another at this level, one factor that has been shown to increase student interaction in pairs and small groups is…

Underpinning this consideration of writing instruction in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) is the premise that acts of teaching interact with the context in which they occur; they are shaped by the socio-cultural milieu, philosophical and socio-political traditions, curriculum and assessment systems, and the nature of individual classrooms. This…

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020 led to a widespread transition from traditional face-to-face instruction to remote learning during the 2020-2021 academic year. The lack of in-person instruction posed unique challenges, particularly for students transitioning from high school to college, exacerbating existing educational…

We evaluated the impact of a small-group reading comprehension intervention taught by English as a second language (ESL) teachers to multilingual students classified as English learners (ML-ELs). Sixteen groups of students in grades 3-5 (n = 66) were randomly assigned to business-as-usual control or treatment conditions. Teachers implemented the…

Small-group activities play a crucial role in biology education, fostering active learning, teamwork, and critical thinking. While their benefits are well-documented, there is a need for innovative classroom exercises that provide students with a real-world perspective on biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. This paper introduces a…

While the number of students with disabilities in postsecondary programs has increased over the past few decades, they earn lower grades and are less likely to graduate. Academic outcomes are also worse for those with invisible disabilities such as ADHD and learning disabilities, especially as younger college students. Large, intro level courses…

Controversial issues require students to analyse information critically, discuss different perspectives, and develop views on important questions. The problem-based learning model (PBL) allows learners to gain insights from various perspectives and apply the knowledge acquired to different situations. This mixed-method study aims to examine the…

Literacy skills are instrumental to unlocking a child's full potential and have a well-established link to long-term life outcomes. Children who can't read at grade level by 3rd grade are four times more likely to drop out of school, have fewer career prospects, and earn lower incomes as adults. However, despite some progress on literacy rates,…

Active learning has often been reported to improve student outcomes in STEM courses. However, there are barriers to its implementation, and it is challenging to include this approach in large classrooms with fixed seating. This investigation explores the development of a novel approach in which the class contact time was reallocated for a general…

Understanding how farmers prefer to learn is critical for the development and delivery of successful extension programming. Therefore, Michigan State University Extension specialists conducted an interactive hands-on demonstration workshop (Potato University) addressing pressing issues to Michigan potato production at the Michigan Winter Potato…