In an effort to improve instruction and give greater attention to teaching techniques that accommodate different learning styles, Nevada's Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) implemented the 4MAT System Fundamental Training for faculty. The 4MAT System identifies four major learning styles (i.e., learners who are primarily interested in…

In introductory psychology courses, the desire to cover content can conflict with the desire to acquaint students with psychological thinking processes. The IDEAL method is a group problem solving quiz technique which addresses both of these goals. In the process, instructors choose key concepts from a given reading and divide the class into…

A study identified four principles, based on transfer of learning research and cognitive theory, for guiding curricular decisions, instructional development, and teaching practices in ways that support transferable learning. The principles were as follows: (1) emphasize intermediate-level knowledge in curricular decisions; (2) create in the…

This publication presents ideas and educational activities that will assist teachers of creative dance with lesson planning. The volume is organized into three parts. Part 1--Theory consists of six chapters: (1) What Is Creative Dance: The Elements of Dance; (2) Why Learn Creative Dance: Learning Outcomes; (3) Where Is Creative Dance Taught:…

This study sought to determine whether mnemonics or lecture was a more effective teaching technique in the instruction of world geography facts within a pull-out gifted education program for eight elementary-level minority students from a Hispanic dominant school within a rural, Hispanic dominant district. Graphic results supported the hypothesis…

Although research over the past 20 years has examined the dynamics of student learning, most initial studies focused on how scholastic aptitude tests and teacher rating scales predicted academic success. This study attempts to determine the relationship between scholastic aptitude and three approaches to learning: (1) presage; (2) process; and (3)…

This paper is a collection of learning activities that can be used by social studies teachers from K-12 to enrich the social studies curriculum. Field trips and excursions are discussed as ways to utilize community resources and resource persons. Community service by various groups is suggested as a way of focusing on participatory citizenship.…

This curriculum guide for a unit on study skills teaches students to become more self-sufficient in their personal and professional lives. The module is designed to help students manage their time more effectively, freeing up more time for studying. The guide contains three units: time management, effective learning techniques, and effective test…

This paper describes a project to train service providers in replicating the Home Activity Program for Parents and Youngsters (HAPPY). HAPPY is a family-focused program developed to meet the educational needs of disabled children ages birth through 5 years in rural Nevada. Content of the training modules was developed from a review of literature…

Many schools and states have moved in recent years to more "authentic" ways of assessing student learning. However, most assessments are essentially summative, one-shot measurement of outcomes. This book is based on the work of Designing Schools for Enhanced Learning, a group of schools and educators that have worked with the Regional…

This study, designed to examine instructional clarity, focuses on two questions from the literature: (1) Is it necessary for a lesson to contain keys, links, framing statements, focusing moves, and examples in order for students to achieve and be motivated? and (2) What is the specific purpose of links and focusing moves in instruction? Subjects,…

When critical thinking is conceptualized as mindful learning, the focus is on the educational experiences or actual academic tasks designed to engage students in active learning. Academic tasks are sets of specifications for learning activities that provide the framework for curricular content. The academic tasks are designed by teachers and…

This seven chapter book offers guidance to elementary and secondary teachers on how to help students develop strategic study skills. Chapter 1 summarizes current knowledge about information-processing theory, the teacher's role in facilitating learning, and the necessity for changes in instructional techniques across grade levels. Chapter 2…

By describing the characteristics of the educational and developmental belief systems of low-income African-American parents of kindergarten children, this study extended previous research on parents' beliefs about early education and development to more ethnically and socioeconomically diverse subject groups. A sample of 115 African-American…

This report describes the first year of an ongoing intervention study and the learning of a group of practicing teachers working together with researchers to make changes in the ways they teach mathematics. When reflecting on their beginning efforts, the researchers found that several assumptions in their planned interventions were not borne out…