This chapter describes an innovative method of curriculum design that is based on combining phenomenographic research, and the associated variation theory of learning, with the notion of disciplinary threshold concepts to focus specialised design attention on the most significant and difficult parts of the curriculum. The method involves three…

This paper represents an attempt to search for the implications of Vygotsky's approach to "the genesis of mind" for second language acquisition (SLA). In so doing, the present author has adopted first a retrospective view--what has already gone in the field of foreign language instruction, and a prospective view--what is contingent on…

Courses designed specifically to develop students' managerial skills began to emerge in the 1980s, in response to criticism of the theoretical and quantitative orientation of business school coursework. Since then, a number of management textbooks focusing on skills-based learning have been published, and many instructors have become…

This paper reports on a research project aimed at identifying the preferred approaches to learning of mature students in an online graduate programme. Interest in this issue was generated by the positions taken by certain theorists who argue for less focus on interaction and collaboration as the basis for learning in the online environment. They…

Transformed into a large collaborative learning environment, the Internet is comprised of information reservoirs namely, (a) online classrooms, (b) social networks, and (c) virtual reality or simulated communities, to expeditiously create, reproduce, share, and deliver information into the hands of educators and students. Most importantly, the…

Vygotsky saw mental and cultural development as "mediated" by artefacts, including tools and signs. He used his "genetic method" to investigate higher cognitive processes in historical context. These insights are foundational to sociocultural theory, which is widely used in education research. However, since Vygotsky,…

It has been argued that the ability of students to appreciate the extent of their own knowledge is essential to enable them to appreciate where gaps may exist and prompt the development of remedial learning strategies. This article reports on a study investigating this capability in which 307 business undergraduates provided 7525 judgements on the…

This paper seeks to discover the relationship between both the social constructivist learning theory and the collaborative learning environment. This relationship can be identified by giving an example of the learning environment. Due to wiki characteristics, Wiki technology is one of the most famous learning environments that can show the…

The theory of expansive learning has been applied in a large number of studies on workplace learning and organizational change. However, detailed comprehensive analyses of entire developmental interventions based on the theory of expansive learning do not exist. Such a study is needed to examine the empirical usability and methodological rigor…

While the general notion of "metaphor" may offer a thoughtful analysis of the nature of mathematical thinking, this paper suggests that it is even more important to take into account the particular mental structures available to the individual that have been built from experience that the individual has "met-before." The notion of "met-before"…

At a recent conference on technology and education, the theory of connectivism was a hot topic. Proponents of this educational theory argue that technology has changed so substantially in the past several decades that they must review previous learning theories to ensure that they accommodate new processes that technology makes possible.…

We are all smart in different ways. Through the theory of multiple intelligences, Howard Gardner has been one of the leaders in cataloging HOW people are smart as opposed to how smart they ARE. The ability to see "the big picture" and make connections between similar and dissimilar concepts has been considered for inclusion in the multiple…

A student-centered nontraditional learning program was proposed to better prepare fire department military personnel in obtaining their 911 dispatch certification at a Florida military installation. Maintaining an adequate number of dispatched qualified military personnel, in addition to current civilian dispatchers at the same location, improves…

The intent of this volume was to address the following questions: What is considered acceptable knowledge about learning disabilities? Who decides? Where does knowledge come from? Who uses it and for what purposes? Who benefits? In their article, Artiles et al. (this issue) focus explicitly on the issue of culture and how it has served to impact…

Within the growing body of work that is sometimes labeled CA-for-SLA, there is a need for more research with longitudinal data. Hellermann and Cole (2009) provide a valuable contribution in this area. However, in doing so, they also make use of an exogenous theory of learning, situated learning theory (Lave and Wenger 1991), and its associated…