Effective problem-solving skills are critical in dealing with ambiguous and often complex issues in the present-day leaner and globally diverse organizations. Yet respected, well-established problem-solving models may be misaligned within the current work environment, particularly within a team context. Models learned from a more bureaucratic,…

Problem-based learning (PBL) shifts the traditional teaching paradigm. Rather than being teacher centered, PBL is student centered. Rather than presenting content first, PBL presents the problem first. Rather than presenting the students with a well-structured problem with a clear answer, PBL presents the students with an ill-structured problem…

The Swift Trust exercise provides instructors with the opportunity to discuss the issues of managing trust and distrust perceptions in a team-based design. Lewicki, McAllister, and Bies's (1998) framework is used to allow students to experience the difficulties of deriving a common set of contract requirements based on team dynamics and…

While classroom instruction can and should still be used to teach students the fundamentals of engineering, the key to their ultimate success is learning to use that knowledge in a real-world setting. Out-of-class activities, like the American Society of Civil Engineers' (ASCE) National Concrete Canoe Competition, not only give students a hands-on…

Virtual teams have become an integral part of many organizations because of an increase in corporate restructuring, competition, and globalization. A virtual team is defined as one that conducts its work almost entirely through electronic technology. Virtual team members, who are typically dispersed both geographically and organizationally, rarely…

Demand for improved student performance and accountability in the face of growing numbers of students with learning or behavioral difficulties creates a challenge for secondary school administrators and staffs. Principals who strive to be effective instructional leaders must find ways to provide knowledge and support that help teachers meet all…

We discuss teachers' perception of the use of group work in the Information Technology (IT) classroom. We describe the current situation regarding the implementation of group work in IT classrooms in South Africa as well as the challenges that IT teachers face when implementing group work. This information will be used in further research to…

This case study covers a wide variety of challenges facing administrators as they make an effort to improve the learning environments of impoverished communities. It may be used in an introductory course for aspiring school leaders and practitioners in the eld of school leadership. This case also presents myriad complex organizational issues that…

A correlated science lesson is characterized as an integrated science lesson in that it may incorporate traditionally integrated activities and use math as a tool. However, a correlated math-science lesson also: (1) has the pertinent math and science objectives aligned with state standards; and (2) teaches parallel science and math ideas equally.…

The authors describe the premises, processes used, and outcomes of a K-16 simultaneous renewal model, as implemented through the Kansas State University Professional Development School Partnership Project. The goal of this partnership is to improve K-12 teaching and learning while improving a university teacher-preparation program through…

There are those in the school community who believe that the anxious feelings and heightened sense of anxiety experienced by sixth graders as they transition from elementary to junior high school constitute a rite of passage. Teachers and school administrators in the Indiana Area Junior High School in Pennsylvania believed differently. During the…

Our business communication classes will continue to be enriched by students from various cultural backgrounds, many of them ESL learners. Among the numerous benefits of this diversity are opportunities for all students to develop essential life skills through course-embedded community service learning (CSL) projects. This study analyzes students'…

Experiences in designing and teaching a reformed abstract algebra course are described. This effort was partially a result of a five year statewide National Science Foundation (NSF) grant entitled the Rocky Mountain Teacher Enhancement Collaborative. The major thrust of this grant was to implement reform in core mathematics courses that would…

When the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was reauthorized in 2004, one of the significant amendments concerned Individual Education Program (IEP) team attendance. A member of an IEP team may be excused if "the member's area of the curriculum or related services is not being modified or discussed in the meeting." The…

As yet little research into the perspectives of Chinese students studying in mainland China's Higher Education Institutions has been undertaken. This paper explores the issue of students' support needs and presents the findings of a study carried out in 2005-2007 at a public university in North East China. The Action Research method used…