Mathematics and science standards were created in response to concern throughout the United States about the performance of students in these areas and the demands of an increasingly scientific and technological world. Educators and community leaders recognize that students will need more mathematical and scientific knowledge both in their jobs…

This ERIC Digest describes what primary sources are and how and why they can be used in elementary school classrooms. Primary sources are historical artifacts with which students can interact to effectively engage in active learning. Topics discussed in the Digest include: "What Are Primary Sources?"; "Why Use Primary…

Youth for Justice uses the power of active learning to teach youth practical information about the law while addressing the risks associated with being young in the United States today. This unique initiative is a law-related education (LRE) program supported by the United States Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency…

This study examined teachers' use and evaluation of cooperative learning along with students' reactions to cooperative grouping and the quality of the group cooperation in a sample of Dutch primary school teachers who implemented cooperative learning methods. Data collection involved teacher questionnaires, student questionnaires, and observation.…

This paper focuses on the experiences and the research of two communication instructors who are currently using Blackboard CourseInfo, an online software program, to enhance learning and communication. The paper states that ,in 1999, Ohio University made Blackboard CourseInfo available to its faculty to enable instructors to have the option of…

Activities and lessons, based on the theory of active learning and designed for a course to promote student involvement, are discussed in this document. Each activity is described and followed by an evaluation that students completed immediately following the activity. Students were asked about how interesting, useful, and relevant each of the…

Each teacher has a style of teaching that provides the most effective way to help students grasp the desired learning concepts. One point teachers agree on is that teaching vocabulary to children needs to be an active process that engages students in entertaining activities and helps them build a bridge between already known vocabulary and the new…

This learning module aims to engage students in problem solving, critical thinking, scientific inquiry, and cooperative learning. The module is appropriate for use in any introductory or intermediate undergraduate course that focuses on human-environment relationships. The module provides students with a broad overview of the human dimensions of…

This learning module aims to engage students in problem solving, critical thinking, scientific inquiry, and cooperative learning. The module is appropriate for use in any introductory or intermediate undergraduate course that focuses on human-environment relationships. The module introduces the complexities in the relationships among environmental…

Brazilian engineering schools are under a strict program to reengineer their courses with the financial support of the federal agencies. At the electronic engineering department at the University of Sao Paulo, this process started by modifying the Basic Electricity and Electronic Laboratories. This paper describes the new structure of these labs…

A 3-year high school program based on functional mathematics (FM) benefits all students, regardless of career goals, by providing a strong background for students entering the workforce and for those moving directly into postsecondary education. A high school curriculum that helps all students master FM would effectively address issues of both…

Fifth in a series designed to provide early childhood educators with ideas and strategies for applying High/Scope principles, this idea book focuses on the plan-do-review process. Chapter 1 of the book describes the components of the plan-do-review process and explains its importance, discusses how the process fits into the daily routine, and…

It has been suggested in the existing literature that the use of constructivist approaches in the educational setting contributes to active learning and knowledge transfer for students. This paper provides an overview of constructivist approaches used in a graduate-level instructional media production course at a midwestern comprehensive…

Presents cooperative classroom projects using science as the initial basis for the study of bears. These projects may also involve other areas of the curriculum such as mathematics, art, and music. "Black Bear" activities include following a park ranger to study our National Parks and researching and building a full-sized brown bear…

Cooperative learning is the use of small student groups as teams to accomplish a common goal, emphasizing positive interdependence, individual and group accountability, face-to-face interaction, team skills, and group processing. Using formal cooperative learning groups at the college level requires planning, monitoring of students' learning,…