Describes a teaching method that provides instant assessment of student learning and allows instructors to take corrective measures in the same class period. The method is based on asking a multiple-choice question after every 10-20 minutes of lecture and getting responses from students. This methods allows all students to actively participate and…

Describes the design and development of library instruction for a freshman seminar at California State University-San Bernardino that focused on the library's online system. Highlights include active learning methods; information literacy; individual instruction; and results of course evaluations. (Author/LRW)

Examined the student normative support for Chickering and Gamson's (1987) seven principles of good undergraduate education. Findings from surveys of undergraduate college students indicated that there was empirical evidence of student support for three of the seven principles: faculty-student contact, cooperation among students, and high…

Maslow's (1971) theory of primary creativeness is used as the basis for a self-actualization model of education. Examples of how to use the model in creative homeschooling are provided. Key elements include digressive and immersion learning, self-directed learning, and the integration of work and play. Teaching suggestions are provided. (Contains…

States that an important goal of introductory college sociology courses is to make the discipline come alive for students and to encourage active involvement in learning. Describes a student project approach in which students interview three people and analyze the data relevant to four theoretical perspectives. (CFR)

The role of metacognition in fostering or inhibiting success in introductory quantitative college courses is examined. One teacher's efforts to build student confidence in an elementary statistics course for psychology are described, and student resistance to active learning methods is discussed. (MSE)

Seven characteristics of active learning were identified (experiential learning, collaboration, discovery, use of authentic problems, planning before doing, risk-taking, integrative learning), and then used to reconceptualize an introductory statistics course. The model involves students as apprentices to faculty active learners. (MSE)

Examined the role of pretend play interactions in stimulating social and emotional competence by comparing the quality of pretend and nonpretend social play. Found that pretend play involved more complex, mutually responsive, and emotionally invested social interaction than nonpretend play. Expression of psychosocial issues within pretense was…

The Foxfire core practices are woven into all class activities at a multiage, inclusive K-2 class in Asheville (North Carolina), characterized by active learning, small-group work, and peer teaching. Students are more motivated and have higher self-esteem when they make decisions. All practices met the state's curriculum and testing requirements.…

Describes an exercise, step-by-step, for developing critical thinking while exposing students to electronic-data skills. Argues that the exercise enhances critical thinking by forcing students to deal with issues of data definition, collection, and interpretation, and by providing an active learning experience with real-world data. (DSK)

Provides advice for instructors using the World Wide Web for additional channels for intraclass communication, offering an easier and more convenient way to access library materials, and allowing students to engage in primary research or active learning. Discusses didactic and technical challenges, including students' computer skills and…

Compares the academic achievement of students from two Dutch medical schools, one employing problem-based learning (PBL) and one using non-PBL methods. No systematic differences were found on total test scores. Differences were demonstrated only at the level of individual questions. Results indicate that PBL and non-PBL instructional methods have…

A rural Canadian secondary school developed a cross-age peer-assisted summer program to improve academic achievement and career awareness. Although there was no significant improvement in math grades for female participants, 91 percent of students claimed the program helped them in their present courses. Other outcomes included improved academic…

In an era of high-stakes testing and prescriptive teaching styles, a San Diego charter high school embraces project learning, multilevel classrooms, and video portfolios of student work. The school lacks dining, music, and athletic facilities, but features hefty teacher salaries, student freedom, and real-world problem solving. (MLH)

Microsituations teaching is a case-based, active learning tool developed from cognitive learning theory to teach problem-solving skills to large classes while conserving faculty and other resources. Since implementing this method in an endocrine pharmacology course at the University of Kentucky, student performance on problem-solving examinations…