We describe the design of a knowledge-building environment and examine the role of knowledge-building portfolios in characterizing and scaffolding collaborative inquiry. Our goal is to examine collaborative knowledge building in the context of exploring the alignment of learning, collaboration, and assessment in computer forums. The key design…

This paper discusses privatization as policy tool to solve educational problems in Turkey. Turkey, as a developing country, is faced with many problems in education. Large class size, low enrollment rate, girl's education, high illiteracy rate, religious education, textbooks, curriculum and multicultural education are some of the important…

Working with special education teachers in elementary settings student instructional designers created three instructional tools based on the concept of "Learning Objects." Graduate and undergraduate students under the supervision of two faculty members in their university's Department of Teaching and Learning worked with local teachers to produce…

The National Science Education Standards recommend that science be taught using inquiry-based approaches. Inspired by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives, we examined whether undergraduate students could learn how to conduct field research by teaching elementary school children basic neuroscience concepts in interactive workshops. In an…

No one would dispute the claim that teacher training in the university and training colleges has long been in urgent need of reform. Even so, nothing is getting done. However, there are some efforts made in North-Rhine/Westphalia, where a committee of experts has recommended a double package consisting of six semesters of specialized studies…

Serious criticisms of research in information and communications technology (ICT) in education have been published recently in both the UK and the USA. This paper addresses several issues raised in these commentaries: a lack of sound theoretical underpinnings to our research, persistent neglect of the history of our sub-discipline, the choice of…

While students from many non-Western contexts continue to stream to Europe and North America to pursue theological doctoral degrees, new theological doctoral programs are springing up around the world. Many of these new programs appear to be adopting (more or less uncritically) one or another of the Western models of doctoral program design.…

Despite the potential benefits of Web-based Instruction (WBI), not everyone welcomes online learning opportunities. This study examined the psychological processes underlying opposition to WBI by collecting survey data from 257 learners enrolled in a large southeastern university. Results supported the hypothesis that those with weak Internet…

Research indicates that peer interaction can have a substantial impact on the lives of adolescents with disabilities. However, social interaction among adolescents with intellectual disabilities and their general education peers typically occurs infrequently in secondary schools. This paper provides a critical analysis of twenty-six empirical…

"Caring School Community[TM]" ("CSC") is a modified version of a program formerly known as the "Child Development Project." The program aims to promote core values, prosocial behavior, and a schoolwide feeling of community. The program consists of four elements originally developed for the "Child Development…

This report presents findings from the second year of a multi-year evaluation of the Texas Educator Excellence Grant (TEEG) program and background information about the design and implementation of the District Awards for Teacher Excellence (DATE) program. The TEEG and DATE programs operating in Texas make up the largest state-funded performance…

The 2008 Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, a joint conference with the Michigan World Language Association, focused on learning about the diverse backgrounds and needs of today's students and discovering new ways to help them succeed in reaching the goal of language proficiency. A wide variety of workshops and…

This volume contains 25 papers describing large curriculum revitalization projects from 1986 through 1991 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The papers are: "A Theoretical Context for Designing Curricula in the Agricultural and Life Sciences" (Robert G. Kranz,…

Middle school students were determined to be unaware of and unprepared for the requirements of the real world of work. They were unable to identify careers they were interested in pursuing nor did they understand the importance training plays in being successful in future careers. This practicum report discusses solutions for middle school…

Kaleidoscope is an innovative approach to an arts-based early childhood program, combining visual arts, music, dance and language arts. The program's principal goal is to promote the learning and development of low-income, inner-city children who are attending preschool and kindergarten. Kaleidoscope's three objectives are: (1) to provide children…