Education research has long considered student learning of topics in astronomy and the space sciences, but astronomy education research as a sub-field of discipline-based education research is relatively new. Driven by a growing interest among higher education astronomy educators in improving the general education, introductory science survey…

Graduate education is influenced by trends and events that are political, economic, social, technological, and demographic. These materialize into challenges and opportunities for graduate students, an overview of these is provided in the paper along with recommendations for navigating graduate education, written from the perspective of…

Since the 1980s the number of postdocs employed at U.S. research universities has increased dramatically as has the importance of postdocs to academic research. Growth in postdoc employment has coincided with increased dependence on external research funds. Using panel regression analysis, this article explores the organizational characteristics…

The educational reforms that began in the 1990s have changed Brazilian universities' direction from welfare state institutions to market organisations. In postgraduate education, strategic alliances with international agencies, governments and corporations have become closer. At the same time, there has been a push for internationalisation of…

Microfluidics involves the study of the behavior of fluids at microscale, fluid manipulations, and the design of the devices that can effectively perform such manipulations. We are developing two new elective courses to include microfluidics in our curriculum at CSULB. Herein, we present the results of the first course, Microfabrication and…

Recent workforce trends in healthcare point to a growing need to prepare social workers capable of providing integrated behavioral health care in multidisciplinary settings serving at-risk youth. This article reports on a project that involved the development and implementation of a graduate-level social work specialization focused on integrated…

This paper explores how to develop teacher leaders across the career span. It offers a conceptual framework with three central tenets of teacher leadership: an emphasis on inquiry, a social justice imperative and an expanded understanding of teachers' roles in schools, communities and society. This model foregrounds the primary role that teachers…

Innovation and the development of knowledge in the field of scientific research is increasing exponentially, but it continues to be disjointed. It makes it difficult to keep up with state-of-the-art and to be at the forefront of research and dissemination, as well as to evaluate empirical evidence in the area of academic excellence. Recent…

In today's interconnected world, many career fields--such as diplomacy, national security, and business--need individuals with knowledge about world languages and cultures. To address these areas of needed expertise--both at the federal level as well as in the education, business, and nonprofit sectors--the Higher Education Act of 1965, as…

With the increase in the number of online courses being offered, it is important for faculty to be prepared to teach online. In this study, we examine US and German faculty perceptions on their preparedness to teach online based on the perception of importance of teaching online competencies and their efficacy to teach online. We also examine…

The 2014 Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) report, "Strengthening the STEM Pipeline: The Contributions of Small and Mid-Sized Independent Colleges," demonstrated the critical role this sector of higher education institutions plays in preparing its students for success in obtaining undergraduate and graduate degrees in science,…

The Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE) is an international, non-profit educational organization. The Association's purpose is to advance the knowledge, theory, and quality of teaching and learning at all levels with information technology. The "EdMedia + Innovate Learning" conference took place in Brussels,…

The science of biology has been transforming dramatically and so the need for a stronger mathematical background for biology students has increased. Biological students reaching the senior or post-graduate level often come to realize that their mathematical background is insufficient. Similarly, students in a mathematics programme, interested in…

The expansion of distance learning and an understanding of the benefits it can offer to both the university and the individual has led to the growth of methodologies, pedagogies and models aimed at diversifying and maximising the student experience and increasing student numbers. This paper will address these issues in relation to the…

The McNair Scholars Program continues to be pivotal towards increasing diversity within graduate schools in the USA, particularly within doctoral programmes. The programme provides underrepresented undergraduate students with opportunities to learn about research and applying to graduate schools, which otherwise might not be available for these…