Reports successful outcomes for a Teaching English as a Foreign Language module based on simultaneous oral translation from Arabic into English. Learners worked individually in a traditional language laboratory. Results show that simultaneous interpretation significantly improves learner performance and is an excellent tool for diagnosing learner…

Students' conceptions of three major artificial intelligence concepts used in the modeling of systems in science, fuzzy logic, neural networks, and genetic algorithms were investigated before and after a higher education science course. Students initially explored their prior ideas related to the three concepts through active tasks. Then,…

This standard lesson on identifying salt and sugar crystals expands into an opportunity for students to develop their observation, questioning, and modeling skills. Although sugar and salt may look similar, students discovered that they looked very different under a magnifying glass and behaved differently when dissolved in water. In addition,…

This study, using a non-experimental, exploratory and descriptive method, established learners' and educators' views about factors that contribute to poor performance in mathematics and physical science. Participants were purposefully selected from seven schools with poor pass rates in District 3 of Tshwane North. Focused group interviews with ten…

This issue celebrates Southwest Educational Development Laboratory's (SEDL's) history and touches upon new work. This issue includes an article on the need for educators to have access to relevant, high-quality research findings and to be able to apply those findings to their local settings. It also discusses briefly the three randomized…

While some textbooks still teach students that there is one scientific process that must be rigidly followed, this stagnant portrayal of the process of science can lead students to think that science and scientists are quite boring. Through integrating visual art and microscopy, students learn about the creativity of scientists and begin to…

Faculty members from the University of South Dakota attended the Curriculum Reform Institute offered by the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh, WI, during the summer of 2002 to design a course sequence for elementary education majors that better meets their needs for both content and pedagogy based on the science education standards. The special…

This book provides a showcase for "best practices" in teaching statistics and research methods in two- and four-year colleges and universities. A helpful resource for teaching introductory, intermediate, and advanced statistics and/or methods, the book features coverage of: (1) ways to integrate these courses; (2) how to promote ethical conduct;…

The study described in this paper outlines an attempt to explore those factors that contribute to learning performance improvement in laboratory instruction. As a case study, the educational methodology involved in a basic microcontroller course was analyzed. Traditional lab sessions based on the control of peripherals with low interactivity have…

A practicum was designed to increase the utilization of seldom-used computers by the writing class in a small rural community high school in the eastern United States through teacher and student education. Through a collaborative team effort of computer-competent teachers and students, an in-service program was developed to teach the basic use of…

The faculty of the College of Education at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, under the leadership of the dean, has developed a model for technology integration into teacher education. This document discusses the three key elements that are key to effectively integrating technology in teacher training: equipment, faculty training, and…

Although technology is potentially a powerful tool for improving the teaching-learning process, studies have shown that it is widely underutilized, with many faculty lacking expertise in and awareness of available technologies. Closing this gap between the availability of technology and faculty ownership of it is the function of an instructional…

In response to a decision at Worcester State College (Massachusetts) that remedial mathematics and other mathematics courses should be taught in a non-lecture format--learning by doing rather than by watching--a math computer lab was created. Three courses each have a 1-hour lecture per week, with students responsible for all additional learning…

This curriculum guide for a 1-semester or 1-year course in transportation provides activities that show and explain many of the occupations, devices, and systems that are related to transportation on land, water, air, and space. The guide contains competencies (task lists), student competency records, and management sheets. Management sheets,…

The study reported in this paper, combined qualitative (observation, interview and case study techniques) and quantitative (questionnaire and survey instruments) methods (n=3,182 Grade 10 students). The study (1) examined the relationship of current teaching practices to a number of variables that affected students' learning in science laboratory…