In the context of the UN Literacy Decade (declared in February 2003), the present paper suggests three parameters that should be considered when new tools for assessment are considered in less developed countries (LDCs), each of which poses a special challenge to international comparative literacy assessment, such as in the International Adult…

Purpose: Experience shows that there are problems arising from the implementation of learning management systems (LMS). Indications are that they are too e-learning technology driven, emphasising the virtual component and neglecting the precursory development of a vibrant and committed formal learning organisation culture and infrastructure. This…

This chapter explores the dynamics and processes of peer group influences in learning settings from a social constructivist perspective. A two-tiered model of peer influences is presented, in which environments for learning are linked with mechanisms and processes most likely to underpin student learning. A distinction is drawn between more…

This paper critically examines the discrepancies among the pre-requisite fractional concepts assumed by a curricular unit on operations with fractions, the teacher's assumptions about those concepts and a particular student's understanding of fractions. The paper focuses on the case of one student (Tim) in the teacher's 6th grade class who was…

Purpose: To investigate the effectiveness of one-off short continuing adult education courses for expanding the penetration of sustainable development education beyond current tertiary students. Design/methodology/approach: Pre- and post-course questionnaires are used to evaluate the effectiveness of a series of short training courses on…

When sustainable development (SD) is only taught in specific courses, it is questionable if engineering students are able to integrate it into their engineering practices and technical designs. For this reason, sustainability should also be integrated into regular engineering courses, e.g. design courses, materials courses or processing…

This article represents the author's mindscape as she grew in her teaching of educational philosophy from using a transmissive approach to an approach that seeks to make educational philosophy--an abstract learning content--instructive to the everyday life of teaching in classrooms. The author took a detour in her thinking about the relevance of…

This research draws from literature on the diffusion and adoption of innovations to explore the theoretical foundation for research on faculty as adopters of pedagogical innovation. This research's purpose was to determine the characteristics of faculty who engage in innovative pedagogy, specifically community service learning (CSL). The…

This study explored the effects of a reciprocal teaching intervention designed to enhance the lecture comprehension skills of college students. Forty low-verbal ability students and 40 high-verbal ability students (as measured by SAT scores) were chosen for the study and randomly assigned to experimental or control groups. The experimental groups…

This paper asserts that Continuing Education aimed at equipping Christian leaders (lay and ordained) to carry out their ministries in the midst of America's increasing religious diversity in a way that views this diversity positively must be two-pronged: (1) it must provide accurate information about the beliefs and practices of the neighbors, and…

Using an autobiographical approach for pedagogical reflection, the author raises questions about how to include "hospitable kinship" and "gift exchange" in teaching and learning. Her experience with a Zimbabwean community circle of hospitable kinship has prompted her to consider how this method of community formation might be…

A case of community-based service learning in the School of Theology at the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa is analyzed for what it means to teach biblical studies in an African context where biblical scholarship is partially constituted by ordinary African readers of the Bible and where context is a central pedagogical…

The paper assesses the dominant discourse on Islam and education that argues for an education derived from an exclusively "Islamic" vision. In addition to exploring the historical roots of this discourse, the paper analyses it with respect to its (i) arguments for an Islamic vision of education, (ii) conception of Islam, and (iii)…

UNESCO defines education for sustainable development (ESD) as covering a broad range of issues from natural resources and HIV/AIDS to poverty reduction. ESD thus becomes a term that must be subtle yet clear, holistic yet tangible. One option for ESD, in dealing with this complexity, is to simplify its content and narrow the issues it addresses.…

The Internet is a remarkable tool and change agent that has been successfully leveraged by colleges and universities to support, enhance, and extend the teaching/learning process; the creation of new knowledge through research; and the increasingly complex business of managing and administrating institutions. Although it supports and even creates…