The study of popular culture is now becoming an emerging research area within education. While many studies have confirmed that students' interest in anime has driven much of enrolment in Japanese language courses, the impact of using anime as a teaching tool has not been studied thoroughly in the teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language (JFL)…

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the use of video and other technology tools to support professional learning. A growing body of evidence shows how these tools are improving teachers' practice (Borko, Jacobs, Eiteljorg, & Pittman, 2008; Grant & Kline, 2010; van Es & Sherin, 2010). However, there has been less…

A few years ago, the author saw a video of a pop concert. It looked just like concerts of his youth: a well-lit stage amid a darkened crowd flecked with small wavering lights. He laughed when he realized, however, that the swaying glow was coming not from cigarette lighters but from LCD screens. This juxtaposition of old flames and new beacons…

The Integrative Model of instruction engages students in critical thinking while providing history teachers with an instructional strategy other than a traditional lecture format. The Integrative Model was used to develop an interactive lesson titled "The Formation of American Political Parties: Federalist versus Anti-federalist." This article…

This article describes some of the findings of an evaluation of a "cross-curricular" digital media arts project for Year 8 students at Lister Community School in the London Borough of Newham. The project was designed to provide opportunities for a thematic curriculum in which quality learning encompassing both independent and collaborative…

Over the past decade, a small revolution has taken place at some of the world's leading universities, as they have started to provide free access to undergraduate course materials--including syllabi, assignments, and lectures--to anyone with an Internet connection. Yale offers high-quality audio and video recordings of a careful selection of…

Teachers know what a daunting job it can be to ensure that all students in a class learn effectively. In addition to the usual difficulties of gaining everyone's attention at once, instructors also run into the issue of preferred learning styles. In any classroom environment, the same topic is taught to multiple students, and each student may…

Effective integration of learning technologies into classrooms is a continuing issue, with many instances of new technologies making minimal impacts on classroom practice. Reports on the introduction of interactive whiteboards into UK schools over the past decade have revealed that their impact on both pedagogy and learning is at best neutral.…