Reflecting on the learning process of topologist Stephen Smale, certain properties and characteristics of that process are selected and analysed: the question and anticipation of future mathematics, the generalising potential thereof, and the shift from after-image or "model of..." to pre-image or "model for...". These features are explored for…

Much progress has been made in efforts to conduct, support, value, and use the scholarship of teaching and learning in higher education. Nevertheless, to further enhance student learning, many challenges remain. (Contains 1 table.)

Great teachers have an intense passion for learning, which is reflected in their students. Teachers make learning enjoyable while teaching students to better organize their ideas, explore their curiosity, and glean the most from each lesson. Students mastering these skills reap the benefits throughout their lifetime. Even good teachers can get…

Over the last ten years the role of the teaching assistant has undergone continued change and development. This article identifies many of the different contexts in which teaching assistants support behaviour for learning and further explores some of the challenges raised by workforce remodelling. Barry Groom argues that this could be an…

The biochemistry laboratory course is structured such that students work in pairs during the first half of the course. The purpose is to encourage per-peer learning processes during the students' first exposure to the software.

Theoretical and practical issues related to the neuromotor control of a golf swing are presented in this paper. The typical strategy for golf training consists of high volume repetition with an emphasis on a large variety of isolated swing characteristics. The student is frequently instructed to maintain consistent performance in each swing with…

This paper describes the transcendental method of Bernard Lonergan and its relevance to science education in general, and to physics education in particular. Lonergan formulated a cognitional theory, based upon the self-assembling dynamic invariant structure of human knowing, that unfolds the complex relation among knowing, objective knowledge,…

This article features the Center for Inquiry, a school where the teachers are making their dreams come true. As a school designed wholly by teachers, the Center for Inquiry (CFI) in Indianapolis, Indiana, is teaching kids how to take ownership of learning. Originally designed to be a school within a school for exchange and preservice teachers, the…

Based upon the lessons learned and the educational materials generated from a doctoral course on qualitative data analysis, a group of doctoral students, their professor, and a linguistics consultant launched an on-going project to create a series of reusable learning objects designed to help other groups of students and professors learn how to…

This article describes Cecilia Braslavsky's role in the development of theoretical frameworks based on empirical research that, in the stage of restoration of democracy in Latin America, made it possible to advance in the construction of a Latin American socioeducational paradigm. This article discusses some propositions that may systematize the…

Most trainers believe there are just two scientific approaches on which to base a training technology: behavioral psychology and cognitive psychology. There is a third scientific approach currently emerging that does deal with every kind of skill, and it comes from biology rather than psychology. This new approach is based on findings from…

In this article, the authors report 2 experiments that investigated the sources of information used in transfer and nontransfer tasks in artificial grammar learning. Multiple regression analyses indicated that 2 types of information about repeating elements were crucial for performance in both tasks: information about the repetition of adjacent…

In this article, the author discusses playdough. Playdough is a staple play material in the early childhood classroom which provides enjoyable and satisfying experiences for young children. But, it is not merely a "fun" activity, it also provides valuable hands-on, active-learning experiences and supports children's growth and learning in many…

Specifications and standards for e-learning are becoming increasingly sophisticated and complex as they deal with the core of the learning process. Simple transformations are no longer adequate to successfully implement these latest specifications and standards for e-learning. IMS Learning Design (LD) (IMS, 2003b) is a representative of such a new…

Noted educator Carol Ann Tomlinson shares the insights that shaped her thinking about informative assessment. Informative assessment goes beyond tests and the grade book. It means assessing students both formally and informally in multiple ways and giving frequent, productive feedback on student work. Informative assessment isn't separate from…