The authors share an online collaborative problem-solving activity that integrates support for students' developing conceptual understanding, focused engagement, and positive feelings of agency and identity.

This article is based upon Peter Sullivan's (2021) structured inquiry approach to teaching mathematics, in which the authors take a deep dive into the technique of "Spotlighting" in the "Explore" phase of this model to assist in optimal learning experiences for students. Working from the premise that students are best placed to…

Novice chemists often struggle with the highly visual nature of some chemistry topics. To make visually demanding concepts, such as isomerism and stereochemistry, more accessible to students, chemistry instructors have long recommended the use of molecular model kits as visual aids. However, studies pertaining to student model usage have shown…

The purpose of this article is to introduce a lesson fondly referred to as the 'Lego Shop' lesson. It stands out as not only the most engaging lesson we've conducted but is also highly adaptable to accommodate a diverse range of learners. Successfully implemented across all year levels, from Foundation to Year 6, this lesson has proven to be…

There is a general consensus that design-based research (DBR) is a genre of approaches in education research to design interventions for specific problems with the aim to gain an understanding of how they work in the problem context. While there is a considerable body of literature discussing the epistemic and methodological aspects of DBR, we…

The Young Olympians Program was developed to further a partnership between a university and the local Boys and Girls Club in central Illinois. The program was developed to improve youth participants' academic efficacy and social and emotional learning, while also engaging them in physical activity. This article shares the project-management stages…

In a rapidly changing world, education must evolve to prepare students not just for existing careers but also for those yet to be imagined. Daydream Believers, an innovative education organization, is embracing this challenge head-on by harnessing the power of technology to assess and enhance creative thinking among students. Daydream Believers, a…

Innovations in medical education, including the integration of narrative-based tales, are transforming the way complex biochemical concepts are taught and understood. In this "Idea to Explore", the essence of integrating tales that personify molecules and depict biochemical processes as engaging stories to enhance student engagement,…

Many music theory courses make use of a textbook with an accompanying anthology of musical examples. Some anthologies include recorded examples, and some do not. Many books address the topics of eighteenth-century theory with exercises for the student to complete at the end of each chapter. This article proposes a music theory pedagogy that honors…

Colleges are becoming increasingly diverse, including strengthening representation of students with disabilities in STEM (Science, Teaching, Engineering, and Math) fields; however, representation still lags behind national trends. To adapt to this changing demographic and improve representation, STEM college professors must be prepared to grant…

The purpose of this publication is to bring attention to some physics problems whose answers seem to be paradoxical and, at first glance, do not agree with a limiting case check. Solving a problem on the motion of a system consisting of two masses and a spring, it is natural to examine the answer by considering a case when a spring constant is…

This article emerges as part of the Grand Challenges in Assessment Project and describes two approaches to driving innovation in assessment. Each approach can be used to drive innovation, promising failure, and equity in assessment, teaching, and learning. The first approach, the TRIZ exercise, focuses on an approach to drive innovation at a…

The purpose of this paper is to describe the use of a problem involving superfactorials (a specific product of factorials) that provides an in-depth and comprehensive mathematical experience, encompassing skills that mathematicians view as tantamount to exploration. The problem is easily accessible and fosters creativity and perseverance, thereby…

Problem solving requires the application of critical reading and thinking skills and the use of relevant strategies to reach a solution. Independent learners are able to apply taught strategies across contexts and often complete challenging tasks unassisted. The purpose of this paper is to explain how a process of analysis of assignments and…

A central problem in undergraduate mathematics education for future engineers consists in the perceived and actual relevance of the mathematical content. One strategy to strengthen both is to let students experience how that content appears in posing and solving authentic problems from the field of engineering which the students have signed up to…