Contribution: A problem-solving approach (PSA) model derived from major computational thinking (CT) concepts. This model can be utilized to formulate solutions for different algorithmic problems and translate them into effective active learning methods. Background: Different teaching approaches for programming are widely available; however, being…

Active learning promotes the capacity of problem solving and decision making among learners. Teachers who apply instructional processes toward active participation of learners help their students develop higher order thinking skills. Due to the recent paradigm shift toward adopting competency-based curricula in the education of healthcare…

"Fashioning Circuits" is a humanities course designed to explore how fashion, electronics, social issues, and makerspaces interact with design and critical theory. Digital humanities scholars and practitioners have seen an emergence of public art and representation beyond the academy, specifically applying interdisciplinary university…

In an effort to address K-8 teacher confidence in STEM and increase basic genetics knowledge to a level consistent with its importance in society, we have developed, implemented, and evaluated a 7-day teacher professional development workshop. The overarching goal of our workshop is to facilitate the implementation of innovative DNA-based…

The Qatari government has made significant changes in the organization and staffing of schools over the past decade in an effort to improve the academic performance of school-aged citizens. Of interest is the need to encourage teachers to move from a didactic teacher-led mode of instruction to one that is more student-centred, but also…

School leader training has become a critical strategy in educational reform. However, in China, there still exists a big gap in terms of how to transfer leadership knowledge into practice. Thus, tools that can integrate formal knowledge into practice are called for urgently in school leader training. This paper presents the results of a research…

Study group meetings (SGMs) are voluntary-attendance peer-led team-learning workshops that supplement introductory biology lectures at a selective liberal arts college. While supporting all students' engagement with lecture material, specific aims are to improve the success of underrepresented minority (URM) students and those with weaker…

This article describes the implementation of high-altitude balloon (HAB) research into a variety of undergraduate atmospheric science classes as a means of increasing active student engagement in real-world, problem-solving events. Because high-altitude balloons are capable of reaching heights of 80,000-100,000 ft (24-30 km), they provide a…

Inquiry-based history instruction is rare in most school settings, but particularly in classes of students who are perceived to be "low achieving." Students with low reading abilities or test scores typically receive instruction focused on rote recall of historical information. Teachers and students face great obstacles in inquiry based learning,…

This volume presents 64 abstracts of keynote and parallel paper presentations of the Irish National Academy for Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning's (NAIRTL) conference on the theme of flexible learning. The Flexible Learning conference was a joint initiative by NAIRTL and the Learning Innovation Network. The keynote presentations can…