Describes a study in which a World Wide Web learning environment was created using socio-constructivist instructional design principles. The study investigated the impact of cooperation and collaboration among university students, as well as group composition, peer support, printed guides, student interaction, and time factors. (Author/LRW)

The purpose of the study was to investigate the use of an existing instrument, the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES)(Taylor, Dawson & Fraser, 1995; Taylor, Fraser & Fisher, 1993, 1997), for providing insights into the classroom learning environments of beginning science teachers. In the first year of the study, the CLES was…

The traditional educational approach with students as passive recipients has been the subject of criticism. A constructivist learner-centered approach towards education has been argued to produce greater internalization and application of knowledge compared to the traditional teacher-centered, transmission-oriented approach. Nevertheless,…

Typically, guidelines for design of interactive multimedia systems have been based on intuitive beliefs of designers rather than being founded on relevant research and theory. As advances in technology create new opportunities for education, it is important to use a range of theoretical perspectives to optimize use of new technology in teaching…

Three presentations are provided from Symposium 17, Transformative Learning, of the Academy of Human Resource Development (HRD) 2000 Conference Proceedings. "Leadership Development as Transformative Pedagogy" (Olga V. Kritskaya, John M. Dirkx) examines the nature of transformative instructional environments, focusing specifically on the…

This study assessed one center's interpretation of child-centered instruction in terms of children's daily activities, social affiliation, and classroom behavior. Staff interviews and classroom observations indicated that children: (1) spent less time engaging in focused learning activities; (2) sustained attention on one activity for smaller…

Interviewed 22 children, ages 7-9, in a mixed-age classroom about their conceptions of peer interaction and collaboration and about what it means to teach someone something. Found that children know they can teach their peers and are able to shift between acting as teacher and as learner in the active role. (DLH)

The teaching of evolutionary theory has historically been problematic, often times marred with legal and moral battles. In recent years, state boards of education have prohibited or somehow compromised the role of evolutionary theory in school science. Consistent with the diversity of beliefs in contemporary society, preservice science teachers…

This case study analyzed how an online learning community developed among a cohort of 18 students in an instructional design and technology master's degree program taught at a distance. Students' reflections about the effectiveness of the program revealed that a community-centered approach to learning, a constructivist learning environment, and…

Based on the theoretical perspectives of socio-constructivism and language socialization, this study reports two Chinese Canadian first grader's experiences of language and literacy learning in and out of school in a unique sociocultural setting where they were "the mainstream." The article examines the students' reading and writing…

This report is an interpretative examination of on- and off-job sites as learning environments. It explores meanings that apprentices, workplace mentors, and technical and further education (TAFE) teachers develop and place on integrated training. Key insights from research on 32 apprentices, 21 host employers, and 6 TAFE teachers in South…

Teachers College of Columbia University (New York) and the Dalton School, an independent school in New York City, have collaborated on the Dalton Technology Project and its "Archaeotype" program which presents students with a graphic simulation of an archeological site. Students simulate digging up the artifacts, use reference sources to…

The study of database systems is typically core in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes related to computer science and information systems. However, one component of this curriculum that many learners have difficulty with is database analysis and design, an area that is critical to the development of modern information systems. This paper…

This book explains how to create a collaborative learning environment involving librarians, teachers, administrators, and all team players in K-12 education. Building on existing educational standards, the book features such proven tools as a ready-to-use framework for establishing a collaborative relationship, 40 discussion prompts to help…

Describes the Network-Based Instructional Systems Development model for developing Web-based virtual training courses that incorporate social interaction and collaborative learning strategies in a self-directed learning environment within a Korean corporate context. Topics include problem-based learning; constructivism; resource-based learning;…