Grading practices at Dalhousie University have changed considerably over the past 120 years. From 1901 until the early 1970s, Dalhousie used a variant of the British system. Initially, a grade of 65% or higher was required for distinction. In 1937, Dalhousie moved to a 2-category system (Distinction vs. Ordinary Pass) and in 1942 the distinction…

The problem investigated was many junior high teachers do not consistently implement technology-based gamification (TBG) within class activities despite evidence showing it as a useful learning tool for student engagement. This study aimed to explore why junior high teachers do not consistently implement TBG and identify the barriers and potential…

Observation of fellow educators conducting demonstration lessons is one avenue for teachers to develop sensitivity to noticing students' reasoning. We examined teachers' noticing of children's learning behaviours in one demonstration lesson of the "Mathematical Reasoning Professional Learning Research Program" (MRPLRP). The observations…

There are unique moments in curriculum development when an opportunity for a fresh start or a major turn in design fleetingly presents itself. These moments opened up in different locations across McMaster University at different times and eventually led to several quite different initiatives in inquiry-guided learning (IGL). Well-travelled…

A FIVE-MONTH EXPERIMENT IN TORONTO COMPARED TELEVISION AS A MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION IN FRENCH FOR GRADES 7 AND 8 WITH THE SAME MATERIAL PRESENTED BY BOOK AND TAPE RECORDINGS. ANALYSES WERE MADE OF THE MAKE-UP OF EACH GROUP, STUDENT INTERESTS AND FUTURE PLANS, AND THE LENGTH AND FREQUENCY OF INSTRUCTIONAL PERIODS. WHILE THE STUDENTS TAUGHT WITH BOOK…

To identify the most effective teaching strategies for use with Cree-speaking children, 1six student teachers taught lessons in 25 grade one-four classrooms in eight northern Manitoba schools using six strategies organized under four major approaches. Most effective were group problem solving at elementary levels and individual assignments at…

Although workplace requirements are mandating that employees possess higher-order skills, an alarming proportion of young Canadians are dropping out of secondary school before acquiring the skills they need to survive in a super-symbolic economy. Dropout prevention programs can curtail these trends and the effectiveness of one such program, the…