Learning Expectations and Academic Preparation (LEAP) was a two-year pilot offering a cohort (20 students) of our lowest scoring English and mathematics developmental students an intensive cross-disciplinary semester to accelerate through their developmental courses. Blending learning community and summer bridge best practices, LEAP incorporated…

While existing research has shown the importance of the three interrelated domains of the wider policy, the school and home/community environments in the development of quality education for learners, this literature does not fully capture the experiences of the refugee population. In this article we focus on a group of Syrian refugees who came as…

This article is a reflection on a pilot study representing an important phase of the author's PhD research. The study was carried out to test the suitability of research tools for a project aimed at developing the communicative competence of foreign language learners (FFLs). The main project was designed using an elearning design model known as…

Although earlier research has examined the potential of portfolios as assessment tools, research on the use of portfolios in the context of second-language education in Canada has been limited. The goal of this study was to explore the benefits and challenges of implementing a portfolio-based language assessment (PBLA) model in Language…

This study involves a large-scale investigation of willingness to communicate (WTC) in Chinese English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) classrooms. A hypothesized model integrating WTC in English, communication confidence, motivation, learner beliefs, and classroom environment was tested using structural equation modeling. Validation of the…

Most of the literature on dispositions is focused on mainstream teachers and on diversity and not specifically on the dispositions of teachers of English-language learners. Researchers have stated that while dispositions are extremely important, they continue to be elusive and a neglected part of teacher education, especially for teachers of…

In order to bridge the gap between educational research and practice, a study was concluded to identify specific reading skills which posed particularly difficult problems for Mexican American first grade children, but apparently caused little difficulty for their Anglo counterparts. Seventeen words emerged as being particularly difficult for the…

This document presents information concerning a project to research and develop strategies to increase participation in adult community education (ACE) by Australian adults from language backgrounds other than English. Sections 1-3 describe the major project activities, which were as follows: literature review, compilation of model programs…

This document contains 15 papers from the information technology (IT) in vocational education and training (VET) section of an international conference on VET for lifelong learning in the information era. The following papers are included: "Adapting the System of Continuing Vocational Education for the 3rd Industrial Revolution--Experiences…

The IADIS CELDA 2012 Conference intention was to address the main issues concerned with evolving learning processes and supporting pedagogies and applications in the digital age. There had been advances in both cognitive psychology and computing that have affected the educational arena. The convergence of these two disciplines is increasing at a…