This chapter is a reflective account of the author's experience as a teacher of English at the University of Pavia during the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. It considers the design and delivery of an English for architecture and construction engineering course as well as the assessment stage of a text analysis course. It proceeds by…

Worksheets hold a special place among the many well-intentioned--yet ineffective--items in the early childhood and elementary toolkit. They are nearly ubiquitous in some elementary classrooms and are even popular in preschools. Parents are encouraged when they see worksheets in their children's backpacks; they see such papers as indicators that…

We argue that power roles can make a significant difference in how students experience in-class simulations. To test this, students who participated in Congressional simulations in one of the author's introduction to American politics classes were surveyed concerning their views of Congress, the legislative process, and the simulation experience.…

The author, a programme leader for a Post Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (PGCLTHE), hears a complaint from her colleagues that undergraduate students require "spoon-feeding". Accepting structuralism's argument that language does things, not just describe them, the author examines "spoon-feeding" in more depth.…

University instructors are increasingly drawing on active learning exercises to engender critical thinking skills among students. In this article, we introduce the design and implementation of an active learning exercise about mobility and transportation that we assigned in an introductory human geography class at the University of Georgia. The…

At a recent state social studies conference, the author relates that he conducted a session on how to integrate historical thinking into history instruction. Even with modest optimism, the author expected just a few participants for his "after-lunch" session. Much to his shock and pleasant surprise, the author presented to a full room of eager…

In a history class, students typically listen to the teacher lecture, read from their textbook, then take a test. Although they may sometimes be required to memorize information or read stories about historical events and people, they rarely work with other students, use original documents, write term papers, or discuss the significance of what…

Author Lyn Lesch advocates that learning cannot be measured by empirical results like testing and grading. As the founder of Chicago's The Children's School, Lesch didn't give grades or submit students to standardized testing. Such conditions may seem blasphemous to most educators, but the results spoke for themselves. Without the high-stakes…

Educators need to learn more about the impact of computers and calculators on content and methods of college mathematics instruction. Experience suggests this interactive technology encourages active participation in learning, resulting in learner sense of ownership. Technology allows visualization, promotes exploration of various methods of…

Students that have high mathematics anxiety also have negative attitudes toward their potential success in mathematics. The focus of this paper is on changing attitudes towards mathematics, particularly those of arts majors. Suggestions for changing attitudes come out of an understanding of differing learning styles among students. Individuals…

One of the hot topics in education in the past 10 years has been the shift of the role of the educator. Whereas, he has traditionally been the owner and deliverer of the knowledge (Sage on the stage), now his role is shifting to a guide and facilitator (guide by the side). The purpose is to give the students ownership in their own learning…

As part of a larger project investigating educational reform for democracy, 2 teachers and 34 students at 3 high schools in eastern Slovakia wrote down their opinions of the Roma (gypsies). The papers were classified as negative (N=20), neutral (N=14), and positive (N=2). Promoting democratic tolerance can be difficult, given the deeply held and…

Ways in which violating traditional expectations about teaching helps change, shape, and focus student ability to extract meaning from works of art are discussed. Alternative teaching modes include use of inquiry methods rather than lectures, in-class reading of the artwork as text instead of assigned readings about the artwork, and group…

Demonstrates how conditions for active learning can be enhanced by using newer and more sophisticated educational technology. Describes a case study involving a large lecture class on world mythology. Also addresses the question of how information technology can be employed to improve student learning. (Author/VWL)

An increasing number of educators advocate the feeling dimension in learning. Quality emotions and feelings assist students in achieving optimally in the cognitive domain. Individuals who are hostile, negative, have short attention spans, and mistreat others in the classroom have more difficulty reaching their potential than other students in the…