This research investigated newly qualified teachers (NQTs) experiences of participating in online discussions (ODs) that were part of their Master of Teaching (MTeach) course. [The project was partially funded by the Excellence in Work-Based Learning for Education Professionals (WLE) Centre in 2009.]

The seventh annual Sloan Foundation Study of Online Learning revealed that one in four college students took at least one online course in the 2008 academic year--a 17 percent increase from just the previous year. This rapid growth seems to be fueled mainly by a perceived need by universities to be more convenient and accessible for students. This…

This article is a slightly revised version of the CAE Presidential Address delivered at the Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association in New Orleans, LA on November 20, 2010. The address inaugurated a CAE program change in which a full evening session was devoted to the talk, including commentaries by Hugh Mehan and Sofia…

This paper elaborates on how design judgement can be practiced in design education, as explored in several iterations of an advanced course in interaction design. The students were probed to address four separate design tasks based on distinct high-level intentions, i.e. to 1) take societal responsibility, 2) to generate profit, 3) to explore a…

Conversations as moments for interpersonal and intimate turning round of ideas for the purpose of growth are well-defined within curriculum inquiry. Interactions among grade 12 students in this study demonstrate the possibility of learning to learn mathematics through conversation. Attending to opportunities for learning-based conversations,…

Neo magnets are neodymium magnet beads that have been marketed as a desktop toy. We proposed using neo magnets as an alternative building block to traditional ball-and-stick models to construct carbon allotropes, such as fullerene and various nanocone structures. Due to the lack of predetermined physical connections, the versatility of carbon…

Teachers' critical thinking skills are essential for fostering the development of the same skills in their students. To demonstrate how teachers' ability to examine solutions critically can be developed and supported, we analyse a classroom activity performed by a group of pre-service secondary school mathematics teachers (N = 37) who were asked:…

This paper focuses on the use of the teaching method Peer-Assisted Reflection (PAR) to help graduate student instructors (GSIs) develop as teachers. PAR engages students in analyzing the work of their peers and providing feedback to promote their abilities of communication, collaboration, and persistence. The goals of the PAR activity were taken…

This exploratory, qualitative, descriptive study examined undergraduate student perspectives of pedagogy used in an undergraduate leadership elective course to describe how students view the effectiveness and impact of pedagogies used in the course. Undergraduate students (n = 28) reflected on the effectiveness of the pedagogies and the learning…

In this study, we examined whether gendered discourse styles were evidenced in online, synchronous, physics collaborative learning group discussions, and the extent to which such discourse patterns were related to the uptake of ideas within the group. We defined two discourse styles: the oppositional/direct style, theorized to be the socialized…

"One of the most powerful educational tools available to students and teachers lies hidden in plain sight, in every classroom--conversation," writes Susan Engel. The conversational exchanges that happen naturally between parents and young children are full of questions that can lead to learning. Within the context of these casual…

In this study, researchers design and implement an inquiry based multivariable calculus course in a university which aims at enhancing students' argumentation in rich mathematical discussions. This research aims to understand the characteristics of students' argumentation in activities involving proof constructions through mathematical…

This article examines the debates around the teaching of early reading and explores the possible consequences of policy recommendations for teachers' knowledge and understanding of effective pedagogic practices. These include teachers' abilities to adapt patterns of talk (pedagogic discourses) to respond to individual needs and the aims of…

This study explored the use of two different types of collaborative tests in an online introductory statistics course. A study was designed and carried out to investigate three research questions: (1) What is the difference in students' learning between using consensus and non-consensus collaborative tests in the online environment?, (2) What is…

In response to calls for more practice-based teacher education, this study investigated the way in which two high-performing novice world language teachers, one in Spanish and one in Latin, implemented a high-leverage teaching practice, leading an open-ended group discussion. Observational data revealed a number of constituent micro-practices. The…