K-12 teachers of science have been digging into the "Next Generation Science Standards" ("NGSS") (NGSS Lead States 2013) to begin creating plans and processes for translating them for classroom instruction. As teachers learn about the NGSS, they have asked about the general structure of the standards document and how to read…

K-12 teachers of science have been digging into the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS) (NGSS Lead States 2013) to begin creating plans and processes for translating them for classroom instruction. As teachers learn about the "NGSS," they have asked about the general structure of the standards document and how to read…

In this paper, we outline the theory behind the educational design used to implement a large-scale high school astronomy education project. This design was created in response to the realization of ineffective educational design in the initial early stages of the project. The new design follows an iterative improvement model where the materials…

When choosing instructional methods, instructional designers trade-off or sacrifice an outcome, such as effectiveness, efficiency, or appeal. In instructional planning theory, this is referred to as values about priorities. When "values about priorities" are combined with "conditions about content," we expect that a different…

While the benefits of teacher involvement in designing technology enhanced learning are acknowledged in the literature, far less is known about shaping that involvement to yield those benefits. Research is needed to understand how teachers learn through design; how teacher design activities may be supported; and how teacher involvement in design…

There are inevitable challenges standing in the way of the success of any approach to Instructional Design. Some are being faced up to. Some are not. Not least among them is the absence of empirically established principles undergirding Instructional Design prescriptions. The challenge it poses is to their reliability and validity. Nothing that…

In this paper, we frame the dissemination of the products of classroom design studies as a process of supporting the learning of large numbers of teachers. We argue that high-quality pull-out professional development is essential but not sufficient, and go on to consider teacher collaboration and one-on-one coaching in the classroom as additional…

Design research is usually motivated by university members with experience and interest in building theory and instructional designs in collaboration with one teacher. Typically, the teacher is considered as a member of the research team, with the primary responsibility of implementing instruction. However, in this chapter, I describe a Classroom…

The nature of knowledge, and the various forms knowledge may take, is a neglected aspect of the development of e-learning environments. This paper uses Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) to conceptualise the organising principles of knowledge practices. As we will illustrate, when it comes to the design of e-learning, the organising principles of the…

The aim of this paper was to build upon Dalgarno and Lee's model or framework of learning in three-dimensional (3-D) virtual learning environments (VLEs) and to extend their road map for further research in this area. The enhanced model shares the common goal with Dalgarno and Lee of identifying the learning benefits from using 3-D VLEs. The…

Exercises with well-designed similar problem sets are effective in classrooms. In this case, teachers design similar problem sets related to the educational effects they have targeted. However, to design these "related problem sets (RPSs)" is not so easy for teachers, especially for students who are studying the problems. To support…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore four general design features of King Digital Entertainment's game "Candy Crush Saga" -- structural, social, cognitive, and emotional -- that reflect the principles of Universal Design for Learning and discusses how these features can be applied to course design in order to motivate learner…

A growing phenomenon in higher education is the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). MOOCs have garnered increasing attention over the past several years, spurring curiosity, controversy, and debate. While some aspects of MOOCs, such as participant experience and improvement of the online learning environment, have been covered extensively, other…

This article reflects upon the development of Connections, a service-learning collaboration between a Research I university and an urban art museum that trains students to work with patient groups from the community using Visual Thinking Strategies. This method of art exploration helps people with Alzheimer's disease express memories and relieve…

Across the globe, schools serve students from increasingly diverse backgrounds, including those still learning the dominant language. But schools have struggled to maintain pace with the changing population, resulting in a lack of prepared teachers and subsequent gaps in student achievement. In this article, we share a theoretically grounded and…