This article examined, through a Cultural Historical Activity Theory lens, how immersive- or pervasive environments and pedagogical agents could more easily support social collaboration as foundation of contemporary learning theory. It is argued that the fundamentalism-liberationism contradiction (learn "from" versus learn "with" technology) is no…

The question of how students might concurrently engage in historical empathy as both a cognitive and affective construct remains as a sticking point in the understanding of historical thinking. This study employed three instructional units to place students in situations in which they were likely to engage in historical empathy using both the…

This article presents integrated multicultural instructional design (IMID), a new pedagogical model that is responsive to the growing student diversity in postsecondary institutions in the U.S. and throughout the world. This work builds on previous research articles in the "Journal of College Reading and Learning" related to assessing…

The "What's the "matter" With XOD" activity addresses students' misconceptions and refines their ideas about phases of matter. This activity introduces the characteristics for solids, liquids, and gases, and begins a discussion about physical and chemical changes and how matter can cycle through different phases. Depending on class size and…

As online environments and tools have evolved over the last 15-20 years, their use for role-based learning has expanded. This analysis draws on work for an Australian project that has been sharing and developing knowledge about the use of online role-plays in higher education. We describe the learning needs that online role-play can meet, and give…

A group designed to address social justice issues for Asian international students within a counseling training program is described. The authors implemented such a group that led to critical consciousness, accountability, and action spurred by culturally sensitive empowerment. Such a group may be desirable for training programs that want to…

In the upper-level communication seminar that the author teaches--"Practices of Citizenship"--students learn and reflect on multiple theories and practices of citizenship as they develop their own voices in civil, academic, and intellectual conversations. As Aristotle argues, citizenship is a practice, a habit that must be learned. Aristotle's…

In this article, we demonstrate that an exercise using metaphors to overcome cognitive biases helped students to proactively imagine and prepare for an expanded set of potential crises. The exercise complements traditional textbook approaches to crisis management and incorporates creativity skill building in a realistic context. Learning outcomes…

Research on the positive impact of using concrete manipulatives in mathematics for students with high-incidence disabilities is clear. Maccini and Gagnon (2000) considered manipulatives to be a best practice in terms of educating students with high-incidence disabilities in mathematics. It would follow, then, that research on virtual manipulatives…

Cognitive load is a theoretical notion with an increasingly central role in the educational research literature. The basic idea of cognitive load theory is that cognitive capacity in working memory is limited, so that if a learning task requires too much capacity, learning will be hampered. The recommended remedy is to design instructional systems…

E-learning has become an increasingly important teaching and learning mode in educational institutions and corporate training. The evaluation of E-learning, however, is essential for the quality assurance of E-learning courses. This paper constructs a three-phase evaluation model for E-learning courses, which includes development, process, and…

This systematic review establishes a comprehensive understanding of research trends and the findings of current studies that focus on small-group communication in post-secondary online courses. The review includes 18 journal articles which are categorised and summarised on the basis of their common themes. This review finds that a majority of the…

Problem Statement: This paper reports on a study of whether student teachers in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher education course perceive themselves to have learned from teacher education via early development of reflective practice. Purpose of the Study: The study aimed to demonstrate that by employing methodologies characteristic…

In response to Oregon's Teacher Standards and Practices Commission requirement that all prospective teachers document samples of their work, the Teacher Work Sample (TWS) was developed during the 1980s at Western Oregon University. The TWS was conceptualized as a method to connect meaningful teaching and learning while documenting teacher…

The dramatic advancements in technology over the last 5 years have created an environment that could support learning that surpasses anything we would have seen, experienced or imagined before. While new technologies offer considerable opportunities for improved learning, their use however has remained as a plug-on to traditional teaching methods.…