In the literature, learners' cognitive development is mainly discussed with respect to changes in learners' content-dependent knowledge (conceptual change or growth). Additional dimensions of time and complexity may also be taken into account to describe cognitive processes in at least three dimensions. We discuss these three dimensions of…

This article presents the case of the South African curriculum reform, which chose--on ideological rather than pragmatic grounds--a radical progressive/constructivist pedagogy model, with the expectation that it would help to redress the educational (as well as political, social and economic) inequalities of the country's inglorious racist past.…

Virginia Richardson, professor and former chair of Educational Studies at the University of Michigan, has recently been recognized for her contributions to teacher education with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). She has previously served as Vice President of Division K for the…

This article presents a reflexive look at a year-long mentoring experience between a university researcher and two third-grade teachers in a lower socioeconomic school. The challenges and rewards of mentoring the teachers in areas of their choice--writing workshop, constructivism, interactive learning methods, and management of cooperative…

As it was initially implemented, e-learning did little other than supply facts and information, offering limited opportunity for interactivity and problem-solving. Designers need to find ways to address past limitations and bring the engagement of classroom training to the web. One method that merits attention is scenario-based learning. The…

The present study aims to investigate whether the learning materials that based on constructivist learning principles have an effect on fifth grade Social Studies students' attitudes, their academic success and their retention. The study was conducted at Sehit Ali Gaffar Okkan Elementary School, Eskisehir. The participants of the study were 5th…

In 2001, in partnership with the Waterloo, Iowa school system, the R.J. McElroy Trust, Janice Freeburg-Cannon, Tri-County Head Start, Allen Health System, the University of Northern Iowa and the Regents' Center for Early Developmental Education created a special model for early childhood education that would eventually become The Freeburg School.…

In 2005, the School of Property, Construction and Project Management at RMIT University, Melbourne, introduced a new curriculum format for all first year students. All students enrolling in one of the four undergraduate degrees offered by the school commenced a common first year programme. This new curriculum was adopted to provide students with a…

This study describes an elementary science model of professional development through mentoring by university science education professors working with teachers at a private elementary school in a regional city in Queensland, Australia. A cross-cultural collaboration involving professors from the United States and Australia resulted in the socially…

In this study, we discuss the use of generative evaluation as an innovative approach in the analysis of qualitative interview data for evaluating simultaneous renewal of Iowa State University's PT3 grant. Goodlad's (1994) simultaneous renewal framework forms the basis of our argument. We focused on the CREATER+ model designed to explain the…

This article is a descriptive study of an evolving cybermentoring videoconferencing practice and tool developed to support preservice teacher training. Cybermentoring projects are synchronous distance learning collaborations using high-end video conferencing to foster interactive learning and tutoring among preservice teachers and K-12 students,…

In this study, we discuss the use of generative evaluation as an innovative approach in the analysis of qualitative interview data for evaluating simultaneous renewal of Iowa State University's PT3 grant. Goodlad's (1994) simultaneous renewal framework forms the basis of our argument. We focused on the CREATER+ model designed to explain the…

From a constructivist point of view, the importance of MUDs (Multiple User Dungeons) in education is justified based on their community-forming, learning, and role-playing functions. The authors propose a typology for educational MUDs and discuss their individual instructional approaches in order to measure MUD potential in ten-os of…

This study explores three teachers' perceptions and developments as a result of experiencing learning and teaching in a knowledge-building community (KBC). To understand the teachers' views, in-depth interviews were conducted. The transcripts were coded using a grounded theory approach. The findings indicate that KBC is reportedly viewed by the…

In this paper we discuss the background to this study in the development of the international MSc "e-Learning Multimedia and Consultancy." The aims of the study focus on the conditions for achieving communication, interaction and collaboration in open and flexible e-learning environments. We present our theoretical framework that has informed the…