This study examines student perceptions regarding the effectiveness of small-group work in a large lecture class. The article considers and illustrates from students' perspectives the ways in which small-group activities could enhance comprehension of course material, reduce anonymity associated with large lecture classes, and promote student…

Two fields of inquiry are examined in an effort to explicate the relationship between information literacy and self-regulation. A theoretical connection between these two areas of study is provided. Operational behaviors--such as the ability to select and use appropriate procedures during the learning process; to ask for help when at an impasse…

As information professionals, engineering librarians have the primary responsibilities of providing access to engineering information resources and giving instruction in how to use these resources. In the case of undergraduate engineering students, this extends to building their information literacy skills, an important component in helping them…

Both instructors and students dread large introductory courses. IS introductory courses are no exception as they are often too large, the material too dry and the atmosphere too impersonal. This paper describes a unique student-centric curriculum for delivering introductory IS survey courses that keep students interested and engaged while…

One way to help students learn to read science and teach the content simultaneously is by incorporating classroom strategies that actively engage students in thinking, talking, reading, and writing about science. To maximize the probability that strategies will be effective is to use a learning cycle as a guide when designing lessons. This article…

Undergraduates with little training on molecular biology may find the technical level of the typical introductory restriction laboratory too challenging and have problems with mastering the underlying concepts and processes. "Blackboard electrophoresis" is an active learning exercise, which focuses student attention on the sequences and principles…

Much of the rhetoric about contemporary higher education suggests that colleges and universities need to embrace change due to advances in knowledge, technology, transportation, and more--advances that have dramatically shifted the way one functions in the modern world. But what manner of change for learning itself do the public narratives…

This paper considers the bottom-up vision of the learning society. Unlike the top-down approach, the bottom-up approach does not start by specifying the purposes of learning which should direct the development of the learning society, but from observing interactions among learning individuals as agents. While in the relevant literature and…

Most teachers of young children start their days with some type of class meeting--typically circle time. Although similar to circle time, Morning Meeting is structured with four essential components: the greeting (children greet each other); sharing (several children share important information about themselves); a group activity (the group…

With a shift of focus from teaching to learning in higher education, teachers often look for strategies to involve students actively in the learning process, especially since numerous studies have demonstrated that a student's active involvement in the learning process enhances learning. Active learning has resulted in positive learning outcomes.…

The introductory freshmen electromagnetism course at MIT has been taught since 2000 using a studio physics format entitled TEAL--Technology Enabled Active Learning. TEAL has created a collaborative, hands-on environment where students carry out desktop experiments, submit web-based assignments, and have access to a host of visualizations and…

The authors developed a one-credit freshman-level course designed to enhance psychological critical thinking. They based the new curriculum on Stanovich's (2004) text, with an emphasis on active learning and critically evaluating claims by applying scientific concepts. To assess the effectiveness of this course, they used a pretest-posttest design…

This paper describes an intensive 2-hr workshop designed to introduce preservice teachers to digital video in the context of an instructional technology course or as a stand-alone activity. Acknowledging time constraints in most real-life instructional situations, this format takes novices with no or very limited knowledge of video making to the…

The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA)--the principal association representing the technology leadership in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs--presents its eighth annual report on select, national, educational technology activities. This…

This study explored the impact of "Technology Enabled Active Learning" (TEAL) on students learning general physics, focusing on differences between genders and among various achievement levels. A quasi-experimental investigation was conducted on two semesters of courses offered in 2008. Data sources consisted of pre-tests, post-tests,…