International specialized literature focused on research in biology education is sadly scarce, especially regarding biochemical and molecular aspects. In this light, researchers from this Centre for Structural Molecular Biotechnology developed and evaluated a three-dimensional educational model named "Building Life Molecules DNA and RNA." The…

Blended learning is an approach to instructional design that seeks to maximize learning potential by applying the most effective form of instruction for a given program element. The term "blended learning" should not refer to just the mixing of training delivery methods (as it is often defined) but to the orchestrated application and integration…

This article explores how far research findings about successful pedagogies in formal post-school education might be used in non-formal learning contexts--settings where learning may not lead to formal qualifications. It does this by examining a learner outcomes model adapted from a synthesis of research into retention. The article first…

The R2D2 method--read, reflect, display, and do--is a new model for designing and delivering distance education, and in particular, online learning. Such a model is especially important to address the diverse preferences of online learners of varied generations and varied Internet familiarity. Four quadrants can be utilized separately or as part…

Computer-aided design, computer-aided manufacturing, computer-aided analysis, reverse engineering and rapid prototyping are tools that play an important key role within product design. These are areas of technical knowledge that must be part of engineering and industrial design courses' curricula. This paper describes our teaching experience of…

Undergraduate students often memorize a keyword or definition for an exam without a deeper understanding or the ability to apply the meaning of the concept. While using examples during a lecture may help, the combination of movies and verbal review has been shown to be a valuable instructional tool, increasing recall (Elischberger & Roebers, 2001)…

Drawing on interviews with clinical and university-based teacher educators and administrators, the authors explore the challenges of building and sustaining collaborative university/school partnerships. Using the concept of ''communities of practice'' (Communities of practice: learning, meaning, and identity, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge,…

The term service-learning does not simply imply that one provides a service for a particular target group; the service participants must also strive to learn how to augment and reform their own knowledge base. Brown (2005) has redefined service-learning for teacher candidates and asserts that service-learning must include a five-point outcome…

Given the unique character of bilingual students and the programmes that support them, primary bilingual teaching is a challenging job in any country. However, bilingual teachers in developing contexts are especially challenged; they are often undertrained and underpaid, and must function in under-resourced schools with undernourished students.…

Reports show that handheld, wireless computers, once used by business professionals to keep track of appointments, contacts, e-mail, and the Internet, have found their way into classrooms and schools across the United States. However, there has not been much systematic research to investigate the effects of these new technology tools on student…

This study tested a model of teacher interventions (TIs) conducted during cooperative learning to examine how they affected students' subsequent time on-task (TOT) and problem solving. TIs involved groups of ninth-grade students working on an algebra problem; videotaped lessons were transcribed and analyzed. Results showed that teachers initiated…

Signs that a huge portion of our world is becoming digital are ubiquitous; the educational arena is not exempt. The influence of the Web and the dot-com phenomena signals a pending revolution. As a result, the model of teaching that has been the hallmark of higher education apparently has little place in tomorrow's instruction. Rather, computer…

The term "blended learning" has been growing in popularity, particularly in training and development arenas. Blended learning can be described as the use of synchronous or asynchronous technologies and traditional face-to-face instruction, in different forms or combinations, so as to facilitate teaching and learning. This mixture or blending of…

The transition from home to kindergarten, for most children, is the first and major ecological transition in their educational life. Kindergarten is the first educational setting in which children make sense about "school" as a place to learn and about themselves as "pupils". In this transition, children cross a cultural…

Many researchers have addressed the professional development of teachers and the importance of the field experience component in the process of teaching effectiveness (Kowalchuk, 1999). A phased development model or paradigm used to address teachers' professional development and stages of effectiveness have been noted. Conceptual models of Field…