This paper explores what happens when students engage with mathematical tasks that make no attempt to be connected with students' everyday life experiences. The investigation draws on the work of educators who call for a broader view of what might count as real and relevant contexts for studying mathematics. It investigates students' experiences…

The general objective of the "Rehabilitation Medicine Summit: Building Research Capacity" was to advance and promote research in medical rehabilitation by making recommendations to expand research capacity. The 5 elements of research capacity that guided the discussions were (a) researchers; (b) research culture, environment, and infrastructure;…

This activity helps students understand the relationship between public relations (PR) writing and news writing by demonstrating how PR material gets used in the production of news stories. Considering that "more than 70 percent of daily newspaper copy emanates from PR-generated releases," it is important for students to learn how PR professionals…

Earlier research [Discourse Process. 23 (2/3) (2002) 135] on argumentation suggests that adults use advanced discourse strategies more consistently, more frequently, and more flexibly than do adolescents. The present study examines the development of argumentation skills during adolescence. Forty-eight seventh and eighth graders were assigned to…

By examining a class discussion between an eighth grade student and her teacher around the reading of a literary text, my intent in this paper is to further the discussion around one of the central issues in English education today--the inquiry around whether it is more productive to teach literature by first connecting students' cultural…

Reflective journals have become an increasingly popular tool used by numerous faculty across many disciplines in higher education. Previous research and narrative reports of journal writing have explored student perceptions of journal writing, but very little is understood about faculty perceptions. In this paper, we report on a study involving…

Family and consumer sciences (FCS) professionals can have a positive impact on the human condition of individuals and families living in poverty. However, to fully understand the issues of poverty, professionals need exposure to the issues and concentrated time to examine poverty through research, issue analysis, and reflection. This article…

A key principle in problem-based learning (PBL) is the student linking learning from different sources to enrich understanding. We have explored how medical students based in a clinical environment use clinical experience within PBL groups. We recorded the discussion of 12 third-year groups, which were meeting for the second time on a PBL case,…

The newspaper is a source of up-to-date and compelling information that teachers can use to teach current events. In this article, the author discusses why it makes sense for social studies educators to use newspapers in their classrooms. He also presents information about the Newspaper in Education (NIC) program and explains how interested…

The online learning environment provides the opportunity for remote groups of students to interact with instructors and each other. Most web based learning platforms facilitate synchronous online discussions between participants. These discussion forums are designed to replicate the face to face tutorial setting and provide a medium for the…

One of the principle tenets of action learning is that it provides the potential to explore and solve complex organisational problems. The question of how best to develop a future business strategy is such a problem. Existing literature on strategy making presents a multi-faceted debate, suggesting that the complexity of competitive environments…

To monitor and enhance the learning performance of learning groups in a Web learning system, teachers need to know the learning status of the group and determine the key influences affecting group learning outcomes. Teachers can achieve this goal by observing the group discussions and learning behavior from Web logs and analyzing the Web log data…

An excerpt from a round-table discussion with students of several colleges in Florida on whether to support electronic media integration to their learning and campus experiences is presented. Mirella Avesani, one of the four student participants claims that it is important to have open access to computers and related software to complement class…

A gallery walk is a discussion technique that gets students out of their chairs and actively involved in synthesizing important science concepts, writing, and public speaking. The technique also cultivates listening and team-building skills. This paper provides guidance for conducting, managing, and assessing gallery walks. (Contains 4 tables and…

In this study I examined the self-reported motivational beliefs and goals supporting the participation of 15 seventh graders in whole-class discussions in 2 discussion-oriented Connected Mathematics Project classrooms. Through this qualitative investigation using semistructured interviews, I inductively identified and described the students'…