The five-phase students-as-teachers model has advantages (increased empathy for student teachers, recognition of effective techniques, careful listening and attentiveness) and disadvantages (uneven preparation of material, the delicate role of the instructor). (SK)

Addresses the problem of the effectiveness of teaching methodologies on fundamental engineering courses such as transport phenomena. Recommends the colloquial approach, an active learning strategy, to increase student involvement in the learning process. (ZWH)

Praises Ann V. Angell's efforts to document her experiments with student democracy in the classroom but critiques the experiment as having a limited view of democracy. Provides a rationale for a broader view of democracy in the classroom and provides examples from the authors' teaching experiences. (DSK)

Addresses the role of children's museums, recounting both positive experiences of meaningful interactions and negative encounters in which such interactions were discouraged or were too cursory. Suggestions for scaffolding children's discovery and problem-solving learning with children's museum activities are offered. (DB)

Compares three models of agriculture in universities: (1) the current rigid departmentalized model; (2) the integrative university with cross-disciplinary linkages and information exchange with farmers; and (3) the active learning university with students and faculty integrated in the farming environment and two-way flow of knowledge and…

Generic teleological mechanisms (GTMs) are a class of strategic concepts especially useful in adaptive design. GTMs are abstract functional and causal patterns that lead to adaptation strategies for innovative design. Adopts a task-directed approach to learning, and describes a model-based method for learning GTMs from design methods. (Author/DKM)

Describes using the case method of teaching in a sociology class. The case method is a student-centered, highly interactive pedagogy that changes the classroom process into a collaborative search for an analysis and solution to a specific problem based on a case (a text that provides information about a situation without analyzing it). (EV)

Examined whether students who studied together outside class did better on exams than those who studied alone, and whether pedagogical method (cooperative/active learning versus lecture) influenced students' out-of-class study behavior. Mean exam scores were generally higher for students who studied in groups, regardless of teaching style, and…

Presents an inexpensive activity to stimulate student interest in biotechnology that was developed in partnership with a biotechnology company. Focuses on the use of DNA by a commercial laboratory; describing the analysis procedure; important uses of DNA technology in modern society; and ethical, social, and legal issues related to biotechnology.…

The Core-Plus Mathematics project is a National Science Foundation project to design, evaluate, and disseminate innovative high school curricula based on National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards. The CPMP program has five mathematical and structural design features: multiple connected strands, emphasis on mathematical modeling, access…

Based on the author's experience as advisor to practicing administrators in their final year of a three-year part-time masters program in education management at a British university, this article explores whether the academic demands of an award-bearing program and those of action learning interact detrimentally. The strands of activity should be…

Explores the types of written questions students ask after reading one or more chapters from a textbook and investigates students' ability to improve their questions during the course of a single semester. Examines two comparable populations, undergraduate students who were taught in the traditional lecture format and students who were taught in…

Provides a chart comparing state and national objectives. Assesses student understanding of photosynthesis and explains the process of teaching students producer-consumer relationships. (Contains 14 references.) (YDS)

Explores the debate between academic, skills-oriented mathematics instruction and more discussion- and context-centered approaches and offers strategies to move beyond the debate and improve mathematics education. (EV)

Offers a framework for faculty and planners of distance learning programs to understand the impact of visuals and constructivist methods in distance learning and to guide effective practice and decision-making. Topics include interaction; constructivist learning, including active learning and authentic learning; authentic student assessment; and…