This paper describes pedagogical efforts implemented to promote significant learning in a computational chemistry course. The taxonomy of significant learning advanced by Fink (2013) is used as a framework to discuss the results. Fink identifies six categories of learning: foundational, application, integration, human dimension, caring, and…

A common drawback in traditional language education is that all students in the same class use the same content. Since students may have different backgrounds such as prior knowledge and learning speed, one single curriculum may not be able to accommodate every student. Unfortunately, most students cannot afford personalized language learning,…

In March 2019 the Ministry of Education (MOE) commissioned NZCER to conduct an exploratory study of curriculum levelling in the Science and Mathematics and Statistics learning areas of "The New Zealand Curriculum" (NZC). The study was prompted in part by a desire to probe possible reasons for patterns of achievement reported by the…

In this multiple case study we examined six middle schools with above predicted student achievement outcomes on Common Core State Standards (CCSS) assessments in mathematics and English language arts. We drew upon the Universal Design for Instruction (UDI) framework to characterize the nature of teachers' practices with particular attention to how…

The Data Beast, a manifestation of the expansion of assessment activity by the University of Tennessee (UTC) at Chattanooga and its accrediting body; with no meaningful quantitative information on student progress in its undergraduate program. Any formal assessment that took place was done because someone outside the department had demanded it,…

Outdoor learning provides children with an opportunity to experience the interdisciplinary nature of the real world through interactions with each other and the planet. Geographical enquiry involves exploring the outdoors in an investigative capacity. Space, place and sustainability are three core concepts in primary geography, although…

In 2014, instructional coaches Katrina Litzau and Vicki Murray designed professional learning to support teachers and principals in developing a deeper understanding of the cognitive processes of leadership. Steeped in the Common Core State Standards and building on quality literacy instruction, they designed the professional learning based on…

This article proposes a model for the design of a hybrid VET curriculum across the school-work boundary. VET-curricula are designed on the basis of two main types of learning arrangements, namely, the plan for learning in school and for learning at the workplace. A challenge for curriculum development is creating consistency between different…

Universal Design for Learning (UDL), an instructional practice for curriculum design, brims with the promise that concepts, however challenging, may be accessible to everyone in a classroom. There is no reason for anyone, including children in special education programs, not to have the right of passage into inquiry within a unit of study. To…

Counselor education programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs are charged with the important task of providing pre-service school counselors with didactic information and experiential opportunities that prepare students for the realities of group work in the school setting. It is important…

In our complex and incongruous professional worlds, where there is no blueprint for dealing with unpredictable people and events, it is imperative that individuals develop reflexive approaches to professional identity building. Notwithstanding the importance of disciplinary knowledge and skills, higher education has a crucial role to play in…

While K-12 online learning in the United States has increased exponentially, the ability of teacher education programs to adequately prepare teachers to design, deliver, and support has been deficient. A small number of universities have begun to address this deficit through the introduction of graduate certificates in online teaching. This…

The continuously evolving standards-based reform (SBR) movement is one of the most prominent features of today's educational policy landscape. As SBR has continued to drive educational policy, local schools and districts have adopted many approaches to comply with legal mandates. This paper critically examines one particular resultant phenomenon…

In this commentary, the author examines some contributions of the New London Group's theory of a pedagogy of multiliteracies, as well as recent critiques of how this framework has been applied in literacy research and instructional practice. She draws on her research with transnational youths--young people who claim multiple national affiliations…

Curriculum is the core of the classroom experience, but what makes a quality curriculum? What lessons, learning experiences, and assessments are most effective, and how should they be embedded within the curriculum? The answers to these and other questions appear in this definitive, step-by-step guide. Drawing from her work with teachers and…