The authors describe innovation in practice through the unusual deployment of teams in a master's in management core course. Two parallel uses of teams were made, both drawing on the jigsaw team method, in one case with the team supporting individual work. The experiences support the idea of widening the palette of types of groupwork used in…

This paper discusses some results of a qualitative study that explored both student and educator viewpoints regarding the inclusion of spirituality in social work pedagogy. A grounded theory research methodology was used to analyze data obtained from semi-structured individual interviews completed with eighteen participants-eight educators and ten…

General math students--the first quartile in math--are having trouble passing the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL), and there are several reasons why: (1) They have poor math skills and not much aptitude; (2) They never see all of the needed curriculum; (3) Their learning style directly conflicts with the organizational patterns in…

During the last decade, the Internet has significantly changed the way learning is delivered and facilitated in both educational and noneducational settings. Advocates of Internet-based instruction are largely positive and optimistic about its potential. Before it can be fully accepted by the mainstream public and educational community, however,…

Practical and engaging, this book contains 21 case studies that help students apply curriculum theory to classroom reality. Each case is authored by an in-service teacher, reflecting on ways to improve instruction by making changes to various aspects of the curriculum. These real-life examples investigate up-to-date curricular issues ranging from…

This paper reports on the effectiveness of an innovative course design that bridges classes from two different disciplines. The "Bridge" design creates assignments in two classes: a summary class and a panel class. The design encourages students to engage in teaching and interacting with their peers within and across disciplines, and…

For the thirty-sixth year, the Research and Theory Division of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is sponsoring the publication of these Proceedings. Papers published in this volume were presented at the annual AECT Convention in Anaheim, California. The Proceedings of AECT's Convention are published in two…

In this article, we work towards developing a signature pedagogy for educational leadership preparation programs. A signature pedagogy that engenders theory-building processes and leadership practices includes complex case studies, inquiry-centered internships, collaborative and interdisciplinary leadership institutes, and continuous assessments…

Set in the context of Hong Kong's school curriculum reform initiative, which centers on development and implementation of task-based instruction, a study examined: (1) what teachers of English as a Second Language understand about language learning and what decisions they make when preparing a classroom task; (2) to what extent elementary and…

Information technology is very evident in the explosion of on-line education courses. This research looks at online courses, identifies significant issues in the development of these courses, and determines characteristics of learners enrolled in these courses. An emerging phenomenon is investigated and issues inherent in the development of a new…

Researchers generally seek to improve student motivation without input from students concerning subject matter and teaching methods. Yet students make conceptual distinctions among different forms of knowledge, concerns, and contexts regarding knowledge. One distinction is between intellectual conventions (such as spelling) and matters of…

Grouping students by ability into courses with distinct curricula, or "tracking" as it is called in middle and high schools, has provoked a furious debate among educational scholars and practitioners. Research on tracking invariably characterizes the practice as a school-level, unitary phenomenon; schools are depicted as either tracked…

The purpose of this applied research project at the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (California) was to develop a new curriculum for the Master of Science in Education for Health Professionals program. Seven areas were explored in this study: (1) the learning needs of educators of health professionals; (2) proposed curriculum…

The guide provides a model for Japanese second language curriculum development for teachers and school districts. It advocates an approach that emphasizes language proficiency for daily communication and cultural appreciation. An introductory section offers a rationale for teaching and learning Japanese, outlines the need for the guide, presents a…

This paper reports on a small college's efforts to interest more psychology majors in research projects and to help all students enrolled in psychology courses improve their research and writing skills. Rather than have their students complete a literature review or term paper within the confines of one semester, faculty introduced a step-by-step…