This article describes a study in which eighth grade students in one school learned to create multimedia mini-documentaries in a six-week history unit on early 19th-century U.S. history. The authors examined content knowledge tests, group projects, and attitude and opinion surveys to determine relative benefits for students who participated in a…

Instructional strategies make a difference in whether students are engaged in learning and are profiting from their time in class. High schools, technology centers and middle grades schools are encouraging teachers to adopt new teaching techniques and are providing opportunities for teachers to work together to improve their instructional skills…

This document presents the proceedings of 16th Annual Research Forum held June 15, 2011, at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Included herein are the following 25 action research papers: (1) The Effects of Prompted Math Journaling on Algebra 1 Students' Achievement and Attitudes (Heidi I. Arnold); (2) Group Work and Attitude…

The iPod digital music player has been available since late 2001, and even in higher education, its presence has been seen, although mostly in the hands of students and rarely for outcomes-based educational purposes. In 2004, Duke University provided free iPods to all 1,650 first year students, which subsequently enabled faculty to create learning…

With the shift towards the knowledge society, the change of working conditions, and the high-speed evolution of information and communication technologies, peoples' knowledge and skills need continuous updating. Learning based on collaborative working, creativity, multidisciplinarity, adaptiveness, intercultural communication, and problem solving…

The importance of graduate attributes is increasingly recognized internationally in higher education and by industry, government, and accrediting bodies. However, integrating the development of graduate attributes, such as critical thinking and critical reflection, has proved challenging in business education. This article demonstrates the value…

This study empirically tests the feasibility and effectiveness of video lectures as a form of video instruction that enables a comprehensive teaching strategy used throughout a traditional classroom course. It examines student use patterns and the videos' effects on student learning, using qualitative and nonparametric statistical analyses of…

Students are well served by course simulations that employ active learning styles and student-driven interaction. For debate on political issues, particular public policies are quite effective in stimulating that discussion. We developed an in-class simulation of political debate on the issue of Social Security. We describe the simulation itself,…

There is a growing consensus that traditional instruction in basic science courses, in institutions of higher learning, do not lead to the desired results. Most of the students who complete these courses do not gain deep knowledge about the basic concepts and develop a negative approach to the sciences. In order to deal with this problem, a…

A learner-centered approach is based on the need for educational environments which promote lifelong learning, enhance critical thinking, regard teachers and learners as both teachers and learners, and encourage personal empowerment. The conceptual paradigm suggested in this document is intended for learning-space creators interested in designs…

This paper describes a project implemented in two classrooms at the University of Wyoming's College of Education laboratory school. Forty-four students in the second and third grade participated. The "In Search of Bicycles" project asked students to consider how technology is used and how it affects the environment. Students then began…

Based on the assumption that good teaching helps students understand how to actively acquire, use, and extend knowledge in an ongoing learning process, this guide presents strategies for constructing learning-centered course syllabi. Following prefatory materials, part 1 reviews implications of shifting from traditional syllabi, which focus on…

This paper focuses on the use of toys to teach Social Studies to elementary school students. The first section offers a literature review on play and the significance of play in a child's development. The remainder of the paper offers activities related to play in the areas of history, geography and economics. The object of the activities is to…

This book adopts a questioning approach to studying history in which students become biographers who read, discuss, research, and write books about their subjects, providing their own original interpretations of the facts. By digging into the past and reflecting on what they have learned, students get involved in the process and are eager to do it…

Problem-Based Learning (PBL) describes a learning environment in which problems drive the learning; that is, learning begins with a problem to be solved and the problem is posed in such a way that students need to gain new knowledge before they can solve it. This ERIC Digest discusses many aspects of PBL including a brief history, implementing…