The trend toward virtual learning for K-12 students has witnessed explosive growth across the country. As enrollment in virtual classes continues to grow and blended classrooms in particular become more commonplace, teachers able to adapt skills originally used in traditional classrooms--as well as develop new ones--will be a critically needed…

The concept of design for learning has arisen as education faces up to the implications of modern pedagogy, student diversity, and the affordances of information and communication technologies. This paper examines some of the benefits and issues for teachers in further and higher education surrounding the idea of learning design and its practical…

Can learning of mental imagery skills for visualizing shapes be accelerated with feature masking? Chemistry, physics fine arts, military tactics, and laparoscopic surgery often depend on mentally visualizing shapes in their absence. Does working with "spatial feature-masks" (skeletal shapes, missing key identifying portions) encourage people to…

A number of elements of scaffolding are identified that contribute to the operationalization of real world video production projects as authentic learning environments in which students can learn the intellectual television production skills necessary for working in the television industry. Three key elements are identified. Firstly projects must…

Teaching about intersecting, fluid and historically contingent identities has been taken up extensively within the sociology of race, class and gender and women's studies. Oddly, the case of Jewish women has been virtually left out of this robust literature. This article explores the challenges raised through teaching the course "Jewish Women in…

Distance education has become an expectation with students who have grown up with technology as well as nontraditional and working students. Most universities now offer a wide range of online courses and degree programs to meet these needs. Online delivery of technology courses, however, has been problematic when the course includes very complex…

Classroom discussion is often underutilized by teachers and students alike; however, it remains a viable pedagogical choice for actively engaging students in learning. The combination of Book Club discussions and intentionally designed simple strategies as tools in resource rooms or co-taught general education classrooms may increase the speaking…

Mobile learning represents exciting new frontiers in education and pedagogy. With the features of "wearable" computing and multimedia content delivery via mobile technologies, mobile learning becomes feasible and offers new benefits to instructors and learners. How do mobile technologies influence our teaching and learning in traditional…

Web-based courses and programs have increasingly been developed by many academic institutions, organizations, and companies worldwide due to their benefits for both learners and educators. However, many of the developmental approaches lack two important considerations needed for implementing Web-based learning applications: (1) integration of the…

The University of Rochester's Graduate Experience in Science Education (GESE) course familiarizes biomedical science graduate students interested in pursuing academic career tracks with a fundamental understanding of some of the theory, principles, and concepts of science education. This one-semester elective course provides graduate students with…

Values and ethics are automatically incorporated into any teaching/learning environment or endeavour, whether or not they are consciously stated objectives. The focus on "quality of education" has sharpened as people have become concerned about a perceived rise in materialism as standards of living have improved; materialistic ambitions…

There seems to be a belief world wide, that by going online and including learning technologies in learning packages learner success and economies of scale will be ensured in open and distance learning (ODL). Recent literature suggests that ODL and online delivery are regarded as synonymous. While the introduction of technology in the delivery of…

The ongoing integration of instructional technology within community colleges has occurred for a variety of reasons. First, community colleges have implemented technology-based models to make operations more efficient and cost-effective. Second, instructional technology has been used to expand student markets through alternative course-delivery…

It is essential that preservice teachers have successful experiences with infused technology during teacher preparation. This article describes a project in which collegial interaction among practicing teachers and preservice teachers at four participating institutions of higher education was enhanced by technological innovation. The Recursive,…

This paper describes an elective unit in the application of new technologies for pre-service teachers which employed a metaphor of masterclasses in its design to engage the students in value-added interactions around their individual multimedia projects. A masterclass involves the class group auditing an individual's detailed consultation with a…