This paper considers the influence of e-tuition using an asynchronous written conferencing package, "FirstClass," upon retention and success rates for Masters-level courses in a distance learning programme as compared with similar courses that were supported in a traditional manner using face-to-face tuition. The paper investigates the common…

Inquiry-based science instruction can provide a rich context in which to build literacy skills in the elementary grades. The authors discuss the benefits of incorporating reading, writing, and speaking into science instruction. They describe the results of research on two models for combining language arts and science--the Science IDEAS model and…

A survey was conducted of Master of Business Administration (MBA) students in an accounting class at a university in the Northern United States to compare students' assessments of course effectiveness and overall satisfaction with the course. One group of students were enrolled in a traditional in-class section, and another group in a…

The study evaluated the comparability of two versions of a certification test: a paper-and-pencil test (PPT) and computer-based test (CBT). An effect size measure known as Cohen's d and differential item functioning (DIF) analyses were used as measures of comparability at the test and item levels, respectively. Results indicated that the effect…

Teaching GIS is relatively simple, a matter of helping students develop familiarity with the software. Mapping as an aid to thinking is harder to instruct. This article presents a laboratory and lecture package developed to teach the utility of mapping in a course on spatial data analysis. Following a historical review of the use of surface…

The major advantage of STS is the kind of teaching it allows and demands. Twelve middle school teachers who were enthused with STS teaching selected two sections for a research study. One section was the experimental STS section; the other followed the course syllabus and textbook closely. The major findings indicate the advantages for STS as a…

This paper presents a study which involved researching student interaction and participation under the lens of Activity Theory and Social Computing. Activity Theory is a philosophical framework that integrates the objective, the sociocultural, and the ecological, while Social Computing describes any type of computing application in which software…

This study investigates the level of students' learning when using e-lectures to increase the flexibility of the learning experience. Two cohorts of students were presented with the same material in lecture format. The control group attended a traditional live lecture, while the treatment group was offered an e-lecture with the same content. Both…

Previous research on students with learning disabilities has indicated that they benefit most from explicit instruction. However, few studies have examined how explicit instruction may be translated to the logistical demands associated with large-group instruction in high school general education settings in ways that are socially acceptable to…

The first part of this article discusses the advantages of offering courses online or in a blended format from an instructor's and manager's perspective. These advantages include: (a) improved distance support of faculty in the delivery of courses; (b) effective delivery of tutoring for students; (c) increased facility in the sharing of digital…

This study addresses questions related to teacher preparation through online supported learning in an alternative certification program, CalStateTEACH. Specifically, this study analyzes and reports survey responses of 130 teachers and 84 supervisors related to preparedness of program completers to teach in a multiple subject classroom. The…

In recent years the demographics of individuals pursuing teacher certification has changed. Many individuals with a bachelor's degree who are interested in a change of career pursue teaching after receiving a college degree in areas other than teacher certification. Institutions of higher education have made a distinction between their traditional…

The Masters level Opportunities and Technological Innovation in Vocational Teacher Education project (project site: http://motivate.tmpk.bmf.hu/) aims to develop the use and management of virtual learning environments in the area of vocational teacher training, drawing on a well established international partnership of institutions providing both…

The aim of the present work was to see if storytelling in a clinical dental anatomy course would increase student satisfaction. We enhanced teaching by spontaneous storytelling in problem-based learning, in half of the third-year dentistry class. At the end of the course, we administered an anonymous questionnaire to the students in the class,…

This study compared the implementation of a person-centered model of instruction to non person-centered instruction in Web-based courses. Three questions were posed regarding the outcomes of the person-centered model of instruction: Is it possible to increase the self actualization, or striving for individual achievement from learners in a…