Reviews the series of books, "The Geography Discipline Network Guides on Teaching, Learning, and Assessment," produced by the Geography Discipline Network. Reveals two strengths of the series: (1) it provides practical guidelines on improving traditional teaching strategies; and (2) it promotes active learning. Considers the potential…

Presents a classroom simulation that employs active learning to introduce students to congressional politics using the national issues of the Gilded Age. Explains that the students are divided into groups in order to simulate the U.S. Senate and then discuss, amend, and vote on legislation. Provides four detailed simulation options. (CMK)

Focuses on integrating social studies and environmental education. Offers three scenarios that provide opportunities for teaching environmental literacy in the classroom. Provides a set of guiding principles that can assist social studies teachers in making the most of environmental issues. (CMK)

Describes an active learning approach to teaching sampling and measurement in an undergraduate course on research methods. Students complete a content analysis on desired partner attributes in personal advertisements. Discusses concerns and issues in relation to sampling, content analysis, and other potential problems. (CMK)

Describes the development of partnerships between a private college and middle schools in Indiana that were designed to increase middle school students' competencies in science, mathematics, and pre-engineering by using advanced instructional technologies with active, inquiry-based learning. Discusses the role of teachers; collaboration; and…

Literature on teaching and learning in college classrooms is reviewed and findings are discussed through a generational lens. From assumptions about generations of students, recommendations for enhancing student learning--especially for Millennial students--are provided.

Introductory biology students can be overwhelmed by the diversity of life. By focusing on learning characteristics of individual taxa, they often lose and miss the larger perspective--that all taxa are connected through evolution, resulting in the Tree of Life. In this article, the authors present an exercise that helps students develop an…

This paper represents a conversation between a high school science teacher and a university researcher as they found common ground in the theory and experiences of designing powerful learning experiences. The teacher describes an instructional unit in which students designed a complex, interactive display showing what life may have been like…

This article describes the involvement of undergraduate students in research at the California State University (CSU), Chico funded through an Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) from the National Institute on Aging (NIA). CSU, Chico is a "teaching" university and has students with a variety of motivations and abilities. The…

In an effort to make reading more visible and find out what goes on in the minds of adolescent readers, the author led a group of seventh-grade students in creating Symbolic Reading Inventories. The students created "snapshot" scenes from the books they were reading and placed themselves, as readers, in or around the picture. Reading is a complex…

This quantitative study was based on the survey results of 216 chief student affairs officers' (CSAOs) at United States' colleges and universities whose enrollments were between 500 and 3,000 students. In the spring of 2001, 58% of the CSAOs returned the 42-item Survey of Student Learning Principles, based on the seven "Principles of Good…

The purpose of this study was to develop a questionnaire that measures students' motivation toward science learning (SMTSL). Six scales were developed: self-efficacy, active learning strategies, science learning value, performance goal, achievement goal, and learning environment stimulation. In total, 1407 junior high school students from central…

The findings reported in this article form part of a wider comparative research project investigating the active learning of teachers and of pupils in the educational practices of eight countries. This article aims to describe what a small rural school in Finland understands by active learning. Data is presented from a qualitative research case…

Constructivist education, based on the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky, advocates an approach to curriculum and teaching that is student centered, inquiry based, integrated and intellectually engaging. One teaching strategy that provides such an experience is the Project Approach, reflective of the pedagogy of John Dewey and introduced as a model…

This research studies a doctoral program that includes a cohort component. Candidates engage in active learning and in the skill of mentoring. Research on peer mentoring has shown to support graduate students as they progress in their study (Luna & Cullen, 1998). Analysis of the data found themes relating to mentoring and community: candidates…