This paper draws from research on individual and organizational learning to explore the opportunities for creating new models of schooling and to explain why many reform efforts end up producing incremental rather than radical changes. To do so, the study documents the evolution of two organizations that have worked to launch new, alternative…

For someone who has never been convicted of a crime, the author spends an unusual amount of time in state prisons and youth correctional facilities. She does not work for these criminal justice agencies; instead, she studies prison culture, and--in small ways-- has become a part of it. The author is a university professor trained in sociology and…

Foreign experience in forming social competency of future specialists in service sector being the system of social, psychological and pedagogical knowledge, skills, life and professional experience, values, motives of life activities and personal qualities that makes it possible to effectively execute social functions in the society has been…

Considerable effort has been invested in innovative learning practices such as collaborative inquiry. Collaborative problem solving is becoming popular in school settings, but there is limited knowledge on how to develop skills crucial in collaborative problem solving in students. Based on the intervention design in social interaction of…

A case study of project-based learning (PBL) implemented in Tianjin University of Technology and Education is presented. This multidiscipline project is innovated to meet the novel requirements of industry while keeping its traditional effectiveness in driving students to apply knowledge to practice and problem-solving. The implementation of PBL…

This paper presents the design and practical application of a laboratory inquiry at high school chemistry level for systematic chemistry learning, as exemplified by a thermochemical approach to the reaction stoichiometry of neutralization using Job's method of continuous variation. In the laboratory inquiry, students are requested to propose the…

Providing teachers effective professional development (PD) is an ongoing challenge in the field of education. Emergence of technological innovations in the form of computer-based asynchronous and synchronous communication has provided new opportunities to improve and expand teacher PD opportunities beyond the physical walls of a school. The…

Modeling as a scientific practice in K-12 classrooms has received a wealth of attention in the U.S. and abroad due to the advent of revised national science education standards. The study described herein investigated how a group of high school chemistry teachers developed their understanding of the nature and function of models in the precollege…

It is known that active exploration of a new environment leads to better spatial learning than does passive visual exposure. We ask whether specific components of active learning differentially contribute to particular forms of spatial knowledge--the "exploration-specific learning hypothesis". Previously, we found that idiothetic…

This article, the first of a two-part series, catalogs teaching innovations from the 2014 Association for Business Communication Annual Conference. These 12 assignments debuted during two "My Favorite Assignment" sessions. Learning experiences included job-seeking skills--résumé writing, writing job applications, sharpening interview…

This study examined whether life skills could be developed in a Project Based Learning (PBL) course. The participants were students enrolled in a graduate level PBL course. The same 35-question survey was given to students at the beginning and end of the course, and students were asked to rank their life skills using a Likert scale. Additionally,…

Students sometimes struggle with visualizing the three-dimensional solids encountered in certain integral problems in a calculus class. We present a project in which students create solids of revolution with clay on a pottery wheel and estimate the volumes of these objects using Riemann sums. In addition to giving students an opportunity for…

Translating the purposes of education into practice is particularly challenging for those who are new or have recently entered academia. By reflecting on my first years of teaching in higher education, I discuss two key aspects of my teaching practice: shifts in choice of teaching methods and a critique of different forms of assessment. Through…

The intersection of law and ethics provides students with a view of how people are expected to conduct themselves legally and how that conduct also should meet ethical standards, although legal and ethical behavior may or may not be synonymous. The story of the development and operation of the Grand Canyon Skywalk is a tale of dreams, schemes, and…

This reflection paper argues that the design and development of digital games teach essential 21st century skills. Intrinsic to application and game development is design thinking. Design thinking requires iterative development, which demands creativity, critical thinking and problem solving. Students are engaged through learning by doing in both…