The challenge, Maggie Goes to Mars, features a beagle (friendly canine), faced with the need to repair a crucial instrument on the Insight spacecraft that landed on Mars in 2018, in order to allow InSight to continue doing the job it was sent to do -- studying the inner core of Mars. The learning challenge launched in December 2020, with middle…

This paper introduces the results of applying a gameful approach based on six playful activities as a tool to improve the learning process in higher education. A total of 850 students from different courses of Universitat Rovira i Virgili (Spain) were involved in the study. The strategy was evaluated through a participant observation (active and…

This paper examines the practical experience and research background of one private training provider with over 10 years' experience reskilling and upskilling mid-career workers with academic qualifications for employment in a growing technical and highly regulated pharmaceutical manufacturing industry. This paper offers insights into how to…

In this report, the author explains the small-schools environment in New York City. Prior to the pandemic, the Big Apple had a small but growing microschool and learning pod community. New York City's frequent school closures throughout 2020 and 2021 caused many families to look more closely at these education options. New York State's stifling…

As they adopt and adapt emerging approaches, K-12 leaders have a tremendous opportunity to activate the latent social capital within families to improve students' experiences and outcomes. Whether they succeed depends on where and how schools activate family networks, and for what purposes. This paper details five emerging opportunities for…

The team at Nokomis Regional High School in Newport, Maine, has spent over a decade laying the groundwork for multifaceted reforms--including interdisciplinary curriculum, project-based learning, education outside of the classroom walls, and meaningful career exploration--all of which are student-centered and aim to deepen rigorous academics into…

High-quality digital learning offers potential economic and social advantages but also could easily lead to a widening gap between economically advanced and low-income countries. Within countries without suitable policy, it could also generate increasing inequity between the rich, who can afford the technology, and the poor, who will not be able…

Districts are increasingly investing in coaching programs to improve teacher practice and student outcomes. However, merely providing schools with the funding for a coaching position is not enough. To maximize the return on the investment of coaching, our research on the Dynamic Learning Project (DLP) shows that districts need to ensure that they…

Decades of research have produced profound insights into how student learning and motivation can be unleashed--and it's not through technology or even the best of lectures. In "Super Courses," education expert and bestselling author Ken Bain tells the fascinating story of enterprising college, graduate school, and high school teachers…

This book explores how well teachers are prepared for professional practice. It is an outcome of a large-scale research and development program that has collected extensive data on the impact of the Graduate Teacher Performance Assessment on Initial Teacher Education programs and preservice teachers' engagement with the assessment. It contributes…

China is leading in the application of new digital technologies in education. The market is young, albeit highly competitive, as parents willingly adopt any technological innovation that could help their children, and schools as well, since they are judged on their pupils' success. To foster such a flourishing, there is a wealth of available data…

The impact of the "Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)" on K-12 science education has gained significant momentum over the last several years. Evidence of the "NGSS" can be seen in revised state science content standards and amended teacher preparation standards. Due to this growing impetus, a holistic redesign of teacher…

Instructional designers are increasingly looking beyond the field's mainstream approaches to achieve desired outcomes. They seek more creative forms of design to help them invent more imaginative experiences that better reflect their vision and ideals. This essay is addressed to designers who are attracted to these expanded visions of their…

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented upheaval of the traditional teaching context. Fortunately, disruptions can also catalyze innovations as they cause the field to re-examine its assumptions and practices. Re-thinking how we mentor pre-service and early-service teachers is one area that shows particular promise for improving…

A considerable body of evidence demonstrates that active, student-centered instructional practices are more effective than lecture-based, transmissionist approaches in improving undergraduate STEM learning. Despite this evidence and extensive reform initiatives, the majority of STEM instructors continue to teach didactically. Awareness of teaching…