Building on the findings of Cedefop/ReferNet thematic perspectives for EU Member States, Norway and Iceland, this synthesis report identifies recent trends and policy developments in Europe on the initial and continuous professional development of VET teachers and trainers. The report points to the different types of VET teachers and trainers in…

"Education in a Pandemic: Learning from Illinois Students & Caregivers to Plan for the Road Ahead" highlights the testimonies of more than 120 students, parents and caregivers from across Illinois as they share their experiences of remote, hybrid, and in-person learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings, coupled with…

Exploring online learning through the lens of synchronous and asynchronous instructional methods can be beneficial to the online instructor and to the course designer. Understanding the underlying theoretical foundation is essential to justify both types of instructional pedagogies. Learning theory as it applies to online environments encompasses…

As students and teachers shift to working from home, many district policies need to shift as well. Our new publication, "Recommended District Policies for At-Home Teaching and Learning," provides recommendations with a focus on: What policies are both feasible and most likely to produce strong learning outcomes for all students,…

This article looks closely at decisions about technology choices and suggests that many are driven by markets and perceptions, and not the problems that the technology might solve. The example of market manipulation related to the commercial light bulb in the early 20th century is used to demonstrate the powerful influence of global markets to…

In this article we examine the use and misuse of the term "Freirean" with respect to student-centered classrooms, flipped classrooms and problem-based learning. In doing so, we unpack teaching methods which are contrary to dialogism and yet subsumed and reported as Freirean.

Even though there are significant developments in recent years in medical education, physicians are still needed reform and innovation in order to prepare the information society. The spots in the forefront of medical education in recent years; holistic approach in all processes, including health education, evidence-based medicine and…

This article presents a case study that highlights the benefits and limitations of Web-based video in lab sections of The Geographer's Craft, an upper-level undergraduate course in which students apply digital geographic methods. Over three years (2010-2013), the authors experimented with different teaching strategies utilizing Web-based video for…

This second issue of "Connect" highlights innovative teaching as practiced by teachers and administrators in Michigan schools as they seek to provide greater personalization for every student's learning. Nicholas Provenzano and Ben Gilpin give field reports from their schools, which have implemented a version of 20-Time--a concept…

In this paper, action research is explored as a process for professional learning and collaboration among post secondary teachers. Qualitative data from reflective journals maintained by instructors who taught multiple sections of a masters research course over a two-year period informed the exploration of responsive pedagogy. Action research is…

Using cost-benefit analysis, the purpose of this study is to analyse the monetary value students place on having access, via the internet, to recorded lectures in a blended learning context. The principal results are that the average price students are willing to pay to download iLectures is approximately $30 per equivalent full time student.…

In 2010 Michigan State University launched the first hybrid doctoral program in Educational Technology. This 5-year program blends face-to-face and online components to engage experienced, working education professionals in doctoral study. In this paper, we describe the design and evolution of the program as well as the response from students. We…

This article outlines a research-driven, performance-based approach to teaching advocacy in a school health education online or hybrid course, as well as providing guidance on how to adapt to a face-to-face environment. The project is designed for pre-service school health education students at the college/university level. The primary benefit of…

As students work through online learning systems such as the Reasoning Mind blended learning system, they often are not confined to working within a single educational activity; instead, they work through various different activities such as conceptual instruction, problem-solving items, and fluency-building games. However, most work on assessing…

Digital technologies are revolutionizing all parts of society, including higher education. Universities are rapidly adapting to the prevalence of staff and student mobile devices, digital tools and services on campus, and are developing strategies to harness these technologies to enhance student learning. In this paper, I explore the use of…