Universities are facing growing internal and external pressures to generate income, educate a widening continuum of learners, and make effective use of digital technologies. One response has been growth of online education, catalysed by Massive Open Online Courses, availability of digital devices and technologies, and notions of borderless global…

One of the most important conditions needed to acquire pragmatic competence--knowing the rules of a language and how to apply them to communicate--is exposure to the target language. That is why research has concentrated on observing how this competence develops in different language learning contexts such as second language (L2), foreign language…

Self-regulated learning has become an important component of education, both as a primary tool in online coursework and as a supplemental resource in face-to-face courses. Yet despite its importance, research suggests that rather than utilizing the full potential of learning management and course management systems, instructors primarily use them…

Like many higher education institutions, amplifying experiential learning (EL) is a priority for the University of Calgary. In order to capture the extent and complexity of EL that exists in an institution, it is crucial to have a common understanding of the concept. In 2018, the University of Calgary created the EL Working Group, tasked with…

This study investigates whether university students' epistemic beliefs and prior knowledge about controversial socioscientific issues (SSIs) can predict the different types of arguments that students construct. Two hundred forty-three university students were asked to construct different types of supportive arguments--social, ethical, economic,…

Programming in schools is no longer a novel subject. It is now quite commonly found in our schools either in formal or informal curriculum. Programmers use creative learning tactics to solve problems and communicate ideas. Learning to program is generally considered challenging. Developing and implementing new methodologies in teaching programming…

Data-science employment opportunities of varied complexity and environment are in growing demand across the globe. Data science as a discipline potentially offers a wealth of jobs to prospective employees, while traditional information science-based roles continue to decrease as budgets get cut across the United States. Since, historically, data…

One of the most pressing issues in online learning systems that have contributed to the failure of online education and student dropout is the lack of interaction. Investigating and exploring the different factors that influence learners' online interaction and engagement are crucial for e-learning success. This study proposes a research model to…

Many scholars suggest that recent major science education initiatives apparently tied to intense economic competitiveness and growth have prioritized education about "products" (e.g., laws, theories, innovations) and skills (e.g., experimentation) of fields of science and technology. Such initiatives also, apparently, tend to avoid…

While the majority of STEM persistence has focused on outcomes for first-year students, there has been little investigation into the outcomes for peer mentors. Of the studies conducted, results are promising. Benefits for peer mentors include a change in their perceptions on teaching and learning; an improvement in their communication,…

As enrollments in postsecondary online programs have grown, many institutions have pursued a more centralized business model that consolidates their online programming under a single executive leader, a statewide system office, or a coalition of institutions that have merged operations and assets. In this study, the researchers used an exploratory…

In her efforts to present her students with material that is socio-culturally informed, current, and ultimately liberatory, dance educator Cara Hagan has developed methods of engagement across levels of study. These methods honor voices of color, dance styles derived from various diaspora, and mitigate the censure and control of the dancing body…

This essay explores the advantages and disadvantages of online learning courses in relation to traditional courses and considers the need to create an online learning environment that reflects positive characteristics of traditional courses. A common deficiency in online learning environments is the ability to create an 'organic' and spontaneous…

Despite best efforts to the contrary, obscenity oozes out from under the rugs of "polite" schooling and "tidy" society. In this post-qualitative inquiry, the authors pursue questions in defense of pedagogies of obscenity. In what ways do educators fail to educate when they eschew obscenity, understand shame and disgust as…

This research investigates a design and development approach to improving science teachers' access to effective professional development (PD) in a fully online, asynchronous environment. Working with a small number of teachers, this study explores how a design combining social capital mechanisms with essential teacher learning and PD…