This study sought to adapt and test a methodological framework designed to produce a course evaluation that addresses the unique aspects of distance education while maintaining consistency with current evaluation instruments commonly used to evaluate an institution's on-campus courses. Using the four-step process adapted from Biner (1993), twenty…

Teaching is about designing, creating, and inventing intellectually challenging work for students--work that engages students and is so compelling that students persist when they experience difficulty and feel satisfaction, indeed delight, when they successfully accomplish the challenge (Schlechty 1997). Whether thinking skills are taught…

To effectively integrate computers into teaching, students' thinking skills must be a priority. The goal is to align thinking processes appropriately with the software's function. By categorizing software by genre and matching it to the desired thinking skills, teachers can plan lesson activities that teach discrete skills as well as complex…

The aims of this study were to investigate whether the 6 items of the Physical Appearance Scale (Marsh, Richards, Johnson, Roche, & Tremayne, 1994) show differential item functioning (DIF) across gender groups of adolescents, and to show how this can be done using the multigroup mean and covariance structure (MG-MACS) analysis model. Two samples…

Situated amid tertiary-level institutions in the city of Ahmedabad, in Gujarat, India, this article explores how particular ideologies countering English inform pedagogic choices made by language teachers teaching in "vernacular-medium" (VM) college classrooms. The ideologies under discussion are two linked "thought…

In view of the current emphasis on teachers' contextual assessment of emergent literacy skills, we need to determine the degree to which such assessments are valid judgments about children's early literacy skill development. One approach to this issue would be to examine closely the relationship between teacher ratings of literacy skills and…

The authors show how the work of Nobel Laureates in economics can enhance student understanding and bring them up to date on topics such as probability, uncertainty and decision theory, hypothesis testing, regression to the mean, instrumental variable techniques, discrete choice modeling, and time-series analysis. (Contains 2 notes.)

We provide an overview of where the field currently stands when it comes to having evidence-based methods and instruments available for use in assessing anxiety and its disorders in children and adolescents. Methods covered include diagnostic interview schedules, rating scales, observations, and self-monitoring forms. We also discuss the main…

Purpose - Despite a growing body of literature in the field, there is still considerable uncertainty as to whether entrepreneurs are born or made, which has led to an ongoing debate in the entrepreneurship academy about whether we can actually teach individuals to be entrepreneurs. With this in mind, this two-part paper aims to address the…

This case study details the history and K-5 school experience of a boy with dyslexia and spatial-temporal gifts. It describes assessment, evaluation, and identification procedures; the learning specialist's interventions and program; the critical role of the parent; and the services provided by the gifted program. Specific interventions are…

This article explores the practice of engaging prospective elementary teachers in the analysis of lessons from different textbooks. A rationale for such engagement, based on particular teacher education goals, is provided. The article focuses on a specific lesson analysis assignment given to prospective elementary teachers in which portions of…

Alternative routes to teacher certification have evolved over the last 20 years as a response to real and perceived shortages of qualified teachers. This study examined successful alternatively certified teachers' motivations to leave other successful careers in order to teach and how they approached learning how to teach in the absence of a…

The problem of secondary teachers' resistance to becoming teachers of reading is well documented. Unfortunately, the dominant model for many courses and in-service presentations has been transmission--teacher educators presenting knowledge and strategies for improving adolescent literacy and then expecting preservice and practicing teachers to…

What does it mean to be a citizen in a digital world where technology has facilitated global connections? The children of today are immersed in a digital age, and as increasing numbers of students go online, they require skills to securely and responsibly take full advantage of computers and the Internet. Despite the natural enthusiasm that many…

School to Career is part of a national initiative to help students make connections between the content, skills, and concepts they are learning in the classroom and careers in the real world. School-to-career practices add relevance to the elementary school curriculum and promote engagement in learning. A key feature of many school-to-career…