The instrumental approach is a useful theoretical lens for understanding students' learning processes with a main focus on the transformation of an artefact (a human design for a goal-directed activity) into a meaningful instrument (i.e. an artefact and schemes developed by the student). In this paper, we articulate the instrumental approach for…

The tragic story of Flint has made it increasingly clear that the public needs to know how to evaluate sources of information. All of this is occurring in the age of "fake news," which heightens our awareness of the challenge of determining veracity. Furthermore, a flood of information can be found at our fingertips 24 hours a day. A…

Do you want your pupils to understand how science applies to real-world contexts, to provide more hands-on engineering experiences in your curriculum or to improve the way you integrate STEM industry partners within children's learning? These are some of the questions asked as part of the Greater Manchester Engineering Challenge (GMEC), an annual…

This article documents the application of transmedia play in a higher education business context, providing a case study of how transmedia play can be infused into an undergraduate marketing course. We share our findings regarding learner experience and engagement, detailing results from structured interviews with 22 course participants. Evidence…

The advantages of active learning approaches have prompted national recommendations for the development of inquiry-based laboratories to replace traditional laboratory classes. However, there is little consensus for the most-effective implementation strategies. Frequently, a single inquiry-based exercise is incorporated at the end of a traditional…

Effective learning-teaching process is ensured when students interact and actively participate in the learning process. Though most instructors stressed the value of active participation in classrooms of universities and colleges, achieving success in eliciting it appears more difficult. There is high tendency of instructors in higher institutions…

Experimental courses for undergraduate students majoring in biochemistry or related subjects often do not provide students with systematic and research-based experiences. To help students develop abilities related to laboratory techniques, data analysis, and systematic thought in biology, we performed an exploratory program that employs…

Maximizing classroom time to include meaningful content-based learning with fun engaging activities that simultaneously challenge and encourage students is a hallmark of a successful school day. This article shares one instructional approach that does a model eliciting activity (MEA). A MEA is a real-world, problem-based scenario framed around a…

Project-Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching method in which a student gains knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic project, engaging in complex questions, problems, or challenges. The PBL for sustainability management course was designed to achieve the student learning outcomes and…

Games are a great source of entertainment and are used by people of all ages; they motivate and engage people and affect their behavior. Therefore, games have been widely studied in many non-game contexts. Education is one of those areas where gamified, and game-based learning strategies have been implemented and explored. To engage and motivate…

A group study program in the UK provides the setting for understanding deep learning in social work education through inquiry-based learning (IBL). Thirteen undergraduate and graduate students from a large university in Western Canada participated in a 15-day learning journey complete with a research methods conference and multiple exchanges with…

For centuries cadaveric dissection has been a cornerstone of medical anatomy education. However, time and financial limitations in modern, compressed medical curricula, coupled with the abundance of alternate modalities, have raised questions about the role of dissection. This study was designed to explore student perceptions of the efficacy of a…

Using mobile devices to support the process and products of learning activities is a trend in inquiry-based learning, which is culminating in the formation of the subfield of mobile inquiry-based learning (m-IBL). However, even though mobile devices have been widely used in IBL activities in recent years, evaluative evidence for their substantial…

The practices of Project-Based Learning (PjBL) are known to be widespread and effective in both K-12 and higher education settings. There is still little research on how it can provide a community of engagement for middle school learners. This paper reports how engaging middle school learners in PjBL tasks influences the students' perceptions and…

This article reports students' responses to a critical information literacy course. The course has two unique elements which differentiate it from other information and media literacy courses: an assignment about confirmation bias and a facilitating, rather than an "expert" role for faculty to play in the course. After a review of key…