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In the modern American politics classroom, ideological and partisan conflict have the capacity to interfere with a healthy classroom environment. This problem is increasingly apparent when students engage questions at the heart of U.S. Constitutional design. By asking students to inhabit fictional roles with preferences and attitudes that may differ from their own, classroom simulation activities present a potential solution to this issue. In the present study I introduce a two-week constitutional convention simulation that centers on the fictional Principality of Genovia. Working in groups, students assume roles within various segments of Genovian society who seek democratic representation following the sudden abdication of their autocratic prince. The simulation is designed to foreshadow key concepts in American government and politics. It does so in a way that allows for vociferous debate and conflict while sidestepping students' preexisting ideologies and party attachments. It also provides a collaborative, active learning environment that fosters healthy classroom dynamics and encourages later collaboration. In a pre-post survey instrument, I test the effectiveness of the Genovian simulation in fostering key learning outcomes and enhancing the student experience vis-a-vis several other classroom modules, finding that the Genovian exercise is beneficial to students on several dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of English as a foreign language, listening and speaking skills are frequently discussed in isolation. In fact, to improve students' language mastery, the skills had better be taught in an integrated way. This research aimed to unveil activities for teaching oral skills that teachers implemented and discussed their challenges in the implementation. The data of this case study were obtained by observing three classes and interviewing three university teachers who taught integrated listening and speaking skills in an English language education department of a university in Indonesia. To analyze data gained from the interview, we used open, analytical, axial, and selective coding to identify the emerged themes using thematic analysis. Findings revealed that discussion, information gap, role play and simulation, and oral presentation were applied in the classrooms. The study also revealed that the challenges of applying the activities come not only from the students' side, such as their anxieties, low participation, and tendency to use their first language, but also from the teachers' part regarding their classroom management skills. Those findings implied that the success of oral skill instruction is achievable through various activities that involve students' listening and speaking skills at once.

Guest speakers can reinforce relevance to course content in the classroom. However, integrating guest speakers in online, asynchronous settings may be challenging. To address this issue, sport management educators may utilize this activity with question submissions, guest speaker video interviews, and a cumulative review with consideration of the constructivist paradigm. As elements of constructivism are becoming prominent in higher education, students can construct their own learning and meaning from the insights of the facilitated guest speaker interviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the emergence of Dogme ELT in the 2000s, only small numbers of academic research employing this approach were documented, especially in the context of teaching English Speaking skills in Indonesian higher education. Also, as a response to Indonesian students’ unsatisfied performance in English skills, this study was aimed to introduce and propose an instructional framework using "Snapshot" for college students. As one of the Dogme ELT activities, it hopefully can boost students' motivation, participation, and ability to use the target language orally. Following the scoping study method by Arksey and O’Malley (2005), we gathered data by deriving and concluding theories and practices of research published in 2016 until 2020. As a result, there are thirteen studies on Dogme ELT. From those studies found, we derived and cultivated the implementation of the approach, the perspectives of teachers and students toward the activities, and then presented the proposed framework in teaching English speaking using Snapshot in three stages. Furthermore, the findings indicate that only five out of thirteen studies that empirically utilized and described Dogme ELT in the classroom with mostly favored by both teachers and students. In sum, the proposed framework hopefully can benefit educators in general, ELT teachers, and lecturers in particular.

Data from the Kepler satellite were analysed using the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes database. With the participation of 53 students, we determined the parameters of the HAT-P-7b (Kepler-2) exoplanet system (transit duration, planet-to-star radius ratio, orbital period, semi-major axis and star mass). We used approaches that are easy to understand and apply to secondary school students as well. In this way, they were able to gain an insight into the essential process of light curve analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the activitiesusing a graphing calculator of 10th-grade high school students on the trigonometry topic. A total of 65 students were divided into two classes, the first class consisted of 32 students, and the second class consisted of 33 students. The main objective of this study is to present classroom activities enriched with graphing calculators and observe responses about teaching with this approach. This study is research on developing learning designs within the Didactical Design Research (DDR) framework presented in an exploratory narrative. Data were collected by using two trigonometry worksheets and lesson observations. The worksheets were constructed based on the following focus areas: behaviour of graphs, constructing related-angle formula, and overall performance of the learner. The result of this research is a learning design that has been tested on 65 high school students. The research results on how to analyze the results of the implementation of structured learning designs provide information that educators can use, including the use of graphing calculators to help and make it easier for students to identify graphs more quickly and make students accustomed to using trigonometric function symbols. Another finding from structured instructional designs is that working in groups allows students to share experiences more effectively.

Pre-service teachers who are future practitioners of the curriculum cannot be considered independent of their views on education and technology. The goal of this study is to determine the use of technology and the opinions of pre-service primary teachers (PPTs) regarding the use of technology in classroom activities in mathematics lessons. The research was conducted with 62 PPTs studying in a state university. The study is based on a case study. The PPTs designed and implemented activities with respect to the objective(s) in the primary school mathematics-teaching programme. These activities were observed and recorded in video. At the end of the semester, the opinion form prepared by the researchers was applied to the PPTs. Descriptive statistics, descriptive analysis and content analysis methods were used in the analysis of the data. According to the findings of the research, almost all of the PPTs expressed opinions about the positive and negative aspects of technology usage related to education. Furthermore, while 83.86% of the PPTs indicated that they wanted to use technology effectively in their professional lives in the future, only 19.35% of the observed activities benefited from the technology. PPTs advocated two main reasons for not using technology in classroom activities. The first was that concrete material is more effective where physical conditions are inadequate and the difficulty in accessing materials, especially at schools in rural areas. The second main reason concerned time constraints while following the curriculum.

The Cooperative approach or Cooperative learning approach is defined as a model of group learning in which students are assigned to cooperate in teams for gaining a common purpose whereas they have to show their independence in completing sectional tasks. This learning style, to some extent, has been used in Reading classes at Thu Dau Mot University along with other methods for boosting students’ working motivation. From the mentioned premise, the paper investigated English-majored students’ favorable activities in Reading classrooms to clarify student’s learning motives as well as their willingness to work in group during the lessons. A survey questionnaire on selective activities was sent to the fourth–year English majors to measure the respondents’ attitudes. Accordingly, the paper focuses on the following aspects: (1) students’ attitudes towards reading skills, (2) their preferred classroom activities, and (3) their expected achievements from the course. Consequently, it is found out that there was a kind of intrinsic motivation among learners in the course, the students are interested in self-conducted activities, and that cooperative learning activities might foster students’ love for reading.

ABSTRACT The Ouchterlony double immunodiffusion assay is a serological technique used in the detection of antibodies and antigens for diagnostic purposes and also used in immunology laboratory courses as a common teaching assay where students observe the geometrical precipitation line patterns that form in the agarose, elucidating degrees of homology between antigens. In this classical technique, students must wait several hours to days to obtain results when protein antigens and antibodies are used. Furthermore, these proteins degrade over time if not frozen or stored in the refrigerator and are the most expensive consumables of the laboratory exercise. In this study, inexpensive and commonly used inorganic ionic salt solutions that are stable and can be stored at room temperature for several years were used to mimic antigens and antibodies. The precipitation lines started to form in the agarose plates after 15 min and fully developed within an hour, showing different geometrical precipitation patterns and spur formations that could be identified by students as full identity, partial identity, and nonidentity between the simulated (inorganic) antigens. Students conducting this exercise in a combined lecture and laboratory immunology course were able to finish the exercise as well as record and discuss results within class time, and tvhey showed increased interest in the laboratory exercise and had a better understanding of antibody-antigen reactions. Thus, this simulated laboratory experiment is an inexpensive, safe, and fast exercise that allows students to observe precipitations reactions of the Ouchterlony assay within the class session time.

This paper presents research into closed orbits parallel to quadrilaterals inscribed in various geometric shapes that can be represented by mathematical functions: straight lines, circles, ellipses, parabolas, and hyperbolas. Mathematical proofs have been given for the existence of an infinite number of parallel orbits for each of these shapes. Quadrilaterals parallel to a quadrilateral inscribed in a circle were found to have two interesting characteristics. The mathematics was conducted with student mathematics teachers and teacher trainees, accompanied by dynamic research using computer software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article outlines the main tenets and the working cycle of Design Thinking, which is a problem-solving methodology. We argue that this methodology helps train qualities and skills that are particularly beneficial for students of translator education programmes. We recommend Design Thinking for translation teachers who subscribe to post-positivist, constructivist and other problem-based, participatory and collaborative educational approaches. The latter part of the article presents examples of classroom activities developed with the use of Design Thinking methodology. The activities focus mostly on communicative interactions between participants, since we believe that the major advantage of Design Thinking for the translation classroom is that it offers a structured scaffolding to improve classroom communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Science is a collaborative process and electronic means of communication enhance collaborative possibilities. It is an important ability to be able to effectively work with people from different cultures. Our program uses physics activities to bring secondary school girls from different cultures together. Students from a school in the United States and a school in Egypt worked over various media and completed activities designed by their teachers. The program goals are to develop cultural awareness, abilities to work with people who are different, distributed leadership skills, physics skills, and knowledge. This article will explain the overall approach of the program, describe one physics activity, and present evaluation data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the publishing of Nolan and Temple Lang’s “Computing in the Statistics Curriculum” in 2010, the American Statistical Association issued new recommendations in the revised GAISE college report. To reflect modern practice and technologies, they emphasize giving students experience with multivariable thinking. Students develop multivariable thinking when they analyze real data in the context of investigating research questions of interest, which typically involve complex relationships between many variables. Proficiency in a statistical programming language facilitates the development of multivariable thinking by giving students tools to investigate complex data on their own. However, learning a programming language in an introductory course is difficult for many students. In this article, we recommend a set of computational skills for introductory courses, demonstrate them using R tidyverse, and describe a classroom activity to develop computational skills and multivariable thinking. We provide a tidyverse tutorial for introductory students, our course guide, and classroom activities. Supplementary materials for this article are available online at https://github.com/bryaneadams/Computational-Skills-for-Multivariable-Thinking-in-Introductory-Statistics.

The isolation related to the COVID-19 pandemic is causing both physical and mental health concerns for children worldwide. When the pandemic is over, schools and kindergartens represent a crucial context that can play an important role in promoting young people’s well-being. This paper presents a school re-entry program aimed at creating an arena where children can process emotions, rediscover interpersonal connections, and develop an awareness of effective coping strategies. For all kindergarten, primary and middle school students, suggestions for evaluating the effectiveness of the program based on its educational and psycho-social components are given. School is an ideal setting to deliver these activities to children as it represents return to their daily routine. Schools also provide equal access to resources and reach children belonging to at-risk socio-economic categories and cultural minorities. Two printable activity packs are provided as additional materials for teachers who want to recreate or adapt the presented activities for their own contexts.

Since the publishing of Nolan and Temple Lang's "Computing in the Statistics Curriculum" in 2010, the American Statistical Association issued new recommendations in the revised GAISE college report. To reflect modern practice and technologies, they emphasize giving students experience with multivariable thinking. Students develop multivariable thinking when they analyze real data in the context of investigating research questions of interest, which typically involve complex relationships between many variables. Proficiency in a statistical programming language facilitates the development of multivariable thinking by giving students tools to investigate complex data on their own. However, learning a programming language in an introductory course is difficult for many students. In this article, we recommend a set of computational skills for introductory courses, demonstrate them using R tidyverse, and describe a classroom activity to develop computational skills and multivariable thinking. We provide a tidyverse tutorial for introductory students, our course guide, and classroom activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite revisions to curriculum in ethics education in business schools, there continues to be high profile examples of unethical decision making regularly spotlighted in the media. Rather than simply teaching about behaviors and how they might impact decision makers and stakeholders, we describe a suite of activities used to highlight various behaviors and biases that impact the decisions individuals might make. These activities are intertwined with course materials regarding ethics and corporate governance to remind and help students better understand how decision making can be influenced and challenged by personal ethics. We provide lesson planning suggestions including adapting to remote delivery, and student handouts. This suite of activities can be incorporated into any undergraduate or graduate level course that has content dealing with ethical decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computational modeling of cardiovascular flows is becoming increasingly important in a range of biomedical applications, and understanding the fundamentals of computational modeling is important for engineering students. In addition to their purpose as research tools, integrated image-based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) platforms can be used to teach the fundamental principles involved in computational modeling and generate interest in studying cardiovascular disease. We report the results of a study performed at five institutions designed to investigate the effectiveness of an integrated modeling platform as an instructional tool and describe "best practices" for using an integrated modeling platform in the classroom. Use of an integrated modeling platform as an instructional tool in nontraditional educational settings (workshops, study abroad programs, in outreach) is also discussed. Results of the study show statistically significant improvements in understanding after using the integrated modeling platform, suggesting such platforms can be effective tools for teaching fundamental cardiovascular computational modeling principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple studies have demonstrated the efficacy of various psychological critical thinking interventions. The current study tests a novel technique for improving introductory psychology students' ability to identify and evaluate methodological concepts in real-life media by prompting them to analyze secondary source news and blog articles. Participants randomly assigned to the experimental group completed three separate methodological thinking drills (MTDs), whereas control participants completed two reflection activities followed by a single MTD. Evidence for the effectiveness of the MTD intervention was found with respect to the within-group comparisons in the experimental condition and also the between-group comparison, indicating linear improvements in scores over time and across groups. These results suggest that methodological thinking can be taught and assessed simultaneously using a single, internally valid procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present an activity called 'Annapurna Expedition' through which students should apply basic concepts of genetics to solve a worldwide pandemic disease. Players take the role of scientists, involved in a research to find out which pathogen causes this pandemic and which could be the best way to solve it. Students have the opportunity to use BLAST software as a scientific bioinformatic tool to discover the main game' enigmas. The activity uses game-based science learning methodology. This methodology incorporates multiple tools and resources, rely on learning by doing, guiding learners through a path of events and into a way of thinking. It provides students to take information from many sources and make decisions, to deduce a game's obstacles, to understand complex systems and to collaborate with other classmates. The activity has been developed for a range of audiences, including high school students and pre-service teachers. A case study has been carried out with a group of 80 primary pre-service teachers from the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) in Tarragona (Spain) in order to verify whether this activity was well designed, engage students and it is satisfactorily implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of the electron transport chain, its associated proteins, and carrier molecules can be difficult for introductory biology students to understand. Role-playing activities provide a simple, active, cost-effective method for demonstrating and comprehending complex biological processes. This role-playing activity was designed to help introductory biology students learn the role of the electron transport chain in the synthesis of ATP. The activity can be completed within a single class period and, when combined with a post-activity writing assignment, can enhance student understanding of how the electron transport chain functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social constructivist principles and ideas are among those most cited in both educational and psychological circles today, and many current scholars and reformers ground their work in social constructivist theories. Yet the basic principles of social constructivism are notoriously difficult for students to understand and grapple with. This article describes a small group classroom activity using colored shapes that offers a concrete way to introduce these principles to students and provide them with opportunities for subsequent scaffolded discussion and reflection. Typical small group solutions are identified and discussed, along with data on student response to the activity, based on anonymous surveys from 18 undergraduate classes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visualizations are useful tools for helping students to understand chemistry concepts at the particulate level. A classroom activity was developed based on learning theory and evidence‐based practices, combining protein visualization with thermodynamic parameters from differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF) data analysis. Coding of student responses showed that many students were able to establish the desired connections among protein structure, thermodynamic parameters, and experimental data analysis, while a few did not recognize all the differences between the folded and unfolded forms of the protein. The activity elicits student prior knowledge through the pre‐class activity, has the students examine the interactions within a protein molecule through the PyMOL activity, introduces DSF analysis using the learning cycle through the Guided Inquiry activity, and tests student learning through the post‐class activity. Upon completing the activity, the majority of students successfully met the learning goals. © 2018 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 47(1):67–75, 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is aimed to reveal the level of understanding messages send by graphical symbols and to make a study that would compensate for missing learning of students who study at eighth class. An activity was conducted in which a single group pre-test and post test pattern method was used with 58 students studying in eight class of Alata Secondary School in Erdemli district of Mersin within this context. At the beginning of the process, "Matching Questions for Understanding the Messages of Graphical Symbols Correctly" has been applied as pre-test to the students. A video had been prepared by the researcher and which contains the importance, purpose of using and the meanings of graphical symbols they encounter in their schools and products they buy from school canteen was showed after the test. Finally the matching questions were applied to the students again as post test. In findings, these have been found that the students were not aware of the meanings of all the graphical symbols they already met but the activity based on the prepared video developed the skills of understanding the messages of graphical symbols correctly. It is thought that these study conducted could provide data for those who will research on visual reading, in particular teaching of graphical symbols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to outline an ethics development activity that uses scenarios in university classes to further the knowledge, engagement, and enhancement of the ethical actions of the students. By starting with a brief review of the objective and use of scenarios in ethics research, the paper progresses to explain the activity, debrief the activity, and finally to provide an analysis of the activity with examples. Included in this activity are ways to incorporate a discussion of Kant's Categorical Imperative Theories, NCA Credo of Ethical Communication (or any professional codes of ethics), and the use of videos for Milgram's Blind Obedience and Stanford's Prison studies--thus making this activity useful across all disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Eurasian Journal of Educational Research (EJER) is the property of Eurasian Journal of Educational Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Diversity can be challenging and uncomfortable to discuss with students, yet is a critical communication issue to explore. Our understanding of multiple types of diversity and self-awareness of implicit biases shape our communication. In this class activity, students increase sensitivity to their own biases related to diversity by seeing themselves and classmates in relation to research findings. Recognizing biases in a low risk environment allows students to make choices about their communication behaviors to communicate more intentionally and ethically. This activity can be incorporated into a range of communication classes including organizational, leadership, interpersonal, gender, nonverbal and research methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debate can be a useful way to engage students with topics and stimulate discussion on what might appear to be a seemingly straightforward concept. This article describes a modified debate activity in which groups of six students debate preassigned topics in front of their classmates. The activity is designed to help students better understand how personal ethics and decision making can be influenced and challenged by various policies, procedures, and stakeholders. This article provides lesson planning suggestions, student handouts, and marking rubrics. This activity can be incorporated into any undergraduate or graduate level course that has content dealing with ethical decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an example of how paper folding can be used in a geometry class to support conceptual understanding. Specifically, it explains an activity that constructs a rhombus and explores its attributes by using paper folding. The steps of constructing a rhombus are described and some discussion questions are given to consolidate understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we discuss an activity through which students learn basic concepts in genetics by taking part in a police investigation game. The activity, which we have called Recal, immerses students in a scientific-based scenario in which they play a role of a scientific assessor. Players have to develop and use scientific reasoning and evidence-based decision-making to solve the given enigmas along the game. The activity aims to improve students’ knowledge of genetics and show them how genetic evidence can be applied in forensic science. The activity (known as ‘the Recal case’) uses a problem-based learning educational methodology. It is learner-centred and students play an active collaborative role. The methodology requires students to structure their knowledge, and develop their reasoning processes and self-directed learning skills. The activity has been developed for a range of audiences, including high school students, undergraduates engaged in pre-service teaching and adults of all ages. A case study has also been carried out with a group of 120 pre-service student teachers from the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (Tarragona, Spain) to check whether the coherence in the running of the game, whether its effectiveness as a learning activity and whether its dynamics and motivational aspects are acceptable. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this article I explore some of the underlying mathematics of Pokémon battles and describe ways that teachers at the secondary level could explore concepts of mathematical game theory in this context. I discuss various ways of representing and analyzing a Pokémon battle using game theory and conclude with an example of applying concepts of expected value and solving systems of linear equations to find a mixed-strategy Nash equilibrium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A kinesthetic classroom activity was designed to help students understand enzyme activity and catalysis of reaction rate. Students served the role of enzymes by manipulating Pop-It Beads as the catalytic event. This activity illuminates the relationship between reaction rate and reaction progress by allowing students to experience first-hand the effect of substrate depletion on catalyzed reaction rate. Preliminary findings based on survey results and exam performance suggest the activity could prove beneficial to students in the targeted learning outcomes. Unique to previous kinesthetic approaches that model Michaelis-Menten kinetics, this activity models the effects of substrate depletion on catalyzed reaction rate. Therefore, it could prove beneficial for conveying the reasoning behind the initial rate simplification used in Michaelis-Menten kinetics. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(2):179-183, 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to analyze domestic and overseas cases of flipped learning instructional design model and actual classes in K-12 Education, and find out educational implications in order to design effective flipped learning. Papers, 14 articles in domestic and international journals, were collected. As results of the analysis, first, flipped learning instructional model was presented as flipped learning that applied to ADDIE model and 8C model etc. Second, ‘Activities before classroom' consisted of watching lecture videos, lecture notes etc. ‘Activities during classroom' was checking prior learning in early stage, individual activities and cooperative activities in middle stage, and solving quizzes, reviewing in later stage. After class, students performed tasks and questions&answers. Third, in case of creating lecture video, they used application such as Screencast-o-matic, Explain Everything; In contrast, some cases utilized online web-sites such as YouTube or Phet. Fourth, positive results were shown in learners' academic achievement, motivation and learning attitude etc. This research has a significance in terms of analyzing the flipped learning instructional model and flipped learning activities, and providing the preliminary data to facilitate the design for the effective flipped learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes a bivariate data set that is interesting to students. Indeed, this particular data set, which involves twins and IQ, has sparked more student interest than any other set that I have presented. Specific uses of the data set are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Speaking anxiety remains as a significant barrier to student success within our communication courses. A wealth of research on speaking anxiety and the corresponding treatments has provided an opportunity to reduce student anxiety through classroom activities. This active learning GIFTS activity utilizes cognitive modification as a frame for understanding, discussing, and evaluating public speaking anxiety. Students identify and discuss their public speaking fears and coping strategies in an interactive environment designed to aid in lowering the students' overall levels of speaking anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social workers specializing in the addictions field invariably work with multiple disciplines. Any intervention must be organized in consideration of various fields of practice such as mental health, criminal justice, child welfare, and health care. As part of their education, social workers become adept at understanding the influence of factors associated with physical, mental, and social functioning. Thus, they learn to appreciate the need for interdisciplinary collaboration. However, once students become practitioners, they are often left on their own to solidify their specific role as addiction specialists among several other professionals. Working as a member of an interdisciplinary team can be taught in the classroom. The authors apply Bronstein’s model for team collaboration to build a method for teaching interdisciplinary work specific to the role of the addiction specialist. Within the interdisciplinary team model, students take on the various team roles and decide the importance of these roles in a substance use case study. They are taught how to assess, diagnose, identify appropriate evidence-based methods, build client objectives and goals, solidify concrete action plans, and evaluate effectiveness. As these methods have yet to be researched in the classroom, the authors offer recommendations for evaluation and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In higher education, students often send emails to instructors but fail to consider emails' importance. This single class teaching activity seeks to improve the quality of emails between students and their instructors and prompts students to consider their out-of-class communication via email. Based upon actual student-to-instructor emails, we crafted four sample emails to show a range of communication skills, from highly ineffective to highly effective. Students learn to apply the following concepts to improve emails both during their education and once they leave the university: credibility and relationship development, self-presentation and message development, and balancing task and relationship dimensions of communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this classroom note is to provide an example of how a simple origami box can be used to explore important mathematical concepts in geometry like surface area. This article describes how an origami box can be folded from a rectangular sheet of paper, then it goes on to describe how its surface area can be determined in terms of the dimensions of the rectangular sheet that was used to construct the box. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, both linguistic and cultural aspects are essential in foreign language learning process. However Japanese language courses at National University of Malaysia (UKM) still emphasize on the grammar aspects of the language. The usage of teaching material namely Erin ga Chousen! Nihongo Dekimasu seems to fulfill language instructor's aspiration in looking for a material that synthesizes cultural aspects in language learning classroom. The mechanism applied in this action research give prominence to student centered learning environment. This action research was implemented in two cycles. The first cycle was treated as a pilot and some improvement has been done in the 2nd cycle based on the findings and report from the 1st cycle. However there were only minor changes in the 2nd cycle mainly when students were required to present their assignments using Japanese language. The mechanism received positive feedback from the students through their commitment in completing and presenting their assignment as well as their determination in presenting using Japanese language. The action research method also encourages teachers to systematically introduce new teaching material or method that are beneficial in language teaching and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When preparing teaching materials about communication between people from different linguistic backgrounds, many factors require consideration; these include theoretical orientation, purpose, context, educational needs, study level, as well as the cultural backgrounds of the teachers and their target learners. The classroom activity described in this paper aims to engage multilingual learners in discussion, analysis and reflection about the interrelationships between language, identity, culture and communication. The theoretical basis of the paper draws on dialogic and poststructural approaches to communication. During this activity students: discuss theoretical approaches to communication; analyse text extracts about language, identity, culture and communication written by authors from different linguistic backgrounds; interview each other about their own experiences of communicating in different languages with people from different cultures; analyse and reflect on the interview data they have gathered. It is hoped that this approach to transcultural communication pedagogy will not only deepen students' understanding of the ways in which language, culture and communication interact in the creation and practice of their own evolving multilingual identities, but also encourage teachers to reflect on how their own subjectivities continue to be formed and re-formed through the design and delivery of such activities in multicultural learning environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cagdas Egitim Dergisi is the property of Cagdas Egitim Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article offers two transcripts of classroom activity from a secondary comprehensive school in London. The transcripts capture passages of the same lesson, at first taught by the mainclass teacher and then by the author. Data gathered through video recording are presented as storied episodes of the activity field. By exploring the significance of visual activity as well as that of spoken discourse, comparison is made between two styles of teacher-learner interaction. Learners' acts of resistance and avoidance and the opportunities that give rise to them are considered as counteractions and as potentially productive tensions within the activity system. Bakhtin's (1981) concept of the chronotope is employed to represent activity and events in space and time. Finally, the value of teachers purposefully activating learners' agencies as a managed objective of collective action is discussed as a strategy for improving learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students with emotional and behavioral problems are placed in a variety of classroom settings, presumably where their needs can be best served. Little attention, however, has been dedicated to monitoring their behavioral progress in these settings. This study analyzed data on student engagement, disruption, and destruction during 10 types of instructional activities. Data were collected at two times across one academic year in Pennsylvania and California in 90 classrooms, ranging from grades 1 to 12. Tests of mean comparisons (i.e., independent samples and paired t-tests) and the association between variables (i.e., bivariate correlation analysis) were conducted to address a number of concerns regarding the status and stability of classrooms for students with EBD. Independent paired sample t-tests showed a lack of significant improvement in behaviors across time, and the correlational data reflect a significant relationship between student engagement and classroom activity. Findings are discussed in light of limitations and directions for future research. In addition, practical implications are noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article articulates how a ‘grasp of practice’ serves as a reasoning resource for inquiry and citizenship abilities associated with nature of science (NOS) understanding. Theoretically, this resource is elaborated through an overlapping concern with ‘practice’ in two literatures, science studies and psychology of learning, bringing attention to two key roles in scientific practice, Critiquers and Constructors of claims. Empirically, this resource is made plausible by the results of an expert-novice study and a classroom study. In the expert-novice study, reactions of scientists and laypeople to science-related claims in the popular media were contrasted, underlining the appropriate ways scientists tend to Critique such claims. In the classroom study, sixth-grade students engaged in a 2-week ramp experiment, experiencing first hand the roles of Critiquers and Constructors of claims, and were subsequently assessed with a novel experimental task. Performances suggest that students had attained a grasp of practice, going well beyond mere execution of methods or procedures. These results challenge a common assumption that declarative knowledge best characterizes learning targets for supporting inquiry and NOS understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author devised a classroom activity that facilitates discussion and increases awareness about sexual assault. Students read scenarios involving sexual situations that varied in ambiguity, then labeled whether the situations involved a sexual assault. Students also gave their definitions of sexual assault and completed an evaluation of the activity. Results showed that students have difficulty labeling certain situations as sexual assault even though they meet the legal definition, and that their definitions are significantly more accurate after activity and discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]