The Coase Theorem is a fundamental tenet of environmental economics and is taught to thousands of principles of microeconomics students each year. Its counterintuitive conclusion, that a Pareto optimal solution can result between private parties regardless of the initial allocation of property rights over a scarce resource, is difficult for…

Providing patient education for a group is an essential practice for all healthcare providers that has been recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), specifically in relation to patients with chronic diseases. This practice requires skills such as adapting communication to meet the…

The simulation that we present here was designed to introduce students not only to climate change policy making but also to the Green Climate Fund and the process of negotiation. Rather than concentrating on either the political debate about climate change or doom and gloom scenarios, the focus of this simulation is on taking action and…

This paper presents a role-play exercise and assignment that provides an active learning experience related to the system investigation phase of an SDLC. Whether using waterfall or agile approaches, the first SDLC step usually involves system investigation activities, including problem identification, feasibility study, cost-benefit analysis, and…

The Korean War is often given a cursory glance, if that, in U.S. foreign relations today. This article provides all the information necessary to conduct a role-play in one class period to help students understand the events of the war. Introductory and follow-up questions are also included to stimulate discussion and to connect the events of a war…

Education technology proponents argue that tech-savvy students want active learning opportunities that enable them to produce, as well as consume, content. Some educators have responded to this rhetoric by appropriating virtual worlds such as Second Life (SL) for teaching and learning. While SL rewards exploration and experimentation, the…

Best-selling author Marcia L. Tate brings her trademark "dendrite-growing" teaching strategies to this practitioner-friendly collection of brain-compatible methods for engaging K-12 students in social studies. Included are 20 proven strategies and more than 200 grade-leveled activities for applying them. Teachers will find concrete ways to…

Learning about local government seems boring and irrelevant to most young people, particularly to students from high-poverty backgrounds. The authors explore a promising approach for solving this problem, Storypath, which engages students in authentic learning and active citizenship. The Storypath approach is based on a narrative in which students…

This paper notes the introduction of roleplaying into the interpersonal communication curriculum, identifies interpersonal communication as the key variable in the maintenance of successful relationships, touches on common problematic areas in interpersonal conflict, and discusses how roleplaying and action methods (any of a variety of methods…

Describes an active learning strategy used in a college ethics course to direct students into exploring multiple perspectives in case studies. The technique expands on collaborative learning methods by adding role-playing and reflective writing. The technique has been successful in a journalism ethics course and is adaptable to any field in which…

Describes an assignment for an undergraduate U. S. history class that combined role playing and research. The class was directed to use depression-era materials (newspapers, magazine articles, pamphlets, cookbooks) and plan a menu to feed a family of five on $2.50 a week (the amount provided by relief agencies). (MJP)

Outlines instructions for conducting a student-organized open discussion of a proposed 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Provides student instructions and eight character role descriptions. Includes a ballot on the issue designed to be sent to the American Bar Association. (CFR)

Presents a high school unit about the U.S. Industrial Revolution featuring the Boott Cotton Mills of Lowell, Massachusetts. Includes student objectives, step-by-step instructional procedures, and discussion questions. Provides two maps, five illustrations, one photograph, and three student readings. (ACM)

Research has shown that although university instructors of English as a Second Language are aware of the benefits that active learning can bring the student, teacher-centered, traditional lecture method classes are still the norm. Resistance to change is due in part to large class sizes, limited instruction hours, and the perception that proactive…

Describes a non-graded, one-class-period activity that can help undergraduates understand and explore fundamental psychological concepts. Groups of three or four students perform short skits illustrating basic concepts (moral development, defense mechanisms, identity status) and the class tries to guess the concept. (MJP)