New research points to the future of education as online, student-centered, collaborative, and community-based--all largely absent from today's educational landscape. This timely guide shows middle, high school, and college students how to undertake research to address challenges in their curriculum and communities. The approach is deliberately…

This volume offers the first comprehensive guide to how high-impact practices (HIPs) are being implemented in online environments and how they can be adjusted to meet the needs of online learners. This multi-disciplinary approach will assist faculty and administrators to effectively implement HIPs in distance education courses and online programs.…

Presents a model that combines research and service learning. The Community Based Research Institute is an interdisciplinary summer academic experience in which undergraduate students and community partners collaborate to meet a community-defined research need. Finds that students are less likely than faculty to recognize the connections between…

Describes the Diversity Research Initiative at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, which involves students in seminars and research related to diversity. Concludes that these efforts have positively impacted curriculum and pedagogy, and have given students the opportunity to experience collaborative learning communities, become engaged in…

This document is a guide for teachers to integrate civic values and service learning into their social studies classes. The curriculum includes 17 ready-to-use lessons that can be adapted to United States history, government, or civics classes. A vital part of the unit is a group project in which students identify a real political problem,…

Describes an eight-phase model for project-based learning via the Internet: watching, wondering, webbing, wiggling, weaving, wrapping, waving, and wishing. Highlights Internet research tools as well as Internet and print resources for an investigation of homelessness, hunger, and poverty; and provides introductory activities using Internet…

In this California state curriculum model for grade 12, "Principles of American Democracy," students study the life of Cesar E. Chavez. The students observe the direct relationship between his work and political philosophy and the U.S. political and legal system. Students examine how Chavez's ideas and actions are a blueprint for active…

Presents six service learning lesson plans from the Constitutional Rights Foundation. Each lesson plan represents a step in a larger service project. The plans include "Defining and Assessing Your Community"; "Choosing and Researching a Problem"; "Examining Policy"; "Exploring Options"; and "Taking…