Arithmetic was the first mathematical subject to enter the school curriculum in the United States in a formalized manner. Until the first quarter of the nineteenth century, the prevailing pedagogy of this subject revolved around the tenets of mental discipline theory and the rules method of teaching, which valued memorization and repetitive drill…

Teachers of English as a second or foreign language often state that they lack an understanding of how to teach vocabulary in a principled, evidence-based way sensitive to students' needs. Vocabulary teaching is typically unsystematic, not adequately supported by curricula and teaching materials, and shaped by beliefs based in opinion or myth. A…

Renal transport is a central mechanism underlying electrolyte homeostasis, acid base balance and other essential functions of the kidneys in human physiology. Thus, knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the nephron is essential for the understanding of kidney function in health and disease. However, students find this content difficult to…

In the June 2010 "Harvard Business Review," Dan Ariely, a professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke University, wrote a column entitled "You Are What You Measure." In it, he thoughtfully prods business leaders to consider the problematic correlation between the tools for measuring progress and actual…

Drama and imagination have a place in every classroom, not just in the English teacher's. In fact, nowhere are they more critical to students' motivation than in bringing to life the often arcane equations of science. By inventing curiosity-provoking scenarios that require students to apply science concepts and processes as integral and…

Rote memorization of vocabulary has long been a common way for Chinese students to learn lexical items. Cultural, educational background and traditional teaching practice in China are identified to be the factors that contribute to many students' heavy reliance on memorization as their sole approach to vocabulary learning. In addition to rote…

Enrolling in an introductory course in psychology is a staple of many community college students' core curriculum. For those students who plan to pursue social science and humanities-related majors in particular, introductory psychology helps provide a solid base upon which future coursework at all academic levels will be built. The goal of any…

Over the last eight years, the primary focus in schools has been on passing standardized tests based on a core curriculum. The emphasis on learning content is in direct contrast to the world outside the school walls where the technological capability to provide access to content, i.e., information at lightning speed, already exists. In fact,…

Many college science educators have moved away from the traditional lecture format and toward learner-centered classroom environments. Yet many of us struggle to cover large content loads, reverting at times to rote memorization. This paper suggests rote memorization simply does not work and students must be actively engaged to learn. (Contains 1…

Value added measures (VAM) uses changes in student test scores to determine how much "value" an individual teacher has "added" to student growth during the school year. Some policymakers, school districts, and educational advocates have applauded VAM as a straightforward measure of teacher effectiveness: the better a teacher,…

Despite recent investments in and rapid modernization of university campuses in places like Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, higher education in the Middle East still faces many obstacles. One of the greatest has been a fundamental disconnect between education and employment, a possible factor contributing to many of the recent riots in the Arab World. In…

High school teacher Megan Behrent reflects on the impact of Obama's election on the students in her high school classroom. Obliged to temper her students' joyful exuberance on the morning of November 5, 2008, Behrent found that the election fervor highlighted for her the ways that schooling under NCLB has constrained both educators and students,…

This article provides an explanation for why the Critical Thinking (CT) movement has failed to make significant inroads into the Korean education system, notwithstanding the fact that it addresses and seeks to rectify a widely acknowledged weakness of that system, namely, its over-reliance on teacher-centered instructional methodologies involving…

This paper examines two methods to help teachers accomplish learning for all in the classroom: giving effective directions and peg memorization. The paper asserts that giving effective directions may be the most important skill that can be taught to aspiring teachers, and when teachers give effective directions, they give all students a greater…

Examines the six categories that make up the cognitive process dimension of Bloom's Taxonomy Table, as well as the 19 specific cognitive processes that fit within them. After describing three learning outcomes, the paper focuses on retention versus transfer of learning and rote versus meaningful learning, discussing how teaching and assessment can…