The EdResearch for Action "Overview Series" summarizes the research on key topics to provide K-12 education decision makers and advocates with an evidence base to ground discussions about how to best serve students. This overview brief discusses the central question: What is the evidence on strategies to build a sense of school…

Afterschool programs inspire kids to learn, help them build foundational skills like the ability to communicate effectively and think critically, and give parents peace of mind knowing that their child is in a safe space with caring adults. For more than 25 years, 21st Century Community Learning Centers have helped young people academically and…

Teaching introductory anatomy and physiology (A&P) requires a careful balance of conveying core content while at the same time fostering a deep interest in the subject matter. This is especially true in the laboratory where students are expected to not only master experimental procedures but also connect what they learn in the laboratory to…

The proliferation of mobile technology, particularly cell phones, in educational settings has sparked substantial debate in recent years. Academic studies have extensively examined the challenges associated with student cell phone use during class time, highlighting issues such as decreased learning, achievement, and participation. Despite the…

This study investigates the impact of rebranding office hours to "happy hours" on student engagement at Florida International University, where class sizes often exceed 100 students and can be as large as 400. The initiative aimed to address the challenge of low student attendance during traditional office hours, a critical time for…

This article explores an inventive approach to teaching physiology that blends the use of the Notability app on the iPad with video-based learning to visually explain intricate physiological concepts in real time. The core idea is to offer students a more dynamic and interactive way to comprehend complex physiological concepts during review…

Circle time is a common part of the day in many early childhood programs. This important routine can encompass instruction on curricular concepts, provide a space to introduce new topics, and build membership and community within inclusive classrooms. Lesson plans or strategies for circle time instruction are also a part of many early childhood…

This article presents an experience in teaching mathematical thinking through games in a math course for non-science majors. The course described here has run twice on the campus of Sam Houston State University and is a combination of escape room pedagogy and game-based pedagogy. From these courses, I note an increased engagement of students with…

Adult learners come to us at many different points along their journeys. As practitioners, we are responsible for understanding the range of purposes for which they seek our programs, so that we may partner with them in naming and achieving their goals. In working to get "many" students to progress to "many" steps, it can be…

Technology will not inherently make students in any classroom more mathematically inquisitive, however, the use of technology can foster student-centered inquiry. This article explores the impact technology has on mathematics learning when it emphasizes the ways it supports student-centered pedagogies. Through this lens, the authors focus on…

This paper offers post-secondary instructors an opportunity to think about teaching practices and strategies for meaningful inclusion of students with learning disabilities (SLD) in post-secondary environments (PSE). Utilizing the narratives of the authors and building on the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), it provides…

Slow looking is the art and practice of learning through observation. Using object-based learning strategies provides instructors with innovative opportunities to pique curiosity while providing scaffolding for creativity skills needed to generate new clothing and apparel designs. This paper aims to identify how an FCS educator can use a slow-…

Across nearly 20 years working as a secondary mathematics teacher, the author noticed two overarching goals that most teachers of mathematics consider to be important in their practice: (1) students knowing and understanding the content; and (2) students engaging with the learning and enjoying their time in class. However, in practice, attaining…

Research suggests that when young children have many opportunities to write they start believing they are the sort of people who can write for intellectual, academic, and social purposes. They also learn foundational reading skills. Project-like compositional writing involving design, strategies, and problem solving versus functional writing or…

Engaging students and developing interest can be challenging--and not always successful on the first couple of tries. With the help of Elon University's Information Technology team, the Office of the Registrar created a technology solution to give faculty more data about the students registered for their classes in the upcoming term. Using…