Most systems development projects incorporate some sort of life cycle approach in their development. Whether the development methodology involves a traditional life cycle, prototyping, rapid application development, or some other approach, the first step usually involves a system investigation, which includes problem identification, feasibility…

This article examines how drama education strategies enrich children's understanding and excitement of a story before they read, preparing them for a deeper exploration and appreciation of the story. Following a book's basic storyline, drama strategies guide children through an honest, spontaneous enactment of a story's key events without…

This study involved the extension and adaptation of systematic instructional procedures suggested by Light and Binger (1998) to increase the social-pragmatic language skills of five high school students with moderate cognitive disabilities. Within a single-subject multiple probe research design, we also assessed intervention effects on two skills…

According to the national results of the English diagnostic test (2004) applied to Chilean 8th and 12th graders, the current English teaching methodology used in this country is not efficient nor effective. Consequently, a different methodology is urgently needed, particularly in a context where students primarily come from rural areas and will be…

In recent years teachers within the classroom have experienced an increase in the off-task behaviors of students. The purpose of this action research project was to increase on-task behavior through development of classroom social skills. The causes may be a lack of social skills, outside influences, presentation of materials, students not…

Purpose: Applications of online Second Life (SL) prevail over the world. The purpose of this paper is to make a review and synthesis of recent research studies on SL. Design/methodology/approach: Documental analysis is employed. Totally, 135 research publications, published in 2006-2008, are reviewed and synthesized. Findings: Findings are as…

A brief description of how groups involving three-way interactions are used in counseling and rehabilitation programs. (AK)

Traditionally, spontaneous role playing seeks to give individuals greater insight into their own behavior and ego status as well as the behavior of others; while the structured approach (which uses written cases) concentrates more on developing specific problem solving and communications skills. (Authors/LY)

This study investigated the effectiveness of massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG)-based (massive multiplayer online role-playing game) instruction in elementary English education. The effectiveness of the MMORPG program was compared with face-to-face instruction and the independent variables (gender, prior knowledge, motivation…

The School Counselor Development Program (SCDP) was developed as a continuing education intervention for middle school counselors in the New York City Department of Education, focusing on six mental health issues relevant to their work with students. A pilot study was run with 21 New York City Public School counselors. This paper focuses on one of…

This paper describes and analyzes the use of Augusto Boal's Theater of the Oppressed (TO) as a form of academic and social support used in a recruitment and retention program for bilingual teachers in the Southeastern United States. We use critical discourse analysis to understand how TO works to disrupt monologic relationships and reestablish…

The Finnish educational system and curricula lay emphasis on play, collaboration and equality. Modern educational practices allow the learning environment to be enlarged from indoor classrooms to outdoor playful learning environments (PLEs). PLEs have been constructed in schoolyards in Finland with the goal of increasing learning through play in…

This is a case study of a conflict management intervention in two secondary schools in post-apartheid South Africa. The feature of the intervention that we examine is the use of play as an educational strategy. The literature attests that play can facilitate change by allowing learners freedom to change their behaviour and opportunities to explore…

Researchers in information systems and technology-mediated learning have begun to examine how virtual world environments can be used in learning and how they enable learning processes and enhance learning outcomes. This research examined learning processes in a virtual world learning environment (VWLE). A research model of VWLE effects on learning…