The Impact of U.S. national and state level policy on the nature and scope of K-12 virtual schooling

During the past five years, virtual schools in the United States have gained popularity and acceptance as viable alternatives to the traditional school system through provisions for charter schools under Title V, Part B, Subpart 1 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. This paper describes the existing federal policies that are driving the online virtual school movement, and how one state, Nevada, has set forth and interpreted specific policies regarding online distance education. In addition, this paper identifies the beliefs acting as the driving forces behind such policies in the United States and discusses implications for other countries also seeking to set forth guidelines for K-12 online distance education programs

Revolutionizing Reading: Discovering the Power of a Reading Workshop Model in the High School English Classroom

This action research study investigated the effects of a Reading Workshop model in a high school English classroom in a private school in the Midwest. The participants were sixty-six juniors in a general education classroom. Students in the study took a pre-survey at the beginning of the year and a post-survey at the end of February to determine any changes in independent reading habits. Throughout the course of the study, students had choice in independent reading, which they kept track of and reflected on. In addition to analyzing these reflections, the researcher also interviewed eight of the students on their experience with Reading Workshop. The results of this study suggested that incorporating a Reading Workshop model in a high school English classroom increases independent reading, and improves student attitudes towards reading, and students\u27 perceptions of themselves as readers

Revitalizing the One-Shot Instruction Session Using Problem-Based Learning

Problem-based learning (PBL) provides the theoretical framework for a learner-centered active instructional experience that relies on collaboration, critical thinking, and hands-on interaction with resources. When used in a one-shot session, PBL challenges the instruction librarian to strengthen and renew their pedagogical skills. Sessions are lively and provide the opportunity for students and faculty to experience library instruction in a new and dynamic way. PBL and information literacy are ideal partners with limitless possibilities for enhanced library instruction

Work in Progress: Progress of the NSF RED Revolution

The National Science Foundation (NSF) REvolutionizing engineering and computer science Departments (RED) program is an important initiative in engineering education. The goals of RED are to “enable engineering and computer science departments to lead the nation by successfully achieving significant sustainable changes necessary to overcome longstanding issues in their undergraduate programs and educate inclusive communities of engineering and computer science students prepared to solve 21st-century challenges.” In 2015, six RED projects were funded followed by seven in 2016 and six more in 2017, bringing the total number of projects to 19. In addition, NSF funded REDPAR (RED Participatory Action Research), the collaborative effort between researchers at Rose-Hulman and the University of Washington to facilitate communication and collaboration among the RED teams and to study the processes followed by RED teams. This work in progress provides a brief overview of the program and current progress of some projects. We highlight the diversity of current RED projects through updates from eight projects across the three cohorts: four from Cohort 1: Arizona State University, Colorado State University, Oregon State University, and the University of San Diego, three from Cohort 2: Boise State University, Rowan University, Virginia Tech, and one from Cohort 3: Georgia Tech. Updates are also included from the REDPAR team about the RED Consortium (REDCON) and research that crosses the consortium. We hope that this paper will help the engineering education community to learn how these projects are changing the landscape of engineering education in the USA and consider approaches for enacting change on other campuses

Revolutionizing Legal Education: Embracing Technology to Equip Students for Success in the Digital Age

The legal profession is changing as law schools embrace technology to prepare students for 21st-century concerns. This study covered legal education's technological initiatives, including online training, blended learning, adaptive learning materials, and online mentorship programs. This study aims to provide a detailed review of legal education's technological innovations and their effects on the legal profession. We examined online education, including synchronous and asynchronous distance learning and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), which provide students flexibility and convenience. Blended learning lets law professors use educational videos and other internet resources to make learning more engaging and effective. Technology is revolutionizing legal education and preparing students for the digital age. Law schools may prepare students for a future where technology will be increasingly crucial by adopting new tools and instructional approaches. The study stressed the necessity for forward-thinking legal education and keeping up with legal business technology

Smart education for smart textiles

The aim of this paper is to present the main objectives and achievements of the Skills4Smartex project, according to its declared goals. The Erasmus+ project "Smart textiles for STEM training" is funded with support from the European Commission and it is a Strategic partnership - KA2 / Vocational Education and Training (VET), in the field of transfer of innovation from research providers towards textile enterprises & VET schools. The students within technical education acquire basic disciplines, such as mathematics, physics, technical drawing, chemistry, biology, mechanics, but the horizon of the end applications and usefulness of such basic disciplines is often not touchable. In correlation with these facts, the Skills4Smartex project is centred on improving knowledge, skills and employability of VET students in the STEM related fields, by providing the adequate training instruments to understand multidisciplinary working

Wiki use that increases communication and collarboration motivation

Communication and collaboration can be readily enabled by the use of many ICT tools. Wikis are one such platform that provides the opportunity for students to work on group projects without the barriers that arise from traditional group work. Whilst wiki use is becoming more common, its use in education is patchy and pedagogical reasoning and evaluation of such use is under explored. This paper addresses the gap in pedagogy and evaluation in the context of accounting studies. A traditional assessment task of writing an essay that involved a research and knowledge component was redesigned to enable groups to communicate and collaborate at a distance using a wiki. Through participant observation and student reflections of the group project, a wiki was found to be an effective platform to communicate and collaborate on a group project and enabled different barriers to be broken down. Wikis provide ubiquitous access to group work, organisation and version control, levels the playing field for dominant and shy students, and provides transparency for non-performers and high achievers.Robyn Davidso