This volume offers a historical and critical analysis of the emerging field of the learning sciences, which takes an interdisciplinary approach to understanding and improving how children and adults learn. It features a wide range of authors, including established scholars who founded and guided the learning sciences through the initial turbulence of forming a new line of academic inquiry, as well as newcomers who are continuing to shape the field. This diversity allows for a broad yet sel...

Teaching is changing. It is no longer simply about passing on knowledge to the next generation. Teachers in the twenty-first century, in all educational sectors, have to cope with an ever-changing cultural and technological environment. Teaching is now a design science. Like other design professionals – architects, engineers, programmers – teachers have to work out creative and evidence-based ways of improving what they do. Yet teaching is not treated as a design profession.Every d...

This collection provides an overview of current issues, debates, and approaches in Second Language Teacher Education (SLTE) presented by internationally prominent researchers, educators, and emerging scholars. Chapters address such issues as distance education, non-native English-speaking educators, technology, assessment, standards, and the changing contexts of contemporary language teaching and teacher education.

This book offers an innovative introduction to social research. The book explores all stages of the research process and it features both quantitative and qualitative methods. Research design topics include sampling techniques, choosing a research design, and determining research question that inform public opinion and direct future studies. Throughout the book, the authors provide vivid and engaging examples that reinforce the reading and understanding of social science research. "Your Tu...

The main advantages of case research are that it can produce an in-depth analysis of phenomena in context, support the development of historical perspectives and guarantee high internal validity, which is to say that the observed phenomena are authentic representations of reality. In short, the case study is adaptable to both the context and the researcher.

Theoretical Foundations of Learning Environments provides students, faculty, and instructional designers with a clear, concise introduction to the major pedagogical and psychological theories and their implications for the design of new learning environments for schools, universities, or corporations. Leading experts describe the most important contemporary theories that form the foundation of the conception and design of student-centered learning environments and new applications...

"With each turn of the page I found myself nodding ′exactly!′ Whether as a class text assigned by faculty or as a self-study resource used by students, this book will resonate with readers."—Doug Leigh, Associate Professor of EducationPepperdine UniversityUse these focused guidelines to help you through every stage of the dissertation process!Writing a dissertation requires focus and commitment. The Education Diss...

The key question this book addresses is how to identify and create optimal conditions for the kind of learning and development that is especially important for effectively functioning in the 21st century. Taking a new approach to this long-debated issue, it looks at how a design research-based science of learning (with its practical models and related design research) can provide insights and integrated models of how human beings actually function and grow in the social dynamics of educati...

"Accurate, clearly written, and easy to understand even for the beginning researcher, with equal coverage of both qualitative and quantitative research. This is the only book to combine a textbook approach with a how-to approach."—Carol Roberts, Professor, University of La VerneAuthor, The Dissertation Journey"This is a very practical book and will be immediately usable for graduate students at any stage in their research. The multitude of exampl...

Sponsored by the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), this book presents a definition of the field of study and practice known as educational technology or instructional technology. It reflects the collaborative efforts of all members of the AECT Definition and Terminology Committee.The volume begins with the statement of the definition itself (chapter 1), followed by commentary chapters on each of the key terms and concepts contained in the definition ...

A practical, single-source guide to successful strategies for landscape architecture researchAs the scope of landscape architecture expands to engage with other disciplines, and streams of information directing this field continue to grow and diversify, it becomes increasingly important for landscape architects to be able to implement a range of effective research strategies when seeking, creating, and validating knowledge. Landscape Architecture Research ...

CALL Research Perspectives creates a foundation for the study and practice of computer-assisted language learning and provides an overview of ways to conceptualize and to conduct research in CALL. Its core assumptions are that all approaches to research have a place, and that researchers, teachers, and students all have a role to play in the study of computer-enhanced language learning.This is not a how-to-do-research text. Written by top researchers in the field, it offer...