The pandemic prompted Courtney Lewis and her fellow school librarians to dig deep and acknowledge that their information literacy instruction followed a just-in-time philosophy. Essentially, limited just-in-time information literacy instruction is like teaching a kid how to play soccer for seven days out of each year and expecting them to be a…

This article makes a case for SoTL practitioners to engage in what we term a pedagogy of slow. Here, "slow" connotes with waiting and patience. It takes time to learn and acquire the skills that a SoTL scholar needs. "Doing SoTL" we therefore argue, requires a pedagogy that takes time and sees time as an ally instead of as an…

A full year after the COVID-19 crisis began, most schools are still offering instruction completely online or via hybrid models. As educators were forced to quickly adjust to the new digital environment of education, the nation faced an unprecedented series of social crises, including rising unemployment and economic disparities, racial…

Scaffolded inverse blended learning (SIBL) enables self-paced, individualized learning by incorporating different levels of learning activities. The SIBL approach is described for an online general chemistry course enhanced with face-to-face interactions for first-year students in an institute of higher learning. It can be easily modified and…

In the information age, where all answers are just a click away, curiosity, the intrinsic drive to learn, becomes of paramount importance. How easy is it to prime for curiosity and what are its effects? What simple interventions can be used to enable curiosity-driven behaviors? We have conducted a large-scale study to address these questions,…

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), requires state education agencies to establish and implement standardized, statewide entrance and exit procedures for English learners (ELs). WIDA provides the English language proficiency placement and annual assessments administered in…

The Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm is centuries old, but its focus on student-centered learning is cutting edge. When the Gonzaga University library was asked to collaborate with an online graduate studies department, the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm provided the guiding framework. The first principle of Ignatian pedagogy is Context, which…

With most K-12 students having transitioned back into the classroom after a period of distance learning prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, many educators are considering how to redefine traditional models of teaching and learning, including how they might strengthen school climate conditions so that all learners feel safe and supported. One…

This topic brief is one in a series on personalized learning prepared for Conversations with Innovators, 2018. Historically, the configuration of public education has been antithetical to variation for and across learners. The structure and process of today's educational system, having cut its teeth during the industrial revolution, emphasizes…

The "2020-2021 WIDA Assessment Guidance" provides information on the following 14 topics: (1) English Language Proficiency Requirements; (2) WIDA Assessments in Grades K-12; (3) WIDA ACCESS Annual Assessments Test Window; (4) Participation Requirements; (5) Indiana English Learner Entrance and Exit Criteria; (6) Scheduling and Timing…

This Campbell systematic review assesses the overall impact on student achievement of processes and methods that are more student-centered versus less student-centered. It also considers the strength of student-centered practices in four teaching domains: (1) Flexibility: degree to which students can contribute to course design, selecting study…

As research-based, self-paced electronic learning tools become increasingly available, a critical issue educators encounter is implementing strategies to ensure that all students engage with them as intended. Here, we first discuss the effectiveness of electronic learning tutorials as self-paced learning tools in large enrollment brick and mortar…

The original working definition of competency-based education was developed in 2011 at the National Summit for K-12 Competency-Based Education (Sturgis, Patrick, & Pittenger, 2011). The Summit was hosted by the Aurora Institute (formerly iNACOL) and the Council of Chief State School Officers, with more than 100 education innovators and…

More states, school districts and schools are exploring how competency-based pathways can help far more students reach and exceed the knowledge and skills they need to graduate from high school prepared to succeed in college and the workplace. How do competency-based pathways help students do so? In this report are the stories of three students…

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) began to take form when dozens of educators from across the country were led by governors and chief state school officers in gathering and reviewing the academic standards of states that had the best outcomes. Their goal was to determine what the current best academic standards were in the country and then…