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This paper aims to present the case of a semester-long study-abroad education class in Italy. This course explored place-based methods that classroom teachers (K-12) might use to connect students’ outdoor surroundings to extend the lessons they learn in school about environmental sustainability. The experience of the university instructor and students outlined in this paper highlights the promise of place-based education to provide a potent approach for conveying principles of education for sustainable development (ESD).

An American university course enacted the approaches of place-based education and learning outdoors (harnessing student curiosity, building community partnerships, etc.) to investigate the natural and civic systems at work in the city of Florence. The participants deepened their understanding about the natural environment, economic health and well-being of inhabitants and compared the findings about local sustainable resource management to international settings. Through a deliberate practice framework, the students designed classroom lessons.

This discussion of university students’ work in an education course illuminates the possibilities for place-based applications in elementary and secondary schools. The pedagogical principles applied in this course also highlight the multidisciplinary strengths of ESD.

This paper provides an inside look at choices educators must make to provide relevance in classrooms, to connect the curriculum content that is standardized by governments with the systemic dilemmas that challenge communities. The author details the pedestrian topics that the university students examined during the semester. These lessons show that place-based inquiry situated in the outdoors can present clear lessons about sustainable development. An international comparative perspective can enhance learners’ perspectives about local surroundings.

There is a need for research that examines how digital networks can support all learners in open access to people, resources and experiences that were previously inaccessible in K-12 learning contexts. This study aims to examine the potential of open education theories and open practices in high school learning environments.

Using a design-based research approach, this study used the open learning design intervention framework to examine the experiences of a researcher, a teacher and Grade 10 students who expanded their learning from formal to informal learning environments by integrating open educational practices (OEP). The research occurred through three specific phases with iterative cycles that were responsive to research participants and data analysis at each phase.

The key findings suggest that open learning in high school is dependent upon opportunities for learners to co-design personally relevant learning pathways. The emerging design framework highlighted the need to emphasize the complexity of the students’ lived experiences in connection with the curriculum (formal learning environments) to promote a diversity of perspectives and shared connections (in informal learning environments). Second, learners need the opportunity to share their learning experiences collaboratively and individually by transparently demonstrating their learning processes in relevant ways and open practices provide the digital and community spaces to share knowledge. Finally, open learning occurs through stages and continuums and is a personal learning experience that transcends the boundaries of formal learning environments.

This study expands the current conceptual framework of open learning design by contributing a K-12 lens from which to consider the potential of OEP to promote personal learning pathways. Although the research considered a K-12 context, the OLDI Framework can be extended upon and used in any open learning design context including higher education.

Many teachers and students in the USA and various parts of the world are migrating some aspects of education online out of necessity. The purpose of this paper is to identify and describe strategies of the self-regulated learning (SRL) framework for K-12 students learning in online environments to support remote learning with online and digital tools during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The SRL framework (Zimmerman, 2008) has been used consistently to support students in learning to work independently. This framework highlights three phases: planning, performing and evaluating. Previous research in K-12 online learning has yielded specific strategies that are useful. The paper identified and described the strategies to an audience seeking answers on how to meet the needs of students in online learning environment.

The main types of strategies that have emerged from previous studies include asking students to consider how they learn online, providing pacing support, monitoring engagement and supporting families.

Although the social crisis of COVID-19 is unique, prior research in online learning may be useful for supporting teacher practice and suggesting future research. Developing SRL skills of students will ensure the effectiveness of online learning that the field of education may ultimately focus on in the future.

This paper aims to identify computational thinking (CT) in 4th to 6th grade students in the context of project-based problem-solving while engaged in an after-school program.

This case study approach was selected due to its suitability for answering “how” or “why” questions about real-world phenomena within a set context (Creswell and Poth, 2018; Yin, 2018). This was an appropriate fit given the context of an after-school program and the research question asked how to identify learners’ demonstrated CT through project-based learning hands-on activities and problem-solving in a naturalistic environment.

Results show that heuristics, algorithms and conditional logic were observed more than other components of CT such as data collection, simulations and modeling. Descriptions of common activities in a naturalistic learning environment are presented to illustrate how the students practiced CT over time, which could help readers develop an understanding of CT in conjunction with hands-on problem-solving activities in elementary students. Identifying and classifying CT in this study focused on students’ learning process.

This study contributes to the challenging field of evaluating CT while focusing on observable behaviors and problem-solving activities with various degrees of teacher’s facilitation instead of final artifacts. Implications for researchers and educators interested in integrating CT in K-12 learning and its assessment are discussed.

This study aims to explore preservice school librarians’ ability to develop and deliver integrated library lessons under remote teaching and learning conditions. This study will help school library educators identify the preparation required in coursework to effectively implement blended learning practices as well as identify perceived barriers and opportunities for implementing effective remote school library practice.

A participatory action research approach was used to explore online teaching strategies in coursework then implement them in K-12 practice.

The findings include six criteria selected, developed lessons and the analyzed reflections of the preservice candidates. These discussed findings identify trends in developed online inquiry lessons and suggest considerations for school library educators when scaffolding instruction in preparation coursework. Future planning also explores considerations of access and technology instruction prior to practice.

The COVID-19 crisis presented a unique challenge ideal for exploration by an educator and candidates in a school librarian preparation program. Using a revised assignment to facilitate a deliberate, authentic experience designed to blend theory and practice (Grossman, 2011), the evidence presented in the sample lessons and participant reflections documents that candidates are able to develop online learning and articulate the American Association of School Librarians Learner Competencies through work samples. According to this brief exploration, this preparation program was able to adapt the requirements of the assignment and prepare candidates to develop quality instructional lessons when online teaching pedagogy was embedded along with scaffolded instruction on collaborative teaching and instructional design. The limitation to this study is that the COVID crisis was accepted as the problem in the participatory action research model.

When provided instruction on embedded librarianship models and pedagogy practices of online instruction and scaffolded instruction, school library candidates successfully integrated online K-12 instruction. These instructional supports provided the integration of theory and practice necessary for effective preparation. Additional challenges remain to include considerations of access and student motivation which should be addressed in preparation coursework.

Never before have we seen all schools closed and instruction moved online without warning. School library preparation programs must look anew at how well they are preparing school librarians for practice across a variety of circumstances. This study looks at the preparation for online instruction K-12 schools were faced with in Spring 2020.

This paper aims to share responses from current literature, a small case study about perceptions and practices of the school of education faculty toward multicultural and educational issues concerning the rapid rise in online environments during coronavirus (COVID-19) experiences and just-in-time strategies for addressing digital equity and educational inclusion in K-16 online educational settings.

This is a conceptual paper that emerged from an action research case study. The study included four faculty in an urban school of education. The faculty participants were asked to provide examples of educational inclusion strategies used during transitioning their courses and advising to online environments in a Research I university. Faculty included one educational leadership, one sports management, one special education and one teacher education professor. Central issues explored practices related to language, technology access, curriculum design and technological competencies and assessment. A driving question was: How do institutions, schools or educators provide learning opportunities to support digital equity and inclusive education practice to maintain and strengthen relationships and core practices of multicultural education during a time of physical distancing during COVID-19? And what are the experiences, barriers, successes?

Research-based transformative knowledge, real situations and practical resources for considering inclusive education curriculum concepts were found that are connecting educators, teachers, learners and communities during this time of crisis.

Methodological limitations that influenced the research design include conducting research in a totally virtual environment, small sample size, lack of diversity in curriculum content and one research site. The data collection was limited to written responses from the faculty participants. This action research study took place in a time frame limited by COVID-19 conditions during a four-month period.

In theory and practice, this new online movement suggests learners, teachers, educators and leaders are gaining experience and knowledge about resources and strategies for using new technologies, assessments and flexible curriculum as powerful tools for building language, curriculum and social-cultural communication bonds across generations and including special needs populations. Such new and emerging strategies could be used to bridge gaps in a time of distancing to support inclusive and equitable learning environments in education to minimize the effects of an emergent COVID-19 digital divide. Social learning culture as constructed, performed and captured in patterns of cooperation among faculties shows the world becoming more open and less restricted by borders. In conclusion, an emerging new conceptual framework is presented in Figure 2 to support action planning to bridge the digital equity access and learning gaps created by COVID-19.

It is in times of strife and difficulty that problems and issues become exacerbated. While some educators easily adapted and took on the challenges of online learning, others needed time for learning and mourning (literally and figuratively). The issues of equity and access have become even more apparent as this paper takes inventory of intersections between multicultural education, special education, sports education and K-16 education overall. This is an excellent time to reflect on how education can address the cultural, economic and social barriers that impact student learning globally for all learners.

The brief collective case study reports educational experiences during a time of crisis that stimulates creative and innovative approaches to creating inclusive and equitable online learning environments to address diverse learning needs. The various and often contrasting educator responses from faculty facing digital and educational challenges present ideas that might be applicable in the global learning environment beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

This research focuses on the elements of pedagogy related to teacher–student engagement that promotes a responsive learning environment and improved outcomes for diverse populations in diverse contexts. We examine the pedagogical practices occasioned by the shift to online learning as a result of schools’ closures that followed the declaration of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Our analysis first explores the status of pedagogical practices and access to education technology following the implementation of the SDG4 agenda for an inclusive quality education for all. It follows with an exploration of pedagogical shifts in response to the pandemic following school closures, paying attention to the implications for equity for diverse populations in diverse learning contexts. The analysis draws from the education practice discourse surrounding the pandemic response gained from educators and students, gray literature, emerging scholarly publications, and institutional reports on the topic of pedagogical practices. Lessons from the experiences of the authors as researchers, students, and teachers illustrate examples of Zoom classroom practices that evolved with time that might support productive experiences for learners in technology-mediated learning environments. The global pandemic experience provides an opportunity for the field of comparative education to reconsider planning for the delivery of education in unpredictable and emerging emergencies.

Educational training programs, at times, are criticized for inadequately addressing issues that occur in the field (Brydon-Miller, Greenwood, & Maguire, 2003). This omission in relevancy might possibly be attributed to the fact that teacher education faculty no longer engage with K-12 students on a daily basis. We have decided to fill that relevancy void through our graduate student action research projects. Action research projects, undertaken by graduate students within our program, not only foster reflection upon the needs of the students within their K-12 classrooms, but also inform us, as education faculty, as we prepare our undergraduate students for the world of teaching. In this chapter, we outline action research as a framework of inquiry. We argue in the chapter that engaging students in the individualized action research projects has benefits for multiple stakeholders ranging from the learners in K-12 classrooms to students in pre-service teacher education programs. Using four case studies, we illustrate how the action research process works and the ways it fosters inclusivity in classrooms at numerous levels. We will discuss the benefits and challenges to our approach and will conclude by discussing the lessons that can be learned from our experiences in humanistic education.

The Telemation project, a California grant‐funded training project, trained approximately 450 teachers through institutes conducted in the spring and fall of 1994. A central theme in this project is information literacy – the ability to access, evaluate, and use information from a variety of sources. Helping students acquire these skills is key to their successful use of online resources, as well as their continued ease in learning later in life. The TeleLearning Mobile Unit (TMU) provided a unique means to conduct training, in which 24 participants had simultaneous access to online resources. All participants are to develop a classroom project integrating online resources into the K‐12 curriculum. By late spring 1995, all Telemation projects should be online, available as models for all K‐12 teachers.

The goal is to assess performance prediction systems (PPS) that are used to assist at-risk learners.

The authors propose time-dependent metrics including earliness and stability. The authors investigate the relationships between the various temporal metrics and the precision metrics in order to identify the key earliness points in the prediction process. Authors propose an algorithm for computing earliness. Furthermore, the authors propose using an earliness-stability score (ESS) to investigate the relationship between the earliness of a classifier and its stability. The ESS is used to examine the trade-off between only time-dependent metrics. The aim is to compare its use to the earliness-accuracy score (EAS).

Stability and accuracy are proportional when the system's accuracy increases or decreases over time. However, when the accuracy stagnates or varies slightly, the system's stability is decreasing rather than stagnating. As a result, the use of ESS and EAS is complementary and allows for a better definition of the point of earliness in time by studying the relation-ship between earliness and accuracy on the one hand and earliness and stability on the other.

When evaluating the performance of PPS, the temporal dimension is an important factor that is overlooked by traditional measures current metrics are not well suited to assessing PPS’s ability to predict correctly at the earliest, as well as monitoring predictions stability and evolution over time. Thus, in this work, the authors propose time-dependent metrics, including earliness, stability and the trade-offs, with objective to assess PPS over time.