We have a saying where I work at the Van Andel Institute for Education: “We believe learning should be memorable, meaningful, and fun!” It’s a quote that I earnestly believe in, but I also recognize ...

Why the most meaningful learning happens outside your comfort zone—and three ways to build the cognitive capacity to handle ...

Planning for the fall semester is upon us. Or, at least, some kind of planning for some kind of semester that may or may not be online or at a distance or a HyFlex. And the lamentations over ...

The new question-of-the-week is: What are effective instructional strategies to use when teaching an online class? This new series continues a 25-post “blitz” that began on Aug. 1 supporting teachers ...

College students are habituated to a classroom norm sociologists call civil attention: creating the appearance of paying attention (sitting still, looking awake, scribbling or typing) while ...

The coronavirus pandemic has thrown the world of higher education into turmoil. Somehow, it was only a few weeks ago when a flurry of articles discussed the ins and outs of the transition to remote ...

Growing interest in teaching “grit” or “growth mindset” is a hopeful sign. It reflects an increasing awareness that richer, deeper learning can flow from having students struggle with a challenging ...

Active learning puts students at the center of the learning process by encouraging them to engage, reflect, and apply what they’re learning in meaningful ways. Rather than passively receiving ...

Throughout my education, I have always been frustrated by busy work–the kind of homework that felt like an obligatory exercise rather than a meaningful learning experience. What puzzled me even more ...

Editor’s note: Each year, Xpress publishes its Kids Issue series, which includes original artwork and writings by local students, K-12. As part of the special two-part edition, we also feature a ...