Learning

Here are four alternative venues where the general public can enjoy nature, engage in hands-on science learning and get a behind-the-scenes look at scientific research in action.

By Jill Zarestky

How long can seeds last underground and still be capable of germinating? One botanist set out to discover this 142 years ago, and his experiment is still running.

By Jesslyn Shields

The coronavirus is forcing many parents to form at-home 'learning pods.' But who could potentially benefit from these and who could be left behind?

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.

Jane Elliott has been exposing racist thinking for more than 50 years through her ground-breaking exercise using eye color. Some think her methodology is too harsh. She couldn't care less.

By John Donovan

Deaf and blind from a fever as a baby, Helen Keller overcame her limitations to lead a life of inspiration and courage. How was she able to learn to communicate?

By John Donovan

Fellow graduates, as you go forward and seize the day, we pause to consider some less-clichéd and far more memorable commencement speeches given over the years, including one that made graduates wealthier.

By Laurie L. Dove

Defining plagiarism is not always cut-and-paste easy. But it usually involves deliberately passing off somebody else's original expression or creative ideas as one's own.

By John Donovan

Cramming for a test might help you pass, but it doesn't provide long-term learning and that's the problem.

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.

How does Oxford choose the Word of the Year and what, if anything, does it say about us?

By Loraine Fick

The College Board wants AP World History courses to cover material from the year 1450 on. The rest, well, is history.

By John Donovan

Free kids books that come out of a vending machine? Yes, please!

By Yves Jeffcoat

The country music superstar gave away her 100 millionth book and was honored by the U.S. Library of Congress.

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

Think you're a visual learner? How about auditory? Sorry, that's preference; education is best tailored to the subject matter, not the student.

By Jesslyn Shields

It might not be sophisticated, but some people with dyslexia say it's the only typeface they can read.

By Jesslyn Shields

A new study pitted touch-typists against people using a hunt-and-peck style. Guess what they found.

By Karen Kirkpatrick

New research shows kids learn science best when we show them the failures and personal struggles that led to the astronomical successes.

By Jesslyn Shields

A solid education should include computer science and tech literacy. Kids who code develop skills for a digital economy, and also attitudes needed to succeed elsewhere.

By Laurie L. Dove

From American Girl dolls to animal pelts to car repair tools, you may be surprised at the free stuff you can borrow from the library

By Dave Roos

Whether it's tag, jumping rope or playing with dolls, kids in every part of the world, and in every generation, play. Philosophers and psychologists say they do it for more reasons than just having fun. But the future of play may be in jeopardy.

By Yves Jeffcoat

TED talks are so popular, they've been spoofed in commercials, with speakers sporting wireless headphones against a black background. At 18 minutes each, how did these talks go viral?

By Dave Roos

Students have been taught via long distance for centuries, long before the birth of personal computers. Here's where the first distance learning courses began.

By Sara Elliott

Seems like everybody in the world is signed up for a MOOC (massive open online course). But how many students actually finish their courses?

By Sara Elliott

Seems like lending out ebooks should be a relatively simple matter for most libraries. But often, it's not. What are the challenges ebooks pose for libraries?

By Sara Elliott

Massive open online courses are the hot, new way to educate the masses. Will MOOCs make college obsolete?

By Sara Elliott

You have just finished that algebra MOOC from an Ivy League university. Awesome! But can you get college credit for your MOOC classes?

By Sara Elliott