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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Want to ace that test? Skip the all-nighter and hit the sack to boost memory and learning.

By Bambi Turner

Education still mainly consists of an instructor talking to a group of students, the same as it's been for at least 1,000 years. But what if that model could be overturned for good? And we're not talking MOOCs but something much more personal.

By Beth Brindle

In 2012, MIT and Harvard joined forces to create edX, a nonprofit offering free online college classes from some of the world's top universities. How does it make money?

By Dave Roos

When's the last time you wrote a cursive capital Q? Instruction in penmanship has dropped as digital communication eclipses pen and paper. But could cursive skills mean more than pretty loops on a page?

By Julia Layton

Free college courses from top universities sounds fantastic. That's the premise of MOOCs – hundreds of thousands of people from around the world can sign up. Is this the future of college education or an interesting fad?

By Julia Layton

This college image gallery offers a visual perspective of some of the important aspects of attending a university. Check out these college pictures.