The History Learning Project, a project developed by Indiana University faculty members to document and improve student learning in the discipline of history, is the subject of a feature article this week in the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Nel Noddings, professor emeritus at Stanford University and author of seminal works in educational theory and philosophy, will make a presentation titled "Happiness and Education" at the Indiana Memorial Union in Bloomington on Thursday (Nov. 19) from 4:30 to 6:15 p.m. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will be in IMU's Oak Room.

The Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP) and Ellen B. Rudolph, Surdna Foundation program director for Thriving Cultures, recently received the Institutional Research Initiative Award from the Arts Schools Network at its annual conference in Washington, D.C. Based at the Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research, SNAAP is an annual online survey, data management and institutional improvement system designed to enhance the impact of arts-school education.

A nationwide survey of high school students finds that nearly 90 percent expect to earn their diploma and go to college, but many report a lack of interest and effort in the classroom that may dampen those hopes. "Engaging the Voices of Students: A Report on the 2007 & 2008 High School Survey of Student Engagement" presents the latest numbers from the annual survey conducted by the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy at Indiana University.

A national survey released today shows that a variety of colleges and universities have shown steady improvement in the quality of undergraduate education, as measured by students' exposure to and involvement in effective educational practices. The 2009 report from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), Assessment for Improvement: Tracking Student Engagement Over Time, details results from a 2009 survey of 360,000 students attending 617 U.S. colleges and universities.

Faculty members from the Indiana University School of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences are beginning newly funded projects to enhance the teaching of U.S. history in schools, thanks to grants from the U.S. Department of Education. The grants are each from the Teaching American History program, which the department describes as a program designed "to raise student achievement by improving teachers' knowledge and understanding of and appreciation for traditional U.S. history."

Contrary to what many observers think, findings from a national study released today (Oct. 26) show that gathering information about what undergraduates learn during their studies is commonplace in most U.S. colleges and universities. However, the results are not always used and reported in ways that could improve student accomplishment and inform the public about institutional performance.

Indiana University School of Education Dean Gerardo M. Gonzalez issued a statement Thursday (Oct. 22) in response to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's speech titled "Teacher Preparation: Reforming the Uncertain Profession," calling Duncan's speech challenging and encouraging.

A presentation on Saturday (Oct. 24) will examine how combining traditional arts and crafts such as embroidery with new technologies can spark creativity and learning for students. Leah Buechley, the "High-Low Tech Group" director at the Media Lab of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will give a free program called "How will Technological Artifacts Impact Society?" from 10-11 a.m. in room 102 of the School of Fine Arts, 1201 E. Seventh St., in Bloomington.

The Indiana University School of Education at IUPUI has received from the U.S. Department of Education a five-year, $2.7 million Teacher Quality Partnership grant for a new teacher residency program. The grant expands the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship program and will lead to a master's degree in education with graduates licensed to teach both general and special education. The grant is one of only 28 the federal government is awarding to improve instruction in struggling schools.

One of the world's foremost learning scientists says the educational system is at odds with technological innovation and change is imperative to ensure many students don't fall further behind. Allan Collins, professor emeritus of education and social policy at Northwestern University, will speak about the changing nature of schools' relationship to technology during an appearance at the IU School of Education on Thursday (Oct. 8).

The global reach and innovative spirit of the Indiana University School of Education is reflected in the 2009 honorees for the school's Annual Recognition Dinner on Friday (Sept. 11). The three recipients of the IU School of Education Distinguished Alumni award include education leaders in Korea and Indonesia as well as the former dean who helped build national recognition for what was then known as the IU Department of Afro-American Affairs. IU Foundation president Gene Tempel will receive the distinguished alumni award from the Higher Education and Student Affairs program in the School of Education.

The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) has named Gerald Campano, associate professor in the Department of Literacy, Culture, and Language Education of the Indiana University School of Education, as the 2009 recipient of the David H Russell Award for Distinguished Research in the Teaching of English, one of the most distinguished awards in English language education. The organization selected Campano for his 2007 book Immigrant Students and Literacy: Reading, Writing, and Remembering (Teachers College Press).

The 2009 annual PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools, released Wednesday, found support for President Barack Obama's education plans, weariness for the "No Child Left Behind Act," and support as well as confusion regarding charter schools. Indiana University School of Education faculty offer their comments on the findings and share other faculty research pertinent to the survey findings.

In a new book that Publishers Weekly says "puts a human face on Christian homeschooling," a professor at the Indiana University School of Education chronicles the stories of six conservative Christian families from across the country and analyzes the growing homeschooling movement. Write these Laws on Your Children: Inside the World of Conservative Christian Homeschooling (Beacon Press) is written by Robert Kunzman, associate professor for curriculum and instruction.

A group of secondary math teachers from South Korea is wrapping up a month-long visit to Indiana University's School of Education next week, the fourth consecutive year for a program bringing Korean teachers to the U.S. to learn new ways of sharing math content. Twenty-one high school and middle school teachers have explored several new methods during their weeks of workshops, including ways of using music to teach math, examining math in exercise physiology, and methods of math instruction in the New Tech High School model.

A new survey of Indiana superintendents, principals and school counselors finds that a majority see virtual learning as a way to enhance academic offerings in public education. Sixty percent of respondents to the "2009 Survey of Virtual Learning in Indiana," conducted by the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy (CEEP) at the Indiana University School of Education, said they are offering or may offer online courses in six different areas, including alternative education, gifted and talented education, and instruction for homebound students. But just half the respondents indicated their school would pay for virtual instruction and cited instructional cost as a barrier to offering more online courses.

A new book by an Indiana University School of Education professor takes a comprehensive look at how Web technology is changing worldwide education. The World is Open: How Web Technology is Revolutionizing Education, was written by Curt Bonk, professor of instructional systems technology. It documents the many ways in which he says innovations have made it possible so that "anyone can learn anything from anyone else at any time."

The White House will likely succeed in simplifying the application for financial aid and in other measures aimed at increasing access to higher education, according to an Indiana University expert on issues of college choice, student financial aid policy, enrollment management and higher education finance.

The third annual Chinese Pedagogy Institute concludes this week on the Indiana University campus after two and a half weeks of intensive work to prepare more teachers of the Chinese language. The institute is a project of the Center for Chinese Language Pedagogy (CCLP) within the College of Arts and Sciences.

The Association for Institutional Research (AIR) has named Indiana University School of Education Executive Associate Dean Don Hossler the Sidney Suslow Award recipient for his distinguished scholarly contributions to institutional research. The award committee selects honorees "for their cumulative and on-going scholarly efforts to keep institutional research on the cutting edge of research, practice, policies and procedures in higher education."