This article describes a new 14-step process for using student evaluations of teaching to improve teaching. The new process includes examination of student evaluations in the context of instructor goals, student evaluations of the same course completed in prior terms, and evaluations of similar courses taught by other instructors. The process has…

Using a sample of 812 students who were enrolled exclusively in online courses, this study investigated the extent to which engagement in various elements of the college experience contributed to their learning. A supportive learning environment was the strongest predictor of learning in all three domains measured in the study. Faculty feedback…

Despite the popular belief that fun has a positive impact in learning contexts, empirical research on fun in the classroom has been limited. To extend research in this area, the goal of this study was to develop and validate a new scale to assess fun in the classroom and examine its relationship with student engagement. The multi-stage scale…

Presented here is a practical tool called the Active Reading Document (ARD) that can give students the necessary incentive to engage with the text/readings. By designing the tool to incrementally develop student understanding of the material through reading using Marzano's Taxonomy as a framework, the ARD offers support through scaffolding as…

A college education is expected to improve students' critical thinking skills. Keeping students active in class--through writing activities and class discussion--has been shown to help students think critically. In this article, creative hands-on activities, which are common in engineering courses, are shown to improve students' critical…

The skill set associated with lifelong scientific literacy often includes the ability to decode the content and accuracy of scientific research as presented in the media. However, students often find decoding science in the media difficult, due to limited content knowledge and shifting definitions of accuracy. Faculty have developed a variety of…

Understanding fear, its causes, and its impact on students can be important for educators who seek ways to help students manage their fears. This paper explores common types of student fears such as performance-based anxiety, fear of failure, fear of being laughed at, and cultural components of fear that impact learning. The cognitive, emotional,…

This article describes the subject of "grade inflation," a reference to educators giving higher grades to student work than their expectations for student achievement warrant. Of the many reasons why this practice happens, Hodges specifically discusses inflating grades as "a natural consequence" when the faculty really…

This article advances the discussion about "Going paperless," how it will save ink and paper, perhaps even a tree over the course of a semester. The author mentions that the sustainability task force on campus may present an award, while eco-conscious students may applaud the willingness of faculty to "go green." Still other…

The concept of smart phone apps forms a mnemonic device and checklist for students who are learning critical thinking and reading skills. "Use your apps" reminds students to consider the importance of Author, Audience, Assumptions, Point of View, Perspective, and Scale when reading any text. "APPS" also lends itself to class…

When John Hilton was pursuing a master's in education, he took a very influential class from Eleanor Duckworth. She frequently taught and reinforced a concept to the class: "It is very important for teachers to have a chance to watch themselves learn." So when Hilton was hired to teach literature as a college professor, he thought…

Within their classrooms, instructors may engage in a variety of behaviors including those perceived to be charismatic. Though researchers have uncovered instructor behaviors that have been postulated to theoretically represent charisma in the classroom, to date no quantitative data have been presented to support these claims. The current study…

In the past, Ryall Carroll struggled to get students to arrive on time, read the material in advance of the class, and to start class on topic. In an attempt to address these issues, he started implementing an extra-credit two-question quiz at the beginning of every class, hoping it would provide a small incentive for students to at least come on…

Oxford Dictionary's Word of the Year for 2013 is "selfie" (Oxford University Press, 2013). At its essence, the selfie is simply a digital self-portrait shared on the internet. As with all tech trends, the selfie suffers from much hype and even more criticism. In the authors' experiments with the medium, they have found that…

Do our students actually read and use the feedback we provide? If so, what purpose does it serve them? Although these should be concerns, if we provide the adequate tools and guidance on how to use our feedback, this question should not be a pedagogical burden. Ultimately, learning, thinking, and understanding are the products of good feedback to…