A review of research on college student motivation and its relationship to learning looks at popular views of motivation, extrinsic vs. intrinsic motivation, the effects of extrinsic rewards, similarities to learning orientation and grading orientation, evaluation methods, and the power structure in the classroom. (MSE)

College teachers often believe students have progressed beyond the need for illustrations. Formal higher education stresses abstract linguistic and logico-mathematical intelligences and neglects others, such as spatial intelligence. Engaging as many learning styles as possible helps students learn through all their capabilities. Drawing for…

Providing students with historical documents as the basis for research projects motivates students; allows the instructor to tailor research topics to student interests; provides the building blocks for detailed, factual investigation and analysis; and helps develop student confidence. Students also enjoy it. (MSE)

A discussion of alternative evaluation techniques looks at tests that college students retake at home immediately after completing in class; exams requiring thoughtful application; group multiple-choice tests; paired testing; answer justification; a variety of take-home exams; immediate feedback; cost/benefit testing; retesting; and reaction or…

A discussion of the prevalence of academic cheating in higher education looks at research on the problem and at possible remedies. Difficulties for faculty in enforcing discipline policies are noted. Approaches to creating a culture encouraging integrity include vocal administrative support for ethics, an academic integrity code, classroom…

Three courses in the adult education division of Loyola University (Louisiana) combined religious studies and literature appreciation using an interdisciplinary, team-taught approach. Instruction was guided by the metaphor of conversation, first through collegial discussion of the ideas underlying the courses and later, in the classroom, in the…

One college teacher's approach to writing instruction focuses on grading to encourage learning, using a marking system that clarifies distinctions between content and mechanics, and removes the punitive aspect of grading. The system is rewarding and motivational for both students and teacher. In addition, the course includes individual…

A University of Florida instructional improvement program includes these features: competitive awards in the form of base faculty salary increases, three-year cycle for competition, focus on undergraduate teaching, and use of measures of both quantity (contact/credit hours) and quality (portfolios) of instruction. The program evolved from a…

Techniques for college teachers to use in managing student resistance to critical thinking include proactive strategies (creating a cooperative environment, establishing rapport, creating high expectations, and countering resistive behavior) and reactive strategies (avoiding personalization of resistance, inviting students to explore resistance,…

This article argues that the sciences and the humanities are experiencing a growing mutual isolation and polarization in the college curriculum, and that an integration of the two is needed. Arts and humanities course developers are urged to incorporate elements of science instruction, including the scientific method, history and philosophy of…

Resistance to adoption of advanced technology on college campuses is examined, looking first at common concerns (cost, degree of change, and need for training) and then at ways in which technology already shapes modern life. Ways in which technology can enhance learning processes and knowledge production are examined, and specific advantages for…

Nine strategies for opening and sustaining discussion of cultural pluralism in the college classroom are offered, including use of powerful evocative quotations, evocative visuals, student self-identification in cultural terms, pictographic autobiographies, student personal narratives, metaphors for America, concentric identity circles exercise,…

The teaching of autobiography is recommended as a means of inducing individual and social self-consciousness among college students. This refers to the study of reflective self-presentations of the lives of people especially concerned about social and civic issues, including statesmen, writers, social reformers, public servants, and literary…

A discussion of women and learning looks first at women's experiences and perspectives about learning and why the university classroom is usually more comfortable for men than for women. It then explores the implications for effective teaching and for creating equal learning environments for men and women. Specific classroom techniques and…

To help college teachers assist students in approaching reference materials to obtain citations, basic points that students should identify within citations are specified, and useful classroom techniques and materials are suggested. Common errors in search strategies are also noted. Some suggestions are made for selection of indexes for searching.…