One of the major concerns in higher education is the need for more accountability on the part of institutions so that members of the public know what they are getting for their tax or tuition dollars. There has been increased call for institutions of higher education to improve their efficiency if they are to remain affordable. In this article,…

Evaluation of teaching remains an inaccurate undertaking. Many believe that taking into factor the numbers of classes taught, students taught, graduate students supervised, honors contacts made, and undergraduates mentored are the best quantifiable measures for teaching. However, this author argues that such measures do little to provide a useful…

Many scientists are concerned about efforts to place disclaimers in textbooks concerning the controversial nature of certain theories. The issues raised in such disclaimers are that a particular explanation for a set of observations may not be correct, has limitations, needs further study, and is "just a theory," may be shown, eventually, to be…

This article describes a course taught by the author, Training in the Professoriate, aimed at educating graduate students and new faculty about the many facets of a successful faculty member. In this course he learned that despite 6-10 years of post-secondary education, students had many gaps in their knowledge of and misunderstandings about the…

In this article, the author discusses how iPods are being used in a variety of teacher-centered and student-centered ways. Since today's students are characterized as social, highly competent multitaskers, who expect immediate results and feedback and seek stimulation and interaction, iPod and podcasting are seen as tools for teaching such…

In this article, the author discusses why it is imperative that students understand the importance of academic integrity. The author emphasizes that students should maintain their integrity because the reliability of their work and what they learn depends on it. He also shares the new policy adopted by his university in dealing with violations of…

Inquiry refers to the activities of students in which they develop knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas, as well as an understanding of how scientists study the natural world. Inquiry is a multifaceted activity that involves making observations; posing questions; examining books and other sources of information to see what is already…

Graves (2005) suggested that academic freedom might impede efforts to improve institutional performance and achieve the goals set for learning outcomes, cost efficiency, and preparing students for the workplace. The author's initial response to threats to academic freedom and calls for efficiency is to bristle, because he views these as threats to…

This brief article consists of the author's personal observations after attending the Society of College Science Teachers/National Science Teachers Association national convention. The author focuses particularly on the need to make an effort to encourage more graduate students to attend this type of conference, citing the importance of…

Reports on a study of participation, achievement, and attitude in cookbook and inquiry-based introductory biology laboratories through observations, interviews, and attitude/knowledge surveys. Participation differences between men and women disappeared in the inquiry-based laboratory. (Author/MM)

Claims that one way to avoid the problems of high enrollment and minimal student-instructor interaction is to use lecture facilitators. Not only can facilitators help with group work, operate classroom technology, and perform demonstrations, facilitators can put into practice inquiry-based techniques. (Author/MM)