The authors describe cross-decades changes in the achievement attitudes and behaviors of average U. S. undergraduates that parallel the declines in meaningful learning reported by Arum and colleagues. Comparisons of pre-1987 and 2004-8 students on seven achievement-predictive measures revealed that (a) average 2004-8 undergraduates scored…

Research has examined faculty attitudes towards students with disabilities (SWDs) and accommodations, but little research examines graduate students' attitudes toward SWDs. This project used the ATDP scale to examine graduate students' attitudes toward SWDs. This instrument was augmented with a qualitative, open-ended question that…

What do students think about the learning process? This article describes the patterns of what students think about their learning, gathered from 45 classes using mid-semester Small Group Instructional Diagnosis (SGID). We learned that SDIGs provided insights into students' perceptions of how learning works that are not identified in the…

This study explored the impact of a learner-centered, mid-semester course evaluation process called the small group instructional diagnosis (SGID) on student perceptions of dimensions of teaching that promote effective learning. Classes where instructors requested the SGID were randomly assigned to either traditional or learner-centered SGIDs and…

This study compared end-of-semester student ratings from students who provided mid-semester feedback with those who did not, to measure how consistently students rated teaching effectiveness. Participants included 394 undergraduates in seven classes. Within each class, participants randomly formed the primed group, completing an online survey…

In a first-year engineering course with an enrollment of approximately 1900 students per year, seventy-eight undergraduate engineering students' perceptions of their graduate teaching assistants were obtained using a modified Adjective Generation Technique. Based upon student feedback, researchers identified three themes of highest concern to the…

This study used phenomenology to investigate doctoral student perceptions of "good teaching." Six semi-structured interviews were conducted and transcribed verbatim. Common themes were identified using domain analysis and four domains emerged. Participants perceived "good teaching" to involve an educator who: (1) exhibits passion which motivates…

One of the major challenges to collaborative work in higher education is that students typically enter college classrooms in the United States without the skills they need to be productive group members. Additionally, students' attitudes about the value of collaboration with peers are frequently negative due to unsuccessful prior experiences…

We developed an innovative instructional method to actively engage students in writing and critiquing scholarly work. We tested the effectiveness of this pedagogy using a mixed methods research design. Compared to control group peers, students in the experimental classes perceived gains in their own writing, research ability, and motivation to…

This study seeks to determine the level of acceptance of the Constructive Engagement Method (CEM) as a teaching, learning, and leadership skills development model. Employing a modified debate format, constructive engagement requires active student participation, even among the most introverted of students, and it fosters a learning environment…

Defines problem-based learning (PBL) as an instructional method in which problems provide the context for students to develop skills and knowledge. Describes a study that examined whether students perceived that PBL courses were more effective than non-PBL courses at helping them develop specific outcomes. Reports that PBL students' perception of…

Describes the results of two studies aimed at determining how experienced and inexperienced resident assistants (R.A.) respond to training that is both theoretical and practical in nature. Reports greater overall satisfaction with the practical content than with the theoretical. Contains17 references. (NB)