A "knowledge survey" and a formative evaluation process led to major changes in an instructor's course and teaching methods over a 5-year period. Design of the survey incorporated several innovations, including: a) using "confidence survey" rather than "knowledge survey" as the title; b) completing an…

Background: The teaching of the discipline of pharmacology is in constant flux. In order to meet the challenges of teaching pharmacology effectively we investigated a new teaching and learning strategy. Aim: Our aim was to investigate whether structured periodic review sessions (RS) could improve teaching and learning for students in a…

Interteaching is a classroom instruction approach based on behavioral principles that offers increased flexibility to instructors. There are several components of interteaching that may contribute to its demonstrated efficacy. In a prior analysis of one of these components, the quality points contingency, no significant difference was reported in…

This paper describes a project that aimed to leverage the students' interest and experience of technology and multimodal environments to develop their academic writing skills and second language learning. Students were expected to follow a model, research a topic, and craft a digital video tutorial on an aspect of academic writing which would…

This paper describes work over a three-year period to develop a peer partnership approach to professional development at a dual sector university. The aim of the program, arising initially in one school and then piloted in 5 schools, was to support staff in their teaching practice. Emphasis was on the development of a sustainable model of…

Universal design for learning (UDL) offers an educational framework for a college instructor that can maximize the design and delivery of course instruction by emphasizing multiple representations of materials, varied means for student expression, content and knowledge, and multiple ways to motivate and engage student learning. Through a UDL lens,…

Team-Based Learning (TBL) maximizes class time for student practice in complex problems using peer learning in an instructor-guided format. Generally entire courses are structured using the comprehensive guidelines of TBL. We used TBL in a subsection of a veterinary course to determine if it remained effective in this format. One section of the…

This survey study was intended to explore whether or not students supported the way a university course instructor provided timely and detailed e-feedback directly onto their online assignments and how the e-feedback facilitated their learning. Twenty pre-service teachers, who had experienced the process, participated in the study. The data were…

Active-learning techniques have been advocated as a means to promote student engagement in lower-division biology courses. In this case study, mini-lectures in combination with active-learning activities were evaluated as strategies to promote a culture of learning and participation in a required botany course. These activities were designed to…

This article examines student responses to a technique for summarizing electronically available information based on word frequency. Students used this technique to create word clouds, using those word clouds to enhance personal and small group study. This is a qualitative study. Small focus groups were used to obtain student feedback. Feedback…

Boredom is one of the most common complaints among university students, with studies suggesting its link to poor grades, drop out, and behavioral problems. Principles borrowed from industrial-organizational psychology may help prevent boredom and enrich the classroom experience. In the current study, we applied the core dimensions of the job…

This description of a teaching self-study focuses on a graduate research course for classroom teachers in which two issues central to improving teaching practice were addressed. First, it details the process of examining course design and curriculum in search of the most effective strategies for training classroom teachers to do research. Second,…

Doctor of physical therapy (DPT) graduates are expected to be competent in professional behaviors, communication, critical inquiry, clinical decision making, and evidence-based practice. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the experience of students enrolled in a single, problem-based learning (PBL) course within a conventional…

What is the best advice to give students regarding how to study? We provide preliminary results on the utility of a 35-item Study Behaviors Checklist that is adaptable for any course. We assessed 125 introductory psychology students' use of different study techniques and correlated their responses with their exam scores. Attendance, study guide…

Note-taking is a widespread practice used by college students to record information from lectures. Unfortunately, even successful students' notes are incomplete and, therefore, may lack the potential to positively impact their academic performance. Research suggests that instructors can help students improve their note-taking skills by using…