The author examined the literature regarding college students' use of smartphones during class time. Findings included the following: Students believe they are capable of multitasking with smartphones, but they are not and earn lower grades as a result; students misperceive that their peers use smartphones during class time more than they do…

The authors captured students' and instructors' views of teaching effectiveness at the postsecondary level in two ways: open-ended questions delivered online to 500 students and one-on-one interviews with 15 instructors. A grounded theory approach suggested that effective teaching involves good communication aimed at helping students…

This study examined the characteristics of effective teaching as perceived by undergraduate adjunct faculty members in a large proprietary university. Three factors were identified through an exploratory factor analysis: Regard for the Student, Instructor Competence, and Instructional Proficiency. The author concludes that additional studies are…

Cheating and plagiarism are significant problems in higher education because they occur often and interfere with learning. Plagiarism creates shortcuts that bypass the time and effort required to develop the writing and analytical skills necessary to produce evidence of progress in mastering course content. The purpose of a two-semester writing…

For students of color, succeeding at predominantly white campuses may be more challenging than at minority-serving institutions. Educational leaders must strive to enhance the learning of this growing group of college learners as campuses increase in ethnic diversity. Culturally responsive teaching (Gay, 2000) and exemplary teaching (Bain, 2004)…

The author looks at the meaning of specific terminology commonly used in student surveys: "effective teaching." The research seeks to determine if there is a difference in how "effective teaching" is defined by those taking student surveys and those interpreting the results. To investigate this difference, a sample group of professors and students…

This study explored the interplay between the frequency with which faculty members at eight technical colleges in Georgia used 18 instructional practices and their perceptions of the effectiveness of those practices to aid students in accomplishing three student learning outcomes: information acquisition, knowledge application, and skills…

Research shows that active student participation facilitates learning. However, encouraging undergraduate college students to engage meaningfully in classroom discussion and to respond to questions, especially in larger classes, can often be frustrating for instructors (Weaver & Qi, 2005). Set against a focused review of the literature, the…

The purpose of the authors' study was to understand the reasons why students comply with requests instructors make and compare these reasons with instructors' perceptions of why students comply. Students and faculty at two universities completed the Interpersonal Power Inventory to assess reasons for compliance. Students were more likely to comply…

The learning paradigm emphasizes teaching in ways that facilitate learning for all students. As novice instructors of an increasingly diverse student population, graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) frequently have full responsibility for teaching undergraduate courses. This study investigated GTAs' beliefs about including diverse learners in their…

The purpose of this study was to identify the frequency and seriousness of disruptive student behaviors and the effective strategies used by educators to manage these classroom behaviors. At a mid-sized state university, 228 of 780 faculty members (29.2%) completed a 76-item survey. Results indicated that as faculty members' participation in…

A pedagogy that serves students of all backgrounds and trains them to compete in a diverse world is becoming imperative. University educators have been slow to accept the challenge of multicultural teaching, yet it is not clearly understood why this is the case. The authors surveyed 464 faculty members from across disciplines at a large urban,…

Studies have indicated that the willingness of faculty members to accommodate students with disabilities differs according to academic discipline and instructor gender. The authors examined the attitudes of faculty members toward students with disabilities as reflected in course syllabi to discern instructor willingness to accommodate these…

The authors explored two assumptions about college teaching and learning: first, that faculty teach in isolation, as institutional culture values and rewards autonomy over collaboration; and second, that faculty collaboration improves instruction. They present findings from an experiment in team teaching in a university beginning Spanish course in…

Classroom incivility is a major concern in higher education today. Yet little research has been done comparing the perceptions of students and faculty about the incivility occurring in our classrooms. Based on a survey of 3,616 students and 153 faculty members at a Midwestern U.S. university, this study provides useful information about the…