A study of 55 recipients of the University of California, Berkeley's Distinguished Teaching Award found most felt the award had little effect on their careers and provided little incentive to improve teaching. Four recommendations for making the reward structure more effective in motivating teachers to improve instruction are offered. (MSE)

The Eastern Washington University Department of Education's merit pay system is described. The system closely resembles learning and grade contracts used by undergraduate students. This system rewards desired behaviors, individualizes rewards, and makes merit pay available to all who achieve designated goals. (MLW)

The strategy of paying students in play dollars for class participation and learning is criticized as inappropriate, and its effectiveness is questioned. It is argued that the classroom is different from the real world, and one of the teacher's tasks is to show the intrinsic value of learning. (MSE)

A suggested college classroom technique for motivating and rewarding student learning is the payment of play dollars to students for correct answers, attendance, and success in pop quizzes. The method is designed to encourage, not discourage, class participation, and provides students with immediate feedback on performance. (MSE)

The continued nonevaluation of teaching contributes to the dominance of research in the evaluation of faculty members. For both promotion and salary increases, the number of articles published is basically the definition of research. The idea that research is more important than teaching is discussed. (MLW)