As universities attempt to integrate academic research into meaningful real-world application, faculty are encouraged to improve, understand, and collaborate on instruction and scholarship. Boyer's writings on the topic in Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate attempted to engage faculty in this pursuit. One College of…

It is critical that pre-service teachers have exposure to practice in order to be successful in their future classrooms. This article describes a step-by-step process of implementing mixed-reality simulation (real-time interaction with avatars, similar to what one would find in a video game) in teacher preparation courses in order to provide…

This paper analyses a set of widely held beliefs concerning our understanding and teaching of critical thinking, a notion which is increasingly adopted by universities as their main educational goal. Existing scholarship on critical thinking throws up a vast heterogeneous collection of definitions of critical thinking. I propose a…

There is limited empirical study that examines effective evaluation pedagogy on evaluation competency outcomes. The purposes of this article are to: (1) identify key course design features critical to integrating real-world projects in a course-based service-learning model; and (2) provide empirical data using mixed-methods evaluation to assess…

The following discourse analysis examines the ways open-ended feedback, defined as dialogic, interpretative, and revisionary, fosters co-regulation and metacognition. Data come from a Writing in the Major course at a large land-grant institution in the Pacific Northwest. Students' written essays and reflections, both with teacher feedback…

National employment data forecasts a significant need for graduates in the STEM disciplines for middle-income American jobs. If the American labor force is to keep pace with the global economy, it is critically important that American higher education increase STEM degree production. Currently, minority populations lack access and thus opportunity…

Beliefs about conducting research and completing major projects, such as a thesis or marketing campaign, suggest that previous experience, guidance from a mentor, and cohesive teams are particularly important in boosting the confidence to conduct research in graduate students (i.e., research self-efficacy). Although these factors are also thought…

This case study examines student learning outcomes derived from the redesign of an undergraduate child development research methods course, replacing a commercial textbook with Open Educational Resources (OER), which were remixed into interactive lessons. Using survey and exam performance data, two areas were evaluated: 1) students' experiences…

Because correctional facilities are closed environments, perceptions of prison and jails are largely informed by the media; unfortunately, those perceptions are often inaccurate. Faculty in criminal justice programs often strive to combat inaccurate media images, including offering criminal justice students the opportunity to tour a prison or…

As advanced classroom technologies are developed, more higher education institutions are building innovative classrooms. Previous studies have focused on students' academic performances in innovative classrooms, but few compared students' experience between traditional and innovative classrooms. In comparing observations and self-reports of…

In this study we explored how design studio instructors depicted the design critique, themselves as people offering critiques, and what can be learned from their depictions about improving instructors' abilities to offer critiques. To investigate these issues, we conducted a case study of studio instructors from design programs at a university in…

The use of guest speakers in college classes is a well-accepted pedagogical practice, but the academic literature has generally been based on instructors' or event organizers' anecdotal reflections about individual experiences. Research based upon student considerations of this practice has been especially sparse. The purpose of this study is to…

This paper describes the master course design process at the largest institution of higher education in Colorado, USA. The master course design process demonstrated principles of backwards design and employed a team-based approach to course development. The course map was the primary vehicle for communicating the design of the course during…

Students' level of engagement and approach to learning can significantly impact their overall success in a course. This study used the student course engagement questionnaire (SCEQ) to assess the engagement levels of first-year undergraduate students studying three different introductory units (chemistry, biology and nursing) at a regional…

Numerous studies from recent years and going back decades suggest that post-secondary students are failing to sufficiently improve their critical thinking (CT) skills during their undergraduate years (Abrami et al., 2015; Arum & Roksa, 2011; Huber & Kuncel, 2016). Meanwhile, institutions have increasingly embraced CT as a core competency…