This article outlines a method used to successfully breakthrough student bias surrounding controversial issues in the classroom. The method uses a debate with randomized position assignments to encourage students to consider all sides of the topic. Student feedback is overwhelmingly positive and students appear to develop a newfound respect and…

Wicked problems are large, complex problems involving multiple perspectives that present substantial future challenges. These challenges can be overwhelming for learners and pose difficulties in teaching for instructors. Herein a solutions-oriented teaching strategy that amalgamates proven active learning strategies is presented along with a…

Field-based learning in higher education is lacking both in practice at colleges and in research within the academic literature. This study aims to address these deficits by exploring the benefits and possibilities of executing field study in higher education across a variety of courses. We report the results of a qualitative research design that…

This project examined the effects of two team selection methods (self-selected and instructorformed based on matched academic performance) on team and individual student performance and on self-reported attitudes and team behaviors in a freshman-level core-required introductory course. The data included mid and end-of-semester self-reports.…

This study builds upon previous research that explores the pedagogical use of film and video by explicitly asking instructors about their attitudes towards and motivations for employing such texts in their teaching, as well as the challenges they face in the process. Data were gathered through an anonymous, online survey of instructors across…

Challenges to establishing and maintaining undergraduate research programs include how to demonstrate impact as evidence for future funding, establish eligibility criteria when resources are limited, and assess new components. To address these challenges, undergraduate researcher GPA, credit accumulation and time to graduation were evaluated…

Research has demonstrated that academically successful students are effective, self-regulated learners. Moreover, exam wrapper interventions have been shown to foster the development of self-regulated learning behaviors on the part of college students. In this naturalistic, qualitative, and exploratory study, an exam wrapper intervention was…

In this paper we provide two concrete examples of class assignments, developed by the authors, which challenge students to think more critically about themselves, their cultural values and beliefs, and the "invisible forces" that shape their perspectives. We include samples from students' work and our reflections to demonstrate the types…

The concept of active learning as a superior mode of instruction has recently received great attention in the education research literature. It holds promise of steering students away from rote memorization towards higher order thinking (as defined by Bloom's taxonomy revised). However, few studies focus on student perceptions of higher order…

This convergent mixed method quasi-experiment study evaluates the effectiveness of an HIV Prevention Webcourses on reaching HIV related competencies among college students at a large public university in Florida. College students in health majors participated in the study, experiment group were students enrolled in the HIV Webcourses and…

This paper outlines a method for student-directed creation of exam review guides. No answers or lists of required information are provided to students. Students must reflect on the purpose of the course and the relationships between the different content units in order to collaboratively compose a study guide. The professor then critiques the…

Many universities offer career exploration courses designed to assist students in making effective career choices; however, it remains unclear whether pre-existing resources have a significant influence on students' ability to benefit. The purpose of this study was (a) to measure the efficacy of a career exploration course at an Appalachian…

This study investigated the impact of incorporating e-reader texts and annotation tools in multiple sections of an upper level philosophy course (N Control = 98; NE-reader = 76). This study adds to the body of literature that assesses gains/losses in conventional measures of performance (e.g., scores on graded assignments) and changes in student…

This manuscript stems from observations the authors made while teaching an environmental health course, which is part of a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree. Observations of student attitudes and patterns in course feedback prompted questions about how to pique interest in the course content. There has been considerable research attention given…

This case study addressed the authors' efforts to design an 8-week small-group independent study (IS) experience that facilitated undergraduate speech-language pathology students' (n=19) higher-level thinking and overall metacognitive awareness. We hoped to encourage both in order to improve students' overall cognitive growth while enhancing their…