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…

This essay discusses an integrated process of assessing learning outcomes that can be adapted to a variety of undergraduate teaching assistant and peer mentor applications. The three-element regimen includes a programmatic statement of learning objectives, student-reflection in both initial work plans and final reflections, and targeted assessment…

Standards-based grading is an alternative grading method with many claimed benefits. This paper reports on quantitative studies investigating several of these oft-made anecdotal claims, such as reducing students' test anxiety and fostering a growth mindset. We found that standards-based grading did reduce students' test anxiety; moreover, the…

For the most part, information landscapes such as libraries are structured, organized, created, and used by the dominant groups. These spaces may be unfamiliar territory for many students. Humour used in library orientation elicits enjoyment and helps to connect librarians and students. Low and high inference humour used during orientation can…

The use of undergraduate teaching assistants (UTAs) has increased in recent years at a number of institutions, especially in active-learning and high-enrollment introductory courses. Currently, there is research demonstrating their benefit to the departments they work in, the students, and the short-term impacts of the experience on the UTAs.…