Research and practice have recognized the importance of informal learning--a specific type of active learning--for higher education contexts. University students learn not only in formally organized courses, but also in a self-directed and intentional way from fellow students, through trial and error, and by reflection. However, there has been a…

Constructive Alignment (CA) is a pedagogical tool for designing student-centered instruction aligned to learning outcomes. Despite strong evidence that CA and student-centered instruction are superior to lecture-based pedagogy, the latter remains prevalent across higher education. This descriptive-explanatory case study (n=20) investigates how…

Although there is growing evidence that the flipped classroom approach (FCA) positively impacts the student learning experience and outcomes, much less is known about the educator's experience. This study aimed to explore how educators across several disciplines in a regional Australian University describe their experience of using the FCA.…

This paper presents an interpretative phenomenological analysis study of students' experiences with ungrading in the form of reflection-based self-evaluation in a college course. In the landscape of student evaluation, ungrading strategies respond to the limitations of traditional grading systems, particularly with respect to cultivating in-demand…

Online instruction has helped colleges and universities to adjust to budget constraints, limited resources, and student preferences. One way for instructors to adapt to these new expectations is to gain efficiency in larger classes by using team-based assignments and peer grading. Although online peer grading has been used for some time, concerns…

This design-based research (DBR) study had both local and general goals. Its local goal was to increase active learning in the online courses offered at a large research university in the midwestern United States. Its larger goal was to define active learning design principles for online courses in general, so that they might be used to improve…

This paper responds to calls from teacher-student feedback research looking for options on how to improve student performance. In Study 1, we first observe the relationship between student conscientiousness, midterm-performance, feedback-seeking behaviors, and final semester grades. Second, in Study 2, we test whether using an active learning…

Lack of student engagement in online learning is reported as the major challenge contributing to poor academic performance and completion rates. When transforming an in-person undergraduate remote sensing course to online, this study implemented interactive storytelling lecture trailers (ISLTs) as a tool to effect changes in the realms of…

The Paper Chase model is a synchronous collaborative approach to manuscript development. Through a structured and team-based design, authors participate in a "marathon" of writing, editing, revising, and submitting their publications within a specified period. This active-learning approach is considered a high-impact practice by engaging…

In recent years, the use of information technology to promote active learning in higher education has raised great interest. Teachers are continuously challenged to identify new research-informed approaches and educational practices for supporting students to actively learn and apply their knowledge. The present study tests the effects on…

Academic grade performance can be influenced by individual attributes, including motivation, attitudes, and beliefs. These attributes can be manifested by current events, such as technology or world events. Through a survey-based study using validated measures coupled with student grade performance at three instances during their tenure in higher…

Although research has explored how in-class pedagogical practices and narrative feedback affect student engagement and motivation, questions remain on the impact of grading systems (i.e. multi-interval grades vs pass/fail and narrative evaluation) on academic motivation. Here, we compared the motivation of students who received multi-interval…

Developing a sense of classroom community is important in promoting course satisfaction and in helping students overcome feelings of disconnectedness, especially in online courses. When considering the various strategies identified as contributing to a sense of classroom community, instructors likely need support in which strategies and technology…

Multiple benefits have been attributed to self-assessment and its ability to help develop evaluative judgement among learners. However, student and staff perceptions and what to expect throughout the self-assessment process deserves further scrutiny, particularly at the postgraduate level. To understand how students engage with self-assessment as…

Two-stage examinations consist of a first stage in which students work individually as they typically do in examinations (stage 1), followed by a second stage in which they work in groups to complete another examination (stage 2), which typically consists of a subset of the questions from the first examination. Data from two-stage midterm and…