Understanding community college English language learner (ELL) goals may help educators better support ELLs to set and pursue those goals. One lens that has illuminated important differences in ELL goals is constructive-developmental theory (CDT). Using a CDT lens, this qualitative case study investigated the goals of six community college ELLs…

The transactional distance created by asynchronous online course formats poses unique challenges to the development of a collaborative learning environment. The lack of face-to-face interaction also challenges instructors' ability to make adaptive changes to course content in response to emerging student needs. The authors describe a professor's…

Student development of critical consciousness is essential in higher education if we are to promote civic engagement and educate students to be constructive global citizens. Research on consciousness raising reveals that instructors who have done due diligence in developing their own critical consciousness are best equipped to promote its…

This quantitative and qualitative study explored students' perceptions of a flipped German course and its measurable impact on their critical-thinking skills. The instructional design of the course shifted grammar and vocabulary instruction outside of class so that students in the newly created collaborative in-class space could engage in more…

Higher education has undergone a radical transformation through the use of technology, including the offering of online courses and degrees. However, programs with fieldwork-based components that require students to demonstrate application of adult learning principles by performing specific skills in clinical settings face unique challenges. This…

The authors describe the traits, typologies, and behaviors of Generation Z (those born after 1997) to set the stage for the changes needed to engage this generation of students in the classroom. Using this knowledge about Generation Z as a foundation, the authors call for innovative approaches to teaching that engage students actively in the…

This article describes a pilot program that employed evidence-based strategies to increase first-generation and low-income (FGLI) student engagement. Over two quarters, the instructors offered three resources allowing students to engage at different levels: panel presentations, themed discussions, and a peer mentor program. Students requested…

Creating summative assessments that accurately test students' breadth of knowledge and critical thinking can be a difficult task. Instructors often rely upon overly complex quick response questions or constructed response exams. However, students often have negative perceptions of the latter. The authors implemented an approach for administering…

Undergraduate research methods courses help shape students' perceptions about research. Given the lack of diverse researchers in STEM fields, these perceptions are particularly important for underrepresented minorities. This study tested a social justice pedagogy intervention to determine the effects on various psychosocial constructs. Three…

Reform efforts in college teaching emphasize the importance of using innovative pedagogical approaches to make online learning more meaningful and successful. The authors present individualized project-based learning (iPBL), an innovative pedagogy derived from a traditional project-based learning (PBL) method. They describe their design model…

Students in a course on the psychology of language and thought first wrote flash fiction stories and analyzed them using course concepts. As an experiential learning exercise, they subsequently analyzed those stories for a number of psycholinguistic variables using the discourse technology Coh-Metrix. Their assignment was to change a number of…

This research examined the role of a first-year seminar course in promoting international student learning and academic transition. Through interviews with international students representing different countries and majors, the author investigated how the course can best be designed and taught to overcome the common learning barriers encountered…

Confidence in social science research diminished in the 2010s when several published research results failed to replicate. This "replication crisis" increased awareness that findings need to be substantiated, but academic researchers have little incentive to engage in repeating others' research. College students can advance their…

This study aimed to identify which aspects of online instruction are most and least effective for promoting learning in a cohort-based doctoral program. Four doctoral program alumni and a professor who participated in the inaugural online doctoral program at a medium-sized mid-Atlantic university conducted the study. The researchers used data from…

In fall 2015, a mixed-method study was conducted with 106 early-semester and 89 late-semester undergraduate respondents to examine their use of rubrics and perceptions of their impact on academic success. A significant shift toward rubric use was found over the course of the semester, with most use occurring before assignments were due. Students…