Although an abundance of research has discussed the importance of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), there is little research on how UDL may be used in syllabus construction. The authors developed and validated the UDL Syllabus Scale (UDLSS), which evaluates higher education instructors' ability to design a syllabus using UDL principles. Over…

Online courses are gaining importance in higher educationinstitutions, leading scholars to explore how individuals learn in this context and how developing an online community can support their learning. This research examines a graduate-level online course focused on college and university teaching, structured around a social learning perspective…

This article examines the formation and impact of a supportive networking community of practice (CoP) for women faculty and staff at a university in the southeastern U.S. Barriers to success for women in higher education, both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, are discussed. The framework of systems convening and the ways in which the CoP…

This article presents a community of practice (CoP) designed to help California State University and California Community College STEM faculty implement active, equity-centered pedagogical changes. Using the Reading Apprenticeship framework as a foundation, the CoP focuses on text-based metacognitive conversations to facilitate students' authentic…

This study explored the relationship between graduate students' sense of community in online learning environments and their academic behaviors (online activity and final grades). Sense of community refers to social (connectedness) and feedback (learning) aspects of the environment that can potentially promote engagement and academic performance.…

In order to improve the student success rate in a "gateway" undergraduate Biology course, changes were made to both content delivery and classroom support, and the impact of these changes was measured. Requiring students to interact with course material prior to class time by viewing pre-recorded lectures freed up time in class to delve…

The authors compared student perceptions and performance in a fully online versus a flipped undergraduate diversity course. Students' performance on course assignments and responses to surveys assessing perceptions of learning climate, basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, relatedness), motivation, relevance, and learning gains were…

Teaching large classes is increasingly common; thus, demand for effective large-class pedagogy is rising. One method, titled "SCALE-UP" (Student-Centered Active Learning Environment for Undergraduate Programs), is intended for large classes and involves collaborative, active learning in a technology-rich and student-centered environment.…

Russell Tufts University This study examines the potential of designing and teaching online courses to prompt university faculty members to reflect on the essence of good teaching, and as a result reconsider their beliefs concerning effective pedagogy. A phenomenological investigation was conducted based on interviews with six long-time university…

A common challenge in higher education is teaching required content for which students traditionally have lower levels of interest. Physical therapist education programs experience this challenge when training entry-level students to document in the medical record. The authors compared learning outcomes among physical therapy students taught…

All organizations have "climates" that significantly affect their employees' performance and satisfaction. The authors posit that an academic department's "climate for teaching" (CFT)--or the the extent to which excellent teaching is rewarded, supported, and expected--has a profound impact on the experience of its instructors…

Problem-based learning (PBL) is an instructional method where student learning occurs in the context of solving an authentic problem. PBL was initially developed out of an instructional need to help medical school students learn their basic sciences knowledge in a way that would be more lasting while helping to develop clinical skills…

Teaching in the digital age has become increasingly challenging for college and university faculty. Application, relevance, and active engagement rather than traditional PowerPoint slide show lectures are what our technology-savvy, socially networked students crave and need to keep their attention and interest levels high. Using a combination of…

Research examining the influence of collaborative learning experiences on students' intellectual development has been somewhat inconclusive and largely based on samples of white, traditional-aged college students. Using data from the College Student Experiences Questionnaire (Pace, 1990), the author examines this relationship for a random sample…

Through a qualitative investigation, the author examined the experiences of 12 Black graduate students to understand better the impact of stereotype threat (Steele, 1997a , 1999) and performance anxieties (Osborne, 2001) on their education in a traditionally white institution (TWI). The results of this study illustrate how some students enter the…