A study examined the relative effects of course and program on 39 college students' motivation over a semester-long introductory physics course, a discipline chosen because of its emphasis on higher-order learning. Results include information about student learning motives, changes over time, and student emphasis on different learning goals and…

Cooperative learning improves students' learning motivation in a diverse college student population by creating a favorable disposition toward the learning experience through personal relevance and choice; creating an understanding that learners are effective in learning something they value; and creating challenging, thoughtful learning…

College instructors should focus their teaching not only on content but also on how to learn content in the context of particular courses. Students need practice with a variety of learning strategies before they can understand why particular ones are most effective or be helped to improve their efficiency in using them. (Author/MSE)

Understanding the link between classroom assessment techniques (CATs) and cognitive learning theory not only allows college teachers to choose and design CATs that fit particular classroom needs, but helps them explicate to students the potential applications of CATs to study strategies in general. Once students make this leap, the effects of a…

Students are motivated to the extent that they initiate and sustain meaningful involvement in learning. Theories of motivation suggest that appropriate attention to college students' needs and expectations for success will enhance their involvement and learning. (Author/MSE)

Describes formal, intensive small group activities in large college classes, as well as initiatives to redesign courses around small-group learning. Strategies include "jigsaw," structured controversy, problem-based cooperative learning, and restructured lecture-recitation-laboratory activities. Notes basis of such strategies in constructivist…

The use of several college classroom assessment techniques to evaluate the processes and products of accounting instruction through cooperative learning is described. The discussion looks at considerations in planning classroom assessment, choosing initial assessment techniques and adapting them, and blending cooperative learning structures with…

The relationship between collaborative learning and some major theoretical and empirical approaches to fostering critical thinking are examined. Three frameworks for combining collaborative learning and critical thinking are suggested: use of mental models, creation of discourse communities, and creation of disciplinary discourse communities. (MSE)

A developmental model for collaborative learning at the college level, based on the notion of the development of expertise, is outlined. Five stages are described: (1) the learning of rules, techniques, and strategies; (2) applying the techniques and strategies to the particular teaching context; (3) developing competence; (4) becoming proficient;…

In its use of complex, real-world problems to introduce concepts and motivate learning in an active and cooperative learning environment, problem-based learning is a powerful alternative to the passive lecture in introductory college science. Use of technology and multimedia instruction, focus on large classes, and use of interdisciplinary…

A new approach to introductory accounting at the University of Southern California teaches students to view issues from varied perspectives, broadens exposure to unstructured problems with more than one solution approach, and places accounting in real-world context. It has increased enrollment and persistence and attracted new students to the…

Assessment of student work in the collaborative classroom is dynamic, ongoing, and can be suited to the particular needs of individual instructors. It enables both instructor and students to reframe their personal understandings of the learning process and knowledge acquisition. The challenges can be met by planning, careful consideration of…

A Dickinson College (Pennsylvania) introductory physics program abandons lectures in favor of activity-based, collaborative work enhanced by use of integrated computer tools. Contrary to expectation, it was found that some women did not respond positively to hands-on, collaborative instructional methods. (MSE)

Theories of motivation suggest three approaches to enhancing college student learning: (1) reshaping students' overall achievement orientation; (2) creating the expectation of success; and (3) increasing the value of academic outcomes by helping students develop personal goals and identify means of achieving them. (MSE)

Mastery and performance goals can dramatically influence college students' self-regulated learning. These independent but complementary types of goals are shaped in important ways by how faculty organize and structure their classrooms for learning, particularly through the tasks assigned, development of student authority, and the focus of student…