Reusable, or non-disposable, assignments are becoming increasingly popular with the proliferation of Open Education Practices. However, no clear nomenclature and taxonomy for these assignments exists in the literature. This literature review explores the various names and conceptualizations under which non-disposable assignments are discussed.…

This literature review applies Wenger's community of practice framework as a theoretical lens to generate insight about the complex collaborative processes of living labs. The authors explore this model with insights from the literature on labs and then set out to understand higher educational living labs. The findings show that current research…

The author explains how using creative assignments reinforces invention, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills in undergraduate health administration students. While several studies look at the use of creative assignments to help students develop these skills, few studies exist on their use in health administration. In addition, the use of…

Undergraduates reported the impact of pedagogical practices on their perceived stress. Overall, clustered deadlines, unclear instructions, pop quizzes, high-stakes assignments, and cold calling created the most stress. Policies that allow grade recovery, clear instructions, feeling known by the professor, and flexible deadlines alleviated the most…

Metacognition is a key to effective learning, foundational to critical thinking and fostering scholarly and professional identity. Yet many faculty are uncertain how to integrate metacognitive skill development into classes. This article describes two metacognitive instruments, the TTM-LS and the LSSA, that are short, simple to use, and discipline…

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…

This study investigates the effectiveness of implementing clicker-based activities to promote critical thinking in a small-enrollment undergraduate psychology course. Students' performance on knowledge-based tests and critical-thinking assignments were analyzed. Whereas no significant difference was observed in their knowledge-based exam…

Due to advancements in technology and the demand for flexible instruction, online educational opportunities are increasing. However, instructors still need guidance to teach students effectively in different types of online courses. This article provides context- and delivery-specific guidelines for those teaching asynchronous, synchronous, and…

Instructors expect students to read before class to engage them in using higher-order thinking skills that are critical to performing in group work and engaging in discussions. As many instructors are aware, however, for various reasons many students don't read the assigned textbook. In this study, science news articles were used as prereadings to…

The author assesses the evolution of classroom community through an examination of three subsequent semesters of a large undergraduate education course at a regional, comprehensive university. The evolution and modification of course format and assignments across three semesters are treated as interventions to foster interactions among students…

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 study sought to better understand students' experiences with instructor feedback on writing assignments. Undergraduate students (n = 162) completed an online survey about the frequency, type, and nature of feedback they received from instructors, their feedback preferences, their satisfaction with feedback, and their use of feedback. Findings…

This study aimed to find predictors of learning outcomes for an undergraduate social work research course. Participants' scores on various assessment tasks were used as dependent variables and their perceptions and learning experiences as independent variables. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed. Student performance on weekly…

The authors asked students enrolled in a wide range of college mathematics courses to predict their scores on quizzes and exams. They found that top and bottom performers were less accurate predictors, but those scoring in the middle range were more accurate in predicting their scores. Females were more accurate predictors of their scores than…

Understanding student perceptions of the elements that affect positive team experiences helps inform faculty about their use of teams in the classroom. Using Q Methodology (Stephenson, 1935), students evaluated a large set of teamwork elements. The results indicate both areas of student agreement as well as significant differences in perceptions…