This study was conducted to analyze first impressions of a professor and student motivation for taking a college course. The researcher hypothesized that a course syllabus with a professor welcome statement would have a more positive effect on first impressions of the professor and student motivation as compared to a course syllabus without a…

A course syllabus can affect students' perceptions of the motivational climate within a course. Yet, few researchers have conducted experimental studies of students' perceptions of syllabi in courses in which they were currently enrolled. The purpose of the present studies was to assess the extent to which syllabi language and organization…

Syllabus-boundness constitutes an important attribute of a so-called surface approach to learning, whereby students are seen as highly assessment-oriented, doing what is minimally required from them, and wanting well-organized courses and clear instructions. When this concept emerged in the late 1960ies, it was linked to a discussion on issues of…

Background: Tests are commonly and heavily used in fundamental engineering courses (FECs) to assess student learning of concepts. With existing literature presenting mixed benefits and disadvantages of testing to students' motivation to learn and documenting widely alternative assessments, the lack of questioning of heavy and common test usage…

Finding ways to motivate learners in online courses can be difficult when the interaction between the instructor and the learner is conducted through written text. The use of syllabi is an important component to help guide learners and provide them with course expectations. A poorly written or misinterpreted syllabus can contribute to a negative…

This study aimed to investigate undergraduates' perspectives of online syllabus design and interactivity in an asynchronous geoscience course. The study was grounded in previous research on syllabus design and interactivity and used a multiple case study design to gather data from five participants. The course had multiple sections, each with a…

Completion of an escape room activity requires participants to work as a team to find hidden clues and solve challenging puzzles to escape before time expires. The use of escape rooms for active learning may produce a positive classroom environment by improving teamwork skills, encouraging engagement with course materials, fostering intellectual…

Emory University has had a long relationship with His Holiness the Dalai Lama through the Emory-Tibet Science Initiative. Recently the Tenzin Gyatso Science Scholars, who are Tibetan Buddhist monastics that reside and take courses on Emory's campus, were enrolled in a novel science research course designed and taught by undergraduate students at…

Contribution: In the research presented in this article, a procedure for determining student workload has been designed, tested, and validated. This procedure also makes it possible to analyze how different teaching variables are affected by workload and to visualize the learning environment generated in the course. Background: When the…

This study examines the impact of changing the tone of a traditional syllabus to make it more learner-centered. The researchers examined a required wellness course that serves over 8,000 students per year at a large, four-year public university in the southern United States. Concerns about student progression through programs and graduation rates…

In this exploratory study, students at a US university were asked about their motivations for enrolling or not enrolling in a human sexuality course. Questionnaires were given to 617 undergraduate students enrolled in a human sexuality course and to 169 final-year students who had not taken the course. The top five reasons students gave for…

In this article, 119 faculty members from 10 Spanish universities who engage in inclusive pedagogy reveal some of the methodological and affective strategies they use to motivate their students, including those with disabilities, and help them learn. The study described is a qualitative one in which one semi-structured interview was held with each…

Some colleges, departments, and study abroad offices have developed cultural development courses and study abroad opportunities designed to help improve students' cultural awareness, knowledge, and skills. Some evidence suggests combining these approaches can be effective at helping students increase their Cultural Intelligence (CQ). This study…

The aim of this study is to reveal the experiences of digital comics developed by the participants in Atatürk's Principles and History of Revolutions course. In this context, the research has been designed with phenomenology, which is one of the qualitative research methods. The study group of the research consists of 29 university students who…

The course syllabus serves as an important first contact between professors and students in university courses and the language used in a syllabus can influence students' first impressions of the professor and expectations for the course. Existing research in Self-Determination Theory has shown that autonomy-supportive language leads to increased…