Student outcomes in online courses trail considerably behind those in face-to-face courses. In order to gain insight into why this might be, the Community College Research Center (CCRC) undertook a series of studies that examined 23 high-demand, entry-level online courses at two community colleges in one state. CCRC researchers observed the online…

This guide is aimed at lecturers and tutors providing higher education courses at further education colleges in England. It contains good practice guidelines with examples from more than 50 institutions, information requested by colleges, and suggestions. A companion volume for senior managers addresses policy issues and prospects for higher…

This book is a collection of practical tips for college teachers drawn from the experiences of teachers across the disciplines. It is meant to be an aid to an instructor who needs new ideas to elevate teaching, and is a ready reference tool. The chapters are: (1) The First Day; (2) Getting Started; (3) Getting the Most from the Lecture; (4)…

Seven reasons for reading pedagogical materials to improve instruction are outlined, advice on how the reading can be used most effectively is given, and appropriate readings are recommended. (MSE)

Aspects of the lecture that make it come across well, requirements for learning in the classroom, and selected findings from an instructor-designed questionnaire that includes student evaluations of instruction are discussed. Lecturing teachers need to talk with credibility and enthusiasm and to prepare the substance of the presentation, the…

Brief, two-page papers are presented on 33 educational topics of interest to community college faculty, administrators, and staff. The following topics are considered: (1) strengthening the humanities; (2) common behavioral cycles evidenced in student-teacher relations; (3) irreducible factors for teaching and learning; (4) understanding problems…

Major elements involved in lecturing are considered, and the views of six professors concerning lecturing are included. The importance of preparing the lecture and being thoroughly familiar with the material are stressed. Adequate preparation eliminates the need for the professor to read notes during the lecture. The need to be sensitive to…

These two documents present (1) a user's guide to the Personal Teaching Improvement Guides Program developed at the University of California, Berkeley and (2) a sample guide. The program uses results of student evaluations (keyed to 24 teaching practices) and descriptions of successful teaching practices to individualize instructional improvement…

The Programmatic College of Commerce and Industry at Northwestern University is described as an innovative approach to the study of business as an institution. The program consists of weekly, noncredit, dinner-lecture-discussion meetings attended by students, faculty, and business people. Discussions center on problems facing business, on the…

This book is designed to help new faculty members in engineering and the sciences become effective teachers and researchers. Part 1 focuses on teaching, and includes six chapters which cover: characteristics of student learning, planning a course, conducting discussions and lectures, preparing examinations and assignments for students, and working…

Elements of good teaching and ways to master effective teaching techniques are examined, drawing on direct observation, the literature, and student accounts of outstanding professors. A model of effective college teaching that includes nine styles of classroom instruction is proposed. The dramatic and interpersonal aspects of teaching and the…

This book examines elements of good college teaching and ways to master effective teaching techniques, drawing on direct observation, research on teaching and learning, and student accounts of outstanding professors. Chapter 1 reviews research on exemplary teaching and proposes a two-dimensional model of effective college teaching based on…

Ways to prepare and present lectures that hold college students' attention and involve them in the teaching-learning process are discussed. Attention is focused on linguistic, rhetorical, and psychological aspects of classroom communication; common communication problems in the classroom; and how to overcome and avoid communication problems.…

This volume offers strategies and suggestions for college instructors at all levels in the form of 49 teaching tools (organized into 12 sections) that cover both traditional tasks--writing a course syllabus, delivering an effective lecture--and newer, broader concerns such as responding to diversity and using technology. Each tool includes a brief…

Intended for instructors teaching a college course for the first time, this anthology contains short readings organized into four sections on: (1) introductory concerns, (2) course planning, (3) instructional methods, and (4) evaluation. Each section is preceded by a brief introduction. Included are the following articles: "It's a Myth: Nobody…