The amount of information contained in any educational data set is fundamentally constrained by the instructional conditions under which the data are collected. In this study, we show that by redesigning the structure of traditional online courses, we can improve the ability of educational data mining to provide useful information for instructors.…

Proposing cumulative and integrative processes for an online course development, this paper addresses six core considerations when shifting from a face-to-face to a blended to an online class in three academic semesters. Considerations address real-time face-to-face interaction, lecture structure, instructor presence, learning objectives, course…

In this article, the author shares her story of teaching in New York City, the U.S. epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. First, the initial plan to successfully provide online instruction and avoid anticipated barriers that may have occurred is shared. Next, student reactions to intervention strategies and observations related to student…

In this article, the author shares her story of teaching in the U.S. epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. First, the initial plan to successfully provide online instruction and avoid anticipated barriers that may have occurred is shared. Next, student reactions intervention strategies and observations related to student performance during…

This article is part of a longitudinal study of American college students studying Mandarin in China. Its main data are drawn from monthly speaking events (four sessions with each student) conducted in Chinese with each of 29 participants in a study-abroad program in China. The study yielded these results: (a) Students made significant progress in…

This article reports on the decline in writing ability skills in secondary and higher education students. The author discusses changes that have affected student writing skills over the recent decades and offers recommendations for improving these skills, such as: implementing intensive freshman writing courses; adjusting existing course…

Economists Philip Babcock and Mindy Marks recently assembled time-series survey data on college student time use from a number of sources spanning four decades. Their study, titled "The Falling Time Cost of College: Evidence from a Half Century of Time Use Data," will appear in a forthcoming issue of the "Review of Economics and…

In this paper, the author summarizes the role and contributions of the scholarship and institutional research about student engagement and its relevance for student development professionals and others committed to enhancing the quality of the undergraduate experience. The presentation is organized into four major sections. First, the author…

This paper describes how new roles for instructors and learners can be integrated into course design and delivery by rethinking course design as part of a process-based staff development program. The goal of incorporating online learning tasks was to engage students with course resources prior to class time through active learning. The staff…

This article describes the difficulty faced by educators in fighting inappropriate use of technology among students inside the classrooms. It is not uncommon for teachers to find some of their students logging on to MySpace and eBay during lectures. Due to these types of scenarios, some teachers have started to ban laptops and cellular phones…

The pedagogical assumptions and teaching practices of learning community models reflect exemplary conditions for learning, so using these models with unprepared students seems desirable and worthy of investigation. This chapter describes the key role of faculty in creating active, integrative learning experiences for students in basic skills…

Engagement has become a buzzword in higher education. Research by Alexander Astin, George Kuh, and others has demonstrated that engagement in campus life contributes to students' learning, increases their satisfaction with their college experiences, and reduces the likelihood that they will drop out. The kind of engagement that transforms a person…

Describes how several business schools, fed up with students' Internet use during class time, are taking steps to force them to log off. Money spent wiring classrooms for Internet access and laptop use has encouraged distraction among students and the use of "kill switches" by professors. (EV)

Literature on teaching and learning in college classrooms is reviewed and findings are discussed through a generational lens. From assumptions about generations of students, recommendations for enhancing student learning--especially for Millennial students--are provided.

This paper argues that a precondition for good studying and learning in undergraduate study is a reasonable student workload. Ways in which workload can be measured, in advance of presentation, are outlined. Suggestions on how to regulate student workload and some implications for curriculum and course design are presented. (GLR)