Any adequate comparison between the lecture method of instruction and the case method of instruction necessarily requires a comparison of their underlying philosophical foundation and methodology. This is based on the premise that foundational philosophies or world views underlie educational philosophies, and each educational philosophy favors a…

An introductory, multidisciplinary lecture-laboratory course linked with a summer research experience has been established to provide undergraduate biology and chemistry majors with the skills needed to be successful in the research laboratory. This three-credit hour course was focused on laboratory skills and was designed to reinforce and develop…

As class sizes increase, methods of assessments shift from costly traditional approaches (e.g. expert-graded writing assignments) to more economic and logistically feasible methods (e.g. multiple-choice testing, computer-automated scoring, or peer assessment). While each method of assessment has its merits, it is peer assessment in particular,…

The "Student Evaluation of Instruction" (SEOI) was administered to all full-time and part-time faculty. Approximately 91,530 surveys were sent out in 4,980 envelopes; 58,604 surveys were returned to the Office of Institutional Research. The return rate for the paper surveys was 64% including late submissions. Instructors' reports were…

As offerings of online courses, programs, and degrees continue to increase, universities are grappling for ways to assess and assure quality. The quality and quantity of interaction between faculty and students and among students constitutes a significant component of the definition of quality for any course, whether online or face-to-face. It…