Exploring the value of course assessment across multiple teaching modalities, this chapter provides a framework for improving introductory science courses by evaluating the impact of pedagogical modality on student learning.

This study examined lived experiences of two international student affairs professionals in the United States. Through a series of interviews, the dialogues unfold rich narratives that explore the multifaceted journey from academic preparation to career placement in the field of higher education student affairs (HESA). It also underscores the…

Using the TBC, we compared students' and teachers' perceptions of excellent teaching in different disciplines at a private university in Colombia. Faculty and students in all fields rated being respectful and being a good communicator as the two most important qualities of excellent teachers. Differences in students' and faculty's perceptions…

This chapter presents findings from a qualitative study which investigated the perceptions of twenty-five ITAs toward US American undergraduates. The participant cohort comprised fourteen PhD and eleven master's students, of which, three were male and twenty-two were female ITAs teaching oral communication or a communication course requiring…

This article maps the Association of College and Research Libraries' Information Competency Standards for Higher Education to the cognitive development levels developed by William G. Perry and Patricia King and Karen Kitchener to suggest which competencies are appropriate for which level of cognitive development. (Contains 1 table.)

Academic dismissal resulting from poor scholastic achievement is an unfortunate reality at American universities, and one that involves students, faculty, and academic advisers. This chapter analyzes learning outcomes of the academic dismissal process for first-generation college students (FGS) resulting from a year-long study conducted at a…

Observation of 401 college teachers indicates that teachers of different academic disciplines (arts/humanities, social sciences, natural sciences/mathematics) differ in the frequency of specific classroom teaching behaviors, but that what makes an effective teacher, in the perception of students, is consistent regardless of discipline.…

A study is outlined that evaluates the effectiveness of a program to train prospective college geography teachers by comparing those trainees with untrained teachers after one year of teaching experience. The study gathered information on teacher intentions, situations, feelings, and judgments about their profession. (MSE)

Drawing on a number of studies of college student learning, this review concludes that students in different disciplines develop characteristic ways of learning based on their perceptions of what is required in their academic work. Within a discipline, effective learning involves an interplay between the characteristics of the student and the…

Two lessons from comparable undergraduate courses in physics and engineering are analyzed to identify content, issues emphasized, and concepts used. Differences reflecting the pure nature of one field (physics) in contrast to the applied nature of the other are identified. Implications for classroom instruction and for research on college teaching…

In a study using student rating data from over 8,000 course sections in a large university, disciplinary differences and the value students placed on the time they spent preparing for class are correlated with students' evaluations of teaching. Implications for faculty promotion and tenure policy, instructional improvement, and further research…

A study of the role of subject matter in shaping high school teachers' beliefs, curricular concerns, and instructional practices complements studies of the disciplines in higher education. Factors discussed include the "hard/soft" distinction between disciplines, curriculum sequencing, range of classroom techniques, breadth of course content, and…

Describes and compares five major types of college learning-community curricular models: linked courses; learning clusters; freshman interest groups; federated learning communities; and coordinated studies. Characteristics of each model are outlined concerning institution size, basic unit of instruction, number of students involved, faculty roles,…

A survey of 4,072 college faculty examined institutional and disciplinary differences in faculty opinions of desired outcomes of undergraduate education. Significant differences by both institution type and discipline were found in emphasis on knowledge acquisition versus knowledge application and integration. It is suggested that reform of…

Three college instructors, teaching very different content (management, political science, and literature) and using classroom assessment techniques (CATs), compared the results. All found that CATs contributed to self-reflection, that designing CATs helps faculty focus on course and class goals, and that responding to CATs requires students to…