As the field of higher education has used several methods to assess college teaching, the validation of these measures and how they relate to each other has been sparse. This study drew on data from a multi-institutional study of 587 college courses to examine the efficacy of two methods of measuring college teaching (class observation and…

This experimental study concerned the effects of repeated students' evaluations of teaching coupled with collaborative consultation on professors' instructional skills. Twenty-five psychology professors from a Dutch university were randomly assigned to either a control group or an experimental group. During their course, students evaluated them…

Using data from over 9,000 faculty members that participated in the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE), this study examined the moderating role a range of course characteristics played on the effects of gender on the percentage of class time spent on various activities, a measure of teaching style. Results revealed gender differences, but…

Using Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) figures on the 96 Research Extensive Institution in academic year 2007-2008, we employ panel data from academic year 1984-1985 to 2007-2008 to identify revenue-expenditure relationships. Although we consider a wide range of functional expenditure categories, we focus our analysis on…

Most studies of curricular diversity have focused on the effects of participation in diversity courses on student outcomes. Though the results have been positive, these studies have used limited measures of curricular diversity and there is a great need for a complimentary body of research demonstrating what faculty and what types of courses are…

This study examines student responses to the question, "What circumstances, if any, could make cheating justified?" It then assesses how well those responses can be classified by existing theories and categories that emerge from a qualitative analysis of the data. Results show considerable support for techniques of neutralization, partial support…

Counseling instructors using evaluations made by their students has shown to be a fruitful approach to enhancing teaching quality. However, prior experimental studies are questionable in terms of external validity. Therefore, we conducted a non-experimental intervention study in which all of the courses offered by a specific department at a German…

Over the past several decades, one of the most significant changes in the delivery of postsecondary education involves the dramatic increase in the use of contingent or part-time faculty. Although the increased use of part-time faculty within higher education makes sense from an administrative point of view, its use does not come without…

Technology expands instructional options for faculty, and this study examines the differential learning effects of offering a lecture on physics to students in a traditional classroom versus internet video formats. Based on an experiment conducted in a natural educational context, results indicate enhanced transfer of lecture information in the…

Thirty-one studies in which students and faculty specified the instructional characteristics they considered particularly important to good teaching and effective instruction were analyzed for commonalities. Results were compared with those of an earlier study of student ratings. (Author/MSE)

The basic Delphi methodology is outlined along with possible goals and objectives in a Delphi study. The results of an actual case study in the use of the Delphi method for higher education curriculum development are reported, and attention is given to the problem of selecting participants for a Delphi exercise. (Author/LBH)

The consistency of ratings between different sections of a course taught in a given semester by the same instructor is examined, and the performance of global and attribute-type instructor rating items are compared. Five samples of physics instructors were rated by their students. (Author/MLW)

A statistical methodology applied to three years of teaching load data from 21 major public universities yields an objective, broadly applicable set of student credit hours (SCH) weight factors. A table of optimum weighting factors for upper division and graduate SCH is presented. (Author/MLW)

Found that community college students randomly assigned to receive instruction at a distance via a two-way interactive telecourse demonstrated learning equivalent to that of students assigned to on-campus, face-to-face instruction. However, students choosing to take the course via telecourse had significantly higher course learning than either…

Little agreement as to criteria for evaluating college teaching was found in a literature review. A list of 10 activities and faculty behaviors that can be more reliably and validly evaluated by fellow colleagues than by students or administrators is presented. Recommendations for upgrading colleague evaluation of teaching are made. (JT)