To investigate the variation in active learning used in college science courses, the authors analyzed 57 comparison studies published in three prominent science education journals. Focusing on three sources of variation--(a) the active learning activities, (b) other pedagogical features, and (c) course structure/design--they found that most…

To investigate the variation in active learning used in college science courses, the authors analyzed 57 comparison studies published in three prominent science education journals. Focusing on three sources of variation--(a) the active learning activities, (b) other pedagogical features, and (c) course structure/design--they found that most…

We report conceptual inventory results of a large-scale assessment project at a large university. We studied the introduction of materials and instructional methods informed by physics education research (PER) (physics education research-informed materials) into a department where most instruction has previously been traditional and a significant…

Physics students were exposed to one of three lecture styles: blackboard, overhead projector, or two channel slide presentation. The latter method utilizes two slide projectors; after a slide has been discussed it is transferred to the second projector where it is displayed until the slide changes again. Student questionnaires revealed a…

Describes research into student attention patterns during lectures that suggests that student attention declines steadily during a lecture, and that the rate of decrease is dependent upon several variables including subject difficulty. (MLH)

The intent of this study was to assess the content structure of college biology lectures and to determine the extent to which that structure differed in lectures by a given professor and among lectures of different professors. Content structure was based on the amount of contiguity and commonality of verbal elements between pairs of discourse…

Describes a college microbiology course in which traditional lectures were abandoned in favor of guided learning objectives and student initiative. A statistical analysis of the data indicates that student achievement on the nonlecture-plus-lab system was not so great as on the traditional lecture-plus-lab course. (JR)

Describes a study comparing a combined system of lectures and problem sessions with a recitation class in engineering mechanics. No major differences were found in performance of students in either method. A significant difference in achievement was found with class size. The smaller the group the better the student performance." (Author/TS)

This study was proposed to determine the occurrence, stability, and character of kinetic structure patterns within college physics lessons. Six lectures were randomly chosen from the schedules of each of six cooperating physics professors and a transcription of audio-tape recordings of each lecture was prepared. The flow of discourse was broken…

The primary problem was to investigate the relationships between two methods of presenting biological information (lecture-laboratory and audio-tutorial) and students' attitudes toward biology and their terminal achievement. A total of 259 students from Grand Rapids Junior College, Grand Rapids, Michigan, participated while 136 students from…

The study reported here concludes that the laboratory does help students in their geology lecture course work even though the content emphases are different. (MDR)

Describes an undergraduate automatic controls course in which the teaching-learning process is regarded as a closed loop feedback system. The three basic components of the system: the controller, the plant, and the learning sensors are identified as the teacher, the student, and student feedback respectively. (SMB)

Examines two instructional strategies, the traditional and learning cycle approaches, and compares them with regard to the variables of sequence, format, and necessity. Concludes that students exposed to the laboratory and discussion type had higher test scores than those in the lecture or reading groups. (Author/RT)

This paper describes research using the Educational Resources Information Center--ERIC database to conduct a content analysis of education journals for science teachers. The journals analyzed: "Science and Children" (S&C), "The Science Teacher" (TST), and "The Journal of College Science Teaching" (TJCST), are used…