The ability to design effective technology-enhanced learning (TEL) experiences is a critical skill for university teachers. However, challenges endure on how best to develop university teachers in research-intensive universities to design TEL experiences that meet student, professional, and employer expectations. Having a greater insight of the…

Active learning classrooms (ALCs) have been demonstrated to have significant and positive impacts on student learning experiences, student learning outcomes, and instructor and student behavior compared to traditional classrooms. The social context of a classroom -- levels of student-student and student-instructor interaction -- has been…

The engineering education field has concentrated more on rationality and knowledge than on emotions, even though the latter are important in students' learning processes and in the engineering profession. This study examined engineering students' descriptions of the roles of teaching in their perceived emotions. A qualitative thematic analysis was…

Purpose: Social stress is a psychological and biological pressure that stems from one's relationship with others in social environments, which has become the most serious humanitarian issue today. Learning environments are one of the most important environments for reducing or increasing social stress and concentration. This study aims to…

Exploring adult learners' expectations of ideal course environments is essential since the social climate of courses influences students' learning outcomes and persistence. This study investigated adult learners' expectations of ideal course environments focused on task orientation, teacher support, and student influence using two versions of the…

Introduction: Despite academic climate being a key aspect of teaching quality in academic institutions, few studies conducted in the university context have analyzed this construct systematically. Method: Given the absence of specific tools to apply to university, we propose the construction of a tool for assessing college students' perceptions of…

It is exceedingly important for student affairs professionals to have an understanding of the types of students living, working and learning on our campuses in order to strategically enhance their experiences. One group on college campuses that is often overlooked is the transgender population of students; the lack of focus on the "T" in…

Online learning has become a reality for many students in higher education. Unfortunately, something that has also become a reality is a sense of isolation in online courses, and Moore (1980) has warned that students' sense of distance can threaten their ability to learn. The community of inquiry framework (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000) has…

This study set out to examine the relationships between the classroom social environment, motivation, engagement and achievement of a group of early entrant Honors students at a large urban university. Prior research on the classroom environment, motivation, engagement and high ability students was examined, leading to the assumption that the…

"Teaching Sociology's" emphasis on the scholarship of teaching and learning has moved the field well beyond simple description of teaching methods. There is no doubt that the journal is more scholarly than in the past. Still, we do not take advantage of our rich theoretical disciplinary work. There is much to learn sociologically about the…

University staff are now encouraged to supplement their classroom activity with computer-based tools and resources accessible through virtual learning environments (VLEs). Meanwhile, university students increasingly make recreational use of computer networks in the form of various social software applications. This paper explores tensions of…

Examined patterns in the way returning women students perceive classroom environment. Data from 284 female and 155 male returning adult students revealed that gender differences do exist in the perceptions of adult students concerning the college classroom environment. Males appeared less concerned with relational aspects of classroom setting than…

Analysis of results of a questionnaire to measure any relationship between mid-management students' perception of their class as a social group or learning environment and their achievement in class indicates that classroom environment is not a factor in achievement. (MF)

Students who actively participate in the learning process learn more than those who do not. "Involvement matters," as Tinto (1997) points out, and this involvement can occur both inside and outside the classroom. The importance of students' active involvement in learning is by now well documented and known. Active involvement in class facilitates…

The development and validation of an instrument designated as the Classroom and School Community Inventory (CSCI) are described. Scores on both the classroom form and the school form of the CSCI possess strong content validity, construct validity, internal consistencies, and 2-week test-retest reliability. Using a sample of 341 traditional and…