Purpose: Online resources can be helpful for students and can augment the content presented in learning environments. A team consisting of four biologists, a graduate student, instructional designer and media developers collaborated on the design, development and evaluation of first-year biology online tutorials in a Canadian University. The…

This case study of large-class teaching at a UK university focuses on the place of large-scale lectures in academics' approaches to teaching, their "use" by students in their studies, and their relationship to institutional quality assurance policies. The case is a second-year module comprised of 180 students, and it includes two-hour…

Medical graduates are expected to apply scientific principles and explain the processes underlying common and important diseases. Evidence shows that integrated medical curricula, which deliver biomedical science within the context of clinical cases, facilitate student learning in preparation for practice. However, research has also shown that the…

Urban universities with a predominantly commuting student population face distinct challenges in fostering social connections. Commuting students spend less time on campus and have fewer opportunities for organized and spontaneous social interactions with other students. The campus experience for commuter students tends to center around the…

This study is aimed at the implementation of a continuous assessment model in physiology for a large-enrollment classroom with 250 students. The readiness assurance process (RAP) and immediate feedback elements from team-based learning (TBL) methodology were adopted to test their ability to guide students to solve applications exercises…

Statistics courses are frequently perceived by tertiary students as extremely difficult and anxiety-inducing, negatively impacting student outcomes and experiences. To address this, the present study considered worked example videos (where an instructor demonstrates the solution to a problem while narrating the process) as a blended learning…

Physiology students grapple with large amounts of subject content and hence memorize facts to pass examinations. In parallel, students display limited critical-thinking and creative skills, integration abilities, and/or a deeper engagement with subject content. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of introducing active learning methods…

Over the last decade, policy makers have urged universities to innovate their teaching methodologies. Although educational research has shown that active methods lead to improvements in learners' performance more than traditional lectures in small classes, some factors impede active methods from spreading in large size classes. In this paper we…

This research explored two important constructs in 21st century e-education--students' MOOC-efficacy and meaningful learning among undergraduate students in selected public universities in Malaysia. Its main objective was to examine the causal relationship of students' MOOC-efficacy on meaningful learning. The study conceptualized students'…

This article details a role-playing "citizenship simulation" used in a large graduate seminar offered by the Masters of International Relations (IR) faculty at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. While recognizing the need for a more systematic analysis of the relationship between class size and active learning strategies, this…

This paper explores the benefits and drawbacks of technology-enhanced learning (TEL) to engage undergraduate students in geography modules at Newcastle University. I consider the efficacy of "student response systems" (hereafter SRS, also known as audience response systems, clickers or personal response systems) in large lectures by…

Experiential learning has been documented as an effective method for student learning, yet its use in large-enrollment classes remains limited. Kolb's experiential learning theory emphasizes that experiential learning requires a hospitable learning space (HLS) that is conducive to learning. In this article, we reframe the challenges to…

The multiple synchronous smart classroom learning environment (MSSC) is an alternative educational context that describes several active learning classrooms, connected through synchronous broadcasting technology. MSSC provides conceptually new capabilities to maximise both student learning and instructor efficiency. However, MSSC lacks an…

To introduce active learning session for a large group of 250 students, we combined the strengths of problem-based learning and team-based learning to promote a structured active learning strategy with less faculty involvement. For the implementation of this strategy, a case on anemia was selected based on the module already covered in classes.…

Undergraduate physics programs are increasingly facing pressure from university and college administration, industry, and funding agencies to improve training of our undergraduates. Increasingly, tertiary institutions have redefined their graduate profiles and mission statements to encompass more than just content knowledge, including skills that…