We compared twenty-six TBC-based studies across different countries to investigate whether there might exist universal principles of excellent teaching. We found several qualities that both faculty and students in these studies endorsed as universal or near-universal principles. Our findings provide a compelling starting point for teachers seeking…

The authors espouse inquiry-based methods of faculty assessment that provide a supportive environment for the faculty member. Effective evaluations also require the study of institutional goals, classroom environments, administrative organization and operations, curricular content, student achievement and the impact of programs on state and…

The original authors of a 1987 article, "Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education," in the AAHE Bulletin suggest that these principles have been among the most influential ideas of the past twenty years and have been disseminated, applied, adapted, and researched in many different ways. (DB)

Braskamp uses four questions to focus his discussion on the improvement of faculty evaluation: (1) Why do we assess? (2) What are the standards and criteria of quality and effectiveness? (3) What do we assess? (4) How do we assess? (JM)

Ory emphasizes four processes in assessing faculty: examining the craft of teaching; faculty members reflecting on the quality of and standards for their work; receiving feedback from others with the expectation that faculty will improve and assessing the work of others by focusing on the value of the work. (JM)

The nature of collaborative learning is examined, including some discussion of the role of the instructor. A collaborative learning situation in a women's studies course is described as an example of integration of the approach into content area instruction. (MSE)

The relationship between collaborative learning and some major theoretical and empirical approaches to fostering critical thinking are examined. Three frameworks for combining collaborative learning and critical thinking are suggested: use of mental models, creation of discourse communities, and creation of disciplinary discourse communities. (MSE)

A developmental model for collaborative learning at the college level, based on the notion of the development of expertise, is outlined. Five stages are described: (1) the learning of rules, techniques, and strategies; (2) applying the techniques and strategies to the particular teaching context; (3) developing competence; (4) becoming proficient;…

This concluding chapter, written by a national leader in higher education, reflects on public scholarship from a perspective beyond Penn State and argues that public scholarship promises to strengthen "that special form of public decision making that we call democracy."

Assessment of student work in the collaborative classroom is dynamic, ongoing, and can be suited to the particular needs of individual instructors. It enables both instructor and students to reframe their personal understandings of the learning process and knowledge acquisition. The challenges can be met by planning, careful consideration of…

The principles of supplementary instruction (SI), a college-level student academic assistance program that increases academic performance and retention in traditionally difficult courses, are examined. Several aspects are discussed, including the role of proactive assistance, staffing, institutional awareness and support, and traditional and…

The principles underlying development of software for computer-based instruction and collaborative learning are examined, and it is concluded that although traditional software and hardware originate from traditions of individual learning, software designed to aid in collaborative learning originates from conceptualizations of group learning. (MSE)

A discussion of group dynamics in collaborative learning describes use of this approach in an experimental biology course. Three approaches to group dynamics are outlined (personality and learning style, cognitive style, and group life). Identified are variables that teachers either have little power to affect, can address in course design, or can…

Social skills needed for effective collaborative learning by college students are discussed, including skills in interpersonal interaction, group building and management, inquiry, conflict resolution, and synthesis and presentation. Five instructional strategies to enhance students' collaborative skills are described: identification,…

In a collaborative learning situation, the college teacher must learn to use knowledge and authority differently, using new forms of classroom control to promote internal leadership and drawing on discipline knowledge primarily to guide group inquiry. (MSE)