Vision and Change states that one of the major changes in the way we design biology courses should be a switch in approach from teacher-centered learning to student-centered learning and identifies active learning as a recommended methods. Studies show performance benefits for students taking courses that use active learning. What is unknown is…

Recent biological theories of state anxiety have focused on temperament and neurophysiology as factors that predispose some people to be particularly at risk of debilitating levels of performance anxiety. The present study extends Gray's (1982; Gray & McNaughton, 2000) reinforcement sensitivity theory by proposing a linkage between sensitivity to…

University students and faculty participated in a study to determine the factors that account for college students' interest in their classes. Results showed that three factors--instructor communication, course stimulation, and course applicability explain 66 percent of the variance in interest. Student attendance and class participation were also…

Network analysis, a research methodology that uses interpersonal relationships as the unit of analysis in identifying communication structures, was used in a study of college classroom communication to determine what communication network factors were associated with student grades. Questionnaires asking for student perceptions of their…

The relationship of seating choice to the number of verbal classroom responses, grade point average, and course grade was examined. When college students chose their seats, the highest achievers preferred the front row, center section, and more responses emanated from this area. When seats were assigned, there were no significant differences in…

Grading style refers to the regularities and variations in the judging habits of instructors. To test the contention that grading is a communication act and ought to be related to other communication variables like instructor responsiveness, a study examined data collected from 15 teaching assistants and 2 faculty members. In addition, it reviewed…

The view of Etzioni, that member socialization and communication tend to define orientations toward consensus (and in turn role performance) was tested using students in a college classroom. The Etzioni model was moderately predictive of role performance, while addition of a cost-benefits factor boosted explained variation. (Author/GDC)

Research has suggested that both teacher expectations and student expectations can affect the individuals' own attitudes and behavior, as well as the behavior of those with whom they are interacting. The joint effects of teachers' expectations about students and students' expectations about teachers on the performance and attitudes of both…

A study investigated students' classroom interaction in 16 courses at a small extension campus of Indiana University Purdue University Columbus. Results indicate attendance patterns, student age, week in the semester, course level, and time of day were significant predictors of student interaction level. Impact of gender and instructor gender was…

A popular concept in education indicates that effective instruction requires the teacher to know the child. A study was conducted at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in order to determine where this knowledge comes from. A group of 15 teachers enrolled in the graduate school listed their students and indicated which students they knew…

The IADIS CELDA 2012 Conference intention was to address the main issues concerned with evolving learning processes and supporting pedagogies and applications in the digital age. There had been advances in both cognitive psychology and computing that have affected the educational arena. The convergence of these two disciplines is increasing at a…