Background: Implementing research-based teaching practices has been repeatedly cited as an important factor for student success in university mathematics courses. Many research-based practices increase the amount of student-student and/or student-instructor interaction. However, some instructors are hesitant to implement such practices because…

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 paper describes the application of formative assessment methods in a flipped freshman engineering circuits course. This student-centered approach provided value for the instructor seeking to improve the learning environment and content in real-time, and for the students who actively participated in the process of course improvement. Three…

Recent studies demonstrate that significant learning gains can be achieved when instructors take intentional steps to address the affective components of learning. While such efforts enhance the outcomes of all students, they are particularly beneficial for students from underrepresented groups and can reduce performance gaps. In the present…

The instructional practices used in introductory college courses often differ dramatically from those used in high school courses, and dissatisfaction with these practices is cited by students as a prominent reason for leaving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors. To better characterize the transition to college course…

Especially, during the first year in university, absenteeism can have detrimental effects on grades and social integration of the student in the university community. According to pedagogical literature, altering teaching methods from lecturing toward engaging teaching, which applies various active teaching methods in the university classroom, can…

Passive learning environments to teach programming concepts, especially in large lecture classes, hinder students' motivation, performance and may adversely affect their achievement goals. The study presents the use of two instructional strategies, teamwork, and reflective thinking, using educational technologies introduced in a class of 120…

Quantifying student engagement with online learning resources on virtual learning environments such as BlackBoard is important in understanding how these technologies enhance the student learning. In the present study, it was examined when, and how often, first-year students accessed lecture recordings, lecture slides, and lecture notes via…

Educational techniques that improve student engagement have repeatedly been shown to improve performance at the class level at many institutions and in multiple disciplines. However, knowledge of engagement in individual activities in large first-year classes, where there may be several subpopulations of students in different programs reflecting…

In this article, we report the results of the impact of prior programming knowledge (PPK) on lecture attendance (LA) and on subsequent final programming exam performance in a university level introductory programming course. This study used Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, multiple regression, Kruskal-Wallis, and Bonferroni correction…

This paper analyzes pre-post matched gains in the epistemological views of science students taking the introductory physics course at Beijing Normal University (BNU) in China. In this study we examined the attitudes and beliefs of science majors (n = 441) in four classes, one taught using traditional (lecture) teaching methods, and the other three…

The study empirically examines the interplay between lecture capturing viewership, performance and attendance for students in the Middle Eastern country of Qatar. The sample consists of 254 students enrolled in an introductory accounting class either in the Fall semester or in the Spring semester. We show a weak positive relationship between…

The primary goal of this study is to create and test a lecture-capture system that can rearrange visual elements while recording is still taking place, in such a way that student performance can be positively influenced. The system we have devised is capable of integrating and rearranging multimedia sources, including learning content, the…

This project describes the results from a large enrollment introductory psychology course specially designed to improve performance of first-year students. The main objective of the project was to identify early indicators of student success to inform future teaching and promote classroom engagement. Variables representing academic preparation,…

The author describes the principal findings of a survey study looking at student perceptions of a new form-based approach to reflective journaling. A form-based journal assignment was developed for use in introductory lecture courses and tested over a two-year period in an Honors General Chemistry course for engineers with a total of 157…