Traditional lab courses separate lectures from lab work, whereas integrated lab-lecture courses (also known as studio courses) combine both in a single session under one instructor. Previous studies suggest that integrated lab-lecture courses may have the potential to enhance the learning experience for introductory-level students. In this…

We show how learning can be improved, beyond that shown in actively taught classrooms, by also transforming the homework using the principles of deliberate practice. We measure the impact of transforming the homework on student learning in a course that had already implemented an active approach to teaching in class. We compare performance on the…

Despite the substantial progress made to develop evidence-based pedagogical practices that support student learning, many courses are dominated by "traditional" practices such as a passive lecture. Thus, a continued focus on reforming courses is necessary. Here we describe the deliberate practice-driven reform of a large lecture-format…

Many students who enroll in introductory statistics courses do not have positive attitudes about the subject. A 2012 wide-ranging study by Schau and Emmioglu showed that student attitudes do not tend to improve after completing an introductory statistics course. However, there is a need for more studies about attitudes in introductory statistics…

Universities in the U.S. typically offer to teach introductory engineering courses in large classes to tackle the increase in undergraduate engineering enrolment and to save on cost of teaching. Previous studies done on traditionally taught large classes have shown the negative effects it has on students and faculty. Many institutions use online…

While the equivalence between online and traditional classrooms has been well researched, very little effort has been expended to do such comparisons for college level introductory chemistry. The existing literature has only one study that investigated chemistry lectures at an entire course level as opposed to particular course components such as…

Over the course of instruction, not only does most introductory physics students' content knowledge evolve but their attitudes and approaches to problem solving are also likely to evolve. This change may depend on many factors including the curricula and pedagogies used, the degree to which instruction actively engages students in the learning…

This study investigated the role of a new paradigm in teaching large introductory, fundamental engineering mechanics (IFEM) courses that combined student-centered learning pedagogies and supplemental learning resources. Demographic characteristics in this study included a total of 405 students, of whom 347 (85.7%) are males and 58 are (14.3%)…

This study aimed to explore how inquiry-oriented teaching could be implemented in an introductory linear algebra course that, due to various constraints, may not lend itself to inquiry-oriented teaching. In particular, the course in question has a traditionally large class size, limited amount of class time, and is often coordinated with other…

The study compares the work habits of two student groups in an introductory physics course, one in traditional and one in online sections. Both groups shared the same online materials and online homework, as well as the same discussion boards and examinations, but one group in addition had traditional lectures. The groups were compared with…

Promoting collaboration and discourse in asynchronous online courses is challenging; students need something engaging to talk about, a communications medium in which to fluidly discuss it, and a social environment that supports discourse. We designed a fully online introductory geoscience lecture and lab course called Geology Goes Hollywood that…

We compare student learning and perception data from astronomy, physics, and geology courses taught in a traditional classroom with individual desks to the same classes taught in a large auditorium. In a large student sample (1,593 students), there is no clear difference between rooms in measures of failure rates or average final grades. However,…

This study examined test performance as a function of test format (proctored versus unproctored) and course type (traditional versus distance). The participants were 246 undergraduate students who completed introductory sociology courses during four semesters at a southeastern university. During each semester, the same instructor taught a…

While some research has suggested that video lectures are just as effective as in-person lectures to convey basic information to students, not everyone agrees that the flipped classroom model is an effective way of educating students. This research explores traditional, semi-flipped and fully-flipped classroom models by comparing three sections of…

This article reports results from a large study comparing four different approaches to teaching Introduction to American Government: (1) traditional, a paper textbook with 100% face-to-face lecture-style teaching; (2) breakout, a paper textbook with 50% face-to-face lecture-style teaching and 50% face-to-face small-group breakout discussion…