In this article I examine the role of the contemporary university in light of the mass increase in class sizes that has occurred on an international scale. While we may look nostalgically back to a time when lectures numbered a few hundred students and tutorials had as few as ten, massification at undergraduate level is an inescapable fact of…

We report conceptual inventory results of a large-scale assessment project at a large university. We studied the introduction of materials and instructional methods informed by physics education research (PER) (physics education research-informed materials) into a department where most instruction has previously been traditional and a significant…

Dimensional analysis is traditionally one of the first topics covered in a general chemistry course. Chemists use dimensional analysis as a tool to keep track of units and guide them through calculations. Although unit conversions are taught in a variety of subjects over several grade levels, many students have not mastered this topic by the time…

Economics education has been a topic of research interest to many economists. In addition, the philosophical and ethical content of economics and its role in economics education has been an issue of discussion. Chapter 1 of my dissertation addresses what topics should be ignored in a principles of microeconomics class, what the goal of the…

Web-enhanced educational programs such as Blackboard (2003; http://www.blackboard.com/) provide opportunities for instructors to make supplemental course materials available to students. However, little research has investigated the effects of unlimited access to course lectures on achievement and attendance in traditional postsecondary classroom…

The amount and kind of information included in the notes taken by undergraduate psychology students were found to be related to test performance. Most students included in their notes less than 25 percent of the propositions judged worthy of inclusion and only 50 percent of the targeted main ideas. (Author/RM)

Presents a study that investigated the effects of student factors related to course preparation, specifically participation in Learning in Communities (LINC) and technology, on the success of the students in an introductory sociology course. Reveals that attendance and reading required texts were significant predictors of success, while LINC…

Presents the results of a study comparing student reactions to and perceptions of learning in introductory public relations courses using a traditional lecture format and a Socratic approach. Finds significant differences in the two groups showing that students who received the Socratic instruction reported more opportunities in practicing their…

Describes an exercise named CARDS that was used in two sections of an introduction to psychology course. After a concept was presented in lecture, students were asked to respond to a question written on an index card and discuss their answers in groups. Presents the results of the assessment of student learning. (CMK)

Explains that a lectlet is a short Web streamed-audio lecture synchronized to an interactive text-graphics display. Compares lectlet-based distance education to traditional education by simultaneously teaching two courses (one lectlet-based, one traditional) of introductory statistics. Reveals that the lectlets were better than the traditional…

The simulation-gaming approach to college introductory economics courses benefits students who possess a certain combination of cognitive learning styles. The Cognitive Style Questionnaire, administered to 120 freshmen, identified those students who obtain meaning from spoken words, numerals, or mathematical symbols; have the ability to place…

Examines whether class size in the introductory-level economics course affects subsequent performance in intermediate-level economics courses. Studies University of Massachusetts (Boston) students who are allowed to choose large or small lecture classes. Finds that students enrolled in large sections received lower grades in subsequent…

Presents the results of a study that examined the effectiveness of assignments from the Web site "Psychology Place." Focuses on its use in an introductory psychology course," Psychology as a Natural Science" with undergraduate students (n=94). (CMK)

Although there has been a considerable amount of work evaluating the effects of different (non-traditional) instructional styles, inquiries into students' preferences of instructional style have been few. From 1998-2001, we surveyed introductory statistics students regarding various aspects of their class preferences, especially the teaching style…