Active-learning approaches have recently been broadly promoted on many campuses, but research is limited on how varying levels of interaction impact student success. The aim of this study was to compare student success between two sections of an introductory biology course that used classroom response systems (i.e., clickers), but were taught with…

The increase in classroom technology has resulted in the use of clickers and other audience response systems (ARS) for simultaneous reporting of choices in the teambased learning (TBL) classroom. A variety of techniques and practices using ARS technology in TBL courses has been noted. Learning gains in the TBL classroom with ARS reporting has not…

This article investigates how mastery of prerequisite course material impacts student learning in follow-on courses. To measure the importance of prerequisite skills, we compare the exam scores of students with a GPA of 3.0 or better in their multidisciplinary prerequisite classes to the exam scores of students with a GPA of less than 3.0 in their…

Content area literacy strategies, which support students in developing literacy skills and better understanding disciplinary concepts, are a promising approach to teaching science at the college level. In this study, we examined the effects of incorporating literacy strategies with laboratory sections in a General Biology course. In particular, we…

A comparison was made between students' overall performance, as measured by overall grade, in different teaching and learning protocols: (1) traditional textbook and lecture along with standard examinations; (2) lectures with online augmentation and PowerPoint lecture notes along with standard examinations; (3) similar to "(2)" but with…

Two separate writing-to-learn activities in which students wrote to authentic audiences outside of the instructor were used in a college integrated science course, Science of Water. For the first task, students were asked to write to fourth-grade students, and for the second, students were asked to write to their academic advisor. An overview of…

Helping students take ownership of their learning is often a challenge in a large lecture course. In this article, the authors describe a nature of science-oriented group project in a chemistry course in which students gave presentations in concurrent conference sessions as well as its impact on student learning as evidenced through multiple data…

Described is a method of instruction in organic chemistry designed to promote the concept of learning for mastery. (PEB)

Identifies three categories of specific aptitudes pertinent to success in school. Cites research that indicates a person will learn more effectively if material is presented in a mode matched to his aptitude profile, and advocates consideration of this in preparing instructional materials or selecting textbooks. (GS)

Reported are some investigations of the use of discovery learning techniques on retention. (PEB)

Presents reasons for accepting alternative modes of education that might help students to escape perceptual traps and limitations to human potential and growth. (JR)

Reports results of a study designed to determine how well several forms of adjunct questions establish encoding by visual imagery, and whether such coding enhances performance compared to questions designed to encourage verbal encoding alone. (CS)

Standing in front of a classroom distributing factual information is what many do while teaching. Argues that more time and effort should be spent on activities that are more fruitful at promoting student learning. (SAH)

Summarizes some of the approaches to help personalize instruction and create a motivational learning environment in introductory biology courses. Suggestions for motivation include making the content meaningful, making yourself available, demonstrating that you care about students, creating student-oriented course features, and generating…

Presents a simple pedagogical model to teach the importance of antiparallel complementarity in nucleotide pairing when replication, transcription and coding are initially introduced. (HM)