Past research indicates that the testing effect is an effective tool to improve memory and retention and academic performance, however, very few studies have investigated the effects across academic disciplines with a focus on higher- vs. lower-level learning. Therefore, in the current study, we sought to examine whether the testing effect occurs…

In Spring 2020, engineering faculty transitioned to emergency remote instruction due to COVID-19. This mixed-methods study was done to understand the correlation between self-regulated learning and how students experienced the emergency transition to remote learning. The participants were from an upper-level engineering course, with 33 students…

Metacognition is important for both teaching and learning. Effective teachers are metacognitive about teaching, reflecting on, and making adjustments to instructional approaches to support student learning. However, relative to the literature on student metacognition about learning, there is a paucity of research on college instructor…

This paper explores results of an online course revision to enhance student learning strategies and interactions. Data was collected from 125 of 167 students enrolled in an entry-level course at a large Midwestern university. Mid-term and end-of-semester surveys indicate that students found strategies such as mini-lectures, Quick Checks, and…

Asking students to write at the end of class is a familiar strategy (Angelo and Cross 1993), and it can be done in many ways. Students might focus on the day's lecture--What key idea(s) did they learn? What was confusing? What questions remain unanswered? Or they might look ahead--What are their preconceptions of the next topic? Those…

In this study, students from a variety of disciplines, who were enrolled in six courses that incorporate the use of social media, were surveyed to evaluate their perception of how the integration of social-media tools supports deep approaches to learning. Students reported that social media supports deep learning both directly and indirectly,…

The nature of silence is complex in any classroom with international or domestic students. Instructors sometimes fail to recognize that the classroom silence of foreign students is unlike their native counterparts. With an insider perspective, this article explores the concept of silence among international students by examining the existing body…

Through interviews with twenty-nine students who completed an educational psychology class that required self-study, the author investigates the relation between the amount of dissonance students experienced between their schemas for learning and the type of learning required by the course, as well as the type of knowledge the students…

Planning time for giving students effective feedback is an important and challenging aspect of the teaching and learning process. In our article we describe and analyze how we engage students as partners in providing formative feedback in time for students to modify their own thinking or behavior to improve learning. We have found ways to provide…

Much attention has focused on learning styles and their impact on the teaching and learning process; however, little has been done to systematically incorporate learning style theory into actual teaching, nor to systematically examine its potential impact on student learning in higher education. As part of a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning…

Assuming that learning is an inherently social process, this research explores interpersonal variables that affect teaching. Specifically, does the interpersonal teaching style affect student impressions of the instructor? Eighty-five undergraduates viewed one of three ten-minute videos that portrayed either an authoritarian, authoritative, or…

Engaging students in metacognitive activities that help them reflect on how they learn empowers them and improves their learning. The author of this article uses a final assignment called a Learning Assessment to develop students' metacognitive skills. The Learning Assessment is a series of questions that students answer in a short paper due on…

Syllabi can be useful in engaging students and creating an effective classroom atmosphere, yet discussions of their effective use rarely appear. In light of current research and theory on syllabi, we review their typical uses (structural, motivational, and evidentiary), commonly included components, and attributes that positively impact the…

Four teaching techniques were used to enhance conceptual learning and to increase student performance in a course in physical-chemical principles at the School of Pharmacy of the University of Missouri-Kansas City. One of the techniques, "concept overview," is described. (MLW)

The journals of students in introductory college science courses give insight into the bewilderment students feel about science. Problems fall into five categories: semantics; use of symbols; inability to evaluate their own progress; difficulty in assimilating quantities of new knowledge; and cognitive overload. Students should be encouraged to…