A course syllabus can affect students' perceptions of the motivational climate within a course. Yet, few researchers have conducted experimental studies of students' perceptions of syllabi in courses in which they were currently enrolled. The purpose of the present studies was to assess the extent to which syllabi language and organization…

Syllabus-boundness constitutes an important attribute of a so-called surface approach to learning, whereby students are seen as highly assessment-oriented, doing what is minimally required from them, and wanting well-organized courses and clear instructions. When this concept emerged in the late 1960ies, it was linked to a discussion on issues of…

Finding ways to motivate learners in online courses can be difficult when the interaction between the instructor and the learner is conducted through written text. The use of syllabi is an important component to help guide learners and provide them with course expectations. A poorly written or misinterpreted syllabus can contribute to a negative…

This study aimed to investigate undergraduates' perspectives of online syllabus design and interactivity in an asynchronous geoscience course. The study was grounded in previous research on syllabus design and interactivity and used a multiple case study design to gather data from five participants. The course had multiple sections, each with a…

Completion of an escape room activity requires participants to work as a team to find hidden clues and solve challenging puzzles to escape before time expires. The use of escape rooms for active learning may produce a positive classroom environment by improving teamwork skills, encouraging engagement with course materials, fostering intellectual…

Contribution: In the research presented in this article, a procedure for determining student workload has been designed, tested, and validated. This procedure also makes it possible to analyze how different teaching variables are affected by workload and to visualize the learning environment generated in the course. Background: When the…

In this exploratory study, students at a US university were asked about their motivations for enrolling or not enrolling in a human sexuality course. Questionnaires were given to 617 undergraduate students enrolled in a human sexuality course and to 169 final-year students who had not taken the course. The top five reasons students gave for…

The aim of this study is to reveal the experiences of digital comics developed by the participants in Atatürk's Principles and History of Revolutions course. In this context, the research has been designed with phenomenology, which is one of the qualitative research methods. The study group of the research consists of 29 university students who…

The course syllabus serves as an important first contact between professors and students in university courses and the language used in a syllabus can influence students' first impressions of the professor and expectations for the course. Existing research in Self-Determination Theory has shown that autonomy-supportive language leads to increased…

The hallmark of a well-designed game is player persistence -- the same characteristic professors hope to cultivate in their students, especially in the face of the student retention crisis. The four studies reported here include an archival study, a focus group, and two experiments. They each test a minor game mechanic that may have a small but…

With growing demand for marketing graduates with quantitative strengths, many universities are developing degree programs and courses that focus on analytical skills. Unfortunately, marketing students are often regarded as having inferior quantitative skills. Thus, marketing departments face the challenge of motivating students to enroll in…

Scholars and commentators are increasingly concerned about the erosion of democratic norms in the United States. Political science education stands at the forefront of higher education's mission to create an educated citizenry, and civic education is linked to outcomes like civic engagement and trust in government. Much of the research on civic…

This study focused on Saudi female English as a foreign language (EFL) learners, second-year level, English Department, College of Arts, Bisha University. Most the learners are exposed to the English language at a late stage, which is one of the challenges they encounter. The main objective of this study was to identify the main challenges faced…

Gross anatomy dissection in contemporary medical education must balance the traditional value of learning from the cadaver with the possibilities created by the use of digital tools as supplemental resources that personalize and deepen the student learning experience. This study broadly examined the design, implementation, and use of…

Many of us know the courses within our curriculum that slow student progress toward graduation. Existing research has found that research design courses often serve as barriers, as one of these students arrive on the first day with high anxiety and low motivation. This article reviews how revisions driven by the Quality Matters framework resulted…