This project was designed to test Mayer's multimedia theory in an elementary school to improve students' mathematics learning for low-income children. The study designed and developed two multimedia mathematics experiments in 3rd grade: 9's multiplication experiment and geometric solids experiment. The two experimental lessons were implemented in…

From 2004-2007, the University of Memphis carried out the NSF-funded Tri-P-LETS (Three P Learning Environment for Teachers and Students) project to improve local high-school computer science curricula. The project reached a total of 58 classrooms in eleven high schools emphasizing problem solving skills, programming concepts as opposed to syntax,…

The Community of Inquiry framework has become a useful instrument for exploring learning in online classes; however, the interactions between the constructs of teaching presence and cognitive presence remain relatively unexplored. This study investigated student perceptions of cognitive presence as explained by three teaching presence elements;…

Traditional teaching styles practiced at universities do not generally suit all students' learning styles. For a variety of reasons, students do not always engage in learning in the courses in which they are enrolled. New methods to create and deliver educational material are available, but these do not always improve learning outcomes.…

Current literature says little about how students use a course syllabus. We surveyed students regarding how frequently they consulted their General Psychology syllabus and other syllabi, what they looked for, and where they kept them. All 112 students responding prior to midterm and 91 of the 93 students responding six weeks later reported they…

This guide offers a straightforward method for gathering and reporting student survey data on substance use-related problems. It will be of particular interest to program directors for AOD prevention programs on campus, or to members of a campus-based task force or campus and community coalition that is charged with assessing the need for new…

Student involvement in higher education governance has traditionally been seen as an important element in institutional decision-making. Student governance, along with faculty, staff, and trustee governance, is seen as an important, defining element in higher education decision making, and an element that helps to define the unique nature of the…

The purpose of this project is to incorporate a community service component into a Biology course at Northern State University (NSU) in Aberdeen, SD. Students in an upper-level botany course (Plant Structure and Function) provide landscaping services to homeowners who have purchased homes through Habitat for Humanity. Homeowner satisfaction with…

This article investigates the complex interrelation between ethnic and gender diversity, process and performance among groups of business students. The article is based on an empirical survey of business students working on a complex assignment in groups of two to five in a small Swedish university. The results indicate that gender diversity leads…

One of the biggest concerns about student evaluations of teaching is the positive correlation between them and expected grades. Past research has been unable to clarify if intentional revenge for low grades or a more subtle process such as cognitive dissonance leads to low evaluations. This study included a survey of college students (N = 143)…

Sex education is a contested site in the school curriculum as communities grapple with who should teach young people about sex and how it should be taught. In this paper we ask whether same-sex-attracted young people are being exposed to appropriate and relevant sex education at school, and if they are not whether it is necessary that sex…

Because of an interest in the concept of opportunity to learn (OTL) in the English language arts from the perspective of students, the authors surveyed over 1,800 students in grades 9-12. OTL was defined as perceptions of access and exposure to reading and writing content, as well as curriculum tasks and materials. The findings uncovered three…

The author details a study of the feedback provided in four online courses and how adult students perceived and made use of that feedback. The relation of feedback to formative assessment is briefly considered. Students indicated a preference for feedback embedded in the document rather than summarized at the end of their work. Categories for…

Institutional surveys of student opinion emerged out of the turmoil of the late 1960s. Never intended to serve as professional evaluations, the surveys were the only tangible evidence of teaching effectiveness until some faculty opened their classrooms for observation by chairs and colleagues. Historically, the "peer review of teaching" has…

This author discusses the relationship between the use of presentation software and the maintenance of student interest in university lectures. The evidence of surveyed university students suggests that PowerPoint, used as a presentation tool in university lectures, is pedagogically effective only while it provides variety and stimulates interest…