Reacting directly to the fact that even the best syllabus is worthless to the student who does not read it, this essay draws inspiration from research of the past decade, especially from the learning-focused syllabus concept that was introduced by three researchers at the University of Virginia, and uses a questionnaire to gauge our community…

How well students conduct research online is an increasing concern for educators at all levels, especially higher education. This paper describes the evolution of a course that examines confirmation bias, information searching, and the political economy of information as keys to becoming more information and media literate. After a key assignment…

Synthesizing the best current thinking about learning, course design, and promoting student achievement, this is a guide to developing college instruction that has clear purpose, is well integrated into the curriculum, and improves student learning in predictable and measurable ways. The process involves developing a transparent course blueprint,…

The Introduction to Sociology course is usually the first contact that students have with the discipline of sociology. This course can determine whether students take other sociology courses or learn to use sociology in their lives as adults and citizens. "First Contact" identifies important issues facing instructors in introducing students to the…

The cloud has become a widely used term in academia and the industry. Education has not remained unaware of this trend, and several educational solutions based on cloud technologies are already in place, especially for software as a service cloud. However, an evaluation of the educational potential of infrastructure and platform clouds has not…

Undergraduate research experiences have been shown to enhance the educational experience and retention of college students, especially those from underrepresented populations. However, many challenges still exist relative to building community among students navigating large institutions. We developed a novel course called "Entering…

A paper presented at Forum on the Status of Women in the Profession at annual convention of Modern Language Association of America (New York, December 27, 1970). (Editor)

This paper presents guidelines for writing a syllabus for college courses for both experienced and novice teachers. The purpose of the syllabus in communicating course content, purpose, direction and requirements is discussed, as is the necessity of planning the course before syllabus writing. Major content areas of the syllabus are reviewed,…

The author discusses the problem of making philosophy courses relevant to the needs of college students and relevance with modern problems compatable with traditional philosophy. He suggests various approaches including the application of logic to contemporary social arguments and ways of combining the study of traditional philosophers with…

Developed as a result of a 1984 summer institute sponsored by the Community College Humanities Association, this booklet offers guidance on the construction of a new, model introductory history course which would introduce students to the nature of historical studies. Following prefatory comments on the summer institute, a general overview,…

This is a workbook that assists college faculty to design their own courses. The process is organized in a series of stages each of which is given a chapter: gathering, planning, implementing, teaching and evaluating. The first chapter on gathering describes the process for collecting as much information about the course as possible by describing…

Ethical bases of the informed consent doctrine are explored relative to how much information students need before they take a course. Such information includes content, grading policies, assignments, course goals, teaching philosophy, and techniques. The major justification of informed consent is autonomy; individuals need adequate information to…

A model for course planning that provides a way of looking at college instruction and an approach to preparing effective courses is presented. It is suggested that: teaching is an experimental activity, there is no correct way to teach, a teacher sets up the conditions for learning, and both the course and teacher need to assume part of the…