In higher education it is sometimes hard to ignore the doom and gloom combination of shrinking budgets and expanding accountability. Education is also in the midst of a conversation about teaching and learning that encompasses a range of innovative pedagogies, assessments, and high impact practices. Organizations such as the Association of…

This study uses formal and informal student feedback as a source for understanding the impact of experimental course elements. Responses were used to develop a codebook, which was then applied to the entire dataset. The results inform our understanding of student's conceptions of professional identity, learning styles and curriculum design.…

Gives a detailed syllabus for a course dealing with "unteaching" racism at University of Michigan. Discusses design, philosophy, and development of the course. Discusses experiences with the students' reactions to the course. (SC)

Describes an authentic multimedia Web development project for seventh and eighth graders. Discusses the structure of the course; the classroom environment; students' personal Web pages; project implementation; production; and benefits from the students' perspective and from an instructional standpoint. (LRW)

Course instruction was manipulated to yield two different levels of structure in an exploratory analysis of the effects of course structure on student satisfaction in 166 introductory educational psychology students. Results suggest that student satisfaction for different degrees of course structure depends on personality attributes. Seven…

This survey examined class size, teaching methods, and the one-semester/two-semester organization of the introductory economics course. Student satisfaction with respect to their institution was also studied. (Author/RM)

Two educators expressed their views on the implementation of black studies programs and how these programs might be established in a more successful manner. (RK)

An introductory preclinical course in family medicine developed at Duke University is described. Student response to the course indicates that it had a positive effect upon student attitudes toward the important health care issues encountered in family practice. (JMD)

Demonstrates that popular music's potential as a tool for teaching interactive introductory sociology courses is enhanced when a cultural analysis of a specific music genre is incorporated into the classroom. Presents a two-part model for integrating a cultural analysis of heavy metal music and its subculture into the introductory course. Includes…

Offers a letter written to students enrolled in a semiotics of art class outlining the theory of a negotiated curriculum and the reasons for experimenting with it in the course. Interspersed between paragraphs of the letter are personal reflections on the strengths and shortcomings of the process. (HOD)

An instructor's experiences in teaching an introductory anthropology course organized around films are presented. Following a description of the atmosphere at the community college in New York City and the characteristics of the students, a rationale is provided which cites films as a means of breaking down the traditional barriers to learning of…

Presents perspectives of teaching and learning via Internet-based courses. The courses discussed use the Web as a delivery system, not as the primary content. Describes courses offered and course organization; instructors' perspectives--from traditional distance education teaching to Web-based teaching; the role of Web consultants; and student…

A science course is described in which students worked in moderately self-paced groups in a learning center with all the necessary resources on hand. Course objectives and organization are outlined and an evaluation of the course is presented that includes student reactions, staff opinions, and examination and project results. (Author/JMD)

Lesson structure (organization in terms of meaningful relationships among ideas or concepts) is a low-inference indicator of lesson organization in that it can be observed and objectively quantified. It affects achievement positively, and students generally rate lessons higher when the structure of the lesson is relatively high. Teachers vary in…