As a result of the stay-at-home mandates related to COVID-19 across the world, higher education institutions scrambled to move their curricula online. With no clear guidelines on when face-to-face (F2F) instruction will resume on campuses across the nation, this article can be a helpful guide for educators who teach, or are planning on teaching,…

As a result of the ideas of a university sophomore and senior and their dissatisfaction with the traditional lecture and exam format, George Washington University (Washington, D.C.) offers an experimental undergraduate course entitled "Confrontation and the Development of the Individual Mind." The English department course is taught by…

Behavioral sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine have been taught in terms of direct applicability to the primary care physician's practice with the "behavioral system" providing the point of integration for a general organ system approach. (MLW)

Steps to improving introductory courses to keep the appropriate liberal education emphasis include: teach less, restructure testing, relate course content to problems in the outside world, pursue ethical issues, balance facts with other forms of knowledge, teach the arts of discussion and critical thinking, and help students develop wisdom. (MSE)

A well-designed college course syllabus can serve a variety of purposes: as an agreement between teacher and student; as a device for communicating intent, seriousness, and expectations; as an overall plan of action for the course; and as a cognitive map of the course to share with students. This article identifies the major components of a good…

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…

A course emphasizing the relationship between literature and human rights can provide opportunities to examine the history of social protest literature and to look at the distinctions between authors and cultural or historical contexts. One such course used guest lecturers involved in human rights struggles and special events outside the…

The development and structure of 6 interdisciplinary world civilization courses by 14 faculty at San Jose State University are described. The curriculum provides a framework for investigation of common problems facing all cultures, analysis and assessment of attempted solutions, successful and unsuccessful, and evaluation of contemporary attempts…

A conceptual framework is provided to help college teachers find ways to include meaningful learning activities in their classes, regardless of teaching style, course objectives, or students' level of experience. Examples are offered from literature and nursing courses. Additional issues discussed include the teacher's role perception and concerns…

Collaboration between a public affairs faculty member and an instructional developer resulted in design of a learner-centered large lecture course. Evaluation after three years revealed which elements of the course format generated the most student interest and, in some cases, changed attitudes about learning in college. Suggestions are made for…

A discussion of computer integration in the college curriculum describes its impact on courses and classroom interaction, looks at levels of computer integration, and examines strategies for developing such a course. It is proposed that, although computer integration is inevitable, it will cause a turbulent transition period for classroom…

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…

Introductory courses in biology are often either designed for majors or watered-down versions for nonmajors that are not stimulating. A course developed for nonmajors emphasizes the relationship of biology to the human condition and focuses on five basic concepts while being flexible enough to adapt to new research and technology. (MSE)

This book provides higher education faculty practical suggestions for efficient and effective teaching and assessment of students and evaluation of teaching quality. Chapter 1 is an introduction to the book and its format. The format follows a schema developed to show the general process of planning and teaching a course which should be first…

A step-by-step guide to designing interdisciplinary courses is presented. Underlying theoretical rationales and expected educational outcomes are explored, and concrete suggestions and examples are offered. Steps include assembling an interdisciplinary team, selecting a topic, identifying disciplines for inclusion, developing the issues underlying…