Research shows that active-learning methods (e.g. discussion) are often superior to passive methods (e.g. lecture) with respect to learning outcomes. However, students sometimes report preferring and learning more in lecture-style classes compared to those in which they play an active role. These and related findings suggest students may lack…

Students' self-reported attitudinal learning were compared between two different large courses that incorporated attitudinal learning objectives at a Midwestern US public university- a course on environmental sustainability utilising active learning instruction (100 participants) and a course on international economics utilising traditional…

Virtual reality recently expanded to collaborative and social networking environments where users interact with virtual characters (VCs) of various appearances and behaviors, often impacting the quality of experience. In this paper, we present preliminary survey results of perceptions about characteristics of VCs and a user study of a VR lecture…

This study assessed perceived learning outcomes in a team-lecture hybrid (TLH) instructional design in six public affairs and health administration courses implemented in 2011 and 2012. A cross sectional and prospective survey design was implemented using descriptive statistics, regression analysis and qualitative analysis. Results show students…

We apply Carroll's model of school learning, which theorizes about the relationship between time and learning, to motivate the design of a large, first-year, university mathematics course, where students have the choice to attend lectures and/or watch online videos. The theoretical model informs how the course and resources are designed in order…

Whitney Zimmerman, writes about a dilemma she faced while coordinating and teaching an online undergraduate statistics course. The course included many short example videos, but students often requested video lectures. Such long videos contradict mainstream educational research that suggests videos be short in duration. Zimmerman, explains how the…

This essay explains how research in Physics education by Eric Mazur, arguing from the pedagogic deficiencies of instruction through lectures, has been applied successfully in a thorough revision of two undergraduate courses in English, one on John Milton and another on William Shakespeare.

It has been well-establishing in the field of educational research that traditional educational methods such as passive lectures and labs where students follow pre-designed procedures to verify information already told to them are not effective for promoting meaningful and lasting conceptual understanding. Alongside this knowledge have come a…

Combining traditional classroom instruction and online instruction, or hybrid/blended learning, has emerged as a popular option to mitigate rising enrollments and non-traditional student needs while maintaining the known advantages to the face-to-face learning format. We evaluated the effectiveness of a Fundamentals of Communication course (also…

Background: Research illustrates that student motivations influence learning engagement, persistence, and achievement in powerful ways and that positive motivations are linked to deeper learning, critical thinking, pro-social behavior, and better performance. Most studies of learner motivation, however, are conducted outside of STEM and are…

Higher education institutions face demands to develop and deliver course content through alternate modes of delivery. A variety of course designs have emerged in recent years. One of these is the hybrid or blended course design model where face-to-face instruction is combined with online instruction. Researchers have found negligible differences…

Use of multimedia for teaching and learning, particularly digital video, has become ubiquitous in higher education. This is driven in part by the growth in blended pedagogies and an increase in students learning solely or partly online. It is also influenced by relatively inexpensive media production equipment, faster internet speeds, student…

Recent years have witnessed a surge in classroom-based pedagogies aimed at targeting student engagement. This paper seeks to report on the design, delivery and small-scale evaluation of a final year undergraduate module in developmental psychology. Adopting a range of innovative teaching/learning methodologies, the author sought to support student…

The flipped classroom approach is an innovative teaching method to promote students' active learning. It has been used in nursing education and has showed positive results. The purpose of this article is to describe the process of developing a flipped classroom approach for an undergraduate evidence-based nursing practice course and discuss…

This paper describes a small-scale research project based on workbooks designed to support independent study of proofs in a first course on abstract algebra. We discuss the lecturers' aims in designing the workbooks, and set these against a background of research on students' learning of group theory and on epistemological beliefs and study habits…