Describes an approach to teaching undergraduate anthropology focused on anthropological modes of thought rather than accumulation of exotic data. Central technique is use of a journal focused on relating classroom material to students' daily lives. Aim is to teach students to be participant-observers in their own cultures. (Author/JS)

Discusses the design of an undergraduate survey course in anthropological linguistics that both acquaints students with language structure and traces the cross-fertilizing relationships that bind it to other specialties within anthropology. Considers utilizing the holistic approach which views language and culture as forming a continuum of coded…

Briefly describes two guidebooks, published by the National Center for Research to Improve Postsecondary Teaching and Learning, designed to assist both teaching assistants (TAs) and professors to improve instruction. Stresses the importance of course planning and writing effective syllabi. Argues TAs need to learn skills from their current…

The development and structure of a computer literacy course, developed at Hunter College (New York) in 1991 and targeting women and minorities, are described. The course has been extremely successful and well received and has resulted in the opening of additional computer laboratories and scheduling of many new sections. (MSE)

An analysis of aptitude-treatment interaction (ATI) for preferences for course structure and of instructor orientation preferences was undertaken for 50 first-year college students. Results indicate that students are more satisfied with instructors who are perceived as student oriented but that students who prefer low-difficulty instruction…

Presents three aspects of multi-professional shared learning. Discusses the levels of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that comprise a learner's "readiness" for Inter-Professional Learning and describes the design and implementation of a multi-professional shared-learning course. Identifies the educational principles underlying shared…

Describes a method whereby college instructors can efficiently create individualized e-mail messages to students. The technique combines the mail merge capability of Microsoft Word and Excel with an e-mail client. Examples are from successful use in two courses: large-enrollment statistics course taught by lecture and a graduate-level course in…

Discusses the use of student-based focus groups as one component of university course evaluations. Steps in planning and conducting focus groups are detailed and applied to the evaluation of a freshman-level general health course. Finds that participants wanted to retain the health content but add more of a teaching emphasis to the course.…

Examines the potential benefits of intensive scheduling, an alternative to traditional school day structuring that allows students to take fewer classes but stay in them longer. Suggests that fewer and longer classes accommodate more cooperative learning styles and enhance student academic performance. Includes descriptions of several intensive…

The growth of distance education and the widespread use of multimedia course materials has led to interest in packaging and selling online courses. While few such courses are available, and fewer still have been successful, debate over issues of academic freedom and intellectual property is heightening. Some faculty say the greatest concern is…

How could we design course programmes in a teachers' learning community context? Is it possible to conceive a concrete and appropriate course model? And if so, how could we assess the effectiveness of such a course model in such a complex learning situation? In this paper, a model implementation of technology-based courses is presented. The model…

Multilevel SEM was used to examine the extent to which student, instructor, and course characteristics affect student ratings. Data were gathered from 1867 students enrolled in 117 courses at a large teacher training college in Israel. Four alternative two-level models that differ in only the nature of the relationship among interest in the course…

In this article, the authors introduce 3 different course formats for teaching management consulting at the university. On the basis of data from self-evaluation questionnaires from 159 students, the authors analyze effectiveness of these course designs in raising the self-confidence of participants to cope with the kind of tasks typically faced…

In concurrent enrollment (CE) classes, academic and continuing education students enroll in courses that are held simultaneously, using the same classroom and instructors and having the same requirements and learning expectations. At North Harris College (NHC), in Texas, the introduction of CE was aided by a new strategic plan developed for the…

A study was undertaken at Glendale Community College, in California, to determine the effectiveness of a 2-week summer macroeconomics course. To gather data, the instructor maintained a diary of topics covered and problems encountered, surveyed all 20 students upon completion of the class regarding their experiences and satisfaction, and compared…