Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of segmentation on immediate and delayed recall and transfer in a multimedia learning environment. The independent variables of segmentation and non-segmentation, as well as immediate and delayed transfer assessments, were manipulated to assess the effects of segmentation on the participant’s ability to recall and transfer information from the multimedia tutorial. Data was analyzed using a 2x2 factorial design. The results of this study found that segmentation of multimedia tutorials did not result in significant differences in recall or transfer. The results also revealed that the time period between when a tutorial was viewed and when the recall and transfer assessments were taken did significantly affect participants’ abilities to recall and transfer information.

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Abstract: Service learning that features mutually constructed community-based service can enhance the understanding of a range of concepts (Butin, 2006). However, such service is often seen as “charity” as opposed to a dually constructed experience that is central to real learning (Howard, 2000; Tellis, 2011). This project was designed to determine whether the early interjection of peer-led reflections into an undergraduate course would result in students having gained a dual partnership perspective by mid-semester. Exploratory results suggest that peer-led reflections may have both increased student understanding of service learning and contributed to the quantity and quality of theoretical course concepts cited.

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Abstract: This study examined teaching assistants’ (TAs) preparation for, attitudes towards, and experiences with academic dishonesty at a public research university. Of 470 TAs, 184 (39%) completed the survey instrument. The major findings of the study were: (a) TAs were more satisfied with their informal than their formal preparation for dealing with academic dishonesty of their students, (b) over 90% of TAs received some form of formal training dealing with academic integrity, (c) a large percentage of TAs have failed to address cheating incidents, and (d) TAs displayed conflicting attitudes towards issues of academic dishonesty. Recommendations for improved practice and further research are provided.

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Abstract: The literature reveals that educators find it challenging to foster critical thinking (CT) in their students if they have not learned how to use CT in their educational system or training. This paper reports findings from a national research project that was undertaken to enhance the educators’ ability to promote CT in their teaching practices. Using a randomized control trial design with a pre- and post-test, 91 educators from 14 of the 17 schools of nursing in Pakistan consented to enroll in the study and 72 completed the study. The intervention included 40 hours of learning experience during two workshops that focused on CT. Data were collected, pre- and post-intervention, via observations and audiotaping of the participants teaching sessions for 60-90 minutes. The data obtained was assessed for the educators’ level of questioning, teaching strategies, and facilitation skills. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Compared with the pre- intervention data, findings from the post-intervention data in the experimental group revealed positive changes in their pedagogical skills, including a significant increase in the number of higher order questions that are considered important for developing students’ CT skills. This study affirms that educators must have structured training to use and foster CT in their teaching practices.

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Abstract: Despite the increase of individuals with psychological disabilities (PD) attending college and universities, students with PD are less likely to complete their college programs than their non- disabled peers and peers with other disabilities. This qualitative study examined the perceptions and beliefs of individuals with PD attending a four year university regarding faculty characteristics and behaviors that promote academic achievement, as well as faculty behavior and characteristics that encourage disclosure and requests for accommodations or other supports. The researcher conducted in-depth interviews with 16 participants and utilized grounded theory research methods to collect and analyze data. Various themes emerged from the study, including participants’ considerations when asking for accommodations, faculty characteristics and behaviors identified as impacting academic achievement, and suggestions for faculty members to help students succeed in their coursework.

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Abstract: This study examines the digital native pre-service teachers’ (DNPSTs) perceptions of their competency, attitude, and pedagogical intention to use free and open source tools (FOSTs) in their future teaching. Participants were 294 PSTs who responded to pre-course surveys at the beginning of an educational technology course. Using the structural equation modeling, the data obtained from the Likert-type questionnaire were analyzed. Results showed that computer competency was a significant predictor of attitude toward using technology. Although PSTs scored high on their computer competency, this did not mean that they have strong stances towards using FOSTs in the classroom. However, the more skilled PSTs with FOSTs, the possibilities of using FOSTs in the classroom were higher. The results also suggested that DNPST’s attitude toward using technology was a significant determinant of their attitude toward using FOSTs.

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Abstract: The small-scale study reported here sought to ascertain the experiences of talented undergraduate students across four faculties within one university in New Zealand. Thirty-eight undergraduate participants from the four faculties were identified by 16 staff participants based on criteria used by the academic staff in their respective faculty, department, or school. Staff and students participated in separate focus groups so that their perceptions of talented students could be gained. Participant understandings of current identification methods and provision options for talented undergraduate students within the university environment were also sought. Talented undergraduate students identified existing practices that had enhanced, or in some instances had proved detrimental to, their learning. Students also shared ideas that they believed could be implemented to further enhance their experiences and learning. The implications of these findings are discussed with the intent of further enriching the future experiences of talented undergraduate students in the tertiary environment.

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Abstract: One of the crucial goals of higher education is building a scientifically literate citizenry. The science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subject areas are indicated as good domains to develop knowledge and skills for becoming future leaders. However, previous research has indicated a constant decline in the number of American college students enrolled in the STEM areas. Several studies have indicated that instructors play a critical role in promoting students’ satisfaction that influences their learning. This study explores the teaching characteristics that influence student satisfaction in college STEM courses through document analysis. The data include students’ comments reported on two college course-rating websites. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Four identified instructional attributes pertinent to student satisfaction are as follows: (a) teaching styles, methods, or strategies; (b) teacher knowledge and preparation; (c) teacher attitude toward teaching, subject, and students; and (d) practical workload and expectations. We discuss implications of the study results and future research directions.

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Abstract: Universities frequently offer support programs to assist first-year students with the transition from school to the university. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of different mentoring styles on mentee academic performance after 1 year and 2 years of study. Participants consisted of 417 psychology students who started their course of study in the 2007/2008 winter term at the University of Vienna. Three hundred twenty-eight students participated voluntarily in the peer mentoring program, Cascaded Blended Mentoring, in which they were supported by 48 peer mentors (advanced students) in small groups. Eighty-nine students did not participate in the mentoring program. The mentoring groups were classified according to one of three mentoring styles described by Leidenfrost, Strassnig, Schabmann, Carbon, and Spiel (2011): (b) motivating master mentoring, (b) informatory standard mentoring, and (c) negative minimalist mentoring. Our data suggest that participants in the mentoring program performed better in their studies than students who did not participate in terms of average grade and number of courses passed. There was, however, no specific impact of the different mentoring styles on mentee academic performance.

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Abstract: Quality learning in higher education is an impetus and major objective for educators and researchers. The student approaches to learning (SAL) framework, arising from the seminal work of Marton and Säljö (1976), has been researched extensively and used to predict and explain students’ positive (e.g., critical reflection) and maladaptive behaviors (e.g., work avoidance). It is prudent for educators to cultivate and encourage students to actively construct and make sense of their own learning, rather than to simply memorize and reproduce contents for assessment purposes. In this review, we revisit and examine the SAL theorization within the contexts of higher education. We scope the importance of quality learning and propose three major elements in our discussion, which may foster deep, meaningful learning inclination: assessment strategies, the classroom milieu, and alignment of learning objectives. We conclude this theoretical article with an offering of issues for continuing research development. This focus, in our view, is significant as we believe the SAL framework is not robust in its explanation of students’ learning behaviors in different sociocultural settings.

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Abstract: The integration of co-teaching across disciplines in higher education is an approach that enhances the learning experience for both students and faculty. The process of examining material from the perspective of two disciplines contributes to critical thinking skills beyond traditional pedagogical approaches. This article presents a model for interdisciplinary co-teaching based on the authors’ experience with an undergraduate course titled Children and Violence. The course Children and Violence evolved out of the professors’ shared interest and professional experiences working on issues of childhood violence. Children and Violence was designed to encourage students to grapple with the complex issues that contribute to children becoming victims of violence or perpetrators of violence (or in some cases, both). The course was created using the criminal justice and psychology disciplines because these fields naturally interface when addressing the subject of child maltreatment and youth violence. A major purpose of the course was to examine the societal problem of children and violence from a critical multidisciplinary perspective. This paper will review the development of this course, as well as present suggestions for best practices for interdisciplinary co-teaching.

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Abstract: This paper describes interteaching as an evidence-based method of instruction. Instructors often rely on more traditional approaches, such as lectures, as means to deliver instruction. Despite high usage, these methods are ineffective at achieving desirable academic outcomes. We discuss an innovative approach to delivering instruction known as interteaching that is derived from the behavioral sciences and has empirical support with regard to applications in higher education. In an interteaching session, the instructor composes a preparation guide consisting of several questions that outline a required reading and distributes the guide during class. Students form small groups and work collectively on the guide while the instructor goes from group to group to answer questions. Following the session, the instructor gives a short, intensive lecture on problem areas. Previous research has shown that this approach is effective and allows for frequent assessment of instructional materials and timely guidance of student progress. Suggestions for application and areas of future research are presented.

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Abstract: Many students fail to read the assigned material before class. A failure to read is detrimental to both student learning and course engagement. This paper considers the often-neglected teaching technique of giving frequent quizzes on the reading. Drawing on the author’s experiences assigning reading quizzes, together with student opinions about the quizzes solicited in end-of-semester surveys, this paper suggests that quizzing students on the reading has much to recommend it, and that common reservations about the practice are unfounded.

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Abstract: Recent service-learning literature proposed a dichotomous framework for understanding service learning as either traditional service learning or critical service learning. Within this proposal, critical service learning is differentiated from traditional service learning as emphasizing social change, working to redistribute power, and seeking to develop authentic relationships, while traditional service learning does none of these. Traditional service learning is described as being of lower quality, more often resembling a charitable approach to engaging students with the community, without attention to the role of inequality in the social system, thereby presenting dangers to the community and the students that clearly outweigh the benefits. Rather than adopt the traditional vs. critical service learning paradigm that has been proposed, we suggest that criticality be considered in the construction of all service-learning courses and that faculty consider thoughtfully the level of criticality that is appropriate within a given course and academic discipline. Further, we suggest that criticality might be increased through more fully integrating critical thinking into service-learning courses.

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