A study of effective English-as-a-second-language (ESL) teaching in large classes is presented. The small body of literature on class size and student achievement is reviewed, the "large section" approach is described. The approach is evaluated with data on student performance in an ESL program offered at Montgomery College, (Maryland).…

Maintains that philosophical concepts in geography are widely regarded as an important element in geography degrees, yet students have problems understanding them. Describes how a large lecture course was modified to promote understanding by increasing interaction between lecturer and student. (CFR)

Asserts that increasing enrollments in college-level geography courses have led to larger class sizes and the dangers of impersonal treatment of students. Provides suggestions for improved interpersonal connections, connections with the content being studied, and connections with the world beyond the university. (CFR)

Provides a way to enliven the classroom lecture by involving students in the lecture. Students role-play characters in the teacher's lecture becoming active learners through participation. Students learn their roles and make decisions based on the lecture situation presented. Provides an example unit on the growth of big business in U.S. history…

Praises, defends, and attempts to explain the unique characteristics of the lecture teaching method as practiced by Soviet educators. Firmly committed to the lecture method, Soviet educators refined this technique to the level of dazzling verbal performances complete with syllogisms, elaborately constructed arguments, and a touch of theater. (MJP)

The Napier University Business School, Edinburgh, Scotland and the Katholieke Universiteit, Leuven, Belgium embarked on a 3-year collaborative research project to evaluate lecturing techniques at Napier and to compare the results of the evaluation at Napier with those achieved at Leuven. Leuven had developed the EVADOC Questionnaire to monitor…

These two documents present (1) a user's guide to the Personal Teaching Improvement Guides Program developed at the University of California, Berkeley and (2) a sample guide. The program uses results of student evaluations (keyed to 24 teaching practices) and descriptions of successful teaching practices to individualize instructional improvement…

The six editions of the newsletter provide a forum for the sharing of research findings and instructional strategies by faculty of Western Michigan University. Topics addressed include: active learning; lecture variations; lecture techniques; grading student participation; leading discussions; overcoming silence; discussion challenges; course…

This set of lecture notes is used as a supplemental text for the teaching of fluid dynamics, as one component of a thermodynamics course for engineering technologists. The major text for the course covered basic fluids concepts such as pressure, mass flow, and specific weight. The objective of this document was to present additional fluids…

Compiled as a resource guide for faculty development programs, this manual presents a collection of ideas, materials, and resources designed to increase the effectiveness of adjunct staff members in postsecondary occupational education. After a statement of the manual's purpose, the next section provides a perspective on disadvantages facing…

A handbook for University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) teaching assistants (TAs) is presented that includes information about university policy concerning TAs and their jobs. Contents cover: duties of TAs, teaching associates, and teaching fellows; appointment, reappointment, and duration of employment; salary; benefits; conduct,…

A guide for developing a departmentally-based teaching assistant (TA) training program is presented. At the University of California, Los Angeles, (UCLA) part-time teaching assistant consultants who are experienced TAs have been employed to help with TA training programs. The following criteria are used to evaluate departmental proposals to hire…

Examines two instructional strategies, the traditional and learning cycle approaches, and compares them with regard to the variables of sequence, format, and necessity. Concludes that students exposed to the laboratory and discussion type had higher test scores than those in the lecture or reading groups. (Author/RT)

This volume offers practical suggestions to teachers on how to improve teaching methods at the higher education level. Suggestions span various types of teaching tasks and settings. Chapter 1 is on teaching in large groups and includes lecture preparation, what to do when things go wrong, evaluating a lecture, and related topics. Chapter 2…

The present study drew on existing theories and research to further uncover the mysteries of the college teaching/learning paradigm, particularly the causal links between effective instruction and student learning of novel lecture material. The experimental design involved 380 introductory psychology students and consisted of a Lecture…