We present findings from a study exploring student and staff perceptions of the use of webnotes, and whether their availability affects attendance at lectures. A questionnaire survey gathered data from 162 undergraduate and masters students and 20 staff. Students and staff agree that webnotes have become an expected supplement to lecture delivery,…

A molecule coming from outside an organism can form a ligand-receptor complex. Upon its formation, a message is transmitted, for example, to certain cells. In this way, two enantiomers can emit messages that differ, either quantitatively or qualitatively. In the present article, these facts are taken as a common basis for the actions of chiral…

When video recordings of Ravi Janardan's computer-science course at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities first went online, the students loved it. Instead of dragging themselves out of bed for the 8 a.m. lectures, many started skipping classes and watching the recordings instead. Recording lectures is becoming more and more common, and many…

Many large scientific projects and scientific centres incorporate some kind of outreach programme. Almost all of these outreach programmes include public scientific lectures delivered by practising scientists. In this article, we examine such lectures from the perspectives of: (i) lecturers (7) who are practising scientists acknowledged to be good…

This paper aims to investigate students' likes and dislikes of the teaching that they have experienced and its effects on students' perceptions of the learning environment, student learning and academic performance. The study compares a lecture-based setting to a student-activating learning/teaching environment, considering both instructional and…

Online learning is transcending from the text-rich educational experience of the past to a video- and audio-rich learning transformation. The greater levels of media-rich content and media-rich interaction that are currently prevalent in online leisure experiences will help to increase e-learning's future efficiency and effectiveness. "Enhancing…

In our Fundamentals of Genetics lab, students perform a wide variety of labs to reinforce and extend the topics covered in lecture. I developed an active-learning lab to augment the lecture topic of mutagenesis. In this lab exercise, students determine if a compound they bring from home is a mutagen. Students are required to read extensive…

William James addressed the last 3 lectures in "Talks to Teachers on Psychology and to Students on Some of Life's Ideals" (1899/1958) specifically to students. The first of these lectures, "The Gospel of Relaxation," encouraged students to be both relaxed and active. The second, "On a Certain Blindness in Human Beings," promoted awareness of and…

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,…

This book examines elements of good college teaching and ways to master effective teaching techniques, drawing on direct observation, research on teaching and learning, and student accounts of outstanding professors. Chapter 1 reviews research on exemplary teaching and proposes a two-dimensional model of effective college teaching based on…

Ten newsletter issues on the Graduate Teacher Program (GTP) at the University of Colorado are presented. The initial issue provides an overview of the GTP and the University Learning Center, and covers scholarships offered to graduate students, the Graduate Student Advisory Council, and student support services on the Boulder campus. Additional…

A handbook for University of Georgia graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) is presented that provides practical information about teaching for inexperienced GTAs as well as experienced teachers who seek new ideas. Attention is directed to: responsibilities of assistantships; relationships with faculty and with students; policies, procedures, and…

Suggestions for graduate teaching assistants (TA) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, are offered. Information is provided on: the TA as a university employee, the instructor as a teacher/adviser, course management, classroom and evaluation concerns, and teaching resources. Definitions are offered for the graduate teaching assistant,…

A handbook for University of California, Los Angeles, (UCLA) teaching assistants is provided compiled from materials developed at UCLA and other college teaching programs. Separate sections cover: teaching roles, meeting the first class, leading sections, teaching one's own course, motivating students, teaching tips, preparing examinations,…

A teaching guide designed for use by new university teaching assistants provides help in preparing for and carrying out instructional responsibilities. Separate chapters give guidance with: preparing the course description and syllabus, including writing objectives; selecting teaching strategies (lecture, discussion, and laboratory experience);…