This paper provides teachers and teacher educators with food for thought by developing a broad, contemporary re-evaluation of the often-used analogy between teaching and the theatre. It does so by synthesizing insights from scholarly works in education with insights from writing about theatre, including both historical work and published…

This paper presents a model for teaching large classes that facilitates a "small class feel" to counteract the distance, anonymity, and formality that often characterize large lecture-style courses in higher education. One author (E. P.) has been teaching a 300-student general education critical thinking course for ten years, and the…

This paper describes the linear algebra class I taught during Spring 2014 semester at Adelphi University. I discuss the details of how I flipped the class and incorporated elements of inquiry-based learning as well as the reasoning behind specific decisions I made. I give feedback from the students on the success of the course and provide my own…

The term "flipped" or "inverted" classroom includes a broad range of pedagogical innovations, and has recently received a significant amount of press. Although flipping an entire course might be a more extreme step than most are able to take, we discuss modular ideas for change that can be more easily implemented. This paper…

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,…

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…

In response to policy developments in higher education in the UK, the Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (ILTHE--now merged in the Higher Education Academy) was established in 1999 to provide a national framework for teaching and learning at tertiary level. This article considers the training environment of novice lecturers…

This article profiles the teaching careers of history professor Giovanni Costigan of the University of Washington and English professor Tommy Howells of Whitman College in Walla Walla (Washington). It maintains that both men were accomplished lecturers who set the standard for their respective campuses and corners of Washington State. (MDM)

A questionnaire survey was used at Southern California University, Berkeley in which 140 faculty members gave their opinions about the problems and pleasures in teaching large lecture classes (minimum 100 students). Faculty members were also queried about their practices in dealing successfully with problems and their recommendations for…

The Large Class Analysis Project was undertaken to provide instructors, administrators, and researchers with an in-depth look at the teaching techniques used in a variety of large (defined as having over 100 or more students) classes taught at The University of Texas at Austin. Data were collected concerning student attitudes toward such large…

A guide for group discussion leaders that may be useful for medical school teachers is presented. One objective is to help the teacher know when group discussion is appropriate. It is suggested that both the lecture method and group discussion can facilitate cognitive learning but at different levels, and that group discussions are helpful if…

In this paper, we draw on a 16-month study funded by the Learning and Teaching Support Network in the UK and entitled "Mathematicians as Educational Co-Researchers." The study's aims were two-fold. Primarily we intended to explore mathematicians' reflections on issues identified in the literature as highly topical in the area of teaching…

This dissertation is a qualitative study that explores how three teams of humanities teachers at Capital High School (Charleston, West Virginia) tried to create and sustain an environment in which they could make decisions over curriculum, pedagogy, and school self-governance. The study also examines what empowerment means to the teachers in a…

College teaching, teaching skills, and practical problems are considered. The emphasis on subject matter specialization in graduate school and effects on the preparation of college teachers are considered, along with suggestions about what beginning college teachers need to know beyond subject matter training. After briefly considering assumptions…