Discusses ways in which college instructors can incorporate both SCANS (Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills) competencies and academic content in classroom teaching, focusing on increased student participation in classroom-management issues, as well as on students' taking more responsibility for their own learning. (MSE)

College teachers are encouraged to provoke students to analyze the grounds of their beliefs but to use care not to inflict personal biases and preferences. Several principles to follow in formulating provocative teaching techniques and to support students' critical thinking are outlined, with examples from philosophy instruction. Classroom…

A discussion of women and learning looks first at women's experiences and perspectives about learning and why the university classroom is usually more comfortable for men than for women. It then explores the implications for effective teaching and for creating equal learning environments for men and women. Specific classroom techniques and…

The mnemonic device "ATOMIC" refers to course and lesson design elements that can help make college teaching more effective. It highlights the importance of these design components: audience, arena, ambience, topic, theme, title, objectives, message, methods, materials, involvement, close, and check-up. (MSE)

Environmental issues that can be explored in social science courses include problems with potential to cause serious or irreversible change to an ecosystem or biosphere. Areas for discussion include: environmental attitudes, values, and behaviors; the environmental movement; risk perceptions; and the political economy of the environment and…

In a study of class participation, a survey of 1,059 college students and 49 professors revealed that students perceived seven factors in student participation, four of which were class traits, none professor traits; and that faculty perceived three variables, two class traits and one student trait. Implications of these findings for teaching,…

A discussion of the prevalence of academic cheating in higher education looks at research on the problem and at possible remedies. Difficulties for faculty in enforcing discipline policies are noted. Approaches to creating a culture encouraging integrity include vocal administrative support for ethics, an academic integrity code, classroom…

Nine strategies for opening and sustaining discussion of cultural pluralism in the college classroom are offered, including use of powerful evocative quotations, evocative visuals, student self-identification in cultural terms, pictographic autobiographies, student personal narratives, metaphors for America, concentric identity circles exercise,…

Techniques for managing college classroom discussions about cultural diversity and oppression are offered, using a model of social identity development that helps to understand student responses and classroom dynamics. The model posits five stages of social identity development experienced by individuals in both disadvantaged and advantaged…

This article presents ten strategies instructors can use to get their students to take more responsibility for their learning. Suggestions are given about the importance of getting students to verbalize why they are taking the course, helping students get into the proper mindset for each class, and structuring assignments so students will be more…

Techniques for college teachers to use in managing student resistance to critical thinking include proactive strategies (creating a cooperative environment, establishing rapport, creating high expectations, and countering resistive behavior) and reactive strategies (avoiding personalization of resistance, inviting students to explore resistance,…