While decades of research on college teaching has investigated several forms of classroom practices, much of this research approaches teaching as falling into mutually exclusive paradigms (e.g., active learning vs. lecturing). This paper enters inside the college classroom using external raters to understand patterns of pedagogical practices…

Blended learning has steadily gained in popularity at the higher levels of education. This marks a change in pedagogical approaches from one-directional instruction to an interactive and technology-aided class. However, to manage fluent in-class activities and proper data analysis, real-time and fine-grained data collection activities are still…

Those who teach college students have extensive training in their disciplines, but unlike their counterparts at the high school or elementary school level, they often have surprisingly little instruction in the craft of teaching itself. "The Chicago Handbook for Teachers, Second Edition", is an extraordinarily helpful guide for anyone facing the…

Outlines a lecture designed for an introductory sociology course. Explores the ways that cult leaders manipulate their followers. Deals with possible dysfunctions of extremely religious groups of people. Utilizes a card trick to illustrate the ways in which charismatic leaders successfully control their audience. (KO)

Examines the negative aspects of teleteaching and distance education. Makes recommendations for teachers to follow to improve both classroom lecturing and distance education teleconferencing. (JMV)

A survey of one college's faculty (n=101) concerning classroom use of technology reveals limited exploitation of its potential, and suggests a different approach to faculty development in technology that provides a more substantial infrastructure, rewards, and a variety of techniques to keep both faculty and students interested. (MSE)

If teaching is the effective communication of knowledge, the teacher first must be knowledgeable about the subject being taught. Communicating that knowledge to students is just as important. One standard teaching method is the lecture. A lecture is prepared before class by the teacher and should include not only the facts to be learned by the…

A systematic approach to preparation of successful college lectures is outlined, including four stages: anticipation (of content and expectations); preparation (selection, acquisition, design, and construction); execution (attention to speech habits, demeanor, and body language); and support (evaluation, maintenance, and enhancement). (MSE)

The importance of incorporating discussion into college lecture classes is discussed, problems in starting and expanding exchange of ideas are examined, and techniques for "raising the intellectual temperature" of a class are offered. Anecdotal examples are drawn from observations of teachers in a variety of discipline contexts. (MSE)

The purposes of the lecture method in higher education are considered. The advocates of lecturing claim that this approach can be used to present knowledge to students, to foster intellectual skills, and to change students' attitudes and values. Research evidence suggests that: the lecture can be effective for expounding facts and principles,…

Mind mapping, which challenges the right side of the brain, is recommended as a technique for designing classroom work and stimulating more effective and efficient comprehension. (MSE)

The reduction of lecture time and its replacement with small group sessions in an undergraduate political theory course is described and possible problems associated with this kind of instructional change are discussed. (MSE)

Lists postulates on which the author bases his approach to large class instruction. Suggestions are given for such administrative, operational, and academic procedures as organizing handouts and class information; avoiding "busy work"; finding out about the students (personal and academic); making an assignment due every class; and providing quick…

Reports on the comparative effectiveness of demonstration and lecture formats for presenting physiological measures. Although demonstrations may improve retention of information concerning simple procedures, the lecture format is more effective for complex information. (CFR)

Presents a catalog of active-learning techniques aimed at fostering student learning in the context of a lecture course. Activities range from listening practices to short writing exercises to complex group exercises. Barriers to implementing active learning, and some solutions, are explored and personal experience with the techniques are…