Nowadays universities are required not only to impart knowledge of specific disciplines but also generic graduate attributes such as communication, problem-solving, teamwork, creative thinking, research and inquiry skills. For students to attain these generic skills, educators are encouraged to use learner-centred approaches in teaching.…

State testing or end-of-course exams are recommended to determine if high school graduates are ready to enter college or the workforce because these assessments are aligned to content area expectations and standards that are measurable within each state as well as from state to state (Achieve, 2006). However, such assessments do not measure all…

Suggests methods for teaching research skills at the university level. A variety of ways exist to add creativity and student centered activities to the curriculum. Students may have choices in their input data or in defining the problem then using a constrained method of analysis. (Author/KC)

Outlines a research methods course which stresses experiential learning through a variety of projects in which students learn the major aspects of experimentation. An in-class study, research project, proposal, and class analysis are discussed. (KC)

A fieldwork procedure that enables students to design and conduct meaningful evaluation research in one semester is described. The procedure has been used in a 13-week program evaluation course in a master's program in community psychology and industrial/organizational psychology. About 2 months before the course begins, administrative units…

Many methods of student-conducted research exist. Within these methods, four stages are evident: Presearch, Search, Interpret, and Report. This topical bibliography and commentary delineates and discusses each of these specific stages in turn. The bibliography/commentary points out that students can best learn about conducting research by having…

In a nursing program, 28 students participating in group service-learning projects were compared to 16 who did other group work. Surveys, focus groups, and feedback from community partners showed that service learning contributed to group collaboration and the development of research skills. (SK)

This paper discusses a first-year, second-semester composition course that develops thinking, reading, and writing skills both on an individual and on a group level; it is designed to enhance research and writing skills developed in the first-semester course. With this and the departmental course requirements in mind, according to the paper, the…

Literature and liberal arts college students' early research experience usually stresses methodology and is carefully structured and supervised. In advanced work, students must begin to develop habits of critical thinking, personal involvement with their material, and development of a metacritical attitude. (MSE)

While the term paper can be a worthwhile teaching device, the project must be carefully structured to be effective. Creative teachers can devise other, equally effective activities to extend student knowledge of and skills in using library resources, such as writing annotated bibliographies, practical research assignments, and projects to evaluate…

Freshmen often approach research papers by selecting a "giant topic" and going to the library to confront swamps and mountains of resources. A different approach to teaching research is designed to help students begin to shift the often counter-productive paradigm under which they operate. The classroom strategy proposed is 3-fold.…

The integrated baccalureate program in nursing at the University of Cincinnati (Ohio) gives students exposure to the problems and rewards of conducting their own study, helping them to recognize the relevance of scientific inquiry to practice and the need to incorporate it into their role. (TA)

This paper discusses four strategies used by the author in college English courses to discourage fraud yet to allow students enough freedom to conduct original research. The strategies include generating "topic lists," in hope of beating term paper "clearinghouses," which must certainly have a time-lag on the topics in their…

This article explores the principles of structuring student classroom and library research. It is presented in the form of a workshop activity suitable for use in a geography department staff workshop. (JDH)

Describes a writing assignment in which students are required to research, individually, an aspect of their college and present results as an alumni magazine article. A second, collaborative assignment brings the class together to write about a significant campus issue. Benefits include better knowledge of the college, its programs, and its…