College Teaching Methods & Styles Journal (CTMS)

Enhancing Student Engagement In A Multidisciplinary, First-Year Experience Course

Michael Stebleton, Murray Jensen, Gary Peter — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Three faculty members from three different professional disciplines outline strategies to engage first-year students in a team-taught, multidisciplinary first-year experience course. The theme of the discussed section is titled food for thought…and action. Assignments are grounded in theories of cooperative and experiential learning. Tentative outcomes and students’ reactions are shared. Practical suggestions are included for educators who wish to implement comparable initiatives at their respective institutions.

Undergraduate Hispanic Student Response To Cooperative Learning

Bobbette M. Morgan, Graciela P. Rosenberg, Lori Wells — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Three classes of undergraduate Hispanic students assigned to an ESL professor and a teaching assistant were selected to experience cooperative learning over a full semester. Pre-semester surveys were completed by 80 undergraduate students. Post-semester surveys were completed by 66 undergraduate students. Strategies used in the classes included Think-Pair-Share, Ticket Out the Door, Jigsaw and being a member of a base group. This study is based upon theories of social interdependence, cognitive development, and behavioral learning. The surveys were completed by the university students to compare and contrast knowledge about their experiences in: 1) individual learning, and 2) learning with a partner.

Managing Time: A Study Among Arab Open University Tutors In Kuwait Branch

Abdin M. Sharif, Omer H. Ismail — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

The purpose of this paper was to investigate how tutors at the Arab Open University (AOU) in Kuwait Branch manage their time given workloads they are assigned. Group interviews were conducted with a sample that was selected from AOU tutors in Kuwait branch. The findings showed that tutors do not ask for more time or cut down workloads; instead, they ask for a better organized and healthy work environment where they can make use of the available time and be more productive and creative.

Student Perceptions Of Instructor Classroom Management Practices

David Moen, Thomas Davies, De Vee Dykstra — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

This paper summarizes the results from a study that was conducted of students at a midsized Midwestern doctoral-granting liberal arts university. Students were asked whether a hypothetical professor’s behavior in 42 described classroom scenarios was always, often, sometimes, rarely, or never appropriate. The purpose of the study is to provide guidance to professors in setting their own policies and procedures in managing their classes.

The Effects Of Caffeine On Athletic Performance

Larry W. McDaniel, Kyle McIntire, Carmyn Streitz, Allen Jackson, Laura Gaudet — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Athletes who use caffeine before exercising or competition may be upgrading themselves more than they realize. Caffeine is classified as a stimulant and is the most commonly used drug in the world. Caffeine has the same affects that amphetamines and cocaine have, just to a lesser degree. Caffeine crosses the membranes of all the body’s tissues. It can exert effects on the central nervous system and the peripheral tissues that result in physiological effects. Studies have shown that caffeine improves performance in a variety of different activities. This stimulant has been shown to be a powerful ergogenic aid that is beneficial in athletic training and performance. Caffeine has been found to increase speed and power, improve the length of training, and assist the athlete in resisting fatigue. Caffeine has been found to stimulate the brain, which contributes to clearer thinking and ability to concentrate more intensely on the task at hand. Studies have shown that up to 25% of athlete’s ages 11-18 years old have used caffeine in an effort to increase their athletic performances. Because of caffeine’s effect on the body and its ability to increase an athlete’s performance, Olympic Committees have debated on whether caffeine should be tested before the Olympic Games.