Intercultural competence (ICC) is essential for students, particularly in healthcare, to provide culturally responsive care. This study examines the integration of intercultural learning (ICL) activities in a fully online, asynchronous 300-level undergraduate audiology course. Pre- and post-test data from the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI®) revealed a significant increase in ICC among senior students, while non-seniors showed no measurable change. Qualitative analysis of final reflections supported these findings, with seniors articulating deeper intercultural insights. These results suggest that ICC development may vary based on academic level and prior experience. Additionally, intentionally structured interventions aligned with students’ prior experiences could further enhance intercultural growth. This study contributes to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) by offering evidence-based insights on how academic level and course structure influence the development of ICC in online educational settings.
Peer tutors make important contributions within higher education institutions, yet the tutoring program structures vary widely with regard to how tutors are positioned, which in turn, affords and constrains access to instructional knowledge. Using a multi-case method, this study contrasts the structures of four tutoring programs: two programs within a private four-year college and two programs within a public two-year college. Two primary factors, the nature of faculty-tutor partnership and connection to a peer mentoring community, were examined and found to shape access to instructional knowledge. In addition, the results suggested that tutor prior experience as students in courses, experience in the tutoring role, access to a technology learning platform, and co-location played a role. Investments in peer tutoring programs (e.g., personnel, technology, physical space) present tradeoffs to consider for faculty and administrators in higher education institutions.
Just over half of the students who start a bachelor’s degree in the United States, fail to complete it within four years (National Center for Education Statistics, 2024). As a result, millions of people with some college no credential (SCNC) struggle with student loan debt, lower income, and the threat of default. In response, many colleges and universities are using high-impact practice (HIP) classroom pedagogy to help more students persist and graduate. This study investigated the effect of a HIP government course, known as Town Hall, on first-time-in-college (FTIC) students at a mid-sized, rural, R2 university in the southern United States. Entering FTIC cohorts from fall 2016 through fall 2022 were analyzed based on group differences (Town Hall participants v. non-participants). Additional analyses were conducted on a sub-set of FTIC students, who completed the Institutional Integration Survey. Results based on chi-square test of homogeneity, the Welsh-t test, and an ANCOVA showed that Town Hall participants had statistically significantly higher retention rates, graduation rates, and grade point averages than non-participants, particularly among academically underprepared students. Survey scores indicated that Town Hall participants were slightly more integrated than non-participants; however, the difference was not statistically significant. These results provide further support for the benefits of HIP course design to increase student retention and graduation, especially among those least prepared for the rigors of post-secondary education.
Most existing literature on college students’ use of the course syllabus has been conducted in artificial settings, collected a limited range of data, or both. This study addresses this gap in the literature with a series of in-depth qualitative interviews with students at a community college about how they interact with a syllabus from one of their current classes. We find that most students report reading at least part of the syllabus, most often the calendar and information on grading. Students are most likely to read information specific to the class and are least likely to read general college information or information they believe they already know. The length of the syllabus is explicitly cited as a reason students do not read the entire document. We recommend that instructors and institutions prioritize the information that students find most helpful and re-evaluate what other sections must be included in the syllabus.
Retention of students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields, particularly of traditionally underrepresented groups, remains a nationally recognized concern. Many studies have shown that first-year seminars can have a positive effect on a student’s transition to college, persistence in their chosen degrees, and ultimate success and retention in the geosciences and other related STEM fields. We created a one-unit first-year seminar to assist our geoscience students with academic and career planning, increase student awareness of opportunities on campus, and increase a sense of belonging in their major. We present pre and post survey data to assess the effectiveness of the seminar class in meeting our instructional goals for student learning, thereby enhancing our teaching and curriculum through reflective program assessment. Our results suggest that the seminar was effective in meeting our objectives in three key areas, including assisting students with academic and career planning, increasing student awareness of support resources and opportunities on campus, and increasing a sense of community amongst participants.
Anatomy education presents a complex motivational environment, yet little is known about how medical students experience this climate. Grounded in the MUSIC Model of Motivation framework, this study explored students’ perceptions of the motivational climate in a first-year medical anatomy course. Using a mixed-methods design, we surveyed students early in the course and conducted interviews following course completion. Although students reported strong Caring perceptions on the survey, their Empowerment, Usefulness, Success, and Interest perceptions were more variable, and some were suboptimal. Interview findings revealed specific instructional practices (e.g., lecture format, lab group dynamics, alignment with clinical goals) that either supported or hindered student motivation. From these findings, we derived practical recommendations for faculty, administrators, and researchers aimed at fostering a more motivationally supportive learning environment. This study highlights the need to design anatomy courses that not only convey essential knowledge but also sustain student motivation through intentional design.
This article contributes to the scholarship of teaching and learning by examining the ways in which a podcast project facilitated the development of critical consciousness among pre-service teachers in an undergraduate social foundations of education course at a research university in the southeastern United States. It draws on data generated using semi-structured interviews with 10 pre-service teachers across two semesters of the course who completed the podcast project. Using inductive thematic analysis, I identified four themes in this case study: (1) Personal Experiences as Catalysts for Critical Consciousness, (2) Dialogical Learning as a Pathway to Critical Consciousness, (3) Grappling with the Complexity of Social Problems toward Critical Consciousness, and (4) Commitment to Equity and Justice as a Manifestation of Critical Consciousness. The findings highlight how the processes of understanding social phenomena, confronting personal assumptions, and engaging in dialogue enhanced students’ understanding of systemic inequities and strengthened their commitment to justice-oriented practice.
Social presence is a critical component of effective online education, fostering engagement, connection, and a sense of community among students and instructors. This qualitative descriptive study explored how online faculty conceptualize and operationalize social presence in their virtual classrooms. Through interviews and focus groups, faculty described practices that cultivated connection, responsiveness, and authentic interaction. The findings informed the development of the Social Presence Literacy Framework (SPLF), which offers a lens for understanding the varied ways instructors approach presence in online environments. This study provides insights for professional development and instructional design by grounding pedagogical strategies in the lived experiences of online educators.
Discussions about generative artificial intelligence (AI) seem to predominate current conversations about higher education. It is urgent for those engaged in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning to evaluate how generative AI could be used appropriately in course development and evaluation, but it is also important for SoTL practitioners to research the potential pitfalls inherent in the use of generative AI for such purposes. This concept essay presents three key questions that need to be addressed in order to fill in research gaps about generative AI and SoTL. Answering these questions will help us advocate for the importance of SoTL and for continued support for centers for teaching and learning in an AI-enhanced future.
This study employed a case study approach to explore ethical conduct in Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) research. Originating within biomedical research, the remit of ethics review bodies now commonly extends to assessing SoTL projects. Set within a health faculty at a university in Aotearoa New Zealand, we examined student and academic perspectives on ethical conduct in SoTL research to gauge how their values align with those who decide on ethical standards of research involving them. Drawing on reflexive thematic analysis, our findings reflect tensions between the relational and cultural values of SoTL and the biomedically based values of ethics review. Conflict within the dual role of the academic as both teacher and researcher, whilst of concern to ethics review bodies and academics, is not recognised as being as problematic by students, who do not feel pressure to participate. A greater focus on the learning opportunities afforded to students through SoTL research participation is warranted.
Prior research has posited that flipped classrooms facilitate students’ self-directed learning and enhance grades. Although reflective writing is one method linked to academic success, it rarely has been examined empirically in the literature within the context of flipped classrooms. The current study investigated the association between growth mindset-inspired reflective writing, self-regulated learning assessments, and academic performance in a fully flipped Introduction to Economics course. Regression analyses found that reflective writing effort and targeted self-directed learning scores were associated with higher grades on course assessments. These findings suggest that reflective writing that incorporates growth-mindset messaging should be encouraged in flipped classrooms.
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) can be embedded within professors’ teaching pedagogy to help support students’ mental well-being and create an inclusive learning environment. However, studies that explore implementing specific SEL strategies within higher education are extremely limited. To explore the potential benefits, the researcher and professor of this study engaged in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), by evaluating the potential impact of a consistent SEL check-in at the start of each class session on the student-initiated out-of-class communication (OCC), attendance, and academic performance of undergraduate education majors pursuing a special education certification or minor. Quantitative and qualitative data was collected from a control class session (n=12) and an intervention class session (n=12) to reveal that students not only thoroughly enjoyed and benefited from the SEL check-ins (100%), but also exhibited significantly higher levels of student-initiated out-of-class communication with the professor.
Adaptive learning supports online instruction by offering feedback to students using machine learning. In a funded study, adaptive learning was used in a flipped STEM course at three universities for pre-class preparation. We conducted a comparative analysis with and without adaptive learning. The assessments were a final exam and concept inventory (stratified demographically) and affective questions from the College and University Classroom Environment Inventory, focus groups, and evaluation survey. This study found classroom environment enhancement with adaptive learning, with Task Orientation and Satisfaction exhibiting significant changes at two universities. We found enhanced perspectives with adaptive learning, including increased preference for flipped instruction and reduced perceptions of responsibility imposed. The direct assessment results differed by institution and exam type but showed adaptive learning may be helpful for URM, Pell Grant, and community college transfers and for open-ended problem solving. This research supports adaptive learning for flipped STEM classroom preparation and learning.
Studies show that student-instructor rapport is correlated with student success in college courses (e.g., Lammers & Gillaspy, 2013). Less is known about the personality traits of students and their perceptions of instructors’ personality traits that are associated with rapport. This study addressed this gap in the literature. In an online survey, students self-reported their big five personality traits. They then thought about a particular class from the previous semester. They rated the associated instructor’s big five and their rapport with the instructor. Their ratings of their instructor’s big five were more predictive of rapport than their own self-reported big five. Perceived instructor agreeableness and openness were the strongest predictors of rapport. Rapport fully mediated the relationship between instructor agreeableness and course grade. Perceived instructor agreeableness and openness may help students feel a sense of rapport with their instructors. Rapport, in turn, may help students be successful in the course.
The education landscape continues to change as perpetuated by crises like COVID-19 propelling teachers to adapt and change their pedagogical approaches. As a mid-career science teacher educator, having developed ways of teaching, I experienced pedagogical tensions that were unsettling during COVID-19, thus threatening what I already knew about teaching pre-service teachers. In this self-study, I used the construct of pedagogical equilibrium as a theoretical lens to understand how these pedagogical tensions shape my pedagogical approaches to teaching pre-service teachers in the present time. Data were collected through journaling and discussions with critical friends. These data sets were transformed into narratives and subjected to narrative and thematic analysis. While pedagogical tensions appear unsettling and threaten what one already knows about teaching, taking them as an opportunity to engage in critical reflection may yield a better understanding of one’s pedagogical approaches. I, therefore, recommend the use of pedagogical tensions as a way of developing and advancing one’s scholarship of teaching and learning especially in science teacher education.
Labs that incorporate a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) increase student gains in discovery, ownership, and scientific identity. One barrier for faculty developing CURE courses is finding support for the scientific and pedagogical methods necessary for offering a CURE. The Malate Dehydrogenase (MDH) CUREs Community (MCC) was created as part of an NSF-IUSE grant to fill a need for protein-based CUREs. To evaluate the role of the MCC in development and teaching of CUREs, a survey was submitted to MCC faculty. Survey data showed that community-building activities and resources were supportive components in the development of the MCC. Survey responses also demonstrated that all three key features of a community of practice were present in the MCC. In addition, participation in the MCC had professional benefits for faculty participants. The MCC provides a template for creating a sustainable CURE community in other areas of the physical and life sciences.
This qualitative, self-reflection study was conducted by three instructors who had recently participated in a workshop on Principled Innovation, a character development framework designed in their college of education. They were confident about how they integrated PI into their courses but saw potential for further improvement. Drawing on collaborative professional development literature, they explored two models, Appreciative Inquiry and Tuning, that seemed to meet their needs. By merging elements of both, they created the Appreciative Tuning Protocol (ATP), a 30-minute, agenda-driven meeting where instructors identify a successful part of the integration effort (a bright spot), explore ways to enhance it, and then support the course instructor in determining next steps. This study documents their pilot of the ATP. The data included video-based course tours of all three courses, the ATP meeting transcripts, and the instructors’ written reflections. Findings showed that the ATP helped the instructors maintain an asset-based orientation, ensure equal contributions, and facilitate honest communication. Importantly, the ATP met the instructors’ professional development expectations about improving PI integration in their courses in a time-efficient manner. Further research is needed to determine if the ATP is useful for other content integration efforts and for other course domains in higher education.
Role-playing using avatars has been demonstrated as effective, but it has not been compared to role-playing with a live actor. In this study, undergraduate psychology students (N=93) conducted a clinical interview in a role-play with an avatar or live actor. Mixed methods included a survey and written reflection. The study found no differences in student interest-enjoyment, skills-knowledge, comfort level, or utility value in survey scales found to be reliable. High levels of active learning were found in qualitative data in both conditions, though it was significantly higher in the avatar group. High levels of benefits from group work also were found. An awkwardness, or uncanny valley effect, came up, though significantly more in the avatar group. Implications for teaching include using either avatar- or actor-based role-playing depending on availability, using a group format, and minimizing student awkwardness.
Research universities are increasingly incorporating interdisciplinary education into their strategies. In this transition from monodisciplinary to interdisciplinary education, there is a need for insight into the optimal implementation of such activities. The current study investigates university lecturers’ interpretations of interdisciplinary education, their approaches towards developing interdisciplinary modules, and the challenges they face in teaching these. Based on interviews with nine lecturers, three interpretations of interdisciplinarity emerged. From the first interpretation, lecturers teach monodisciplinary knowledge and skills and expect the students to collect different perspectives. A second interpretation emphasizes participating students as being disciplinary experts that share their knowledge throughout the module. The third interpretation takes the theme of the module as a starting point for interdisciplinarity. Regardless of their interpretation, lecturers face challenges in addressing prior knowledge, student interests, fostering student collaboration and maintaining consistency. Based on these findings, we offer suggestions for future SoTL research and advocate for a stronger emphasis on professionalization activities.
Interdisciplinary teaching is vital for equipping students to address complex public health challenges. This study explores teachers' reflections on interdisciplinary teaching in Singapore’s undergraduate public health programmes, examining facilitators and barriers to its implementation. Using surveys and in-depth interviews, we gathered diverse insights from teachers. Quantitative results revealed a significant positive association between interdisciplinary teaching frequency, and willingness for further integration, and non-significant associations for perceptions on knowledge and importance of integration. Notably, participants' satisfaction with the current state of interdisciplinary learning in the public health curriculum or during internship supervision was low, although this finding was not significant. Qualitative findings highlighted successful practices, such as fostering core competencies through cross-disciplinary efforts, alongside challenges like collaboration difficulties, faculty specialization, and limited institutional support. These insights underscore the need for clear guidelines and robust institutional frameworks to strengthen interdisciplinary teaching. Addressing these gaps can help institutions foster an environment where teachers deliver integrated education that prepares students for public health complexities. This study contributes to the literature on interdisciplinary teaching in higher education and advocates for cohesive, reflective approaches that support collective transformation in academic practice.
