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Summarizes ideas gathered from classroom experiences and from colleagues encountered in cooperative learning workshops and presents them as answers to questions from workshop participants who have been exposed to the basic principles and methods of cooperative learning. Information for college instructors covers forming teams, dealing with dysfunctional teams, grading, distance learning, and avoiding discouragement. (EV)

Describes a faculty development program designed specifically for engineering faculty and implemented on an eight-campus coalition of engineering schools. Reports that, in the five years of the program's existence, a large percentage of the faculty has participated and adopted proven but nontraditional teaching practices. Offers suggestions to faculty developers, such as keeping programs practical and emphasizing disciplinary relevance. (Contains 13 references.) (AUTH/EMH)

Discusses the importance of the first few days of a new college course, and offers teachers suggestions for getting off to a good start, including pre-class preparation, establishing and meeting expectations, establishing student-professor and student-student communication mechanisms, and motivating interest in the course material. (MSE)

Common faculty concerns about implementing student-centered learning are discussed, and useful techniques for addressing them are offered. Issues include budgeting in-class activity time, losing control of the class, uncompleted assignments, student understanding of open-ended problems, student dislike or abuse of group work, and helping at-risk students become involved. (MSE)

Argues that classroom activities offer excellent opportunities for students to become listeners. Discusses how teachers can model good listening, teach skill and strategy lessons, and provide meaningful reasons for listening. (SR)

This article discusses college-level writing assignments designed to stimulate students to (1) explore initial student attitudes, (2) activate prior knowledge, (3) increase subject relevance, (4) clarify and organize course material, (5) connect new and previously known material, (6) improve critical thinking skills, and (7) develop and strengthen creativity. (MSE)

Paraphrases the book "A River Ran Wild" by Lynne Cherry, contrasts how Native American and European settlers use a river, and discusses the pollution and cleanup of the river. Provides classroom discussion questions, and individual or group activities in language arts, art, role-playing, geography, and interviewing. Includes an annotated bibliography of children's (grades 1-8) books about rivers and ecology. (PEN)

As these authors have observed on several occasions, college professors may be the only skilled professionals who do not routinely get training in the skills they need to succeed in their profession. Most universities either provide no orientation and mentoring for their new faculty members or they offer a campus-wide half-day orientation workshop consisting mainly of welcoming speeches and lectures on such things as health benefits and retirement packages. Most faculty members are consequently left on their own to learn what they will need to know about starting and building a research program and designing and teaching courses. The fact that most new faculty members have never been trained to teach is known throughout the academy, but a common assumption is that graduate and postdoctoral studies provide good preparation for independent research. Unfortunately, that assumption is generally wrong. Doctoral students and postdocs may learn to carry out a research project that someone else has defined and gotten funded, but few of them learn how to select research topics, write successful proposals, assemble an effective research team, and get papers published in top journals. While experienced faculty members may believe that their new colleagues have been adequately trained in research, the new colleagues know better. The authors recently led a conference workshop for faculty members in the first few years of their careers. They first had them list their career-related concerns, two-thirds of which involved research. In the remainder of this column, the authors summarize the faculty members' research-related questions and the responses, and cite publications containing the authors' responses to faculty members' questions about teaching and time management.

Discusses the quality of tests and makes suggestions for developing a better test. (YDS)

Offers ideas for getting students at remote sites to collaborate when attending lectures in a synchronous course, working through lessons in an asynchronous course, and doing homework in either distance mode. (ASK)

Papers comparing technology-based and traditional course offerings are appearing with regularity and technology looks better all the time. Universities that specialize in distance education are using multimedia courseware and the Internet effectively, and the quality of their offerings is gaining increased recognition. Speculates on the future of technology in higher education and the continuing need for gifted professors. (PVD)

Discusses a scenario about offending student behaviors in a classroom during lecture, specifically focusing on a sleeping student. Presents a list of responses for possible solutions to these behaviors from a brainstorming session. Makes recommendations to teachers for what to do in that kind of situation. Provides two Internet addresses for "Random Thoughts" columns on the World Wide Web. (YDS)

New faculty members rarely receive guidance on how to be a faculty member, and entry into the profession gets more difficult over time. Lists common characteristics of new faculty members including characteristics of those labeled as quick starters. (DDR)

Discusses use of peer review, a teaching assessment technique in which faculty members observe and evaluate classroom instruction. More specifically addresses summative reviews. Outlines critical questions that should be raised whenever peer review is contemplated and some suggested answers. Sample questions include: Who should do the reviewing? How should the review be performed? and What should the rating checklist contain? (PVD)

Discusses ways to make faculty portfolio programs more effective. (MKR)