Establishing a Comfortable Classroom from Day One: Student Perceptions of the Reciprocal Interview.

The authors examined student reactions to an activity in computer science, psychology, women's studies, and education courses. The reciprocal interview involves the instructor gathering information about the students, followed by students collectively asking questions of the instructor. The interview aims to make students more comfortable in interactions with the instructor by soliciting student input. Student responses indicated they enjoyed the activity and recommend faculty use it in various courses. Participants also reported the interview process helped create a more comfortable classroom environment and helped clarify instructors' expectations of students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]