Near-peer teaching in an anatomy course with a low faculty-to-student ratio

Near-peer teaching is an educational format which utilizes tutors who are more advanced in a curriculum's content to supervise students' activities and to act as instructors in laboratory settings. This format is often used in anatomy laboratory courses. The goal of the present study is to describe the design and implementation of near-peer teaching in an anatomy course and to evaluate students' perceptions of the program. A total of 700 students were registered for this anatomy course which employed near-peer instructors. Of enrolled students, 558 (79.7%) agreed to participate in this study. In general, the practical section (e.g., the clinical hour, image-based anatomy session, and gross anatomy laboratory) of the course was viewed more favorably compared to the theory section (54.8%, n = 306), with dissection and prosection in the laboratory rated as the most valued experiences (34.9%, n = 195). Near-peer teaching is a viable option that satisfies the demands of modern curricula using small groups. This format stimulates learning within courses that have large numbers of students and low faculty-to-student ratios.     

Interacción y símbolo en autistas

Resumen

El análisis del autismo, desde una perspectiva interaccionista, pone de manifiesto la falta de fundamento de muchas de las posiciones «cognitivistas» y «afectivistas», mantenidas tradicionalmente en la interpretación del sindrome, y la escasa eficacia de muchos procedimientos terapéuticos basados en tales interpretaciones. La comparación del desarrollo interactivo del niño normal con el del niño autista permite una interpretación más adecuada del sindrome y sugiere vías terapéuticas para su tratamiento eficaz.     

Vibrant student voices: exploring effects of the use of clickers in large college courses

Teachers have begun using student response systems (SRSs) in an effort to enhance the learning process in higher education courses. Research providing detailed information about how interactive technologies affect students as they learn is crucial for professors who seek to improve teaching quality, attendance rates and student learning. This study investigates social, educational and emotional effects of the use of SRSs – clickers – at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Methods include participant observation, survey data from over 2000 students enrolled in three semesters of General Chemistry, and in‐depth interviews exploring the nature of student experiences with clickers. Findings suggest clickers significantly alter the social environment experienced by students as they learn. Clickers create learning environments characterized by greater activity, cooperation and conceptual application compared to traditional, lecture‐based instruction. Gender also influences whether students choose to work with peers during clicker‐prompted interaction. The qualitative analysis presented here extends upon themes identified in existing research on the effects of clickers for learning.