David B. Daniel

E-books or textbooks: Students prefer textbooks

Previous research has demonstrated that the experience of reading e-books is not equivalent to reading textbooks. This study examines factors influencing preference for e-books as well as reported use of e-book content. Although the present student cohort is the most technologically savvy to ever enter universities, students do not prefer e-books over textbooks regardless of their gender, computer use or comfort with computers. No significant correlations existed between the number of e-books previously used and overall preference of e-books: Participants who had previously used an e-book still preferred print texts for learning. Despite the ability to easily access supplemental content through e-books via hyperlinks and other features, students were more likely to use special features in print books than in e-books.

Electronic Textbooks: Why the Rush?

The race to replace traditional textbooks with electronic versions is on. Although electronic textbooks have been most carefully tested in university students, the Obama Administration is advocating their use in elementary and secondary schools. In February, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan

A Multisite Study of Learning in Introductory Psychology Courses

Four hundred and fifty-four students enrolled in introductory psychology at different institutions across the nation participated in a study of factors related to learning. Key measures included an instructor rating, ratings of textbook quality and helpfulness, study time, student self-evaluations of study behaviors, approach to learning, self-report of learning, and a measure of quiz performance using biopsychology and learning chapter questions from a College Board Advanced Placement exam. The authors found significant predictors of both self-reported learning (deep approach, less surface approach, instructor ratings, student self-evaluations, and study behaviors) and quiz performance (grade point average, study time, metacognitive activity, and less use of a surface approach to learning). These results are discussed in the context of optimizing student learning and providing a foundation for future research.

Textbook Use and Learning: A North American Perspective

Eight hundred and ninety students at 35 US institutions of higher education participated in a comprehensive study of textbook use and its relation to ratings of textbook quality and helpfulness, a student self-report of learning, student self-report of their deep approach to learning, student perceptions of instructors, and a measure of quiz performance. Intercorrelations between key measures revealed surprising relationships about the influence of these variables on self-reported learning and quiz performance. An analysis of textbook differences revealed some significant differences between the books in terms of quality and helpfulness as well as self-reported learning, but not on quiz performance. The authors identified significant predictors of self-reported learning (deep approach and student perceptions of instructor) and quiz performance (grade point average and textbook helpfulness). These results highlight the complexity of examining student learning and suggest some important variables and problems for future research especially the need for a valid, reliable, measure of learning.

The Tribalism of Teaching and Learning

Scholarly research focusing on teaching and learning has experienced extraordinary growth in the last 20 years. Although this is generally good news for the profession of teaching, a troubling form of tribalism has emerged that inhibits the advancement of teaching practice. In this essay, we trace the development of scholarly inquiry into teaching and learning and the emergence of different “tribes” within the movement, each with its own outlets, goals, and methods. Finally, we discuss how these tribes can bridge their differences and work together to advance teaching effectiveness.

Scholarship in Teaching and Learning: An Interview with John Mitterer

John Mitterer earned his PhD in cognitive psychology from McMaster University. Like many teaching professors, his career took an unexpected turn early on when he was hired to teach introductory psychology at Brock University, near Niagara Falls, in Ontario, Canada. It was love at first lecture. He never left the course and now, as a full professor some 25 years later, has taught well over 20,000 students. Along the way he has participated in the development of a wide variety of learning materials, including textbooks, videodiscs of support materials, student-learning CD-ROMs, online learning objects, Web sites, test banks, PowerPoint slides, study guides, and instructors manuals. Mitterer now thinks of himself as a scholar of teaching and learning with a special interest in the educational potential of digital technology. He is a frequent presenter at conferences devoted to teaching and learning and currently holds a Brock University Chancellors Chair for Teaching Excellence. He is the recipient of the 2003 Brock University Distinguished Teaching Award, a 2003 Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) Teaching Award, a 2004 3M Teaching Fellowship, and the 2005 Canadian Psychological Association Award for Distinguished Contributions to Education and Training in Psychology. David B. Daniel is involved with forging reciprocal links between cognitive-developmental psychology and teaching practices and pedagogy. He is the coordinator of the Society for Research in Child Developments (SRCD) Teaching of Developmental Science Institute as well as chair of the SRCD Teaching Committee, and the managing editor of Mind, Brain, and Education. He chaired the Society for the Teaching of Psychologys task force on pedagogical innovations. His interest in the development of effective teaching has informed his current efforts to develop effective pedagogical techniques that positively impact both student learning and teacher performance.