Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, Volume 27, Number 3

According to Chickering and Gamson's (1987) classic work, effective teaching embodies seven principles that are based in the research: student-faculty contact, cooperation, active learning, feedback, time on task, communication of expectations, and mutual respect. From a faculty perspective, these are time-honored, research-supported cornerstones of learner-centered teaching. But how do our students view effective teaching and learning? What needs do they feel they have as learners, and how do they believe learning occurs best? The authors in this issue of the Journal explore some of the ways that students perceive what learning is and when it is most effective.