LEARN Center Resources/LEARN Center Library

The LEARN Center library is available to all faculty and academic staff. The library holds over 400 books, articles, workshop handouts, and audio and videotapes relevant to a wide variety of topics pertinent to teaching and learning. See Sally Lange in Roseman 2013 for access to these materials.

Find books by Title or by Author

Extensive bibliographies and articles are available about selected topics including student motivation, technology and student learning, active learning, and critical thinking. All materials are available to be copied or checked out.

If you'd like to recommend a book for purchase or for inclusion on the list below, please contact the LEARN Center (learn@uww.edu).

Key Topics and Select/Recommended Books Available in the LEARN Center Library

• Active Learning
  • Bonwell, C. and Eison, J. (1991). Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom. Washington D.C.: ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Reports (Report One).

(There are other, more recent treatments of this subject, but this is the one that got the whole dialogue about engaging students going in the first place.)

• Academic Assessment
  • Palomba, C. & Banta, T. (1999). Assessment Essentials: Planning, Implementing, and Improving Assessment in Higher Education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

(A comprehensive and thoroughly understandable look at all phases of the academic assessment process.)

• • Astin, A. W. (1993). Assessment for Excellence: The Philosophy and Practice of Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press.

(Now a bit dated, but a rich and thought-provoking exploration of the importance of assessment as it relates to the array of constituencies served by assessment.)

• Classroom Assessment
  • Angelo, T. and Cross, K.P. (1993). Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

(This is probably one of the most widely influential books relevant to informal and formal assessment in post-secondary classrooms to be released in the last 20 years.)

• • Brookhart, S. (1999). The Art and Science of Classroom Assessment: The Missing Part of Pedagogy. Washington D.C.: ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Reports (Vol. 27, No. 1).

(A thought-provoking summary about why classroom assessment is essential to instruction generally and student learning specifically.)

• Collaborative/Cooperative Learning
  • Millis, B. and Cottell, P. (1998). Cooperative Learning for Higher Education Faculty). Cincinnati, OH: Oryx Press.

(A thorough and well-documented discussion of the wisdom and process for structuring cooperative learning experiences in postsecondary environments.)

• Cognition
  • Donald, J.G. (2002). Learning to Think: Disciplinary Perspectives. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

(Noteworthy because of its breadth and depth, this book examines different modes and requirements of thought endemic to different academic disciplines.)

• • Zull, J. E. (2002). The Art of Changing the Brain: Enriching the Practice of Teaching by Exploring the Biology of Learning. Sterling, VA: Stylus.

(An interesting and engaging read that posits a number of worthy relationships between instructional practice and potential learning.)

• Critical and Higher Order Thinking
  • Brookfield, S.D. (1987). Developing Critical Thinkers: Challenging Adults to Explore Alternative Ways of Thinking and Acting. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

(Brookfield's treatment of the topic is thorough and thought-provoking—making it easy to see why he is one of the most widely-respected faculty development professionals out there.)

• Discussions
  • Brookfield, S.D. and Preskill, S. (1999). Discussion as a Way of Teaching: Tools and Techniques for Democratic Classrooms. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

(This is "the book" about discussion.)

• • Neff, R.A. and Weimer, M. (eds.) (1989). Classroom Communication: Collected Readings for Effective Discussion and Questioning. Madison, WI: Magna Publications.

(An anthology that is brief, loaded with great suggestions in a number of short essays.)

• Diversity & Inclusion in Higher Education
  • Adams, M., Bell, L.A. and Griffin, P. (eds.) (1997). Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice: A Sourcebook. New York: Routledge.

(One of the classic books on this topic that does a very thorough and academically credible job of exploring the many facets of instruction relevant to inclusion.)

• Department Chair
  • Gmelch, W.H. and Miskin, V.D. (1995). Chairing an Academic Department. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Press.

A relatively short, but readable treatise, complete with examples, that explores the primary roles that must be assumed by chairs: faculty developers, managers, leaders, and scholars.)

• E-Learning
  • Palloff, R.M. and Pratt, K. (2001). Lessons from the Cyberspace Classroom: The Realities of Online Teaching. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

(A worthy read that touches on a full corpus of issues relevant to teaching and administrating an online course.)

• • Stephenson, J. (ed.). (2001). Teaching and Learning Online: Pedagogies for New Technologies. London: Kogan Page.

(An anthology with a number of chapters that does an excellent job of over-viewing significantly expanding pools of current research.)

• Grading & Evaluation
  • Walvoord, B. and Anderson, V.J. (1998). Effective Grading: A Tool for Learning and Assessment. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

(A book chock-full of worthy ideas about how to revamp grading initiatives to make them more efficient, fair, and conducive to learning.)

• Handbooks on College Teaching
  • McKeachie, W.J. (2002). McKeachie's Teaching Tips: Strategies, Research, and Theory for College and University Teachers. New York: Houghton Mifflin.

(This book covers everything instructional and is considered by some to be the most important book for postsecondary faculty ever published—now in an 11th edition.)

• Improving Scholarly Writing
  • Boice, R. (1990). Professors as Writers: A Self-Help Guide to Productive Writing. Stillwater, OK: New Forums Press.

(Boice started a revolution with his thought-provoking suggestions about making writing a more regular part of daily activity.)

• Improving Student Writing
  • Bean, J. (2001). Engaging Ideas: The Professor's Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

(A worthy read loaded with worthy ideas about how to change an approach to student writing activities.)

• Learning Styles
  • Claxton, C. and Murrell, P. (1987). Learning Styles: Implications for Improving Educational Practices. Washington, DC: ASHE/ERIC.

(One of the first thorough examinations of learning styles written for post-secondary instructors.)

• • Sarasin, L.C. (1999). Learning Styles: Impact in the Classroom. Madison, WI: Atwood Publishing.

(A quick and dirty read that would get you up to speed and conversant with learning styles.)

• Lecturing
  • Bligh, D.A. (2000). What's the Use of Lectures? San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

(It can probably be considered the "definitive" book on lecturing, bringing together worthy suggestions and research findings.)

• • Brown, S. & Race, P. (2002). Lecturing: A Practical Guide. London: Kogan Page.

(This is a very thorough discussion of one of instruction's most fundamental tools.)

• Mentoring
• Peer Teaching
  • Boud, D., Cohen, R., and Sampson, J. (eds.) (2001). Peer Learning in Higher Education: Learning from and with Each Other. London: Kogan Page.

(A reasonably thorough discussion of the topic with chapters on basic considerations and also a series of detailed case studies—with worthy conclusions.)

• Problem-Based Learning
  • Boud, D. and Feletti, G. (eds.). (2001). The Challenge of Problem-Based Learning (2nd ed.). London: Kogan Page.

(An anthology about problem-based learning in post-secondary settings that is comprehensive and written by academics for academics.)

• • Wilkerson, L. and Gijselaers, W. (eds.). (1996). Bringing Problem-Based Learning to Higher Education: Theory and Practice. (New Directions for Teaching and Learning: No. 68, Winter 1996). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

(Another anthology with a couple of particularly useful and insightful chapters about bringing PBL to difficult contexts: e.g., large classes.)

• Research (Data Analysis and Statistics)
  • Antonius, R. (2003). Interpreting Quantitative Data with SPSS. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Press.

(Thorough and destined to give the reader a solid foundation for understanding more particular issues.)

• • Foster, J. (1998). Data Analysis Using SPSS for Windows: A Beginner's Guide. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Press.

(Brief but highly readable appreciable descriptions of fundamental steps to personal SPSS use.)

• • Salkind, N.J. (2000). Statistics for People Who Think They Hate Statistics. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Press.

(The title says it all. Check it out.)

• Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
  • Cross, K.P., and Steadman, M.H. (1996). Classroom Research: Implementing the Scholarship of Teaching. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

(Some regard this as a "how-to" Bible for individuals serious about engaging a scholarship of teaching and learning.)

• Self-Directed Learning
  • Piskurich, G.M. (1993). Self-Directed Learning: A Practical Guide to Design, Development, and Implementation. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

(Peruse and see what you think.)

• Service Learning
  • Eyler, J. and Giles, D.E. (1999). Where is the Learning in Service-Learning? San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

(Although there are other worthy books in the LEARN library relevant to service-learning, this one is the most thorough and thought-provoking overview on the topic.)

• Student Values and Behavior
  • Howe, N., and Strauss, W. (2000). Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation. New York: Vintage Books.

(Fluffy stuff that, nonetheless, provides plenty to think about relative to those sitting before us.)

• Teaching Freshman
  • Leamnson, R. (1999). Thinking about Teaching and Learning: Developing Habits of Learning with First Year College and University Students. Sterling, VA: Stylus.

(A good read, very thought-provoking ideas about how to get freshman off and thinking like college students.)

• Teaching Large Classes
  • MacGregor, J., Cooper, J. Smith, K. Robinson, P. (eds.) (2000). Strategies for Energizing Large Classes: From Small Groups to Learning Communities. (New Directions for Teaching and Learning no. 81). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

(As the title suggests, this book has a number of chapters that focus on how to implement small group initiatives in large classes.)

• Teaching Evaluation
  • Hutchings, P. (1995). From Idea to Prototype: The Peer Review of Teaching (A Project Workbook). Washington D.C.: American Association for Higher Education.

(As the title suggests, really a workbook full of examples that can be used.)

• • Knapper, C. and Cranton, P. (eds.) (2001). Fresh approaches to the Evaluation of Teaching. (New Directions for Teaching and Learning no. 88). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

(Chapters here on virtually all aspects of evaluation—from teaching awards to accreditation, from student evaluations to teaching porfolios.)

• • Lewis, K. (ed.) (2001). Techniques and Strategies for Interpreting Student Evaluations. (New Directions for Teaching and Learning no. 87). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

(Several chapters here that explore how students might really provide information that would assist us with our teaching.)

• • Theall, M., Abrami, P., and Mets, L. (eds.) (2001). The Student Ratings Debate: Are They Valid? How Can We Best Use Them?. (New Directions for Teaching and Learning no. 109). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

(Reviews of the expansive research literature about this topic, as well as ideas for new methodologies define this book.)

• Testing and Evaluation
• Theories of Learning
  • Jarvis, P., Holford, J., Griffin, C. (1999). The Theory and Practice of Learning. London: Kogan Page.

(Provides an overview of the major paradigms of thought about how learning occurs relevant from birth through adult learning.)

• Writing Across the Curriculum