Effective Teaching in Higher Education contains a wealth of information for the academician or academician-to-be. Supporting their contentions with research findings, Brown and Atkins focus on strategies to improve the principal modes of teaching employed in the academy today.

In the early chapters Brown and Atkins provide a balanced reflection about lecturing, a format that is all too often considered a one-way communication tool. The authors define, model, and analyze lecturing, taking into account the comments of both lecturers and students. They then discuss how to create an effective lecture, keeping in mind content and learning objectives. They describe some creative lecture styles and provide samples of student-evaluation and instructor self-evaluation tools that can be used at various times through the semester to improve lectures.

The authors follow much the same format in considering various ways to conduct small group work. They offer insights into how instructors can make the best use of discussions, seminars, mini-presentations, problem-solving, case studies, simulations, and games. They stress the importance of  preparation and assessment as key elements in maximizing the potential of small-group instruction.

In the chapters on laboratory teaching, Brown and Atkins not only offer a variety of helpful suggestions, but also discuss techniques to evaluate learning in a lab setting. They also provide a helpful guide to constructing lab manuals.

Among this book's more unusual features is a chapter that  deals with  mentoring  graduate  students.  This section elucidates the dynamic between mentors and graduate students, and would be especially valuable for those at the beginning of their faculty careers or graduate studies.

The later chapters focus on strategies that empower students to learn for themselves. This section outlines how instructors can provide the learning tools and direction that enable students to master content on their own terms.

Perhaps the most valuable aspect of this Effective Teaching in Higher Education is that the authors follow their own advice. Each chapter includes questions and scenarios designed to cause instructors to ponder: how can I implement these strategies? If you are ready to wrestle with such questions, this book can help you.