Teaching for Effective Learning in Higher Education

In Teaching for Effective Learning in Higher Education, Nira Hativa begins with the thesis that the basic aim of teaching is that students learn and, therefore, the appropriate criterion of effective teaching is effective and successful learning. Hativa contends that student learning depends substantially on their behavior and thus good teaching will bring out the types of behavior in students most conducive to effective learning. This, in Hativa’s opinion, involves a teacher creating “an evocative process that aims to involve student actively in their own learning and to elicit from them their best learning performance” (pg. 12).

The book begins with this theoretical framework and then identifies strategies and offers practical suggestions for achieving effective teaching within the framework. The book is full of useful tips and illustrative examples that flesh out its ideas and clearly guide readers in how to implement its suggestions.

Colin Donnaruma (5/13/08)