Resources

Book Recommendations from the Center for Educational Innovation and Excellence 

The Art of Changing the Brain by James E. Zull 

Description: By bridging neuroscience and experiential learning, this book demonstrates how educators can design teaching practices that align with the physical, biological processes of how the brain actually acquires and stores information. Grab your copy online via the NJIT Library!

• Zull, J. E. (2002). The art of changing the brain : enriching teaching by exploring the biology of learning (First edition.). Stylus.

How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching Susan A. Ambrose, Marsha C. Lovett, Michael W. Bridges, Marie K. Norman, Michele DiPietro 

 Description: This book distills cognitive and pedagogical science into seven practical principles—Prior Knowledge, Knowledge Organization, Motivation, Mastery, Practice and Feedback, Course Climate, and Self-Directed Learning—that educators can immediately apply to design more effective teaching strategies. 

• Ambrose, S. A., Bridges, M. W., DiPietro, M., Lovett, M. C., & Norman, M. K. (2010). How learning works. John Wiley & Sons. 

Learner-Centered Teaching Book by Maryellen Weimer

Description: This book outlines how to shift classroom dynamics away from teacher-directed instruction (sage on the stage) toward a model where students take active responsibility for their own learning (guide on the side). Grab your online copy via NJIT Library.

• Weimer, M. (2013). Learner-Centered Teaching (M. Weimer, Ed.; 2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.

Learning Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty by Elizabeth F. Barkley and Claire Howell Major 

Description: Serving as a practical handbook, this book equips college faculty with 50 structured techniques to accurately measure student progress and use that data to continuously improve teaching effectiveness. Grab your copy online via NJIT Library. 

• Barkley, E. F., & Major, C. H. (2016). Learning assessment techniques : a handbook for college faculty (1st ed.). Wiley.

Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, and Mark A. McDaniel

Description: Debunks common, ineffective study habits and outlines evidence-based cognitive strategies for long-term retention. Grab your copy online or at the Van Houten Library!

• Brown, P. C., Roediger, H. L., & McDaniel, M. A. (2014). Make it stick : the science of successful learning. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.

Radical Hope: A Teaching Manifesto by Kevin M. Gannon 

Description: This book suggests that teaching should be an optimistic, inclusive, and resistant act that prioritizes student humanity over cynical, transactional models of higher education. Grab your copy online via the NJIT Library! 

• Gannon, K. M., & West Virginia University Press. (2020). Radical hope : a teaching manifesto. West Virginia University Press.

Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning by James M. Lang

Description: Shows educators how to make small, high-impact changes to their teaching.  Grab your copy online via the NJIT Library! 

• Lang, J. M. (2016). Small teaching : everyday lessons from the science of learning (1st ed.). Jossey-Bass & Pfeiffer.

Small Teaching Online: Applying Learning Science in Online Classes Book by Flower Darby and James M. Lang

Description: This guide shows how making minor, easily implementable adjustments to online course design and teaching habits can significantly enhance student engagement and academic success. Grab your copy online via the NJIT Library! 

• Darby, F., & Lang, J. M. (2019). Small teaching online : applying learning science in online classes (1st ed.). Wiley.

The Spark of Learning: Energizing the College Classroom with the Science of Emotion by Sarah Rose Cavanagh

Description: Cavanagh leverages psychology and affective neuroscience to demonstrate that student emotions are critical tools for capturing attention, boosting motivation, and improving long-term memory retention. Grab your copy online via the NJIT Library!

• Cavanagh, S. R. (2016). The spark of learning : energizing the college classroom with the science of emotion (First edition.). West Virginia University Press.

Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning by C. Edward Watson and José Antonio Bowen

Description: Provides a comprehensive framework and actionable strategies for thoughtfully integrating artificial intelligence into the classroom to enhance student learning, foster critical thinking, and navigate new challenges like academic integrity. Grab your copy online or at the Van Houten Library!

• Bowen, J. A., & Watson, C. E. (2024). Teaching with AI : a practical guide to a new era of human learning. Johns Hopkins University Press.

Teaching and Learning in STEM by Rebecca Brent and Richard Felder

Description: A practical, evidence-based guide that equips college educators with proven instructional strategies—such as active learning and effective course design—to improve student engagement and comprehension in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses. Grab your copy online or at the Van Houten Library!

• Felder, R. M., Brent, R., & Oakley, B. A. (2016). Teaching and learning STEM : a practical guide (1st ed.). Jossey-Bass.

Teaching Naked: How Moving Technology Out of Your College Classroom Will Improve Student Learning  by José Antonio Bowen

Description: This book advocates for using technology to deliver basic content outside of class so that valuable, face-to-face classroom time can be active, technology-free, and highly engaging. Grab your copy online via the NJIT Library!

• Bowen, J. A. (2012). Teaching naked : how moving technology out of your college classroom will improve student learning (First edition.). Wiley.

What the Best College Teachers Do by Ken Bain 

Description: Based on a 15-year study of outstanding educators, this book reveals that exceptional educators succeed not through a specific set of techniques, but more on a deep understanding of student learning, a strong grasp of the subject matter, and the creation of a naturally engaging, critical learning environment that treats students with immense trust. Grab your copy online or at the Van Houten Library!

• Bain, K. (2004). What the best college teachers do. Harvard University Press.

Check out the CEIE’s book shelf at the Van Houten Library! 

Extra Resources on Experiential Learning

Aldrich, C. (2005). Learning by doing: A comprehensive guide to simulations, computer games, and pedagogy in e-learning and other educational experiences. John Wiley & Sons. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=n1zfEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=Aldrich,+C.+(2005).+Learning+by+doing+summary&ots=AqT0I6mpkB&sig=m8q0gQMZHb1NZfN-wvqMaDMkiH8#v=onepage&q&f=false. 

• Aldrich explains how to select, research, build, sell, deploy, and measure the right type of educational simulation for the right situation. It covers simple approaches that use basic or no technology through projects on the scale of computer games and flight simulators. 

Beard, C. M., & Wilson, J. P. (2006). Experiential learning: A best practice handbook for educators and trainers. Kogan Page.

• Beard and Wilson offer a guide for educators and trainers on best practices in experiential learning, with tips on designing and facilitating effective learning experiences.This handbook pulls together for the first time both the theory and the practice of experiential learning and all types of learning that employ activity-based experience.

Boud, D., Keogh, R., & Walker, D. (1985). Reflection: Turning experience into learning. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315059051. 

• Focuses on the crucial role of reflection in learning, providing a detailed exploration of how reflecting on experiences can lead to deeper learning and personal development.

Clark, R. W., Threeton, M. D., & Ewing, J. C. (2010). The potential of experiential learning models and practices in career and technical education and career and technical teacher education. Journal of Career and Technical Education, 25(2), 46-62. https://doi.org/10.21061/jcte.v25i2.479. 

• This article discusses the application of experiential learning in career and technical education, highlighting effective models and practices that enhance vocational training.

Corbett, A. C. (2005). Experiential learning within the process of opportunity identification and exploitation. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 29(4), 473-491. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2005.00094.x

• This article investigates how experiential learning processes influence entrepreneurial opportunity identification and exploitation, demonstrating the practical implications of experiential learning in business contexts. 

Dewey, J. (1986). Experience and education. The Educational Forum, 50(3), 241–252. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131728609335764. 

• Dewey's classic work advocates for education that is grounded in experience, critiquing traditional educational approaches and proposing a progressive model based on experiential learning.

Fenwick, T. J. (2000). Expanding conceptions of experiential learning: A review of the five contemporary perspectives on cognition. Adult Education Quarterly, 50(4), 243-272. https://doi.org/10.1177/07417130022087035. 

• Fenwick explores five cognitive theories that underpin experiential learning, offering a comprehensive review that expands the understanding of how experiential learning can be conceptualized.

Itin, C. M. (1999). Reasserting the philosophy of experiential education as a vehicle for change in the 21st century. Journal of Experiential Education, 22(2), 91-98. https://doi.org/10.1177/105382599902200206.