Many teachers believe that the responsibility for learning lies with the students. （1） If a long reading assignment is given,teachers expect students to be familiar with the information in the reading even if they do not discuss it in class or give an examination. The ideal student is considered to be one who is motivated to learn for the sake of learning, not the one interested only in getting high grades. When research is assigned, the professor in the United States expects the students to take the initiative and complete the assignment with less guidance. Professors will help students who need it, but prefer that their students not be over-dependent on them.  In the united States, professors have other duties besides teaching. Often they are responsible for administrative work within their departments. In addition, they may be obliged to publish articles and books.Therefore the time that a professor can spend with a student outside of class is limited. If a student has problems with classroom work, the student should either approach a professor during office hours or make appointment.

       Participation in the classroom is not only accepted but also expected of the students in many courses. Some professors base part of the final grade on the student’s oral participation. Although there are formal lectures during which the student has a passive role ( i.e. listening and taking notes), many courses are organized around classroom discussions, student questions and informal lectures.

     In the teaching of science and mathematics, the dominant mode of instruction is generally traditional with teachers presenting formal lectures and students taking note.However, new educational trends have psychology classes, for example, are often required to solve problems in groups ,design projects, make presentations and examine case studies. Since some college or university courses are “applied” rather than “theoretical”they stress “doing ” and involvement.