This report sought to test the hypothesis that living on campus fosters cognitive growth by estimating the relative freshman-year gains in reading comprehension, mathematical reasoning, and critical thinking of resident and commuter students at an urban university. Data were collected from 210 college freshmen students at a large research…

Study-abroad programs are among the many academic programs being evaluated in the assessment of colleges and universities. One evaluative tool is the survey of students who participate in these programs. This paper discusses the use of such surveys by St. Mary's College (Indiana) during the past decade to gather information regarding program…

A discussion of the field of applied linguistics defines the scope of the discipline, outlines some of the regular publications and activities within it, and looks at four examples of its role in the field of education: language planning, refugee and immigrant issues, dialect issues, and varieties of English. It is emphasized that in these and…

The development of minimum standards in higher education through the evolution of accreditation in specialized disciplines, and standard setting in criminology and criminal justice education are examined. The very different experiences with the concept of accreditation encountered in the fields of public administration and law are considered. Law…

It is proposed that research universities are a vital component of higher education in the United States because they provide cultural and intellectual leadership, research potential, and the professional and technical human resources to translate research into social, industrial, and economic action. The future of these institutions in view of…

This symposium paper reviews the literature on adult students in higher education and offers a model of their collegiate experiences. The review is organized according to the following themes: adults' experiences in higher education, social and psychological concerns, the role of the classroom, adult cognition, the adult-world surroundings, and…

Discusses the visual arts in relation to cultural literacy. Agrees with E. D. Hirsch that even a superficial acquaintance with certain things can enhance understanding of many others. Propounds upon the general education of undergraduates. Considers what the goal of cultural literacy means for elementary, secondary, and college curricula. (KM)

Discusses the role of the academic library in training undergraduate students in research methods. Highlights include changes resulting from the electronic dissemination of information; the tradition of apprenticeship, journeymen, and master; information and knowledge; electronic scholarship; layers of learning in research in an electronic…

Discusses the use of holistic scoring in the introductory college psychology course. Presents data showing the reliability, validity, and efficiency of the holistic scoring of students' written work by teaching assistants. Argues that holistic scoring is a high quality, low cost approach to scoring written work in large classes. (SG)

The kaleidoscope is presented as a suitable topic for a preservice mathematics teacher's first contact with a nontrivial mathematical phenomenon. Included are historical notes on the kaleidoscope, explanation of the inner mechanisms of various kaleidoscope designs, and suggestions for further student investigations. (JJK)

According to the U.S. Department of Education, there are 103 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the United States. Although this sector of higher education represents just 3 percent of all U.S. institutions of higher education, the National Center for Education Statistics reports that HBCUs grant approximately 25 percent of…

Educational foundations programs remain ill-defined despite generations of discussion. A review of the literature over the past three decades indicates that foundational studies are frequently subject to criticism and devaluation as irrelevant, serving no useful purpose, lacking a rigorous body of knowledge, and in general, poorly taught. Students…

This monograph offers a model for a technology teacher education program that can be used in planning new programs as well as in revising and updating existing programs. A figure illustrates the Technology Teacher Education Model that consists of three elements that are held together with the "rationale." Chapter 1 focuses on the role of the…

This study examines the relative stability and change in ethnic students' (Asian, Black, and Hispanic) social and academic expectations during their first year at the University of Massachusetts. The paper investigates how students' expectations were met by their actual experiences and whether students of different racial or ethnic categories…

This research report examines 10-year results of the Illinois Valedictorian Project, a program that has followed 81 high-achieving high school valedictorians for 10 years following their high school graduation. It describes the study's sampling and study methods; presents the findings from the first 5 years and the status of the study group at…