Describes how college science laboratory activities can be developed by student teams in which original questions are formulated as testable hypotheses and refined into experimental designs on the basis of personal observations. Distinguishes this "minds-on" approach from traditional college science laboratories with respect to students'…

Examines the educational trends and quality of special education in Japan through discussions of its curriculum, the employment trends of special education teachers, and issues concerning internship, sabbaticals, and enrollment in graduate programs. Through amendments in Japan's Teacher Certification Law, qualitative improvements have been…

This paper describes the outcomes of a two-day Higher Education focus group meeting at Blencathra Field Centre, Cumbria, in November 2003. A review of the current status of fieldwork in undergraduate courses was undertaken. The data available indicates that although the number of students enrolling in Biological Science courses has increased, in…

This study used cognitive developmental theory to analyze how teachers learn to teach sport education. Two groups of undergraduate pre-service teachers were studied, one group during their secondary methods and corresponding field-teaching courses, the other during an independent teaching course. Data were collected through ethnographic…

Just-in-Time Teaching (ITT) is a teaching and learning approach that combines the best features of traditional in-class instruction with the communication and resource potential available via the Web. We describe here how ITT can be used to teach biology to undergraduate and graduate level students, both science majors as well as non science…

This article examines the similarities and differences for one course, Foundations of American Education, when offered in traditional face-to-face and online formats. The data analysis used both qualitative and quantitative measures. Several conclusions were reached: (a) for the course to be effective, the time that must be allotted for online…

Data on undergraduate, graduate, and professional school minority enrollment from 1976 to 1980, and from 1980 to 1984 were examined by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Minority access declines have been experienced by blacks, and Hispanics remain the least represented in higher education. (MLW)

The text is provided of the National Governors' Association report on the quality of undergraduate education, the state role, student assessment as a means of measuring educational quality, institutions that have implemented successful assessment programs, and the actions needed of governors, legislatures, coordinating and governing boards, and…

Explores the changing expectations of students towards a women professor throughout the course of her pregnancy. The professor made a conscious effort to standardize her classroom behavior throughout the course. Nonetheless, students attributed negative reactions and a general decline in her effectiveness to the debilitating effects of the…

Maintains that personal and family history assignments in an Asian American history course allow for an effective balance between scholarly inquiry and personal discovery. Describes the experiences and reactions of several undergraduate classes that used this approach. Discusses the benefits and problems inherent in studying oral histories and…

Describes two undergraduate library credit courses using computer-mediated communication. The first focuses on information searching and electronic resources in the students' areas of study. The second teaches basic research skills, the use of Netscape, and the use of e-mail and conferencing software in four areas: library studies; health…

Offers five themes from political geography that could be incorporated into college geography courses: historical specificity of geography; (2) interconnectedness of regions; (3) interpenetration of the human and natural worlds; (4) centrality of culture in social reproduction; and (5) use of political economy to uncover social relations. (MJP)

The nature of changes occurring in professional degree programs, resulting from environmental factors such as societal change, competition, and advancing technology, is examined. Focus is on accounting and engineering at the baccalaureate level, business and law at the graduate level. Application of Total Quality Management to curriculum…

Describes a course in global environmental politics. Argues specialized courses are needed that focus on the economic, social, and political dimensions of environmental problems. Argues such a course should be part of the core undergraduate curriculum. Includes a survey of course topics to prepare students for future challenges. (NL)

Purpose: While a number of universities in Australia have embraced concepts such as project/problem-based learning and design of innovative learning environments for engineering education, there has been a lack of national guidance on including sustainability as a "critical literacy" into all engineering streams. This paper was presented…