The purpose of this volume is to provide or identify the major sources of information used by the National Science Board Committee in preparing its report: Four public hearings were conducted and testimony received from knowledgeable leaders in higher education, the scientific community, industry, and government. This volume is principally a…

Various issues related to the undergraduate education of adults are addressed. Adult learners comprise an increasingly greater proportion of the college student population, and these older students differ from traditional college students in significant ways, including their stages of development in life, value systems, outside responsibilities,…

The goals of liberal education are to deepen the understanding of the nature of humankind and of the human condition. In the last half century, fundamental changes have occurred in perceptions of how the human species relates to the rest of the universe, due to developments in science and the creation of the cognitive sciences. There is now the…

The year-long evaluation process of an undergraduate public administration program is described, and the course changes made as a result are outlined. The benefits and advantages of the evaluation are considered. (MSE)

A new model for predicting success in an M.B.A. program uses terms representing the interaction of undergraduate grade point average, undergraduate institution, and undergraduate major. It is found to have a significantly improved predictability than previous models. (MSE)

It is argued that it is as necessary to gauge a student's interest in and respect for his/her learning as his/her skills and knowledge. Definitions of beliefs, attitudes, disposition, and motivation as they relate to measurement are proposed, and two measurement methods--systematic observation and a consequences questionnaire--are presented. (MSE)

The is the first report from a study of a structured active learning approach to an analytical chemistry course. The purpose of the study is to assess the longitudinal outcomes of this approach and to provide feedback to curriculum developers about the effects of the changes being made in the chemistry curriculum. The data, collected from a cohort…

This paper reports on a unique assessment of a structured active learning approach to a freshman chemistry course. Faculty members (N=25) from 11 departments outside the chemistry department served as assessors interviewing approximately 200 students from the experimental and a comparison version of the course. The experimental section of the…

Alberta recently mandated an ICT (information and communications technology) Program of Studies that requires the infusion of digital technologies into core curricula and across all grades. Effective implementation of ICT demands that all teachers create inquiry-based, technology enabled learning environments for children. The design of digital…

This commentary focuses on reforms in undergraduate science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SME&T) education since 1986. A snapshot of these programs at the end of the 20th century is presented, and steps to take into the next decade are outlined. The report contains sections that discuss the status and desired directions for our…

Undergraduate study programs in the United States, Great Britain, and Europe are compared. Assessment strategies are offered for use in addressing demands for evidence of accountability and concerns about quality facing Western universities. These countries should jointly study the peer review process as an assessment tool. (TJH)

In separate articles, two educators present their arguments for and against the proposition that empirically based practice, the integration of practice methods with research methods, should be taught in social work practice courses. Each also responds to the other's essay. (MSE)

Abraham Flexner's educational philosophy serves as the basis for an examination of medical education. It is concluded that physicians would be better equipped to face the future complexities of medical practice if upper division undergraduate study, medical school, and graduate medical education were better articulated and treated as a continuum.…

The reasons college and university administrators dislike institutional rankings and ratings of academic quality published in the popular press are examined, and college attributes commonly used in the ratings are discussed. Virtues and flaws of the assessments are noted, and variations in the evaluations over time are illustrated in charts. (MSE)

Explains and advocates a reform package (SuperHECS) for financing Australian undergraduate education, designed to give institutions more autonomy and more incentives for efficiency, generate more student choice, enhance teaching quality, and be fair to all eligible Australians. The program should cost the government no more than current…