In 2002, the geographic knowledge of college-age students in the North was highlighted in a survey sponsored by the National Geographic Society. Students in the U.S. ranked second to last among those surveyed on questions assessing basic knowledge of world geography. That many young adults got "the facts" wrong about particular places…

Extent of technology ownership and use has been documented for teens and even pre-teens. However, little is known as to whether such ownership and use patterns change over time. This study examined these issues by surveying a sample of undergraduates as to their ownership and selective use of technology. Compared to teens, undergraduates had…

Since most sociology majors do not enter graduate school, how might their training be made more vital? Relevant data, by way of a mailed questionnaire, were acquired from agencies in two metropolitan counties. The findings indicated that different agency structures and types tended to influence training recommendations. (Author)

The lack of adequate background and/or preparation, among other things, causes many students to withdraw from college or to graduate with low grades, which often makes it difficult for them to obtain suitable jobs. This paper examines the academic performance and efforts to seek assistance for academic and related problems of undergraduate…

This paper explores the academic success of NCAA Division I collegiate student athletes that enroll in engineering majors. At the University of South Carolina, which is a member of the NCAA Division I Southeastern Conference, nineteen engineering students were on an active athletic roster during the spring semester of 2005. The mean cumulative…

This paper offers findings intended to shed light on the determinants and consequences of college students' willingness to work hard. Self-report survey data from a sample of 1296 undergraduates revealed that (1) students expended significantly different amounts of effort across four pairs of study contexts (e.g., courses where they connected with…

Dishonest behavior at the college level, particularly by business students, is an ethical issue of concern to the academic and business communities. Corporate scandals and federal legislation have brought additional attention to the ethical behavior of business leaders and the role of higher education in training the leaders of tomorrow. If…

This study examined whether gender influenced college students' attitudes regarding classroom seating layout. Seating layouts included: a) rows of tablet-arm chairs, b) U-shaped, c) clusters, and d) rows of tables with individual chairs. The sample consisted of 912 college students. Factor analysis yielded two dimensions: "Feeling at Ease" and…

The massification of higher education is changing the cultural context of the institutes partaking in the system. It is now widely recognized that effective communication is a crucial pre-requisite to the achievement of teaching and learning outcomes in higher education. Effective communication strategies in the classroom are essential, and…

The health Education Department of the University of Maryland continuously monitors the drug usage trends on campus. The latest survey (fall, 1973) of 1,385 undergraduates at this school shows that student use of illicit drugs has increased. Alcohol is the most popular drug followed by marijuana, hashish, methaqualone and speed. (Author)

Academic dishonesty is an issue of concern for teachers, students, and institutions of higher education. Because students and faculty do not interact directly in web-based classes, it is often perceived that cheating will be more abundant in these classes. Using data from a survey administered to students who had an online course during the 2001…

Student life educators continue searching for ways to assess campus programs. This is an exploratory study for an alternative assessment approach based on a hypothesized relationship between participation in campus activities, student self-efficacy, and student dispositions toward aspects of mental health and substance abuse. Focusing on the…

This study examines undergraduate students' academic achievement and its association with students' involvement with learning, students' relationships with faculty and students' relationships with peers at a Midwestern public University. To examine students' academic achievement, this study uses three years of data (2003-05) collected through the…

Adult students at NYU, age 28-57, were asked why they re-entered school to earn a B.A., and how they experience school now, after several years of employment. They said they enjoyed the learning experience a lot more, and felt less anxiety than during adolescence. (Author)

A central concept employed when introducing students to the discipline of sociology is the sociological imagination. The premise that human experiences are socially and historically contextualized is often the point of departure instructors take when introducing the discipline. Understanding the connections between individual experiences and wider…