Many students planning to apply to medical school take undergraduate courses covering concepts that are taught within the medical school curriculum. A study to determine whether these students perform better in similar courses in medical school than students without prior exposure is discussed. (Author/MLW)

This report is based on the analysis of initial interviews with the staff of the Freshmen Learning Community Program (FLCP) staff. FLCP is a pilot program in engineering education that focuses on diversity and cultural change. Data includes structured open-ended interviews and observations of discussion sections and learning program meetings.…

A conceptual model of curricular decision making that identifies curricular planning variables and clarifies the relationship among these variables is presented. Environmental inputs affecting decision making and design variables from which decisions evolve, and the relationship between input variables and curricular design are discussed.…

Lists the following information about physics courses in 121 colleges and universities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: honors degree courses, special entry requirements, course structure, and miscellaneous notes. (CS)

Lists the following information about physics courses in eight colleges and universities in Scotland: honors degree courses, special entry requirements, course structure, and miscellaneous notes. (CS)

Explores the results of a study that involved qualitative analysis of students' reactions to a long-term inquiry experience in a freshman biology course. (DDR)

Evaluates the preservice music teacher preparation program at a large Big Ten university through the perceptions of beginning teachers, their mentors, and administrators. Gathers data using interviews, focus groups, journals, and classroom observations. Identifies the most and least valuable parts of the program. Provides suggestions for the…

Explains that econometrics is an intellectual game played by rules based on the sampling distribution concept. Contains explanations for why many students are uncomfortable with econometrics. Encourages instructors to use explain-how-to-bootstrap exercises to promote student understanding. (RLH)

Finds through surveys in 1995 and 2000 that, despite some indications of increased emphasis and interest in teaching over this period, the teaching methods in economics courses have changed very little over the past five years and are still dominated by chalk and talk classroom presentations. (RLH)

Some colleges are encouraging undergraduate research as a means of exciting students and improving the quality of undergraduate education, while increasing numbers see it as a way of reversing the projected shortage of faculty, especially in minority groups. (MSE)

A 31-year-old student of Western Governors University (WGU) plans to earn a bachelor's degree (without attending a class), by using the Internet or otherwise by teaching himself. Aside from distance-learning opportunities, WGU offers the option of standardized tests and independent projects to fulfill degree requirements. The student in question…

This discussion of the organization of the university's undergraduate curriculum and program administration, draws on models that focus on demand, supply, and use of management principles for streamlining supply. A modified, contingency model is proposed as the most useful theoretical approach to effectively reorganize undergraduate programs. (MSE)

Explores the most frequently listed undergraduate psychology courses for four institutional types by analyzing 400 college catalogs. Reports that some segmentation continues in the research methodology and developmental areas, the balance of natural and social science courses appear stable, and there are no signs of a change toward vocationalism.…

Describes the development and design of the "master learners" program at Fort Lewis College (Colorado), in which faculty members from varied teaching backgrounds are given release time to participate as students in a year-long Human Heritage course to show freshmen how a master learns. The program has evolved into an exemplary faculty…

Presents the first of three invited keynote lectures from the 1995 conference of the New England Association of Chemistry Teachers. Discusses the relevance of the history of chemistry to the teaching of chemistry. Contains 27 references. (DDR)