In this video, former students and teachers recall their experiences in rural one-room schools in various regions. Just getting to school involved some hardship; anecdotes include experiences of walking, riding horses, driving snowmobiles or all-terrain vehicles, and canoeing to school. Students, teachers, and community members developed a…

This issue highlights the undergraduate experience and the increasingly important role of student affairs professionals in creating educational environments that enhance student success. It compares college students in the 1960s to today's students, noting that attitudes and behaviors of today's students are different from those of previous…

High schools organized into schools-within-schools (SWS) have the capacity to create social capital, a sense of trust and connection among teachers and students that can be used in the service of teaching and learning. These differentiated social groupings, or subunits, can influence members' sense of identity during the transition to high school,…

This paper provides an overview of the IT (Instructional Technology) Clinical graduate course at Virginia Tech and compares the perceived reality of the Clinical experience, in terms of benefits and concerns, with students' initial expectations. The paper begins with a discussion of the IT Clinical plan, the sociology of the learning environment…

Recalls the elementary and secondary educational experiences of a Canadian graduate student in education. Connects personal incidents to pedagogical issues of student performance, teacher student relationships, self concept, and social development. Concludes with a correspondence between the student and one of his early teachers. (MJP)

Case studies of three urban American Indian high school dropouts found that alienation in school, family values, and a need for economic independence contributed to dropping out. An alternative high school in Milwaukee (Wisconsin) for at-risk and American Indian students emphasizes wellness, school-to-work programs, service learning, culturally…

The "folkehojskoler," innovative Scandinavian secondary schools based on radical humanistic ideas, are examined from both empirical and philosophical perspectives, focusing on three elements: ideology; the student experience; and the teaching culture. Implications for goals, objectives, assumptions, forms, and practices in American…

This study examined the influence of background characteristics, disciplinary differences, institutional context, academic library experiences, and the perceptions of the college environment on the estimated gains of critical thinking skills in undergraduate students (N=9,361). The study used data from a national, cross-sectional survey completed…

This study reflects on children's voices when they are motivated, engaged, and learning in school. It consists of hearing what they have to say about what works for them and their positive school experiences rather than those told by adults. Adults who make policy are missing important information about the student curriculum they write. They are…

Looking at rural Australia, this paper addresses the issue of providing adequate resources to create high quality and diversified higher education environments and the need for more data on the quality of rural student life. A review of the literature shows the underrepresentation of rural students in higher education; rural barriers to…

A study in which nonscience professors and graduate students took introductory physics and chemistry courses and found that what makes science unappealing or difficult for some is not subject matter or lack of student preparedness but the way science is packaged. Problems with curriculum design, testing, grading, classroom climate, presentation,…

A study involving 15 adults with disabilities found, generally, that their elementary school experiences were negative. Those with physical disabilities experienced social isolation and unchallenging academic environments. Those with invisible disabilities felt challenged to learn in their educational environment. Negative experiences were often…

For African American students, matriculation at a predominantly White institution of higher education can be quite intimidating. Religion is important in providing comfort and encouragement for many of these students. This article describes the Afro-American gospel choir at the University of Alabama and its role in providing a more positive campus…

Rapid changes in technology make it necessary for adults of all ages to use written information in new and more complex ways. For example, learning how to operate computers, filling out complicated tax forms, and comparing price labels when shopping for groceries are just a few of the many tasks that are important parts of peoples lives. Every…

Two-year colleges used to be a small part of higher education, but they now enroll almost half of all entering college students. This report suggests new data is needed on this evolving sector of academe, including: (1) What are the unseen barriers in two-year-colleges?; (2) What are the unseen college options?; (3) What are the implications of…