Human behavior and social environment courses are traditionally the foundation on which the rest of the social work curriculum is based, but their development has been "chaotic." An analysis of 481 graduate courses at 66 graduate schools indicates that formal guidelines have been minimally implemented. (Author/MH)

Summarizes information on learning disabilities and foreign language learning and details the University of Pennsylvania's policy on exempting learning disabled students from foreign language requirements. The policy for exemption involves the review of students' case histories, evidence of effort made, and satisfactory performance in other…

The trend toward including instruction in critical and logical thinking as a required element in the college curriculum, and the various approaches to teaching it, are discussed. (MSE)

This paper addresses the hybrid communication course and its tradition of teaching students a variety of important communication skills. The three-fold mission of the hybrid course in teaching interpersonal, group, and public speaking skills places the hybrid communication course in an important position at the dawn of the 21st century. Even…

Documenting the decline in foreign language literacy among Americans and the decrease in foreign language requirements in high schools and colleges, the author stresses the intrinsic value of learning languages. He makes recommendations for improving foreign language study and attitudes toward it. (SK)

This study evaluated the impact of a required college health and physical education course on selected health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of alumni. Mailed surveys of alumni from two colleges (one with a required course and one with no required course) indicated that the course had a positive effect on health knowledge, attitudes, and…

Outlines a course in artificial intelligence for liberal arts students that has no programing prerequisites. Topics and projects included in the course are described, including problem solving; natural language; expert systems; image understanding, or character recognition; and robotic systems. (28 references) (Author/LRW)

Provides a history of debate concerning issue of teaching Kansas state history in public schools as mandated by law. Studies show the failure to comply was a result of nonavailability of textbooks and lack of teacher preparation. Contends that State Department of Education did not support the law because state history is not taught in many Kansas…

Complaints have been made that in teacher preparation programs foundations courses are practically irrelevant and methods courses intellectually unchallenging. Prospective teachers should understand that an extensive grounding in the psychological, historical and sociological foundations of education prepares them to make effective decisions on…

A study involving 240 undergraduate business students in four different types of class situations (non-major required, non-major elective, major required, and major elective) was undertaken to determine dimensions that students use to evaluate teachers. Findings indicate that the relative importance of various dimensions is associated with type of…

This study was undertaken to determine whether a biology preparatory course given at an urban community college was helping students to develop the proper skills and background necessary to successfully complete follow-up courses in biology. Data indicated a mathematics score was the main discriminator between pass/fail groups of the preparatory…

A survey of 314 medical students before and after a required third-year internal medicine clerkship found differences between students choosing primary care and subspecialties, while undecided students shifted between those groups on several items. Results suggest the clerkship may affect students' image of primary care. (Author/MSE)

Reports on five National Endowment for the Humanities seminars held in Texas to exchange ideas concerning a law mandating a core curriculum in the state's college and university system. Questions centered on the ramifications for the curriculum, selection of courses for revision, and the role of the humanities in such a curriculum. (KO)

Asserts that issues of economic literacy have typically focused on the content of individual courses, teaching approaches, and the curriculum for the economics major. Describes a program offering an economics minor including curriculum requirement, student recruitment and retention, and the costs and benefits to the institution. (CFR)

For a music history research class, the students at the University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa) must examine a musical artifact of their choice, thus learning standard and nonstandard research strategies. Utilizing both group instruction and individual tutorials, the music librarian and course professor teach cooperatively so that students use critical…