Reviews a study of the reasons students enroll in individual community college courses. Classifying students as "requirement meeters,""knowledge seekers," or "specific information users," compares motivational orientations along three dimensions: major criterion of success; educational aspect emphasized (instrumental or expressive); and…

Suggests that teachers of required history courses have a particularly challenging task in their first class meeting because of the captive nature of their audience. Proposes using the technique of providing humorous information and intriguing anecdotes to stimulate student interest. Provides a list of such items for teacher use. (KO)

Compares course completion rates for students enrolled in sections of a required first-year writing course taught in a microcomputer laboratory/classroom to the course completion rates for pen-and-paper sections of the same course. Finds higher course completion rates for students enrolled in the microcomputer sections. (RS)

Investigated reasons for student choice in foreign-language study when moving from 8th to 9th grade. Eighth graders from districts that varied in how and when they offered foreign languages completed surveys after registering for ninth grade. Their main reasons for language selection were utilitarian, including the desire to satisfy future college…

Describes a library instruction program developed at Southwestern University (Texas) that is part of a required freshman symposium for all first-year students. Topics include library assignments; reading lists; problems; feedback from students and faculty; and possible future changes in the course. (LRW)

In the last twenty years colleges have begun to emphasize the importance of career training in undergraduate programs. The current investigation addressed three questions related to this movement. First, are college students, in general, aware of the educational requirements of their preferred career? Second, are the perceptions of psychology…

This study was conducted to introduce preservice teachers to cooperative learning through direct experience with the strategy. Participants (N=85) consisted of freshmen and sophomores enrolled in a course required for teacher certification. During the first 6 weeks, instruction occurred through traditional lecture methods and at midterm, a jigsaw…

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (New York) is requiring all of its 1,000 freshmen to take required calculus courses utilizing the "Maple" computer program which can perform computations and quickly plot graphs. The program is intended to free students from meaningless manipulations and focus on concepts. Most students have reacted…

Continuing developments in educational technology and increasing undergraduate numbers in the UK have facilitated the use of computer-based learning packages. One of the effects of the increasing use of these packages is the shift in teaching of material from being primarily lecturer-led to student-driven. This has a number of implications…

This study combines research in education and services marketing to develop and test a model of seven factors hypothesized to be significant in student attitudes toward the classes they take and behavioral intentions that may be influenced by those attitudes. Based on a review of relevant literature and a series of focus groups, a survey was…

In 1994, the Chancellor's Office of the California Community Colleges funded a study to determine the effect of pre-, co-, and advisory requisites on target course outcomes at nine community colleges. Quantitative data were gathered on student success in target courses and retention, while qualitative data were collected through spring 1994…

In a recent survey sponsored jointly by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement and the Council for Excellence in Government, several questions regarding young people's attitudes towards civic education and community service requirements were asked. These included questions asking if students were favorable or…

Forty students in the Executive MBA (Master of Business Administration) program at Xavier University (Cincinnati, Ohio) completed a required overseas study tour, with approximately half visiting Japan and Singapore and half visiting England, Belgium, and Germany. The purpose of the tour was to explore and assess innovative business strategies,…

Historically, the study of measurement and evaluation has not been highly valued by elementary education majors. In fact, research suggests that only a minority of teachers show evidence of adequate preparation in these areas. To motivate students to have more interest in the subject, this study examined the contents of a tests and measurements…

The first phase of a study of the effects of new high school graduation requirements in Maryland was conducted in 1986. Interviews were conducted with 182 administrators, teachers, and students about their perspectives on new requirements instituted in 1985. Transcript records were analyzed for 249 students from 5 high schools. Interview data did…