Noting that too many people, including college teachers and administrators, view literature as entertainment and, thus, impractical in the "real world" of employment, a teacher at North Hennepin Community College in suburban Minneapolis supports requiring literature as the primary reading in Freshman English classes. After remarking that…

Despite exhortations from public relations practitioners, theorists, and educators as to the need to equip practitioners with management skills, a review of 59 academic programs in public relations finds that most undergraduate programs appear to pay only lip service to this goal. While many programs offer no undergraduate courses specifically…

This paper reports that the story of peace education in New Zealand has been one of extremes. While there has been some interest in the subject for decades, it was only in the 1980s that there was any serious activity and widespread debate. In 1984, the conservative National government, which had ruled the country for 9 years, was replaced by a…

This paper illuminates experiences related to introducing finite element methods (FEM) in mechanical and civil engineering courses at the University of Camaguey in Cuba and provides discussion on using FEM in postgraduate courses for industry engineers. Background information on the introduction of FEM in engineering teaching is focused on…

This paper offers a critique of elaboration theory (ET) based on recent cognitive research and offers suggestions for updating the model to reflect new knowledge. It begins by summarizing the basic strategies of this model for sequencing and organizing courses of instruction: (1) organizing structure; (2) simple-to-complex sequence; (3) sequencing…

A study assessed the status of the undergraduate communication theory course at small and large colleges. An investigation of communication theory course descriptions (offered by 261 communication programs) found that the course is taught at both small and large colleges, but there is little general agreement about what should be covered in the…

Advertising programs have an obligation to teach job search skills to their students and it is in their own best interests to do so. The rationale for this is threefold. First, advertising programs must command the respect of the professionals in the field, because professionals represent the employment market and are increasingly becoming sources…

A study assessed whether means for student evaluations of instruction tended to be lower in research methods classes than in other communication classes. Questionnaires were sent to 126 communication departments listed in the 1993 Speech Communication Association Directory and which were thought likely to require undergraduate research methods…

The meteoric rise of Multinational Enterprises (MNE's) and the concomitant increase in international trade and investment speak to the crucial need for a global perspective to be incorporated into the curriculum of the organizational communication course. The communication functions of MNE's are an increasingly important focus for students of…

Testifying to the virtues of teaching at an all-women's college (Mills College, Oakland, California), a male tenured professor of communication and film acknowledges the necessity of making difficult decisions concerning course content and focus. Through several uncomfortable experiences, he has learned what it is like to be gender conscious; he…

This National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) board of directors substantive issue session initiated the process of developing a position statement for the educational observance of the Quincentenary of Columbus' landing in the Americas. The meeting consisted of proposal statements by panelists and advocated the development of a united…

This annotated listing of fiction and nonfiction works suitable for use in Senior High English courses was written and developed by teachers, in Alberta, Canada. It contains 83 new titles and 44 titles carried over from the 1983 list. A specific edition of each of the novel and nonfiction titles in the list has been authorized because of such…

This curriculum guide presents a sociology course for 11th and 12th grade Seminole County (Florida) students. Seven units are covered in the course: (1) society and culture; (2) social structure; (3) social institutions; (4) socialization; (5) continuity and change; (6) social problems; and (7) the research process. For each unit both county and…

This guide from the Seminole County School Board (Florida) outlines the curriculum for a psychology course offered to 11th and 12th grade students. Five units are covered in the course: (1) introduction; (2) the workings of the mind and body; (3) human development; (4) psychological theories; and (5) human relations. For each unit both county and…

Although student evaluation data provide a reasonable basis for making decisions about instructors when generalizing across courses and students, when the course is the object of measurement (OM), data are less generalizable. This finding may be due to the type of evaluation items used or to academic discipline differences in the type of courses…