System models are commonly used in tertiary education as a mechanism for describing the interacting components of educational phenomena, but have hitherto been uncritically accepted. This paper provides a critical review of existing systems models, including the 3P model defined Biggs, and outlines their conceptual challenges. A revised model…

Utopian societies can actually demonstrate some essential needs for community life. In this sociology course students read utopian literature and then investigated the lessons gleaned from their study of the utopian societies through experiential learning projects, e.g., participant observation of dorm life, leadership simulations, and utopian…

An interdisciplinary business administration course taught at Kent State University (Ohio) uses literature to teach bureaucratic structure, based on the idea that, for business students, studying literature is an opportunity to develop alternative methods of perceiving and managing human resources. The curriculum is described and the reading list…

Deindividuation is a complex process in which a series of social conditions lead to changes in perception of self and of other people. Described is a classroom demonstration that illustrates this concept, revealing that even normal, well-adjusted college students are capable of highly inappropriate, antisocial behavior under certain conditions.…

A technique used in an undergraduate psychology class to reduce student incentives to fake data as they undertook a research project concerning marriage relationships is described. An evaluation of the technique suggested that it works. (RM)

A project involving third-year college geography students in determining the most accurate method of predicting mean flow velocity in a stream, using three different methods of estimating Manning's roughness coefficient, is described and evaluated. (Author/RM)

Students perform better under the multiple final method (MFM) of teaching statistics. MFM covers all course material in five weeks. Students who do well on the final are excused from further course work, but are required to tutor their peers. Other students have the opportunity to repeat the course several times. (RM)

A college level introductory psychology course taught in conjunction with introductory biology and philosophy is described. This triad arrangement allows for an interdisciplinary treatment of various issues without diluting the presentation of content specific to the individual disciplines. Information on evaluation of the course is also…

An examination is made of a foreign language teaching concept called pre-language that attempts to help foreign language students increase their speaking confidence and speaking abilities in the new language. The teaching method is designed for four distinct environments, including: (1) an independent mini-course for tourists or emergency needs;…

Reports on the current status of public education in Utah's public schools called for educational reform dealing with curriculum, instruction, student activities, preparation of teachers, inservicing administrators, and modes for improving teacher pay. A series of meetings held by educators, conferences, and visits throughout the state provided…

An undergraduate general education course introducing principles of law taught at Cornell University (New York), illustrates the value of law school faculty teaching undergraduate courses: the task is rewarding and satisfying without being too time consuming, and introducing undergraduates to law benefits both the law school and the students. (MSE)

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 course for teaching an advanced undergraduate course on the psychology of adult development and aging is described and evaluated. Course goals, content, and format are discussed. Students generally viewed the course favorably. (RM)

Described is a project that involved undergraduate geography students in developing a model of the accessibility of the pre-school population in Cardiff (England) to child care clinics. Programing skills were acquired through spatial modelling. Networks of mini- and micro-computers were used. (Author/RM)

A meteorological instruments course that provided undergraduate geography students the opportunity to use and/or observe meteorological equipment while also preparing for possible internships with the National Weather Service is evaluated and suggestions for improving it in the future are offered. The paper first provides a general course…