It is through working in groups that students develop cooperative learning skills and experience. However, group work activity often leads students into a difficult experience, especially for first-year students who are not familiar with group work activities at university. This study explores obstacles faced by first-year students during their…

Many universities in the United States and Europe offer honors programs to meet the demands of gifted and intelligent students. One of the standard goals of these programs is to build an intellectual learning community. Establishing a community can be difficult because it requires that students show an active attitude and initiative. Many…

Public discourse suggests that volunteer work will transform youth into productive citizens by connecting youth to their communities. However, the meaning and practice of "community" is rarely defined or investigated. Using interview and observation data from a study of 47 volunteers aged 15-23, I argue that there are three different types of…

Statistics suggest a steady increase in the number of international students attending universities in the U.S. However, limited information is available to guide professionals in the delivery of effective mental health services to this diverse group. University counseling centers have repeatedly reported little to no success with international…

This article outlines the rationale for and development of a small group piano teaching approach for application in the higher education environment. The influences on and the rationale for current preferences in the piano teaching field are considered, prior to an investigation of the literature, which reveals a number of issues of concern in…