In the constantly evolving career landscape, knowledge about human resource management practices could prove very beneficial for undergraduate college students who want to construct protean careers. With its broad content coverage, the introductory HR course is best suited to teach students about key HR functions and practices instrumental to…

Researchers have conducted surveys of the introductory communication course for more than 60 years, starting with two seminal studies in 1956 and 1965, followed by a series of nine replicative studies extending from 1970 to 2016. This systematic review examines the results from those 11 surveys. The results of that review are presented here,…

Educators continually strive for better ways to engage students in course content and reflect on learning. Process maps originate from the business field while concept maps are used across disciplines. We adapted the process map to demonstrate its use as an effective assessment tool. This article describes the process of implementing Group Process…

The statistical preparation of in-service teachers, particularly middle school teachers, has been an area of concern for several years. This paper discusses the creation and delivery of an introductory statistics course as part of a master's degree program for in-service mathematics teachers. The initial course development took place before the…

The Introduction to Sociology course is usually the first contact that students have with the discipline of sociology. This course can determine whether students take other sociology courses or learn to use sociology in their lives as adults and citizens. "First Contact" identifies important issues facing instructors in introducing students to the…

A proposal is presented for a Community College of Philadelphia course surveying basic social science skills and information, including scientific method, map usage, evolution, native peoples, social groups, and U.S. Government. Following a standard cover form, a statement of purpose for the course indicates that it is designed to provide…

This paper calls for the standardization of the speech communication basic course at large universities where many sections are taught a semester by graduate students and adjunct faculty. The paper discusses the faculty vision for a standardized basic communication course and suggests that standardization is one of the ways that communication…

Discusses college course planning and describes the results of an empirical study that explored faculty members' underlying assumptions about planning and their decision-making process when teaching introductory classes. Highlights include purposes faculty express for their courses; contextual influences that modify their intentions; and the way…

Developed as a result of a 1984 summer institute sponsored by the Community College Humanities Association, this booklet offers guidance on the construction of a new, model introductory history course which would introduce students to the nature of historical studies. Following prefatory comments on the summer institute, a general overview,…

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…

Describes the current status and characteristics of the basic organizational communication course taught in colleges and universities in North America. Compares results of the survey with the 1988 survey. Discusses faculty and course information, course objectives and content, text, instructional methods, assignments, and common instructional…

This paper, after a brief review of social construction theory and its application to identity, emotions, and relationships, explores the introduction of social construction of reality into the basic communication course. It offers the broad based theoretical perspective as a way to open the minds of entering college students and to integrate the…

This paper describes a course designed for first year college students, including prospective teachers, entitled "Cultural Diversity in America." Its major goal is to raise consciousness about cultural differences and encourage students to articulate their own cultural perspectives. Based on the premise that knowledge about pluralism enhances…

The Teacher Education Admissions Seminar (TEAS) is the first course in the education sequence at East Texas State University. TEAS is a required course for all students who wish to enter the teacher education program, and it is suggested for anyone considering teaching as a career. This document contains a description of the seminar's…

A national survey was conducted which examined the scope of freshman seminar programming, the characteristics of these seminars, and the variance between different types of freshman seminars with respect to their goals, topics addressed, and other characteristics. The study surveyed 2,460 regionally-accredited colleges and universities of whom…