One of the goals of higher education is to develop the students' ability to think critically. However, little research has been done to indicate the impact of college on students' critical thinking skills. A study conducted at a midwestern university measured the critical thinking capability of college seniors. Subjects, 37 volunteers derived from…

This 1996 issue of the "Carolinas Speech Communication Annual" contains the following articles: "Rhetoric in the Second Sophistic, Medieval, and Renaissance Periods: Implications for Pedagogy" (Omar J. Swartz and Chris Bachelder); "Thou Art Damned: Cursing as a Rhetorical Strategy of the Accusers in the Salem Witch…

Includes nine articles on the subject of writing and how it's taught: "Aspects of Literacy: A Statistical Viewpoint" (Chester, and Holden); "Writing the Austradon" (Moore); "What Next? Working with Novice Writers" (Kelly); "Text Analysis: A Practical Teaching Tool" (Hazell); "Different Text Types: An…

This document augments an earlier issue of the NAEA Advisory that reported on studies done by researcher Wanda May on understanding and critical thinking in art and music at the elementary level. The topics of May's research in that earlier publication encompassed: (1) differences between creative and critical thinking; (2) higher order processes;…

This document presents three papers by scholars who participated in a lecture series on current controversies regarding politics and the arts. Judith H. Balfe argues in her paper, "Affinities of Art and Politics: Gilt by Association," that despite a history of institutional separateness, art and politics are linked with one another because they…

The effect of television on children is in part a reflection of the effect of current schooling practices, so that the simplicity of television is a reflection of the discontinuity and incoherence of modern schooling practices. This state of affairs in schooling is due to several factors: (1) efforts to make schooling less stuffy and mechanical…

Articles in this volume of the Journal of the Society for Accelerative Learning and Teaching (SALT) include the following: "Accelerated Learning Components in Elementary Classrooms"; "Ball-Stick Bird: Teaching with the Story Engram"; "A SALT Pilot Study in College Developmental Mathematics"; "Black Education in…

On May 6-7, 2000, the Foreign Policy Research Institute's (FPRI's) sixth History Institute convened with more than 40 high school and college history teachers to seek answers to the question: "How should we teach the history of the Vietnam War to our children today?" Not surprisingly, no simple answers were forthcoming. This conference…

The seven chapters of this special issue explore problems in how to better understand the reasoning process that is used to establish evaluative conclusions. The many unanswered questions about reasoning should stimulate further investigation of the meaning of sound evaluative reasoning. (SLD)

The six editions of this newsletter provide a forum for the sharing of research findings and instructional strategies by faculty of Western Michigan University on issues connected with critical thinking. Topics addressed include alternative program designs for critical thinking instruction, a philosophical exploration of what critical thinking is,…

Designed as a forum for the exchange of ideas among humanities community college faculty, this journal addresses substantive disciplinary and curriculum issues in the humanities. This issue of the journal contains the following articles and reports (1) "Reanimating Tradition," by Robert N. Bellah, which looks at the instructor's role in…

The need to improve the quality of university education, the relationship between university and student, and suggestions for reform are examined. It is suggested that first-quarter students be provided the opportunity to attend a sequence of interdepartmental courses and a seminar that would address the nature and purpose of education. The need…

Growing Thinkers is a teacher in-service program, designed and instituted in the Houston (Texas) Independent School District, which focuses on the development of higher-order thinking abilities. The three overall goals of the program are: (1) to recognize and further develop excellence in teaching; (2) to enhance the development of higher-order…

A project to improve higher level thinking skills of elementary students in Hillsborough County, Florida is reported as a feature article (66p). An introductory overview chapter reviews the literature on teaching thinking skills. Chapter 1 provides background information on the community and the two schools selected for the practicum. The second…

Although the nation's two-year college movement has been largely successful in providing higher education to a broad range of people, new barriers are emerging to the performance of this function. The problem is evident in the fact that increasing numbers of students neither enter nor leave the educational system with the competencies necessary…