This article argues for classical education's trivium--grammar, logic, and rhetoric--and its step-by-step building of knowledge as a heuristic for general education courses. Specifically, courses must intertwine the four rhetorical acts of reading, writing, speaking, and listening to achieve a trivium-based heuristic. Current curricula, however,…

Educators have long lamented the critical condition of the liberal arts in the United States, arguing that the ever-increasing pressure placed on schools to serve the marketplace has undermined the true meaning and value of liberal education. At present, while there is no shortage of solutions calling for sweeping changes in attitudes and…

Does revision of graded essays for an electronic portfolio improve First-Year Composition students' scores from anonymous raters? In a sample of 450 paired essays, 46 percent improved by one or more points on a six-point scale, 28 percent remained the same, and 26 percent declined by one or more points. (Contains 3 figures, 1 table, and 7 notes.)

Identifies links between Ernest Boyer's and Isocrates's educational philosophies. Describes a freshman composition class adopting Isocrates's emphases on the use of language to craft ideas, social issues, and citizenship. Argues that the re-creation of Isocrates's model necessitates that current political/academic demands for cultural literacy and…

Assessing common target outcome for a general education program is difficult in an undergraduate "cafeteria style" program because of the scope of courses and lack of uniformity in the students' choices, and the difficulties associated with tracking a large number of transfer students. The University of Central Florida used a course…

Suggests that incorporating popular culture into freshman composition classes can help students understand and engage in course content and can increase interest and motivation. Discusses the idea of discourse communities, or spaces in which meaning is negotiated. Reviews strategies for making students aware of different discourse communities when…

Examines the development and implementation of a communication component of the general education curriculum at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Describes the model as incorporating a decentralized approach to teaching speech and writing. Details organizational and practical issues surrounding this major change in the undergraduate general…