Difficulty transitioning from school to higher education or work remains one of the key barriers facing girls in disadvantaged contexts, with far-reaching implications for their futures and wellbeing. In this report, the first in a three-year research project on girls' transitions into higher education or work, we seek to understand the challenges…

Economic success and commitment to the social benefits of inclusive training opportunities are important goals for public Vocational Education and Training (VET). Currently in Australia, VET policy is a shared responsibility between the Commonwealth and the States and Territories. Priorities for investment are juggled between improving efficiency…

Work with 12 students in a basic writing class led to the conclusion that textual analysis alone will not provide basic writing teachers with the information they need to deal effectively with student errors; instead, contextual analysis is needed, an understanding of how students compose and what their guiding concerns and basic problems are.…

A skills program aimed at maintenance and custodial staff addresses often-neglected needs through a collaborative process using undergraduate student teachers as tutors. (Author)

This study was conducted to determine whether or not a lack of emphasis on grammar instruction and exercises would impede students' abilities to overcome basic writing deficiencies. Both groups of students (intensive grammar instruction and minimal instruction) showed significant improvement in correcting high frequency errors in grammar and…

Comprehensive programs to enable students to acquire skills necessary for college work are discussed. It is suggested that developmental courses be supplements to regular academic courses. In starting a new developmental program, three factors are important: commitment of the school's faculty and administration to the program's success, adequate…

Enthusiasm for the introduction of computer-based skills needs to be tempered by a realistic assessment of what is possible and desirable within the context of a balanced geography degree. To help teachers identify an appropriate role for computing in the undergraduate geography curriculum, a ladder of computing skills is outlined. (Author/RM)

Describes an approach to skills counseling that goes beyond what is often done in universities. Includes examples of forms that are used to record work done with students. (AEA)

"Back to Basics" has become a popular phrase to describe the current trend in higher education's general education requirements. What must be addressed beyond the evident need for basic skills is the nature of the "mission" of the general education curriculum component. (Author)

States that students often enter college with few problem-solving skills. Urges colleges to offer appropriate skills-building courses to students as well as to school personnel, since they will be counseling students on financial aid and other issues. Asserts that, by integrating problem-solving skills into the curriculum, students will be better…

Argues that effective grammar instruction depends on shifting from a teacher's to a learner's grammar. Introduces techniques for presenting grammar that are accurate, workable, economical, compact, operational, and immediate. (MM)

A review of the literature reveals that obstacles to the successful transfer of basic skills, knowledge, and thinking skills during classroom instructional time differ depending on which of three components of expertise is entailed: conceptual understanding, domain-specific basic skills, or domain-specific strategies. This paper focuses on…

Suggestions on how to apply mastery learning concepts to instructing high-risk college students are offered with examples from mathematics provided. Eighty-five specific guidelines from the Personalized Systematic Instruction Inventory (PSII) are included.

Suggests that an integrated, comprehensive skills program can be used to assist underprepared students in attaining required academic standards. Describes approach which encourages development of proficiency in basic skills by focusing on synergism between cognitive and affective domains. (NB)

Activities of the Pre-Medical Enrichment Program, sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Tennessee (Knoxville) are designed to increase the number of minority and low-income students who are unable to successfully compete for admission to medical school as well as successfully complete a medical degree. (NQA)