The main idea skill presents a structure that is the basis of all kinds of understanding and narration activities. In this respect, while it covers all language skills, it also lays the groundwork for all learning levels and lessons because people communicate through meaning transfer. Therefore, the importance of main idea teaching is not limited…

Innovative educational practice reveals the secrets to enabling complex learning and self-authorship.

Presents the findings and pedagogical implications of a study that focused on intellectual orientation and multiple-source writing. Suggests that first-year college students who write from multiple sources can approach divergent points of view from a variety of intellectual orientations. (MG)

Surveyed student affairs professionals (n=56) to determine if those who purported to know in-depth Perry's (1970) theory of intellectual development demonstrated use of Perry theory in intervention criteria. Concluded those who demonstrated intentional use of Perry theory criteria were more likely to be Myers-Briggs Feeling and Perceiving types…

College educators share a common goal: to guide college students as they develop mature ways of making informed judgments. Moving away from uncritical acceptance of knowledge to critically constructing one's own perspective, however, is more complex than learning a skill set. The evolution from viewing knowledge as certain and possessed by…

Responds to Myra Kogen's article, "The Conventions of Expository Writing" (JBW; v5 n1). Discusses several misunderstandings about models of intellectual development. Argues that developmental schemes are useful when interpreted cautiously, but risky if used to classify a student's intellectual development. (MM)

Outlines a four-stage developmental process (exhilaration, rejection, integration, and transformation) through which college students learn to apply experiential education theories to their practices as staff interns in an adventure education program for children. Discusses implications for intern supervision and the design of internship programs.…

The complex theory of knowledge and cognitive interests by the sociologist Jurgen Habermas, the dominant critical theorist in present day Germany, is applicable to current composition pedagogy. According to Habermas, all knowledge is shaped and used in three ways: in technical ways for instrumental reasons; in practical ways for socio-cultural…

Uses Perry's scheme of intellectual development to describe an informal model of cognitive development assessment. Suggests resident characteristics that residence hall staff might detect in students regarding topics students and staff encounter in halls. Presents ways for residence hall staff to use information to better understand students and…

Traditional models of student development have been criticized for discriminating against developmental characteristics of women. Developed Ways-of-Knowing Instrument (WOKI) to measure concepts from Belenky et al.'s model of intellectual development. Administered WOKI to 348 female undergraduates. Found encouraging empirical support for Belenky et…

This book articulates an integrated conceptualization of theory, assessment, application, and evaluation through the study of assessment and its role in linking theory and practice. Part 1 of the book contains six chapters which address the conceptualization of these four components, the potential for integrating them in the context of…

This paper describes the evolution of a graduate program in education called "Cognitive Development and Teaching Strategy." The thesis of the course is that developmental theory offers insights which can help teachers create a "thinking environment" in their classrooms. Each successive version of the course exemplified a different view of the…

Discussion at the Wingspread Conference on the New American College (August 1994) concerning a new model of educational excellence in higher education is summarized. The model emphasizes the need to connect general education with specialized education, theoretical learning with practical learning, and development of intellectual skills with…

Maintains that U.S. society's emphasis on individuality and pragmatism renders theoretical study of criminal deviance difficult for many students. Presents a structured approach to this problem that includes an emphasis on practical applications, comparative analysis, analytical skills, and the substantive content of theories. Describes teaching…

Knowledge of student development theory has direct practical benefits for the college financial aid administrator. Developmental theories of Arthur Chickering and William Perry provide expectations for student behavior and suggest interventions for these aid-related areas: monitoring academic progress; student employment; student debt counseling;…