Traditionally, medical schools have tended to make assumptions that students will "automatically" engage in self-education effectively after graduation and subsequent training in residency and fellowships. In reality, the majority of medical graduates out in practice feel unprepared for learning on their own. Many medical schools are now adopting…

Communications to college students about the value of their composition are better expressed in words than in letter grades. Research by Sweet and Seidman suggests that free-style, positive comment on student papers produces a markedly improved attitude toward writing. The author's own research reveals that in the presence of positive, free…

Without a change in grading practices, elective English programs can become simply old programs with new names. (JH)

Examines how teachers' pedagogical practices shape them as educators and alter their belief systems about students. A teacher describes her own pedagogy, noting how she made her practices consonant with her beliefs and discussing the changes in her attitudes when she changed her course from pass-fail to letter grading. (SM)

This paper describes a group dynamics course designed to integrate academic and experiential learning. The technique used to accomplish this integration was a two week wilderness experience, followed by a seminar in group dynamics during the normal academic term. Four reasons for the wilderness experience are discussed: (1) shared experience among…