Recounts the circumstances of the first general conference on argumentation held in 1979 in Utah--the worlds of speech communication and the human sciences were ready for systematic and concerted studies of argument theory and practice. Describes the conference experiences. (PA)

Contends that academia needs to move beyond separate departments and disciplines as they have been understood over the past century. Advocates facing up to the gravity of the environmental situation, looking for a sustainable vision that will unite individuals in a community effort, and seeking literary insights into the problem. (PA)

Provides an overview of national information policy and analyzes fundamental concepts in information policy. Concludes that though there is confusion about the meaning of concepts, there are frameworks in information and information policies studies that can provide input for development of information policy. Describes frameworks and how they can…

Discusses the pitfalls of departmental "territoriality" and asserts that faculty groups must transcend disciplinary perspectives and assume responsibility for general education in order to protect students' broader educational interests. (EV)

Provides an organizing framework for literature on undergraduate teaching and learning, distinguishing between hard pure, soft pure, hard applied, and soft applied fields of study and hence making it possible to highlight generally unremarked similarities and differences between the various research findings. Offers separate analyses of…

Examines problematic assumptions about literature reviews: (1) subject matter can be categorized as a set of topics; (2) topics have clear, unambiguous labels; (3) topics represent objectively real phenomena; (4) knowledge of topics is essentially cumulative; and (5) it can be known in advance which literature is relevant, valuable, or significant…

Examined students' beliefs about the nature of knowledge and learning--epistemological beliefs--across domains that vary according to Biglan's classification of academic disciplines (hard vs. soft, pure vs. applied). Results support the idea that epistemological beliefs are moderately domain general. (EV)

Surveys school principals in rural and urban Nebraska schools to compare policies and procedures on school attendance, and to contrast the use of disciplinary procedures for attendance, violence, and substance abuse. Principals generally reported similar disciplinary actions for most problems. For recurrent offenses and serious problems,…

Looks at English literature as a cultural formation and a academic discipline in China at three different historical periods. Shows that the relocation of English literature in China is not just an intellectual or academic operation that is dependent of or free from political and ideological engagement and that the development of English literary…

The Supreme Court has ruled that corporal punishment is constitutional, and 30 states allow its use. However, 20 states have chosen to abolish it. Discusses the pros and cons of corporal punishment. Notes that minority and disabled students are paddled more often than their classmates. (MLF)

Examines the development of the "New England pedagogy." Finds that it began in response to the materialism and ambition of Jacksonian America. It sought to cultivate the capacity for individual self-government and to counter the commercialization of the classroom. (DM)

Describes a South Carolina elementary school principal's program for decreasing discipline referrals and creating a positive school environment. The Great Behavior program involves weekly drawings and prizes for well-behaved students and an end-of-school party and pie-throwing event. Following a first-year 47 percent reduction in discipline…

The National PTA opposes the use of corporal punishment in schools. Several states and foreign countries have banned this form of discipline, and studies show it to be ineffective. Alternative methods of controlling student behaviors are suggested. (IAH)

Investigated possible mediation of attributions about children's competence and responsibility for misconduct on effects of parenting attitudes and children's ages and behaviors on discipline preferences of 181 mothers of children of 4-12 years. Parents' age- and task-sensitive appraisals of children's behavior were important to decisions about…

Feeling out of touch with daily classroom realities, a Washington State superintendent spent seven half-days as a routine substitute teaching elementary school classes. Newly sensitized, the author shares his insights concerning class size, classroom management, and educational technology issues. (MLH)