Two studies examined students with learning disabilities who were allowed to substitute other courses for the college foreign-language (FL) requirement. Both studies found similar demographic, cognitive, academic achievement, and FL-aptitude profiles for the students. Article concludes that educators should not assume that students with LD require…

Discusses possible effects of California's new remediation policy on disadvantaged students attending the state's public universities. The policy requires freshmen to successfully complete remediation courses within a year of enrollment and is intended to blend compassion with tough standards. Although more freshmen are completing remedial…

Recommends that inner city students (and essentially all high school students) be required to take physics. Lists some problems with teaching physics in inner city schools. (WRM)

Investigates the content and structure of the undergraduate curriculum in psychology by analyzing 500 college catalogs. Reveals that introductory, statistics, and a capstone are the common required courses, laboratory experiences are not integral to required courses, prerequisites are recommended, and the traditional model is the most popular…

Geoscience departments with graduate programs were surveyed to determine the courses required of entering graduate students. Most geologists consider the core curriculum to be that which is required or recommended by most graduate programs. In addition to geology courses, two semesters of calculus, physics, and chemistry were required by more than…

Reports and analyzes the consequences of a university's abolishing any required writing course, using the case of the Director of Writing at Portland State University. Discusses effects on assessment, funding, service, and staff and staffing needs. (SR)

The University of Georgia (UGA) is one of the first universities in the United States to require that every undergraduate student complete an environmental literacy requirement (ELR). The ELR has been in place since 1993. Three students examined the ELR through formal and informal studies and surveys. Their results showed that students were…

This paper provides a descriptive account of a mandatory course in special education, and includes examples of the impact that teacher candidates report the course has on their attitudes towards students with special needs. The paper begins by describing the changes that were made at the University of Manitoba in the move towards a two-year…

Mandated state testing, college entrance exams and their perceived need for higher and higher grade point averages have raised the anxiety levels felt by many of the average students. Too much focus is placed on state test scores and college entrance standards with not enough focus on the true level of the students. The author contends that…

To address re-accreditation issues, North Florida Community College devised Essential Skills Blocks required for all students. Librarians devised an Information Skills course and collaborated with faculty to reach and teach the students. The authors discuss the outcomes of this project.

This article focuses on attempts to introduce elements of sustainable development education into the curriculum of one of the largest Russian universities. At St. Petersburg State University, compulsory courses relevant to sustainable development have been introduced or modified in 14 faculties out of 20 during the last decade. Examples of…

University-wide courses increase visibility and credibility of family and consumer sciences programs and provide students with a valuable cross-cultural experience. A sophomore required course facilitates cross-cultural understanding regarding diversity and human appearance. One course project includes four interviews with a partner from a…

The study examines the extent to which elementary education teacher preparation programs in 36 randomly selected colleges and universities in the six Southeast Region states integrate content related to students with disabilities. Findings indicate that a variety of strategies are utilized to integrate disability content into teacher preparation…

Introductory Statistics is a required course for most college students in order to graduate. Research has been conducted for determinants of achievement in college mathematics courses; however, there has been little investigation for statistics courses. In this exploratory study, data concerning students' grades received in this course, the…

In this article we present and discuss an integrated system of continuous assessment (ISCA) in higher education, designed to collect multiple evidences of students' knowledge and abilities, and to facilitate monitoring and support of their learning processes. Inspired by a socio-constructivist approach, which assumes a close relation between…