Offering lifelong and developmental learning to over 13 million students at nearly 1,200 schools, community colleges in the United States attract a student body with remarkable economic, ethnic, and cultural diversity. They provide students with skills and foundational knowledge upon which successful professional careers and rewarding personal…

"Assessment on college campuses has a sordid history, and it is fairly simple to find someone with a traumatic tale to tell. It is wise to respect that that reputation is deserved." "How do you modify the inner workings and culture of a massive institution with minimal resources and even less authority (other than GE course…

Plato's depiction of Socrates' interrogations in his early dialogues provides an enduring example of the importance of asking questions as an educative method. This article considers the central educational elements of Socratic dialogue and the ways in which these were developed in the 20th century, particularly in "The Socratic Method"…

These papers are the work of scholars who received support as post-secondary fellows in 1992-93 in the Elementary and Secondary Schools Teacher Curriculum Development Project. The project seeks to familiarize teachers with current developments in the humanities, support their development of curricular materials based on their studies, and…

The Eight Year Study (EYS) and the Humanities Curriculum Project (HCP) are compared and contrasted on the basis of five hypotheses. First, EYS and HCP were similar in confounding conventional notions of success and failure. Second, both were manifestations of progressive education. Third, both arose in climates of unease over perceived breakdowns…

The industrial model has penetrated every avenue of American existence; even education is compartmentalized in the United States for the purposes of management and immediate efficiency. One initial step that has been taken toward creative and constructive change in education is the institution of cross-disciplinary humanities courses. English…

The current data on the incidence and predilections of adult students fall into "good news" and "bad news" categories for educators in the humanities. The good news begins with the sheer numbers of potential adult students. In 1975, about 17 million adults were engaged in continuing education, and this figure has probably increased dramatically…

If children entering school today are to avoid a 12- to 20-year apprenticeship in alienation dominated by the mere manipulation of words and numbers, education must foster an appreciation for the roles the humanities play in helping mankind rise above the earthly and achieve a reflective overview of society. Such an appreciation can be obtained…

Typically, students justify their pursuit of a college education as being necessary for a well-paying job, rather than as a tool for themselves as individuals. Often college curricula are responsible for turning students away from knowledge for its own sake. But should an education be merely useful? The description of the Alphas in Aldous Huxley's…

The purpose of this study was threefold: to emphasize a need for humanities education in the secondary school today; to explore various types of programs in humanities education in respect to method of approach, content, teaching, and achievment; and to propose guidelines which may aid others in undertaking or implementing a humanities program in…

This is a conversation concerning pop culture between Don F. Rogerson, Head of the Humanities Department of Baltimore City College and chairman of a faculty committee for the development of an experimental, humanities-oriented three-year high school, and John Cawelti, Professor of English and Humanities at the University of Chicago and chairman of…

More than 300 16mm films for teaching general studies, that may be rented from suppliers in Britain, are listed in this catalog. The term "general studies" includes any course in social studies, humanities or the sciences offered to non-specialist students. Each entry describes a film, shows where it may be rented, and evaluates the usefulness of…

The article states that the humanities are vital to the education of every American, and our programs in the humanities need at least as much improvement and support as our programs in the sciences. The importance of teaching the humanities and teaching them well are discussed. Special partnership programs around the country are briefly described.…

Discusses the status of foreign language learning in connection with the humanities, and suggests a redefinition of the mission of the foreign language department in the research university. It is proposed that students be trained in language teaching skills in combination with branches of the humanities other than literature, without neglecting…

Today there is new interest in renewing a society's general acquaintance with and appreciation of the arts and humanities as vital to life, education, and the conduct of human affairs. The 12 essays in this collection have a variety of critical looks at the arts and humanities and the role they play in postmodern schooling. This diverse collection…