Ten poems were read and evaluated for perceived similarity by freshmen and senior college students majoring in engineering and literature, to determine whether their education affected the students' ability to read and subjectively perceive poetry. Results showed that literary instruction did not change the students' ability to perceive poetry.…

Describes the addition of a collection management module to an advanced reference course in the arts and humanities, and reports the preliminary findings of a practicum that used the Research Libraries Group Conspectus as a basis for collection analysis in the humanities for a university library. (Author/CLB)

A 1986 national assessment of 7,812 high school juniors found them deeply ignorant of literature and history, with a lack of basic information as severe as their weakness in mathematics and science. The report by Diane Ravitch and Chester E. Finn finds that students score poorly because educators emphasize basic skills over content. (MSE)

Discusses the findings (and implications) from the 1985 national assessment of American students' knowledge of history and literature funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and conducted by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The average score of 11th graders on history was 55 percent and on literature 52 percent. (MD)

Corporate philanthropy has become a standard practice in the business world, allowing corporations to serve the broader and longer-term interests of the society while at the same time promoting corporate prosperity. Strengthening of the humanities and social sciences is discussed by the president of the Exxon Education Foundation. (MLW)

Describes the planning, design, contents, and results of a series of computer literacy workshops that were designed for humanities faculty at Hunter College, New York. Offers ideas on how the model can be adapted for other college programs. (ML)

Participants in interdisciplinary professional development workshops and reunions expressed satisfaction and reported positive effects on their teaching. Although the program met participants' expectations, sessions did not consistently reflect principles of effective teaching and learning. This discrepancy is discussed. (Author/MLW)

Republican Party planks support parental responsibility, community support, and local control for education, a resurgence in the arts and humanities as part of a return to basic skills, creative partnership between government and the private sector in the sciences, and an ambitious space program. (MSE)

Discusses a special multicultural program, offered in a twelfth grade visual arts class which allowed Canadian students to learn about the pre-Columbian world of Mexico, and Central and South America . Through the study of pottery, students learned about the pre-Columbian cultures and created their own works which were displayed in a museum. (GEA)

Discusses the development of a twentieth century world history course, its possibilities, pitfalls, and rationale. Includes a course outline, readings, audio-visual materials, and discussion topics. (GEA)

The current baccalaureate trend toward professsionalization is lamented because it responds to the superficial and ultimately meaningless accouterments of professional life. The mission of developing broadly applicable intellectual capabilities must be maintained. (MLW)

The Javits fellowship program, designed to encourage students to enter the arts, humanities, and social sciences by offering fellowships that would allow them to attend prestigious institutions, is described. Some believe the Reagan Administration has delayed each competition because it wanted to abolish the Javits program. (MLW)

Describes the focus of current library school courses on the subject literatures of broad knowledge areas. An emphasis on scientific and scholarly communication and the nature and structure of substantive and bibliographic literature are discussed as well as the relationship between these two components. (Author/CLB)

In 1984, Community College of Philadelphia received a $250,000 Ford Foundation grant to design and implement a transfer curriculum for predominantly poor, minority students. This paper describes the humanities faculty's team efforts to model a vital intellectual community for students by revamping curriculum approaches, value frameworks, and…

Offers writing activities based on the Bayeux Tapestry for use in art, communications, home economics, physical education, psychology, history and social studies, and science and mathematics classes. (EL)