In this rejoinder to Mazoue ("J Comput High Educ," 2012) article, "the deconstructed campus," we react to his arguments regarding the replacement of face-to-face teaching on college campuses with computer-supported approaches, including on-line learning, intelligent cognitive tutors, and open-ended learning environments where, rather than being…

Schools are beginning to offer an increasing number of courses in social and emotional intelligence, teaching students how to better understand their own emotions and the emotions of others. It sounds warm and fuzzy, but it's a trend backed up by hard data. This article discusses what new studies reveal--that teaching kids to be emotionally and…

How can higher education faculty, staff, and administrators create campus environments that guide students in their development within chosen disciplines and careers as well as in ways that contribute to a common good? How can they help students find a sense of calling in life? What does it mean to cultivate a sense of purpose in students? Are…

The "enhancement agenda" in educational policy is based on the idea that "something affective", which supports and improves learning, can be a) measured and b) enhanced. This idea is explored, and it is argued that the identity of the "something" that the enhancement agenda seeks to enhance is fatally obscure, as is the idea of measurable…

Service-learning, by its very nature, fosters young people's spiritual development, especially in experiencing a sense of interconnectedness with others and the rest of the world; opening one's heart; and expanding self-inquiry and self-knowledge. (Contains 7 notes.)

This article explores a graduate student's process of embracing emergent identity as a researcher in the field of counselling, and how this is facilitated through mentoring relationships. I apply concepts from Winnicott's object relations theory (1958, 1965, 1971) and Lave and Wenger's (1991) sociocultural model of "situated learning" to…

Systems thinking is an essential cognitive skill that enables individuals to develop an integrative understanding of a given subject at the conceptual and systemic level. Yet, systems thinking is not usually an innate skill. Helping students develop systems-thinking skills warrants attention from educators. This paper describes a study examining…

Notions of what it is to be knowledgeable and skilled in one's profession have evolved in recent decades. For instance, medical practitioners are expected to think critically and creatively, communicate effectively, and to be a professional and community leader. While these attributes have always been well regarded, it is only relatively recently…

This report concludes that for the U.S. to prosper and compete in the 21st century, the education system will need to change its goals and practices so all students may succeed. That is, as information has become ubiquitous, schools need to emphasize 21st century skills such as analyzing, synthesizing, and creating along with understanding and…

This dissertation is comprised of three essays exploring the performance of students on standardized tests in public schools. Since the passage of the "No Child Left Behind Act" (NCLB) in 2002, public schools have been subject to penalties for poor student achievement. In particular, NCLB requires states to measure reading and math test…

In 2007-2008, all Austin Independent School District (AISD) high schools began implementing a student advisory program for all students. This report summarizes results of student and staff surveys on their perceptions of the programs at the end of the third year of implementation.

The role of mentor development in implementing an out-of-school math and science Saturday program for middle-school girls is examined, using content analyses performed on journal entries that four college and graduate school-level mentors completed during the second year of the pilot program. Findings suggest that mentors matured and changed from…

A common (although not universal) goal of feminist teachers is to create a "safe environment" in the classroom. The meaning of that term, however, varies considerably--some hope students will feel they can share personal feelings and experiences without fear of judgment, some that students will feel they can state their opinions without fear of…

Essentially, the goal of the P-16 educational process is to teach students to become self-determined adults. Unfortunately, educational systems sometimes fail in addressing these factors and in educating students with various disabilities in the area of self-determination. In this article, the authors present the major findings that emerged from…

Factors that influenced the college choice and persistence of twenty-eight undergraduate, second-year students at religiously-affiliated institutions associated with the churches of Christ were examined using a cross-case comparative qualitative analysis. Student pre-college characteristics and campus environment factors were also investigated…