This report from Public Agenda is a summary of the process and outcomes of the "Difficult Dialogues" that took place in November 2008 at the 4th annual policy summit of the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC). Nearly 200 state legislators, institutional and system-level leaders and governing board members, faculty, executive…

This pedagogical implementation study advocates for performance-driven assessments to help learners become aware of and improve upon presentational speaking skills at the advanced level. A social media content creation tool, Adobe Spark Video, enabled learners to practice oral skills outside of class. The task design, implementation, and…

China's recent curriculum reform of English as a foreign language programs has shifted toward an integration of language abilities and transferable skills such as intercultural skills. This study is part of an internal evaluation project that examines the implementation and impact of a newly reformed writing course at one of China's top foreign…

This paper provides an overview of the successful pedagogical project TwitTIAMO, now in its third year, where micro blogging (Twitter) has been used in Italian language teaching and learning to improve students' communicative language skills, accuracy, fluency and pronunciation outside timetabled lessons. It also explores the background and…

This study investigated the types of language learning strategies used by 73 English majors from the School of Humanities in Universiti Sains Malaysia. Using questionnaires adopted from Oxford's (1990) Strategy Inventory of Language Learning (SILL) and focus group interviews, the study also examined the English major students' perceptions of using…

This study reports on Mexican-origin university students' perceptions of their K-12 literacy experiences and preparation for college-level reading. Participants were first-generation college students from Spanish-dominant homes enrolled in a reading-intensive course at a four-year Hispanic-serving institution. The study was conducted as part of an…

Presents a comparative analysis of the circumstances surrounding the establishment of new programs in the sixties and seventies. At present, the decision to reject new programs is made on the basis of circumstances rather than deliberation, of expediency rather than sound judgment. (Author/IRT)

The readership of "Human Services in the Rural Environment" was surveyed to provide documentation of rural emphasis within social work education programs. Responses were received for 44 academic programs (U.S. and Canada) with rurally oriented components; a listing of the programs is included. (BR)

From 1984-96, inmates earned 65 bachelor's degrees and 770 associate degrees from MacMurray College. Only 1 bachelor's and 44 associate recipients have been reincarcerated. (SK)

Describes potential use of Boston Consulting Group Matrix to evaluate proposed new college and university programs or majors. The product evaluation matrix consisted of two major variables: product growth rate and market share. Provides an example of the matrix. (PKP)

Offers suggestions for creating a successful college lecture program. Provides tips in the areas of vision, selecting a topic, selecting speakers, publicity, the care and feeding of speakers, and surviving as a student host. (EV)

The present study intends to examine the overall situation and the environment of Aqaba University College (AUC) in relation to industrial-educational interaction, and to discuss existing and possible future industrial linkage strategies. This article presents observations from AUC, as well as suggestions for action on industrial linkage. The…

This article addresses the issue of basic writing, demonstrating how one university's basic writing program acts as a steward of writing. The assumption that basic writers only consume resources rather than contribute to academic excellence is rejected. What links the author responses to this issue is a publication of student writing entitled…

The ability to manage one's emotions and to manage one's interactions with others is tantamount to effective managerial leadership. Students in business schools will need to be prepared to integrate their emotional intelligence with their everyday behavior if they are to achieve success in whatever field of endeavor they have chosen. In this…