Similes and metaphors were extracted from over 2,000 papers by students in grades 4, 8, 12, and the third year of college to study the effects of age, grade, sex, mode, and writing competence on these figures of writing. Students worked with more abstract forms as they grew older. (SLD)

The Bronx Community College's Department of Student Development has provided an array of developmental minicourses to help incoming freshmen acquire coping skills and a new social support system. These courses foster cognitive, affective, and interpersonal development. (TE)

Describes a two-year Technology for Teaching Project linking high school students on Montana's Crow Indian Reservation with other students in the United States and abroad through AT&T Learning Network's Learning Circles. Topics include project organization, materials exchanged with other schools, issues covered in online student discussions,…

Examined developmental behaviors in college seniors having made a career choice and compared these with behaviors of college seniors undecided about careers. Results suggest a relationship between student developmental tasks and career decisions. Career decisions were unrelated to psychological distress and the development of interpersonal…

A study evaluated the feasibility of using students' self-reports of academic development and college experiences as substitutes for standardized test scores (proxies) or policy indicators. Results suggested self-reports should be used with care as proxies for a national test but may be used as policy indicators for improvement of undergraduate…

A teacher describes his experiences during an outdoor expedition with urban students from the Free School in Albany, New York. Time spent at the school's camp is intended to narrow the gap between experience and learning, promote principles of "self-regulation" and "work democracy" encouraging students to manage their own behavior and make…

Presents models specifically designed to help students build group cohesion, to encourage them to think and act more compassionately, and to provide them with more leadership opportunities. Describes the "just community" approach and moral dilemma methods based on Kohlberg's moral development theory. Examines school counselor's role in…

Discusses the impact of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 and the Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act on student affairs. Examines several important court cases. Posits student affairs professionals can have a leading role in annunciating the appropriate nexus between policy and developmental practice. (JBJ)

Explores balancing ethics with the conflicting goals for student orientation sources. Ethical standards, including those developed by the Council for the Advancement of Standards (CAS), related to the development and assessment of orientation programs, as well as specific issues unique to orientation, are considered. Offers models for ethical…

A study investigated medical school faculty and student knowledge and perceptions of group dynamics in the context of problem-based learning (PBL). Observation of 27 first-year medical students and 3 faculty in University of Toronto medical school PBL groups revealed a generally low awareness of effective group dynamics. Comprehensive medical…

Ernest L. Boyer of the Carnegie Foundation discusses his book "The Basic School" and its connections to American Indian education. Boyer's vision of education stresses the importance of the school community, the sacredness of language, development of a relevant curriculum, and character development. Tiopsa Zina Tribal School (South…

The Purdue University (Indiana) Department of Freshman Engineering offers a counselor-tutorial program to high-potential, but academically disadvantaged, freshmen. The program's counseling and tutorial services are intended to help students successfully complete their first-year courses in calculus, chemistry, and physics. Experience shows…

This study investigated the usefulness of three dormitory lifestyle assignments (male-only, female-only, co-ed) in promoting student participation in residence hall activities at James Madison University (Virginia). Results showed assignment to coeducational dormitories fostered more and varied student involvement than did male-only or female-only…

Self-evaluation is unfamiliar to most college students. Teachers can use varied approaches to support students in overcoming unfamiliarity with self-evaluation, lack of confidence in describing learning, writing difficulties, evaluation difficulties, discomfort discussing academic problems, cultural bias against self-evaluation, emotional…

Results of a longitudinal study of student experience at over 200 4-year colleges are summarized. The study focused on student outcomes and how they are affected by college environments. Key findings are discussed for three areas: academic development, personal development, and satisfaction. (MSE)