A discussion of national trends and practices in college student financial aid and pricing focuses on the debate over whether student aid should be used to promote diversity and equity or enhance an institution's market position. It is suggested that intensifying competition for affluent students with strong academic credentials raises difficult…

Presents mathematical models to determine whether seven-game baseball playoff series are significantly fairer than five-game series. Compares the results obtained from the models to actual playoff results. (MDH)

This article proposes that governing boards must carefully consider the implications of the admission and financial aid policy of awarding merit scholarships, without regard for student financial need. Such tuition discounting is seen as particularly problematic for private colleges, misleading to students, and potentially disastrous for…

Two studies of high ability students' communal notions about the purposes of school and the fairness of classroom practices suggest that the moral and intellectual development of high ability students would be best fostered by collaborative learning practices and by educational programs that encourage them to seek knowledge that will be of value…

Social and technological changes foretell higher education as a fast-growing, highly competitive business expected to provide nontraditional educational services. Colleges and universities are having difficulty identifying and taking advantage of these new services. Higher education can and must create a value-added university or face destruction.…

Disappointed with educational reform progress, the authors of "Winning the Brain Race" now believe that public schools no longer deserve monopolistic protection and can withstand competition from private schools and home schooling. The boundaries of public and private are already blurred by contracting for services. Technological…

When a college contracts for a product or service, the request for proposal (RFP) may be an appropriate tool. It must clearly define what is needed for fair evaluation. A rating or weighting system for costs and benefits is useful for isolating and quantifying important elements of the decision-making process. (MSE)

Studied 28 pairs of fourth graders using an educational software game under cooperative conditions, in which students played against the computer, and competitive conditions, in which students played against each other. The cooperative environment resulted in more correct answers than the competitive environment. The only strategies related to…

Examines resistance to cooperative learning, focusing briefly on possible poor presentations of its principles, and concentrating on ways that cooperative learning threatens the beliefs many teachers hold about individualism and the importance of competition. To make cooperative learning more readily received, some of its ideas are being diluted…

Describes library staff motivation, cooperation, and productivity related to a major library move at the William Russell Pullen Library at Georgia State University. Results of a survey that examined the impact of such a move on staff attitudes and morale are reported. (seven references) (EA)

The Future Problem Solving Program aims to empower potential leaders to manage change successfully. It involves teams of students using a structured, creative problem-solving model to tackle controversial issues for the future; writing scenarios creating alternative futures; and planning for and implementing real solutions to real problems in…

A former participant in the Future Problem Solving Program reminisces about his experience in local and national competitions, describes the program's unique features (its emphasis on creativity and focus on the future), and notes the usefulness of the problem-solving process in his work with the Corporate Audit Staff of General Electric. (JDD)

Examined similarities in sex-role conflict between female athletes and alcoholic women. Findings showed female athletes and female alcoholics (N=60) similar to each other and different from controls (N=30) along dimensions of sex-role conflict. Discusses findings relative to female athletes' susceptibility to alcoholism. (Author/PVV)

A suggested college classroom technique for motivating and rewarding student learning is the payment of play dollars to students for correct answers, attendance, and success in pop quizzes. The method is designed to encourage, not discourage, class participation, and provides students with immediate feedback on performance. (MSE)

The article examines changes in British funding policies under the Education Reform Act of 1988 to stress competitive bidding by higher education institutions. The methodology and theory of the new approach are explained, as is the concept of equilibria in decision theory underlying the approach. Noted also are responses of institutions. (DB)