At the annual meeting of the Association of American Colleges, Leon Botstein, the president of Bard College, charged that students are not required to devote adequate time to general education. Changing the way the major is organized, he said, is difficult because change goes against in-grained traditions and structures. (MLW)

Summarizes issues affecting the field of educational technology which were addressed at the 1989 meeting of the Professors of Instructional Design and Technology (PIDT). Topics discussed include redefining the field of instructional design and technology (IDT); improving graduate studies in IDT; and conducting research in IDT. (16 references) (LRW)

Argues that if the study of language is to become important again in the teaching of writing, it will be through an expanded notion of rhetoric that understands language as the site of struggle over socially produced meaning. (RAE)

Discusses the differentiation of the American professoriate on the following primary dimensions of professionalism: (1) patterns of work; (2) identification; (3) authority; (4) career; and (5) association. Argues that integration is accomplished through overlap of subcommunities, rather than through socialization or similar functions. (FMW)

Philosophy is a basic subject that should be required in high school and in college. It is an essential element in an educated person's body of knowledge, interesting in its own right at the elementary level. (MSE)

The movement to create "academic alliances" of high-school and college teachers is discussed. The alliances owe much of their strength to the increased sense of self-esteem and the pleasure that members find in the company of disciplinary colleagues. A directory of some alliances is included. (MLW)

Reports on two experiments investigating the relationship between topical subject expertise and the assessment of relevance. Results indicate that topical subject expertise enhances effects of the semantic distance model (SDM), and that relevance assessment is a contingent, psychological phenomenon that is part of the human-perception task of…

Brings together viewpoints on the qualitative and quantitative research paradigms with regard to educational research in general and to literacy research in particular. Elucidates some of the persistent disputes in the research community. Discusses research traditions in literacy research. Considers the contexts in which new paradigms arise.…

This study used bibliometric analysis of the published literature (as represented by six journals) in physical and occupational therapy to compare the fields. The study found substantial overlap between the fields but also sufficient diversity for the professions to be regarded as different. Each profession is urged to become acquainted with the…

A discussion of undergraduate student essays suggests that students can improve quality by concentrating on the rhetorical effects of their writing. Results of a study conducted across six academic departments indicate that rhetorical organization is significantly influenced by departmental conventions. (29 references) (Author/LB)

Factors that may explain the increase in the prevalence of learning disabilities are explained. One factor is related to the newness of learning disabilities as a discipline, and one is related to social/cultural changes (such as substance abuse, poverty, and lack of social support) that have occurred in U.S. society. (JDD)

Using segregation indexes from economics and sociology and national data, the degree of gender segregation by discipline was assessed among college faculty. Results suggest segregation decreased modestly in the early 1970s but has declined little in recent years. Doctoral degree awards in the mid-1970s and mid-1980s indicate an overall increase.…

Examination of levels of publication productivity in 228 doctoral research departments in 23 disciplines revealed large differences, with the mean departments in the most productive disciplines averaging more than 10 times the number of publications of the mean departments in the least productive disciplines. The differences within disciplines…

Attempts to define a discipline of social studies by identifying a philosophy of social studies. Suggests that such a philosophical structure should attempt to develop a systematic, coherent, definable body of thought organized on the basis of structure and process. Uses epistemology, ontology, and axiology as a framework. (DK)

Discusses the importance of children's books translated from other languages into English and describes a study conducted to identify characteristics of successful translated children's books. Languages, genres, and subject areas are discussed; successful authors, publishers, illustrators, and translators are identified; and a bibliography of 131…