A study of grading practices at Christopher Newport College (Virginia) was conducted, using as data the grades awarded from 1979 to 1986. Differences between "in-department" and "out-of-department" grades were also analyzed, for all students enrolled in courses in more than one department. Results included the following: (1)…

Methods of optimizing instruction through the use of course knowledge portrayal methods were studied, based on a series of experiments conducted over 6 years. Sixteen university courses in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities were investigated through the application of cognitive theory to instruction. Attention was first focused on…

The Swedish National Board of Universities and Colleges' research on higher education program is discussed. The program's primary aim is to encourage discussion of the content, form, and effect of higher education activities. After outlining the distinctive properties and values of the program, the following main content areas of research are…

The purposes of this paper are: (1) to develop an understanding of three ways in which thinking and the development of foundational knowledge take place; (2) to identify a number of pertinent, empirically grounded examples of educational phenomena related to selected disciplines within the foundations of education; (3) to apply these three ways of…

The results of a study assessing departmental plans for hardware and software acquisitions, faculty development activities, and curricular modifications aimed at increasing student computer literacy at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) are reported. The study involved reviewing departmental definitions of computer literacy generated…

Linguistics is on the verge of becoming an experimental discipline; an undergraduate major tailored to reflect this can attract a wider range of students, relate linguistics subject matter to the real world in a more exciting way, challenge students to address more deeply the problems of philosophy and philosophy of science than in some other…

In this paper, which draws on a dissertation in process, one of the issues central to the role of content knowledge for teaching, "pedagogical content knowledge," is examined. This body of knowledge is an amalgam of pedagogy and content and makes teachers different from scholars in a field. General pedagogical knowledge is the teacher's knowledge…

Gender differences were determined for scores on the 14 College Entrance Examination Board achievement tests taken between 1982 and 1985. Effect sizes showed a tendency for males to score higher relative to females, while the percentage of male examinees increased. Based on Cohen's classification of effect sizes, differences in six of the 14 tests…

Since the measurement of school achievement involves the administration of achievement tests to various grades on various subjects, both grade level and subject matter contribute to within-school achievement variations. To determine whether achievement test scores vary most among different fields within a grade level, or within fields among…

Why geography is essential and central to the mission of education at all levels and why the profession or occupation of geographers should become increasingly recognized are discussed. Some common complaints lodged against geography and ways to deal with these complaints are first examined. For example, it is often said that geography has…

College education is examined with focus on what students need to learn to maximize their full human potential. Part 1, "Teaching, Learning, and the Purpose of Education," examines: teaching styles and effects on learning; the goals of teaching; education as a humanizing experience; and enriching learning through technology. Part 2, "Teaching…

The origins, evolution, and current state of Finnish-American academic and professional exchange are reviewed. Personal evaluations by Finnish scholars are provided as follows: "Scholarly Exchanges with Finland: The Benefits to the United States" (Allan A. Kuusisto); "Finnish-American Academic and Professional Exchanges, A…

Intended as a guide to instruct teachers how to write career education units for their students, this booklet briefly explains how to incorporate subject area objectives with career education objectives in six steps. A sample unit is included as a reference, and a discussion of five major problems that teachers may encounter during the development…

Phonetic science is becoming increasingly interdisciplinary. Phoneticians rely on, or at least collaborate with, sociologists, psychologists, biologists, poets, physicists, anthropologists, neurologists and others. A look at the history of phonetics reveals that this seemingly recent trend has deep roots. In fact, it is possible to draw parallels…

This study examined the relationship between functional brain assymetry, as measured by the characteristic direction of eye movements in response to face-to-face questioning, and sitting on the left or right side of a classroom. Results are congruent with other findings comparing right and left movers. (Author/BJG)