Suggests that teaching and research should not be antithetical in the undergraduate science classroom. Describes an approach to teaching human nutrition as a distance education class via interactive television (ITV). Reports on a survey that explored similarities and differences in demographics, learning, and/or behavioral change between ITV and…

Argues that the disposition to change is essential to the college component of the reform movement for without it, the status quo is preserved and the continuity of purpose across grade levels is compromised. Discusses various aspects of the change process and encourages educators to be agents of change at their institutions. (JRH)

Presents a brief life history of Carl Linnaeus, a professor of medicine and botany in Uppsala, Sweden. Highlights his work in developing a classification system for plants and animals, and his botanical lectures and demonstrations. (JRH)

Highlights the creation of centers that promote the professional development of teachers including Teaching and Learning Centers, Centers for Teaching Excellence, and Centers for Faculty Development. Presents examples of such centers where teachers help one another hone skills, stay abreast of pedagogical developments, and mobilize institutional…

Presents a demonstration which uses single displacement reactions to generate electricity. Illustrates the relationships between redox chemical reactions, electricity, chemical energy, and work. (JRH)

Reviews the book "Medical Problem Solving: An Analysis of Clinical Reasoning," a seminal book whose conclusions on problem solving in medical fields are still valid today. Discusses major problem-solving findings of this book, the application of the findings to education, and relating knowledge to problem-solving skills. (JRH)

This article briefly reviews assessment trends in higher, secondary, and elementary education and argues that approaches to evaluating learning evolve slowly with experience and commitment to change. It also notes that qualities that lead individuals into education may militate against their being interested in--or able to--grade others. (JB)

The average university curriculum is based on a mistaken form of rationality. Universities have failed to critically examine the rational world view, including its fundamental assumptions and their consequences. Negative social effects of the rational assumptions in biology and economics suggest the need for a better definition of rationality and…

This article examines undergraduate course tests, letter symbol grades, and grade point averages within the context of three dominant undergraduate models of instruction: (1) information dispensing; (2) training of scholars; and (3) personnel selection agency for society. Argues for critical examination of these forces and models to prevent the…

Argues that examinations and assignments shape the way students learn, read, write, and think, and that authentic testing is the most powerful step toward improved student learning. Assignments must pose real questions addressed by practitioners in the discipline in question, must make scholarly sense, and must challenge students to perform rather…

This article provides information on designing a college course grading plan. It reviews the history of grades; describes and discusses common approaches to grading; examines the purposes of grades, problems with current practices, and situational factors to consider in selecting an approach; and proposes eight principles to observe in developing…

This article addresses issues of multicultural education and feminist pedagogy in the context of knowledge and its transmission, self-understanding, cultural and individual beliefs, and transformation of the teacher and the college curriculum. (DB)

This article argues that obstacles to cross-cultural awareness are rooted in Americans' reductionist understanding of culture and structural obstacles within the university. It describes materials and methods used in a cross-cultural teaching approach that highlights the limitations of this view of culture and generates self-reflection by…

This article explores the meaning and importance of alternating currents of study and work in the Antioch College (Ohio) cooperative program from student and teacher perspectives. Examples are given of how students integrate their work and academic experiences and how teachers find their teaching is influenced by the school's cooperative program.…

This article describes the effort to prepare college students for lifelong learning through "connected learning," in which learning occurs through active engagement. It also offers guidance for classroom practice including class discussion, reading lists, journals, cooperative learning, questioning and listening skills, and listening and teaching.…