A fourth year honors thesis research course in psychology at the University of Toronto uses the device of adversarial interaction to improve critical thinking. Course components, including thesis submission, research seminar, student relations, and supervision, are designed to simulate the constraints, criticism, and relationships of actual…

In a national survey of management faculty, college professors were asked to rate the various professional management journals for their usefulness in teaching. The results indicate that, in general, the highest rated journals for teaching usefulness tend to be more professionally oriented than purely academically directed. (JMD)

In a study to determine the relationship between teacher effectiveness and variables related to the organization and value patterns of different schools, teacher interns rated by principals as high or low could be distinguished on the basis of their instructional decision making within the different school contexts. (JMD)

Three groups of students--science majors, preservice elementary teachers, and all other nonmajors--are compared on the basis of their attitude toward biology, their self-concept of their ability in biology, and their cognitive style. Preservice teachers entered the course with the lowest scores but showed the greatest gains over the testing…

Results of a study of the relationship between students' propensities to withdraw from a course and the faculty member's grading in that course show that students do use the option to withdraw from courses when grades tend to be low in order to protect their grade point averages. (JMD)

A college instructor describes her experiences teaching two remedial composition courses as part of the Urban Education Program at Westfield State College in Massachusetts. Focus is on teaching methods that emphasized grammar, writing, and reading, and on student progress throughout the courses. Examples of student work are included. (JMD)

Proposes that college teachers in most of the academic disciplines teach students to write essays in their given subject matter area. Bloom's "Taxonomy of Educational Objectives" is offered as a guide to organizing instruction and student learning around the demands of well-constructed essay questions. Sample questions and classroom techniques are…

Adult students enrolled in noncredit courses display a diversity of backgrounds, needs and motives. The importance of teacher accommodation of these factors is addressed, including such issues as homework, counseling, course structure, and student skills. (JMD)

The impact of two methods of individual instruction, guided reading and the learning center approach, on undergraduates in an educational psychology course is investigated. Objectives are (1) to determine which method is more effective in terms of cognitive gains, and (2) to compare attitudes toward the two methods. (JMD)

American University sponsored two summer institutes in urban affairs to expose college educators to major developments in the area and to give them training for developing or upgrading their own programs. The program's effectiveness is evaluated and institutes as a means of continuing education for educators are discussed. (JMD)

A pilot research program to measure the academic qualities of undergraduate colleges has been announced by the Higher Education Research Institute of Los Angeles and the Council on Learning. The study will include a literature review, measures of institutional popularity among students, and reputational ratings of undergraduate departments. (JMD)

Suggestions for teaching college students the necessary bibliographic skills are offered to college librarians and faculty members. Focus is on cooperation between faculty and librarians, and skill development that is deliberately built into the curriculum. (JMD)

Presented is an outline of a college course, "Education in American Society," that focused on teaching students rational decision-making skills while examining current issues in American Education. The outline is followed by student comments, reactions, and evaluations of the course. (JMD)

The Undergraduate Intern Program in college teaching at the New College of the University of Alabama allows upperclass students in any school or college at the University to spend one or two semesters working in every aspect of the classroom with a faculty member for three hours credit each semester. (JMD)

The use of undergraduate liaison students in a lecture/laboratory course and in a lecture course is described. Facilitating laboratory procedures, helping students with academic material, and advocating student needs were among the activities of the liaison students who served as links between the class and instructor and/or subject matter. (JMD)