The purpose of this article is to present empirical evidence suggesting the potential benefits of systematically utilizing general education as the institutional foundation for an integrated, multidisciplinary learning environment expressly dedicated to the promotion of civic engagement. Recently, the authors conducted an assessment of student…

Given that critical thinking development is an essential part of undergraduate education, and in most cases faculty members accept their role to promote some level of it in their classrooms, this article explores the complicated relationship between faculty perceptions of critical thinking and pedagogical applications. Following a review of the…

General education programs rely on students transferring learning from one context to another. This transfer cannot be taken for granted. Faculty must see individual courses as elements of a larger experience and focus on specific techniques promoting transfer. Classroom experiences serve to illustrate the elements of transfer that require…

Discusses the redesign of the sophomore literature course at Francis Marion University by an interdisciplinary team. Considers the three diverse epistemologies found in different disciplines, concluding that literary study is best pursued within the rhetorical tradition of analysis and disputation. (DMM)

Reports on the findings of the College Board's "Academic Preparation for College," with respect to the foreign language preparedness of secondary-school students. Reveals a shocking, intellectually crippling decline in student preparation. Supports the recommendations of the foreign language statement of the Green Book. (DMM)

Cites the Rockefeller Commission's findings regarding humanistic studies. Outlines steps for bringing humanism back to the humanities, e.g., by clarifying the humanities' substance and identity, elucidating a cogent and persuasive rationale for their study, and underscoring the importance of a cultural/humanistic context for vocational training.…

Describes "The College Course," a course designed by six Vassar professors to advance the goals of liberal education, through interdisciplinary, integrative, and synoptic study while laying a basis for later liberal arts studies. Considers the possibility of adapting the model to other disciplines and institutional settings. (DMM)

Provides a personal account of rediscovering the joys of teaching. Emphasizes the personal and emotional factors which attract and keep teachers in teaching. Considers the changes that occur for both teachers and students as they jointly explore great works of literature. (DMM)

Shares the experiences of a History of Ideas instructor in teaching freshman writing classes. Discusses personal perceptions of writing instructors held prior to teaching Freshman Comp, the new composition paradigm employed, reading and writing assignments, and the potential and limitations of Freshman Comp for improving writing. (DMM)

Discusses film-oriented writing classes as a way of expanding student vocabularies and illustrating such literary devices as metaphor, irony, and imagery. Offers guidelines for writing instructors wishing to add films to a course plan, using "King Kong,""The Godfather," and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" as examples. (DMM)

Describes an interdisciplinary writing course organized around the theme of language as used by individual disciplines. Reports a significant improvement in students' writing skills, exposure to a breadth of issues to which these skills might be applied in students' respective majors, and an enthusiastic response to the approach. (DMM)

Describes the use of various learning methods in the Non-Western core of St. Joseph's College's interdisciplinary general education program, including extemporaneous speeches and individual role-playing exercises, extemporaneous group presentations of interviews and political demonstrations, simulation projects recreating a Chinese People's…

Provides a rationale for including evolution as part of a college general education curriculum, discussing the content of evolutionary theory, instructional principles, Darwin's contributions, evolution and religion, and the relationship of evolution with current events. (DMM)

Summarizes and interprets Wole Soyinka's play "Death and the King's Horseman," clarifying some of the shared misunderstandings dividing African and European cultures. Relates the play's theme to the creative acts of teaching and learning. (DMM)

Points to the essential ingredients of scholarship and an energetic, enthusiastic approach to teaching: imagination, curiosity, discipline, determination, and the resources to make one's work possible. Stresses the importance of fostering these qualities and providing the resources faculty members need. (AYC)