In a method called "cooperative controversy," students team up to study controversial subjects, then synthesize their findings. In a philosophy course, small-groups work on a specific philosophical problem. Group work was as effective as traditional lecture in three cases and more effective in two cases. (MLW)

In response to high attrition in accounting courses, Hudson Valley Community College began a "late start" program for students otherwise inclined to drop or fail the course, in which students can begin again up to four weeks after the semester is under way, at no cost. Results have been encouraging. (MSE)

A process engaged in by the West Chester University (Pennsylvania) teacher education program began with a faculty seminar on racial, class, and gender identity and culminated in the redesign of courses in special education and child development. Theory of the stages of racial identity formation proved useful in interpreting both faculty and…

The Miami University (Ohio) School of Interdisciplinary Studies has implemented a program of quantitative thinking across the curriculum. Four aspects of quantitative reasoning (learning from data, quantitative expression, evidence and assertions, and quantitative intuition) are developed in the core curriculum as a foundation for further…

This article presents a classroom project that employs various techniques of active learning including role-playing, collaborative group work and writing. The project explores the recent creation of the European Monetary Union (EMU) with special emphasis on the introduction of the euro. The project assumes that the Americas have begun preliminary…

A project at Loyola University of Chicago and Northwestern University has three teams of two students each write papers and present them at a joint meeting. One team from a university writes in support of a particular side, while its counterpart at the other university takes the opposite view. (MLW)

The development and structure of 6 interdisciplinary world civilization courses by 14 faculty at San Jose State University are described. The curriculum provides a framework for investigation of common problems facing all cultures, analysis and assessment of attempted solutions, successful and unsuccessful, and evaluation of contemporary attempts…

Three courses in the adult education division of Loyola University (Louisiana) combined religious studies and literature appreciation using an interdisciplinary, team-taught approach. Instruction was guided by the metaphor of conversation, first through collegial discussion of the ideas underlying the courses and later, in the classroom, in the…

A University of Florida instructional improvement program includes these features: competitive awards in the form of base faculty salary increases, three-year cycle for competition, focus on undergraduate teaching, and use of measures of both quantity (contact/credit hours) and quality (portfolios) of instruction. The program evolved from a…

An interdisciplinary program for freshmen at Pace University (New York) focused on development of critical thinking, nonverbal communication, writing, and speaking skills. Two sections of an English course, two of a public speaking course, and one of philosophy adopted common texts, common themes, and cross-disciplinary reinforcement of skills.…

A model of service learning that can serve as a vehicle for teaching, research, and community service is suggested to college faculty. Two such projects are described: a project providing parent education to young families while researching effectiveness of temperament education, and an intergenerational program to determine whether community…

A Kean College (New Jersey) program in English as a Second Language (ESL) designed to ease students' transition to mainstream classes focuses on reinforcing existing English skills, encouraging interaction between limited-English-speaking and native-speaking students, providing academic support, encouraging confidence, and helping teachers modify…