Addresses the impact of Supplemental Instruction (SI) on students in a large urban university. Questions, specifically, what academic performance benefit is realized beyond the target course supported by SI, and whether SI participation strengthens the persistence patterns of particular student populations. Finds that SI has substantial impact on…

Identifies six types of developmental studies students: those who made educational decisions adversely affecting their academic future; adult learners; students whose academic weaknesses were ignored; foreign students; handicapped students; and students with weak academic commitments. Suggests that developmental programs represent the only avenue…

Edmund W. Gordon, noted for his research on diverse human characteristics and pedagogy related to the education of low-status populations, responds to questions on learning styles and their modification, cultural background, hemispheric dominance, instructional design, teaching methods, matching teacher and student characteristics, and the use of…

Explores the essence of developmental education, looking at its roots in the American higher education system, and discusses how it evolved into its present state. Provides a student case study and four assumptions underlying the National Association for Developmental Education's working definition of developmental education. Contains 13…

The first of two articles presenting responses from six leaders in the field of developmental education (DE) to questions about the future of DE in the coming century. Topics addressed include the movement of DE from the four- to the two-year institutions, mainstreaming, credentialing, nontraditional students, learning assistance, and better…

Presents an interview with Dr. Yolanda T. Moses, President of the American Association for Higher Education (AAHE). Stresses the need to make student success a goal as important as access to education. Argues that developmental education, women's studies, and ethnic studies are areas that are moving to center stage. (NB)

Suggests that verbal and visual metaphors help academically underprepared students make conceptual connections between their own knowledge and classroom learning. Describes an exercise involving writing about art that helps develop metaphoric thinking. States that in this exercise, students used their senses, prior knowledge, and imaginations to…