A discussion is presented on the role of the humanities in society and in the community colleges. First, some reflections on the status of humanities education are provided, including comments on the limitations of federal funding for projects to enhance the quality of the humanities and encourage their growth; and the difficulties facing the…

This study examines how a Humanities team engaged in professional conversation to refine and implement a literacy and inquiry tool in an Asian Studies curriculum. Drawing on socio-cultural perspectives of teacher learning and theories of tools as mediators of action, this case study investigates the ways this community of practice discussed their…

This article features an arts education curriculum project that was designed to use the oeuvre of Rembrandt van Rijn--seventeenth-century Dutch painter, etcher, and draftsman extraordinaire--as a teaching resource. A partnership of scholars, university professors, museum educators, and classroom teachers designed the project, which uses Rembrandt…

Academic curricula in the humanities should lead the student to develop "shared values," which include cultivating the intellect, acquiring critical skills, gaining an understanding of humanity, and learning to make reasoned choices. Toward this goal, the curriculum should strive to preserve the independent quest for truth through textual analysis…

Recognizing that the task of those who teach the humanities is now to identify the common ground on which persons can gather to make responsible judgments about the quality of life in light of past traditions and the competing demands of the future, this collection of essays explores the changing definition of humanistic studies and their current…

One of the major changes in educational practices occurred during the Italian Renaissance, when a system of pre-university education based on a thorough grounding in the Latin, and to a lesser extent, the Greek classics began. This change started in early 15th century northern Italy and lasted until well into the 20th century. Italian school…

The publication contains an article on curriculum selection in adult basic education (ABE), three presentations on the humanities and ABE, and a concluding commentary. An introductory article, "Criteria for Selecting Curriculum in Adult Basic Education" by Donald Mocker, emphasizes the need for broader criteria for selection of ABE curriculum.…

In the late 1970s, it became clear to a group of Kirkwood Community College (KCC) faculty and administrators that fewer and fewer students were taking humanities courses, that students' selection of courses was usually imbalanced, and that most had little idea of what the term "humanities" embraced. With a grant from the National…

Two schools of thought exist with regard to the goals of humanities instruction. The "university orientation" places an emphasis upon impersonal, intellectual, and purely academic objectives. The "liberal arts orientation" maintains that humanities instruction should contribute to the beliefs, values, expectations, attitudes, fears, emotions, and…

As 3D digital game-based learning (3D-DGBL) for the teaching of literature and history gradually gains acceptance, important questions will need to be asked regarding its method of design, development, and deployment. This article offers a synthesis of contemporary pedagogical, instructional design, new media, and literary-historical theories to…

Designed as a forum for the exchange of ideas on significant issues in the humanities, this annual journal presents articles written by two-year college faculty in the humanities disciplines. The 1994 issue includes the following articles: (1) "Notes to a Lecture on Euripides' Medea: Medean Apolis," by Daniel Canney; (2) "The Holocaust Experience:…

Based on information provided by 67 two-year colleges from five regions of the United States, this report summarizes the status of the humanities in two-year colleges for the five regions as a whole and for each individually. First, the five-region summary examines current humanities requirements, curriculum changes, teaching strategies, funding…

The authors discuss the pitfalls of humanities programs and suggest preventative actions that a principal should take when planning and implementing a humanities curriculum. (Editor/AS)