The purpose of this study was to identify and understand the attributes--knowledge, skills, and competencies--that presidents expected in the Senior Student Affairs Officers (SSAO) at Catholic colleges in the Midwest. This qualitative study used in-depth interviews with presidents and senior student affairs officers to explore the knowledge,…

In response to the global imperative of nurturing all-round students, educational institutions and schools worldwide have been developing learning activities targeting holistic competency development of students. However, there have been resistance and challenges on how to develop such competencies. Extending the Presage-Process-Product (3P)…

During the past 20 years, the afterschool field has been held accountable in varying ways--first, on the ability to provide safe places for young people to spend time while their parents work; then, on success in helping to improve participants' academic achievement as a supplement to the school day. Today, measuring success in afterschool…

Although a growing body of research suggests that participation in intergroup dialogue is associated with a wide variety of positive outcomes, much less research has examined the experiences and outcomes of those who facilitate these dialogues. Therefore, using a modified grounded theory approach, we sought to examine the experiences of 10…

This article reports an investigation of the musical and extra-musical outcomes of participation in a music programme for students in four socio-economically disadvantaged school settings. Drawing on the theory of Positive Youth Development, which provides a focus on the positive assets young people bring to their engagement rather than perceived…

This volume includes two sections of the 2018 NORDSCI international conference proceedings: (1) Education and Educational Research; and (2) Language and Linguistics. Education and Educational Research includes 22 papers relating to scientific topics in the full spectrum of education, including history, sociology and economy of education,…

The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) promotes standards to enhance opportunities for student learning and development from higher education programs and services. Responding to the increased shift in attention being paid by educators and their stakeholders from higher education inputs (i.e., standards and…

What students learn in general education can improve their functioning as citizens and such learning can be objectively measured. Ten conclusions by the College Outcome Measures Project, working to find and develop solutions to problems in assessing general civic competence, are provided. (Author/MLW)

A study of 479 doctoral students at an urban university examined the relationships between 4 educational strategies (divergent, assimilative, convergent, accommodative) of doctoral programs and subjects' perceptions of their gains in 4 domains of professional competence (thinking, decision making, valuing, and acting). Additional variables…

Data from two independent Canadian research studies found that university education produced added value on such dimensions of student development as reasoning, time management, and quantitative skills but not on social skills, supervisory skills, conflict management, and creativity. Universities are urged to develop more than mere competence in…

The Alverno College faculty reports on its development and use of assessment (rather than testing) to elicit, diagnose, and certify student abilities as part of its outcome-centered approach to liberal education. Assessment is defined as a more complete challenge to both the process and the content of a student's learning, achieving a more…

Excerpts from a recent landmark study of American higher education focus on goals of higher education, cognitive outcomes of college and impact on practical competence, and some conclusions about consequences of higher education. It is shown that in both monetary, but especially in nonmonetary terms, higher education is well worth the cost. (AF)

Student perspectives on learning was investigated at Alverno College. Attention was directed to how students understand and justify learning outcomes, and how they understand liberal learning as relevant to performance in personal and professional roles. The competency-based curriculum at Alverno College defines competencies as developmental,…

This chapter discusses how alumni research can be used to inform key audiences about the impact of college on alumni, including the preparation of alumni for the workforce, alumni experiences as students, and whether alumni may be inclined to support their alma mater.

A study based on student and faculty opinions is presented. It examines how well two types of preclinical curricula are preparing students to become competent physicians. Research questions include: how effective do students perceive their educational activities in two different preclinical curricula to be in helping them to pass their exams and…