The growing interest in service learning in higher education is connected to the idea that it helps students achieve course objectives and develop a sense of civic responsibility. Thus, it ties into broader goals within the institution of engagement of students and outreach to communities. This research examines students' perceptions of service…

Because student evaluations of teaching effectiveness (SETEs) are an important and widely used tool used in the evaluation and reward systems for faculty members in higher education, a discussion and analysis of the ethical problems that may arise as a result of the conflict created by expectations of performance is provided. This discussion…

Objectives: Understanding the role of religion and spirituality is significant for psychiatric practice. Implementation of formal education and training on religious and spiritual issues, however, is lacking. Few psychiatric residencies offer mandatory courses or evaluation of course utility. The authors present findings from a pilot study of a…

Students in a death education course were compared with students of sex education and introductory psychology. After the death education course, students viewed death as more approachable, and wished to experience death in a more interpersonal as compared to a technological context. (Author)

Societal acceptance of polarized discourse poses challenges for communication professors engaged in teaching ethical public speaking processes to undergraduates. This study explores how creating caring and safe environments for the discussion of difficult dialogues is paramount to creating civil and reasoned discourse that can address issues of…

The article describes a report stemming from the development and application of a Suicide Opinion Questionnaire (SOQ)--a 100 item attitudinal and factual instrument designed to cover a wide range of suicidal concerns. Subjects of the study were 17 college students drawn at random from 89 students enrolled in an abnormal psychology course. Results…

To understand whether student satisfaction in online courses at Regis University (a Jesuit university located in Denver, Colorado) included the values priority of the university, a study examined student evaluation forms. Based on analysis of more than 1,200 student evaluations drawn from 118 online and 73 classroom-based courses, five of six…

A study was done of college undergraduates' views of course syllabi as syllabi are generally the primary vehicles by which course instructors initially communicate plans, goals, and expectations to students. The study proceeded with an open-ended, one-question survey distributed to students in seven undergraduate classes from four different…

The purpose of this research was to determine if students taking the experimental course, Crises in Human Relations, showed significant reductions in dogmatism and if changes occurred, how these changes compared to those found for other students exposed to specified University experiences and for control groups. (Author)

Describes efforts to overcome fear and disinterest among science students in the College of General Studies, a two-year interdisciplinary core program at Boston University. Indicates that the textbook is used to support course lectures, rather than as a primary source; study habits are taught along with the subject material; and teamwork is…

Presents the results of a questionnaire administered to college chemistry students; the questionnaire contained a list of 33 aims of chemistry course that were rated by the students according to importance. (MLH)

Describes a series of procedures that can objectively measure student growth in interdisciplinary humanities courses at the secondary or college level. Preinstruction and postinstruction assessments determine student attitudes, responses to literature, art, and music, and knowledge of course content; midcourse individual conferences are also used.…

An undergraduate student offers reflections and observations on college course syllabi. Since the syllabus is the student's guide through the course, it should be clearly organized allowing students to find information quickly. It should outline the expectations that students and instructor will have during the course. In addition a syllabus must…

The Fordham College at Sixty Program is intended as a bridge into Fordham's liberal arts college, with an outlook and curriculum designed specifically for older students. One of the program's founders, Dr. Robert W. Adamson, discusses the course of study and how students feel about going back to college at the "retirement" stage of life.…

Objective: The author reports on a required fourth-year course, Psychiatry in Medicine, which was started in 1999 at Stony Brook Medical School. The aim was to address two important concerns in medical education at Stony Brook and throughout the United States: 1) the failure to recognize psychiatric pathology in outpatient medical settings and 2)…