The conceptualization of the Mars Hill College (MHC) communication major is a type of the refocused, liberal arts-based programs appearing at many colleges and universities around the country--Mars Hill is an undergraduate college of 1100 students. The final product (the liberal-arts based, interdisciplinary MHC communication major) is the result…

A study on basic speech assessment replicated an earlier one except that in place of the CCAI and the Competent Speaker form, the Self-Perceived Public Speaking Competency Scale (SPPSC) was used. Also, 2 randomly selected control groups of students were added to the research design: one consisting of 62 students who had not taken speech and were…

This longitudinal study examined the question of change and stability in students' used learning strategies during the first 2 years of study at the university. A total of 188 students from Tilburg University in the Netherlands took part in the study, including 90 in law, 27 in art, 48 in economics, and 23 in the social sciences. The students…

A study examined what critiques, if any, encourage debaters to think about their debating in the most productive ways. It evaluated oral critiques and revealed decisions as components in influencing the debaters'"self-talk" or internal dialogues as the more important messages. The study used R. Petty and J. Cacioppo's (1986) elaboration…

An internship and a Junior Communication Seminar help prepare students for gainful employment at Shorter College in Rome, Georgia. The second-semester seminar focuses on job-hunting strategies to help students in the search for the required internship and for future employment. A significant portion of the course is devoted to students' dialogue…

This paper discusses the use of reflective learning in service-learning projects in three different undergraduate courses. In a small group communications course, groups of five or six students were assigned to work with a non-profit agency to assist them in solving a problem. The students reflected on their group meetings in journals and wrote…

This guide is a compilation of tips for administrators, particularly secondary school administrators, on a wide variety of topics. It includes all tips published in a National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) newsletter from 1981 to 1989. "How-to" information is provided in all the following areas: first-year teacher…

Students with disabilities often experience particular difficulties with handwriting, and these problems can hinder their development both in school and in postsecondary settings. This paper addresses three issues: (1) the possibility of a prejudicial and potentially lasting first impression, based on the individual's handwriting; (2) the lack of…

In its effort to meet the challenges of the National Education Goals, New Hampshire is emphasizing three major goals: develop an outcome-based assessment program; formulate major reforms in science and mathematics education; and support the "break the mold" schools program. All state policies and programs are guided by common themes:…

This paper reviews Lev Vygotsky's theories concerning optimizing of potential through assistance, support, or instruction. The paper notes that there is a "zone of proximal development" or a band around intelligence quotient (IQ) scores reflecting one's true potential. IQ tests are generally well-standardized and "static,"…

This paper provides a snapshot of the language used by two outdoor instructors and analyzes its therapeutic components. Following an experience of abseiling with an instructor friend (Tony), Tony's instructional dialogue with the author and his sons during the experience was written down and put aside. A year later, a surfing coach (Mark) was…

Adolescents today have to live with incoherence for longer periods than before, and that makes ambiguity tolerance a socially significant personality dimension. Studies of the development of ambiguity tolerance in adolescents are reported. The pilot study, "Adaptation of MAT-50 for Use with Bulgarian Population," involves translation and…

This paper explores what it means, and what it might mean, to "achieve" in literacy. The paper points out that, although there is considerable concern over the misrepresentation of literate achievement by standardized tests, there has been substantially less demonstration of what is being left out, that is, exactly what of significance is achieved…

This study used both quantitative and qualitative methodology to analyze whether mentoring is related to student satisfaction and whether different elements of mentoring are important to different groups, particularly African American and Anglo-American graduate students at predominantly white institutions. A survey completed by 96 students,…

The purpose of education in the United States has been linked to democracy throughout its history. An analysis of the tradition of linking education to democratic purpose and practice is presented here. The research was derived, in part, from an earlier study that postulated three conceptions of democracy: liberal, participatory, and community.…