An interview with David Riesman, founder of Harvard University's (Massachusetts) freshman seminar program, covers the origins and structure of the seminars, Riesman's own college experience, the importance of the college experience, faculty research, and the role of faculty in student intellectual development. (MSE)

This interview brings out Susan Winebrenner's views on key concepts in her book on teaching gifted students in regular classrooms; the importance of appreciating diversity, utilizing flexible grouping, and allowing for varying learning styles; the administrator's role; the role of independent projects; and the special needs of gifted students. (DB)

Differences in component processing skills of students of different ages and developmental changes over 1 year were studied for 96 students in grades 2 through 4 and 59 of them in a follow-up. Results trace the development of component processing skills and suggest a theory of the development of component skills. (SLD)

Studied age trends in solving correlational problems involving over 2 continuous variables 100 Canadian students in grades 5, 7, 9, and 11 and a postgraduate college preparatory year; 278 seventh graders; and 120 tenth graders in 3 experiments. Correlational reasoning skills increased with age and improved through instruction. (SLD)

Some examples of the conflict between the child-centered educational approach and the development of objectives-based programs are drawn from experiences in Ontario (Canada) concerning student achievement assessment. Educational implications of these two conflicting models are considered, highlighting weaknesses of the child-centered approach.…

Traditional collegiate models for developing the whole student no longer serve the diverse population pursuing higher education. Too much energy is invested in chasing the ideal college student, and not enough is spent on creating the ideal college. A new philosophy focusing on partnerships between student-affairs professionals and faculty is…

Presents elements of democratic political theory to advance an interpretation of principled student activism on campuses as citizen-engagement and an opportunity for hands-on citizenship education. Describes a brief scenario of campus dissent to illustrate democratic aims, processes, and underlying principles. Offers implications for…

Journals of 30 college students of child development engaged in community-based service learning in multicultural settings revealed three themes. Students: (1) articulated their own approaches or philosophies regarding racial issues; (2) expressed concerns about specific multicultural or race-related incidents; and (3) discussed the resources they…

Examines the impact of an intervention targeting economically disadvantaged children that flooded over 330 child-care centers with high-quality children's books and provided 10 hours of training to child-care staff. Examines the project's impact and gives support for the physical proximity of books and the psychological support to child-care staff…

To restore the humanism in medical care, medical education must espouse the creation of physician-healers. Personal development and well-being of the healer are neglected factors in healing care. Goals and objectives for medical education for promoting trainees' self-awareness, personal growth, and well-being are outlined, and ways to achieve and…

Predicts, using independent variables such as student effort and campus environment, how community college students perceive their gains in general education and personal and social development. Finds that quality and quantity of student effort, as well as a positive perception of the campus environment, were significant predictors regardless of…

Discusses the difficulties that high-ability black college students face in blending their academic interest and racial affiliation into their sense of self. Student narratives show how a strong peer community and positive student-faculty interactions can overcome these obstacles and promote healthy identity development. (Author/DB)

Examines whether a relationship exists between the number of students per computer in schools and traditional educational outcomes. Findings indicate that the allocation of class time and resources to educational computing is not associated with a loss in traditional outcome measures while the students are accumulating computer experience and…

Addresses the problems with conventional assessment in social studies and describes an alternative form called dynamic assessment. Explains how to use dynamic assessment in social studies, and in particular, for evaluating citizenship participation. Provides two charts that demonstrate how dynamic assessment can modify teachers' evaluation…

Uses a national sample of 27,811 undergraduate students who had completed the American College Testing College Outcomes Survey to evaluate the effects of the college environment on academic and intellectual development and to compare the outcomes for adult learners with those for younger students. Comparisons revealed that adults reported slightly…