Liberal Education, Effective Practice, and Diversity

This session will be based on three presentations that focus on the relationship between liberal education, effective practice and diversity from different perspectives. George Kuh will present data indicating that the educational benefits of "high impact" learning experiences (such as experiential education and undergraduate research), which are significant for all students, are often greater for students from underserved and minority backgrounds than for their majority counterparts. Armando Bengochea will discuss the ways in which an emphasis on effective practice can enhance the educational experiences of students of color within a liberal arts curriculum. Steve Stemler will report on research showing that including practice-oriented criteria in assessments of student achievements and capabilities can assist colleges and universities in identifying and educating minority students with high potential to succeed both in college and beyond college.

Effective Practice and Experiential Education

The central challenge to educators in the liberal arts as in all areas of study is transfer of learning i.e. how can we design learning environments and instruction to that students will be able to use what they learn in appropriate new contexts? Alfred North Whitehead described this as the problem of ‘inert knowledge’ nearly a century ago and Dewey noted that instruction which helps students reproduce what is studied on exams might not produce the depth of understanding that allows for recognizing the relevance of what is known to a particular situation and the ability to apply it. Knowledge that is not conditionalized (i.e. in which the learner does not know when where and why it is to be used) is inert.

Higher self-control capacity predicts lower anxiety-impaired cognition during math examinations

We assumed that self-control capacity, self-efficacy, and self-esteem would enable students to keep attentional control during tests. Therefore, we hypothesized that the three personality traits would be negatively related to anxiety-impaired cognition during math examinations. Secondary school students (N = 158) completed measures of self-control capacity, self-efficacy, and self-esteem at the beginning of the school year. Five months later, anxiety-impaired cognition during math examinations was assessed. Higher self-control capacity, but neither self-efficacy nor self-esteem, predicted lower anxiety-impaired cognition 5 months later, over and above baseline anxiety-impaired cognition. Moreover, self-control capacity was indirectly related to math grades via anxiety-impaired cognition. The findings suggest that improving self-control capacity may enable students to deal with anxiety-related problems during school tests.

College and university public education in the Caribbean.

"Reprinted by permission from The Caribbean: contemporary education, University of Florida Press, 1960."

Postsecondary education and the new workforce /

"PLLI 96-8005"--P. [4] of cover.

College-level remedial education in the fall of 1989 /

455-G-9

The end and means of a liberal education. An inaugural address, delivered July 11, 1854.

Mode of access: Internet.

Survey of education in West Virginia ....

Prepared under the direction of George M. Ford, state superintendent of free schools, in cooperation with the State board of education. cf. v. 1, p. iii.

The Liberal education of women : the demand and the method ; current thoughts in America and England /

Includes bibliographical references and index.

University education for business, a study of existing needs and practices.

Mode of access: Internet.

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System : glossary /

"CS 86-313"--Doc. resume.

Today's education.

Mode of access: Internet.

A Background report for the study of undergraduate education in Illinois colleges and universities /

Caption title.

A master plan for postsecondary education in Illinois .

"Item #15, July 8, l980"