1. Colleges Seek New Ways to Give Students a General Education.
- Author
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Glenn, David
- Subjects
- *
GENERAL education , *INTERDISCIPLINARY education , *SERVICE learning , *TEAMS in the workplace , *ORGANIZATIONAL communication , *COMMUNICATIVE competence , *PEER communication , *INTERPERSONAL communication , *CROSS-cultural communication , *PROBLEM solving - Abstract
The article discusses ways to assure that undergraduates acquire a broad range of skills and knowledge. It notes that distribution requirements are not considered sufficient by many colleges and universities. Alternatives include requiring interdisciplinary seminars or joining of learning communities, as well as requiring graduating seniors to present a term paper or capstone project or to engage in service learning. In a survey by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, academic offers indicated that general education was a growing priority. Another survey of employers said they wanted colleges to emphasize teamwork skills in diverse groups, written and oral communication, and the ability to apply knowledge to real-world problems. Few wanted more standardized testing.
- Published
- 2009