Resources

The quiet revolution that has occurred in academic libraries has resulted in the development of programs of bibliographic or library instruction. The chapters in this volume reflect the tremendous diversity and scope of activities that fall under the umbrella of a bibliographic or library instruction program. The goal of all of these activities is to help individuals develop the intellectual and manipulative skill needed for the retrieval, assimilation, and critical analysis of information. This volume is intended to provide a compact overview of this expanding area of library service. (From the Publisher)

The Aspen Institute's Forum on Communications and Society (FOCAS) is a group of chief executive officers or their equivalents from business, government and the nonprofit sector who meet annually to suggest innovative ways that business, government, and the nonprofit sector can collaborate to use communications and information goods and services for the betterment of society. This report incorporates the work of FOCAS members and their representatives to address specific issues of technology in the K-12 classroom, as well as broader issues of lifelong learning and technology outside the classroom. In particular, the report offers a range of initiatives for overcoming the barriers to funding the implementation of technology in schools and training teachers how to integrate technology in the classroom. Emphasis is placed on the creation of incentives for students and educators to use technology to enhance learning. The body of the report is divided into three main sections. The first section discusses learning and technology; the changing paradigm for learning; the challenge of universal access; the potential of educational technology; technology needs of American schools; barriers to equitable access; and the need for collaboration. The second section focuses on promoting equitable access to technology in the classroom; critical issues of funding; networking the classroom; creating a responsive local technology demand and delivery system; teacher support and training; and promoting public support. The third section discusses technology and learning outside the classroom; the need for a new learning environment; barriers to lifelong learning; public attitudes toward education/learning; the role of technology; developing community-based resources for learning; and building a society that values lifelong learning. Appendices include Societal Goals Working Group Report, FOCAS representatives and resources, and the Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program. (From the Publisher)

The thousands of immigrants who enter the United States each year, the increasing number of children who speak a first language other than English in the schools, and the ever-widening gap between rich and poor are some of the realities that educators face today. Given these conditions, it is increasingly difficult to prepare students for democratic citizenship. Bringing together years of work as an expert on multicultural education, James Banks shows how we can prepare students to effectively participate in a society that reflects ethnic, cultural, and class diversity at the same time that we promote national unity and the public good. (From the Publisher)

Apologia is about contemporary theological education--its current state and its future. While many current trends in seminaries and departments of theology bring important new insights to the study of religion, says Max Stackhouse they also erode-- sometimes unwittingly--the capacity to speak of God, truth, and justice with warranted confidence. Theology is thereby undermined in all arenas--not only in academia, but in the life of the church and society. This book not only exposes the frailties of several current ideologies, but also draws noted scholars from five continents and a seminary faculty into an interdisciplinary discussion of the most significant recent literature on theological education. The results are fresh proposals for the reconstructing of theological education on foundations that are contextually alert, globally concerned, and mission-oriented. Apologia is a ground-breaking work, a book that begins and ends in dialogue, and points toward the ways in which Christian theology will have to redefine itself if it is to actively shape, and not merely reflect, the context in which we live. (From the Publisher)

It is no longer clear what role the University plays in society. The structure of the contemporary University is changing rapidly, and we have yet to understand what precisely these changes will mean. Is a new age dawning for the University, the renaissance of higher education under way? Or is the University in the twilight of its social function, the demise of higher education fast approaching? We can answer such questions only if we look carefully at the different roles the University has played historically and then imagine how it might be possible to live, and to think, amid the ruins of the University. Tracing the roots of the modern American University in German philosophy and in the work of British thinkers such as Newman and Arnold, Bill Readings argues that the integrity of the modern University has been linked to the nation-state, which it has served by promoting and protecting the idea of a national culture. But now the nation-state is in decline, and national culture no longer needs to be either promoted or protected. Increasingly, universities are turning into transnational corporations, and the idea of culture is being replaced by the discourse of "excellence." On the surface, this does not seem particularly pernicious. The author cautions, however, that we should not embrace this techno-bureaucratic approach too quickly. The new University of Excellence is a corporation driven by market forces, and, as such, is more interested in profit margins than in thought. Readings urges us to imagine how to think, without concession to corporate excellence or recourse to romantic nostalgia within an institution in ruins. The result is a passionate appeal for a new community of thinkers. (From the Publisher)

This book addresses the fundamental changes occurring in higher education, centering on productivity, quality, access, and competitiveness. The 15 chapters illustrate how public and private institutions are providing leadership for the higher education revolution. (From the Publisher)

A Professor's Work attempts to clear up questions about the role of the college professor in society by providing a field study of what a professor actually does. The author organizes a year of his work and his colleagues into an overview of a years teaching, research, and service. The first section describes the service work, including a depiction of the search for a new faculty member, and a committee that investigated the appearance of extremely large general educational classes. Then the teaching section focuses on the teaching and evaluation of a single course, and the dealing with problems encountered by the wide variety of students who attend an urban university. Finally, the research section exposes the relationship of writing and publishing to the conflicts and interactions of scholars and with the impact the study had on the university community. The author also includes a representation of community activities, the relationship of a professor's work to his family life, and an evaluation of professors studied against two theoretical models of professional behavior and activity. (From the Publisher)

Part-time and temporary faculty now constitute a majority of all those teaching in colleges and universities. This volume presents analyses of the changes in academic work, in faculty careers, and in the economic conditions in higher education that are associated with the shift away from full-time academic jobs. Issues for research, policy, and practice are discussed. The chapters in this volume were originally prepared for a conference on part-time and adjunct faculty sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.This is the 104th issue of the quarterly journal New Directions for Higher Education. (From the Publisher)

Today's Colleges and Universities face a new environment in which information technology is rapidly becoming the preferred mode of learning and academic institutions can no longer rely on traditional methods to survive and prosper. In this collection of essays, seven highly respected institutional, association, and financial leaders examine the formidable challenges facing all types of campuses. (From the Publisher)