First-generation college students: Characteristics,experiences, and cognitive development

This study sought answers to three questions: (1) Do the precollege characteristics of first-generation students differ from those of traditional students? (2) Do first-generation students' college experiences differ from those of other students? (3) What are the educational consequences of any differences on first-year gains in students' reading, math, and critical thinking abilities? Answers come from 2,685 students (825 first-generation and 1,860 traditional students) who entered 23 diverse institutions nationwide in Fall 1992 and who completed one year of study. First-generation students differ from their traditional peers in both entering characteristics and college experiences. Although traditional students make greater net gains in reading during their first year, the two groups gain to about the same degree in math and critical thinking skills. Those gains, however, appear to result from somewhat different experiences.     

中华游子文化中的故乡情结

本文探讨中华游子文化中的故乡情结 ,把它分为四个方面 ,即对中华灿烂文化的钟情和热爱、对故乡秀美山川的怀恋、对故乡亲友的关怀和思念及关注中国现代化建设和对祖国前途、命运的关切。     

Becoming a physician: The influence of the undergraduate experience

This study employed a national sample of college students who initially aspired to be, or later became, physicians to determine the influence of precollege characteristics, college origins, and the academic and social experience of college on the likelihood of becoming a physician. Estimates of a 14-variable causal model indicated that the major direct effects on attainment were attributable to college characteristics and the academic experience of college. Net of other causes, the selectivity/prestige of the undergraduate institution attended, collegiate academic achievement, and majoring in the physical or life sciences each had significant direct effects on becoming a physician. The direct positive influence of college quality, however, was partially counterbalanced by its negative indirect effect. Moreover, the greatest advantage in attending an elite institution accrued to those students with relatively high levels of academic performance. As academic performance declined, so did the positive effect of college quality. The effects of precollege characteristics on becoming a physician were largely indirect, mediated by the student's college experience. Net of other factors, women were no less likely than men to become physicians, but being female had a significant negative indirect effect. Conversely, secondary school achievement did not directly influence attainment but did have a large positive indirect influence.An earlier version of this paper was presented at the annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education, San Diego, February, 1987.     

Racial Inequality in Critical Thinking Skills: The Role of Academic and Diversity Experiences

While racial inequalities in college entry and completion are well documented, much less is known about racial disparities in the development of general collegiate skills, such as critical thinking. Using data from the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education, we find substantial inequality in the development of critical thinking skills over four years of college between African American and White students. The results indicate that these inequities are not related to students’ academic experiences in college but are substantially related to their experiences with diversity. These findings have important implications for understanding racial inequality in higher education and considering strategies for addressing observed disparities.     

论世界是可知性与不可知性的统一

本文认为，无论是主张世界绝对不可知还是绝对可知，都是片面的，因为一切存在都既具有可知性的一面，也具有不可知性的一面。     

Creative literacy activities promote positive reading attitude in children learning English as a foreign language

This study investigated the effects of creative literacy classroom activities on the acquisition of English as a foreign language. Ninety Chinese second graders were tested on reading attitude and English receptive vocabulary knowledge. They were randomly assigned to either a control group or an experimental group, which engaged in English creative classroom activities for 10 weeks. Repeated measures analyses showed a significant interaction effect for reading attitude, providing empirical evidence that English creative classroom activities can enhance reading attitude. This study extends past research by demonstrating the links between creative activities and reading attitude, as well as highlights the feasibility of incorporating creative literacy activities within foreign language education. This provides a new direction for researchers and educators to develop instructional practices that incorporate a stimulating environment for English‐as‐a‐foreign‐language students. Future longitudinal research could examine whether these benefits can be maintained over a longer period.     

Going Deep into Mechanisms for Moral Reasoning Growth: How Deep Learning Approaches Affect Moral Reasoning Development for First-year Students

The purpose of this paper was to determine the effects of deep approaches to learning on the moral reasoning development of 1,457 first-year students across 19 institutions. Results showed a modest positive relationship between our measures of deep approaches to learning and moral reasoning at the end of the first year of college even after controlling for precollege moral reasoning. After accounting for a host of demographic and relevant student characteristics and for the natural clustering of students, we found that the integrative learning subscale, which captures students’ participation in activities designed to integrate information from varied sources and diverse perspectives, positively affected moral reasoning among first-year students. Implications for researchers and practitioners are discussed.     

弹性血管二维分岔模型的有限元分析及数值模拟

采用任意拉格朗日—欧拉方法(ALE),对二维弹性分岔血管中的速度场和压力场进行了分析.通过弹性分岔血管中与刚性分岔血管中速度场和压力场的比较,结果表明:在刚性分岔血管中,其分岔口的速度和压力都比较大;而在弹性分岔血管中,由于管壁的弹性影响,其分岔口的速度和压力都比刚性分岔血管的小,更加接近于正常的生理状况.所以,弹性血管比刚性血管的模拟效果好,它既能够方便于我们了解心血管疾病的机理,尽早地预防心血管疾病,又能够为临床实验工作提供一种好的理论分析方法.