Stanford after the fall: An insider’s view

Isaac D. Barchas, who graduated from Stanford University in June 1989, served as a member of the committee mandated to implement the new core requirement in “Cultures, Ideas, and Values”.     

Factors related to doctoral dissertation topic selection

Although the completed doctoral dissertation represents the culmination of a doctoral program, is often published in journal articles, and serves as the foundation of the early research career of the author, the dissertation has received relatively little attention as a subject of research in its own right. To learn more about how students select their dissertation topics, all doctoral graduates of a major midwestern research university over the one year period from spring quarter, 1986, through winter quarter, 1987, were surveyed. Results indicate that a number of factors influence the selection of a dissertation topic, but not surprisingly the most important is the student's own preference. The factors affecting the choice of topics include the preference of the adviser, trends in the field, the likelihood that the research will be published, and the projected benefit of the research on the student's job prospects. The importance of the factors vary by field and in some cases by gender. When students select their topic and the extent to which the adviser and dissertation committees are responsive to the student also vary by field.     

National Vocational Qualifications: the candidates' experience

PURPOSE: To examine the experience of studying for an National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) by past and present candidates in the library and information science sector, their reasons for choosing this qualification and its impact on completion. METHODOLOGY: Following a review of the literature, a number of NVQ candidates were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Candidates were contacted via e-mail through NVQ Centres and the LondonLinks e-mail list. There is a focus on health libraries as the flexibility and work-based nature of NVQs enable more staff to access training and education in this sector, despite the not uncommon low levels of staffing. RESULTS: NVQ Centres have gained experience since NVQs were launched 10 years ago. More support is offered to candidates and a number of issues such as isolation, are no longer a problem. An interesting result was the high number of candidates who had gone on to higher education following the completion of an NVQ. CONCLUSIONS: The NVQ is a useful method of providing staff with an opportunity to gain a recognized qualification. A significant number of candidates reported that the NVQ was ultimately a positive experience that improved their working practices. It can be an important first step for non-professional staff, but the future remains uncertain.     

Implementation of a project-based molecular biology laboratory emphasizing protein structure-function relationships in a large introductory biology laboratory course

In introductory laboratory courses, many universities are turning from traditional laboratories with predictable outcomes to inquiry-inspired, project-based laboratory curricula. In these labs, students are allowed to design at least some portion of their own experiment and interpret new, undiscovered data. We have redesigned the introductory biology laboratory course at Brandeis University into a semester-long project-based laboratory that emphasizes concepts and contains an element of scientific inquiry. In this laboratory, students perform a site-directed mutagenesis experiment on the gene encoding human γD crystallin, a human eye lens protein implicated in cataracts, and assess the stability of their newly created protein with respect to wild-type crystallin. This laboratory utilizes basic techniques in molecular biology to emphasize the importance of connections between DNA and protein. This project lab has helped engage students in their own learning, has improved students' skills in critical thinking and analysis, and has promoted interest in basic research in biology.     

THE COMMUNITY THEORY AND THE JEWISH SCHOOL CURRICULUM

Almost no literature in the academic field of Jewish education exists that studies congregational rabbis as teachers of adults. This article seeks to contribute to filling the gap in the extant literature base. Using portraiture, the study describes and analyzes the aims of rabbinic teaching of adults in a synagogue setting. The findings suggest that regularly facilitating learners' intellectual and religious development, democratically guiding their communities' evolution through an emphasis on learning, and collaboratively joining their congregants in shaping the construction of personal and communal Jewish narratives are central aims of congregational rabbinic teaching of adults.