Volume 9, Number 1
Spring 2004

(See the Indexes Page
for Previous Issues)


Virginia Currency, 1777
Call for papers - spring 2005 edition of Inquiry

An Oral History Project: World War II Veterans Share Memories in My Classroom
By David W. Fuchs

Fuchs uses classroom presentations by veterans to enliven his World War II history class and enhance his students’ understanding of America’s participation in this war.

Collaborative Research = Collaborative Learning: A Field Trip to the National Archives and the Search for Solomon Asch
By James P. O’Brien

This readily accessible treasure house of American history offers opportunities and surprises for faculty and students in any field.

Accelerating Developmental Education: The Case for Collaboration
By Hunter R. Boylan

This writer offers alternatives to the traditional sixteen-week ADDACOURSE solution for students who need developmental education.
Reality Versus Perception:  Using Research to Resolve Misconceptions about Developmental Programs and Promote Credibility and Acceptance
By Bronte A. Overby
In this article, the author uses a comparison of various measures of success for developmental students at Patrick Henry Community College with the faculty’s perceptions of these measures to break down misconceptions and stereotypes about developmental education and provide ever-needed credibility and acceptance for developmental programs.
The Effects of Math Anxiety on Post-Secondary Developmental Students as Related to Achievement, Gender, and Age
By Teresa Woodard
Woodard examines the nature of math anxiety in developmental students and proposes ways to alleviate their worries.
The Best Predictors of Success in Developmental Mathematics Courses
By Pansy Waycaster
The purpose of this study was to assess how well the ASSET, COMPASS, and in-house readiness tests actually do in their placement of students into the algebra developmental courses.
Students’ Learning Styles vs. Professors’ Teaching Styles
By Dick Wirz
Wirz provides an interpretation of Felder and Soloman’s Index of Learning Styles.
A Letter to My Colleagues:  How I Teach Reconstruction in a Fifty-Minute Session of the American History Survey Course
By Wayne S. Knight
A seasoned history professor explores the dynamics of teaching a session on Reconstruction during the last class meeting of the semester.

Viewpoints

This column welcomes diverse opinions on topics of concern to VCCS faculty, staff, administrators, and students. In each issue of Inquiry, we will pose a question that invites a variety of responses and publish several of these in the following issue of the journal.
This issue's question: Has the use of technology in the classroom improved learning?


For the Spring 2005 issue, please send us your brief response (of no more than 750 words) to the question posed below.

  • How should the VCCS modify its services and programs to assist its growing international student population?

Deadline: April 30, 2004

Reponses will be reviewed by the editorial board, as are all articles submitted to the journal.

The Graphing Calculator Boondoggle
By Michael Cohen
An engineering professional argues that the graphing calculator is simply a pedagogical tool no more useful than the answer key in the mathematics text.

“Click on This!”:  Technology Training for Teaching Professionals
By Ken Haas

Haas details his frustrating experience of trying to master the teaching technologies so many instructors within the Virginia Community College System take for granted.