Richard Huish College Exam Hall

Not many of us like tests. But testing has long been seen as the best means for assessing intelligence and what students have learned from their instructors. So how is that view affected by the possibility of grade inflation in college? And is grade inflation really a problem, or has its impact been blown out of proportion?

Boosting learning

The whole purpose of college, and education in general, is for people to walk away with a certain mastery of a subject, as well as the ability to process new information as it comes to them. Professors, therefore, test to see if their students have an understanding of the materials and what areas might warrant more study. But is that the best way to boost learning?

“‘Cheating’ Can Be An Effective Learning Strategy” posted by Tania Lombrozo on NPR’s blog on May 20, 2013, looks at how UCLA ecologist Peter Nonacs sought to increase learning for his behavioral ecology class students by allowing them to use peers, books and the Internet to give the best answers to exam questions. Nonacs viewed it as students changing their learning goal, from getting a better score than their classmate, to providing the best answer.

Adopting mastery goals like these that focus on improving one’s own competence, according to Lombrozo’s post, might lead to greater learning and increase students’ willingness to tackle hard problems. She concludes, “So conceptualizing tests as opportunities for learning – consistent with a mastery goal – can itself improve learning, even if the tests take more traditional forms.”

Assessing intelligence … and grades

And with tests come grades. According to a new study, “Is the Sky Falling? Grade Inflation and the Signaling Power of Grades,” about grade inflation, the worry has been around for more than a century, with a Harvard University committee issuing a report on their concerns about the topic back in 1894. Scott Jaschik shared details on this new study in his May 20, 2013, post, “Missing the (Grade) Point” on Inside Higher Ed. The study published in Educational Researcher found that college GPAs had actually declined over the 30-year period of 1972 to 1992, from 2.73 to 2.33. Meanwhile, Jaschik sought a second opinion from Stuart Rojstaczer, a retired professor at Duke University, who believes that his research, and the data of others, shows that grade inflation is, in fact, a serious concern for higher education.

The downside of competitiveness

Whether or not grade inflation is a real concern, one issue that does seem to be pervasive for today’s college student is an increased level of stress because of grades. Higher Education in Transition: The Challenges of the New Millenium by Joseph Losco and Brian L. Fife, available at Questia.com, looked at a number of factors that have influenced higher education since 1966, from the women’s movement to a change in students’ values. Student stress is also one. They write that “there is good reason to believe that student stress may also have been exacerbated by competitiveness.”

Losco and Fife’s research shows that grade inflation is real and that it “has had an effect on students’ expectations.” They find that between 1990 and 1996, the number of freshmen with an A- or higher increased by nearly half (from 22.6 to 31.5 percent), and those with a C+ or lower went down from 19.2 to only 14.6 percent. What’s more a record number of students believe they will at least achieve a B average.

Interested in learning more about grade inflation? Questia.com has a range of full-text books and articles you can read on the topic. Assessing intelligence is undeniably complex. Testing will probably always be a part of the equation, despite any worries students and others may have about grade inflation in college.

Is testing a fair way to assess intelligence? Are colleges and universities inflating grades? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.

A lecture played on a Video iPod, via AV output onto an analog TV screen (Photo credit: Tama Leaver)

Lecture capture technology is an assistive technology in the classroom that allows teachers to record their lectures digitally for future replay. The technology uses screenshot software to record PowerPoint slides and notes or uses webcams to video full lectures and demonstrations. The benefits of this technology include student ability to review missed material and improve study habits; while detractors say it’s just another way for students to learn passively.

What is lecture capture technology?

Lecture capture is a way for instructors to record classroom lectures. Recordings can be just audio, audio with PowerPoint slides, cursor movements that track on-screen computer activity or a full webcam video recording. Playback can be on various devices such as iPods, computer screens or YouTube. Once recorded, teachers can edit material for clarity or removal of extraneous interruptions, and lectures can be uploaded within 24 hours. Information can be stored for a long time for future use by in-house students or off-campus students. According to consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, the lecture capture business was more than $70 million in 2011.

Benefits of lecture capture for students:

• Watch captured lectures to catch up if class is missed
• Review pertinent lectures for tests, research or term paper projects
• Repeat parts of lectures that were difficult or too fast to grasp during class
• Watch complicated demonstrations (i.e. for medical classes)
• Learn in a medium young adults are familiar with
• Cater to flexible student schedules
• Share classroom material with peers.

Benefits of lecture capture for teachers:

• Use the recorded lectures for online or remote classes
• Trim and edit lectures for concise 10-15-minute snippets of information
• Supplement resources to lectures
• Offer students more information outside of class
• Use for faculty training
• Collaborate with other instructors for a blended presentation
• Record presentations by visiting guest speakers and subject matter experts.

Unique uses for lecture capture technology

“Many students have the same questions on class material. Rather than write 15 emails back responding to student questions, I can screen capture a quick mini-lecture or example of the problem and provide to those students,” said Geri Mason, assistant professor of Economics at Seattle Pacific University, reported in “5 Innovative Ways to Use Lecture Capture Technology,” University Business, November 2012 found on Questia.com.

Drawbacks to lecture capture

Not everyone is singing the praises of lecture capture technology. Education technology expert Mark Smithers laid out some drawbacks of the practice in his March 11, 2011 blog article, “Is lecture capture the worst educational technology?”:

• Watching recordings of lectures perpetuates the passive learning experience. Smithers prefers more hands-on learning.
• The technology does not engage the student any more than sitting in a lecture hall does.
• Traditional class lectures are much too long for students to re-watch another time.
• Funding for lecture capture equipment could be put to better use. According to Tegrity Campus, lecture capture services can start at $10,000 for 250 hours, and about 80 percent of total cost of ownership is from online management and maintenance.

Other disadvantages:

• Lecture capture should not be a substitute for attending class and may encourage students to skip class.
• Teachers rely too much on the recordings and don’t explore or develop more modern teaching methods.

On the legal side, Educause Learning Initiative discussed some legal issues in a December 2008 post titled “7 things you should know about Lecture Capture.” “Some question who is responsible for providing the recording resources and who owns the intellectual property once the recording has been made. Using these systems for classes, conferences, and guest speakers might require a legal release…” reports ELI.

Other concerns are storage of the recordings, infrastructure when playing the recordings and using equipment, who should have access to the recordings and if the recordings should play on faculty websites.

What are the highest paying jobs in the US?

Let’s cut to the chase. Jobs in the medical field are the answer to this question 90% of the time. According to a Yahoo! News article written by Danielle Kurtzleben on March 29, 2013, “The 10 highest-paid jobs in America,” anesthesiology tops the list with an annual salary of $232,830. Other professions that made the list include:

• Surgeons
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• Orthodontists
• Psychiatrists

According to the article, “The only non-medical workers that make it onto the list are chief executives, who come in at No. 10 with around $177,000 in annual wages, or around 24 percent less than the anesthesiologists.”

Although it is obvious that medical careers compensate nicely, remember that these numbers are not starting salaries, but a general average of all the workers in the field. You should also remember that these careers require more than just a Bachelor’s Degree. However, if science or medicine is your cup of tea, it may well be worth looking into these fields, since even family practitioners average $180,850 a year.

But I don’t want to wait years for a decent salary

Although medical professions are worthwhile, it can take a significant amount of time to build up a salary base. If you are looking for more instant gratification, consider reading an article posted on Scholarships.com titled “Top 10 highest paying college majors.” A few that made their list include:

• Computer Science
• Finance
• Information Sciences and Systems
• Engineering (in a number of fields)

In fact, it seems like Engineering might just be the hot new job trend, especially for graduates in the near future. Meghan Casserly describes “The 10 best-paying college majors — and why business isn’t one of them” in her January 25, 2013, article for Forbes. According to Casserly, “a STEM degree could be the fast-track to financial and professional success every new grad is dreaming of.” Meaning that if you have a talent or passion for science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics, you may have a better chance of landing that dream job post-graduation. And a number of colleges are picking up on this trend.

Your major should highlight your skills

Although it would be great to aspire to become an anesthesiologist, if you faint at the sight of blood, you should probably consider a different career. Yes, it would be fabulous to earn a six-figure salary, but it’s also important to do something you love. So, when declaring your major, take some advice from an article titled “Pick a college major with the tight information why should you go to college?” written for the Daily Herald on March 24, 2013.

According to the article, “if you want to open up a wealth of opportunities for yourself as you begin your career, it is important that you make yourself as marketable as possible — by choosing a major in college that best suits you.”

Have you declared a major yet? If so, which did you decide on and why? If not, which ones are you leaning toward? Remember, giving others insight into your decisions may just help them make up their minds!

Playing such an important role in our society, it’s no wonder that it is a hot topic for debate on the political level as well as in classrooms and school boards. Education reform aims to make the highest quality public education available to as many citizens as possible, but with varying opinions, classes, cultures and needs to be considered, finding the best solution is no easy task.

In contribution to the education reform debate, we at Questia are sharing the top five most researched books on education reform from our library. And all of them are librarian-selected and research paper-approved. Enjoy!

Dewey’s Dream: Universities and Democracies in an Age of Education Reform: Civil Society, Public Schools, and Democratic Citizenship

Authors: Lee Benson, Ira Harkavy and John Puckett

This timely, persuasive, and hopeful book reexamines John Dewey’s idea of schools, specifically community schools, as the best places to grow a democratic society that is based on racial, social, and economic justice. The authors assert that American colleges and universities bear a responsibility for-and would benefit substantially from-working with schools to develop democratic schools and communities. Dewey’s Dreamopens with a re-appraisal of Dewey’s philosophy and an argument for its continued relevance today.

Troublemaker: A Personal History of School Reform since Sputnik

Author: Chester E. Finn Jr.

Chester Finn tells how his experiences have shaped his changing views of the three major strands of postwar school reform: standards-driven, choice-driven, and profession-driven. Of the three, Finn now believes that a combination of choice and standards has the greatest potential, but he favors this approach more on pragmatic than ideological grounds, arguing that parents should be given more options at the same time that schools are allowed more flexibility and held to higher performance norms. He also explains why education reforms of all kinds are so difficult to implement, and he draws valuable lessons from their frequent failure.

Children as Pawns: The Politics of Educational Reform

Author: Timothy A. Hacsi

In the first book to bring together the recent history of educational policy and politics with the research evidence, Timothy Hacsi presents the illuminating, often-forgotten stories of these five controversial topics. He sifts through the complicated evaluation research literature and compares the policies that have been adopted to the best evidence about what actually works. He lucidly explains what the major studies show, what they don’t, and how they have been misunderstood and misrepresented. Hacsi shows how rarely educational policies are based on solid research evidence, and how programs that sound plausible simply do not satisfy the complex needs of real children.

Critical Voices in School Reform: Students Living through Change

Editors: Beth C. Rubin and Elena M. Silva

School reform of one kind or another is a priority for education systems the world over. Yet the voices of students – those most affected by, and most pivotal to, the success or failure of any program of school reform – are rarely heard on this topic. This is the first book to look at school reform from the perspective of the students.

Women in American Education, 1820-1955: The Female Force and Educational Reform

Author: June Edwards

Recounts the remarkable achievements of women who dared to defy customs, break legal barriers, and endure hardship and discrimination in order to provide education for girls, young children, female teachers, homemakers, disabled students, the immigrant poor, and African American youth–the people excluded from traditional institutions of their day. Excerpts from the women’s own writings are provided as well as discussion of their unique teaching methods.

Visit Questia for even more research on educational standards in the U.S.

What are some of the biggest educational concerns facing your community? Let us know in the comments below.

Key points

Research in the new report, “The Arts and the Common Core: A Review of Connections Between the Common Core State Standards and the National Core Arts Standards Conceptual Framework,” is divided into two parts and analyzes arts-based examples already present in the Common Core ELA standards as well as the overlap between skills and habits emphasized in the Common Core Standards. In developing the standards, the study looked at the following disciplines:

• Dance
• Media arts
• Music
• Theatre
• Visual Arts

The report also compares the eight Standards for Mathematical Practice with the Common Core’s Anchor Standards:

• Reading
• Writing
• Speaking and listening
• Language

Findings showed that there was a strong connection between the Philosophical Foundation/Lifelong Goal “The Arts as Communication” with the language and goals of most ELA and Math standards.

Differing opinions

While most states have embraced the new Common Core Standards, others have not. Some educators have been concerned over a potential learning gap that they say the new standards will create. Others, like Jeff Taylor, an assistant superintendent for curriculum and assessment in the North Hills School District in Pittsburgh, Penn., was skeptical about how both teachers and students would respond.

In a December 3, 2012, post by Rick Wills to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, “State on Board with Common Core Standards,” Taylor suggested that the move to the new standards would be time consuming and difficult to grasp for some.

‘”These standards require teachers to teach at a deeper level,” Taylor said. “They are not used to teaching that way. They are much more rigorous standards. Most teachers are fine with it, but some are concerned that their students will not be up to it.”’

Ideas for integration

Even though the idea of shifting to a new set of core standards makes some educators uncomfortable, one solution to their anxiety is having a toolbox to go to for implementing the new standards.

Susan Riley, an Arts Integration Specialist, counters the naysayers by offering several tools for adapting to the change. In “Use Arts Integration to Enhance Common Core,” a November 30, 2012, post to Edutopia, Riley says using the arts integration approach is a natural process for both teachers and students.

“Arts Integration seems to be hidden from view because teachers are nervous about their own artistic abilities, and also their ability to effectively facilitate a lesson that includes authentic arts standards,” Riley said. “Yet Arts Integration strategies have a variety of levels, and many can be implemented quite quickly in classrooms.”

A new generation

Developing national standards for the arts is no easy task. In developing the new standards, careful consideration was paid to the analysis and evidence of art and artists with respect to visual interpretation.

David Coleman, an architect of the Common Core State Standards and incoming president of The College Board, cites knowledge, observation, evidence and choices as the critical points for the “common core” in his September 17, 2012, post to ARTSblog, “Common Core Architect Adds to Blog Salon Discussion.”

“The great news is that the standards call on so many things the arts do well,” Coleman wrote. “The tradition of careful observation, attention to evidence and artists’ choices, the love of taking an artist’s work seriously lies at the heart of these standards.

At the same time, arts materials need to shift to embrace these core shifts in the standards. The next generation of arts materials should likely examine fewer works of art more closely, so that there are opportunities for careful consideration of specific works. We should look for and share the most magnificent things written about the arts at higher levels of text complexity, to provide wonderful things to read at each grade level.”

For more information on educational standards, visit Questia’s topic page on Curriculum and Instruction.

Communication Skills Lab (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Most liberal arts colleges, but not all, have core requirements — classes that you’re required to take before graduation. These requirements typically include a little bit of everything (English, math, science) to give you a well-rounded foundation of academic knowledge from which to base the rest of your college years. In these classes you’ll study history books, science books, economic articles, modern literature and even perhaps an art journal — all to help give you an education in a field that might not be your major. Learn what classes are essential for your major and for college graduation from liberal arts colleges.

Here is some advice from Patrick O’Connor, in the HuffingtonPost.com article “How Strong Is Your College Knowledge?” posted February 26, 2012: “Some colleges have graduation requirements, including specific core academic courses all students must take, while others have no core requirements at all. Make sure you know the expectations … and think about how much flexibility you want or need in your college experience — and remember, less structure isn’t always a good thing for everyone.”

What classes are included?

Introductory level courses in English and math are the most common. Basic English composition is necessary so you can compose papers and structure your thinking and writing. A course in public speaking prepares students to speak to peers, colleagues, teachers and community members intelligently and informatively. Proficiency in English and communication skills helps students studying humanities, arts, languages, business, social sciences and law.

Basic math courses in algebra and statistics help develop critical and analytical thinking. Proficiency in math skills is required for students pursuing engineering, science, finance, computer, business and medical studies. There may be other required classes, such as history, social sciences, economics, business, literature, philosophy and science. Usually you will be allowed to select one specific course in each subject (i.e. for a science requirement, you could choose between chemistry, biology, physics, etc.).

In “College Curriculum Competencies and Skills Former Students Found Essential to Their Careers” by Andrew A. Zekeri in the September 2004 issue of College Student Journal, a survey of former students revealed key college courses. “The key skills needed to improve their careers are oral communication, written communication, problem solving techniques, motivating and managing others, and setting personal and organizational goals. These competencies should be considered essential or basic skills for college graduates at the end of their general education requirements.”

Why are there core requirements?

Learn basic skills — Core requirements help freshmen develop the basic skills to function in college. Introductory classes in math, English and science prepare students to go on to more specific classes in a chosen major. It also helps new students get acclimated to college life, feel comfortable learning on a higher level and excel.

Well-rounded education — Even though college is a place to hone a specific skill in an academic major, it is also a place to take a variety of classes in many fields in order to get a well-rounded education of higher learning. Core curriculum, as reported by CollegeView.com in their post “Core Courses: Fulfilling your degree requirements,” “can vary depending on the school, program, or degree. At some schools, students must fulfill a foundation of basic, general core requirements such as reading, writing, and critical thinking, regardless of the major they plan to pursue.”

When to take required classes?

Consult your college guidebook, your career advisor and your major advisor for help with this one — they can tell you what needs to be taken when, whether it’s in a specific semester or year. Some classes, like prerequisite English composition and basic math, must be taken in the first semester, since they are skills you will need to master before going further in school. Other classes (such as science if you are a business major), can be taken any time before you graduate.

Some students prefer to take all their required classes the first year to get a taste of different academic fields. Others concentrate on their major first, then take a bunch of electives the last year before graduation. The year before you’re ready to graduate, check your transcript and list of required courses to make sure you haven’t missed any essential classes and ask your office of records about any required audits.

MOOCs—the good and bad

How can professors and students benefit from these Massive Open Online Courses? And what makes a good MOOC? First of all, MOOCs give professors and instructors a huge amount of data about how students are comprehending the class material. This allows for the adjustment of materials to improve comprehension, whether it is for an online class or one that takes place in a physical classroom. Additionally, MOOCs promote a university on a much broader scale to a truly global audience.

But with these positives come drawbacks, as well, including low completion rates and high costs.On January 28, 2013, David Skorton and Glenn Altschuler wrote “MOOCs: A College Education Online?” for Forbes that “the completion rate for the first MOOC, a course on artificial intelligence offered by Stanford in 2011, was 13 percent.” Skorton and Altschuler added that “A good MOOC employs many tools, including blogs, online discussion boards, Twitter, tagging, and document sharing … When done well, the production is complicated, time-consuming, and expensive.”

Coursera vs. edX

Currently, two MOOC platforms are vying to see how this new world of online learning will change higher education. Founded by Harvard University and MIT (and recently joined by the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Texas system) edX is a nonprofit organization that offers subject matter such as public health, computer science, artificial intelligence, software, computer programming and solid state chemistry.

The other offering is Coursera, a for-profit company founded by two Stanford University professors. It offers a broader spectrum of classes—from science, technology and engineering to humanities and the social sciences. In an article for the January-February 2013 issue of Research Technology Management found on Questia.com, “A Fresh Twist on Online Learning,” Peter Gwynne writes, “The impact of these new approaches on traditional higher education remains to be seen. But the prestige of the universities offering the online courses and students’ initial response indicate that would-be employers, particularly in industry, should prepare to deal with a new channel for potential recruits.”

The future of MOOCs

The permanence of MOOCs may revolve around whether or not these Massive Open Online Courses begin to offer credits to students and if they can be a source of revenue for their higher education sources. Udacity, another developer of MOOCs, has partnered with the California State University system for a pilot project to develop three introductory math courses through San Jose State University (SJSU). The classes will be available to the public for free for no credit. If the student wants to take the course for a credit, there will be a $150 fee (the typical per course fee at SJSU is $450 to $750).

On January 25, 2013, Rick Anderson posted “The Shadow of the MOOC Grows Longer” on the scholarlykitchen.org about the SJSU model stating, “This suggests one way that a MOOC might become financially sustainable.” He adds that while MOOCs could still turn out to be a passing fad, the implementation of scenarios like the one with SJSU is one indicator that “the MOOC’s potential as a disruptor of traditional higher education grows.”

Most Valuable Professor Julia Corine Barnes

The Most Valuable Professor

In the summer, we at Questia announced the winner of the first “Questia’s Most Valuable Professor” contest, as part of our ongoing dedication to education. College students from across the country nominated special professors they believed deserved the title of Most Valuable Professor (MVP). For the grand prize, we pledged to establish three $2,500 scholarships in the winning professor’s name, and our winner earned the duty of determining the scholarship criteria and ultimately selecting the scholarship recipients.

After much anticipation, the time to apply for The Julia Corine Barnes Scholarship by Questia has finally arrived! 

We know that saving for college is never easy. According to the Institute for College Access and Success, students who borrowed for college and earned bachelor’s degrees in 2011 graduated with an average $26,600 in student loan debt, up from $25,250 in 2010! Questia has elected to sponsor these scholarships to help illustrate the importance of a college education as well as the hard-working professors that facilitate higher learning.

So, now it’s the students’ turn for their chance at getting their hands on one of these three $2,500 scholarships. The scholarship is open to all students pursuing a degree in language, linguistics or literature. To apply, students can submit their application including a one-paged personal statement detailing what they are majoring in and what they hope to accomplish with their major. Questia is accepting applications now through January 31^st, 2013. To submit your application, please visit “The Julia Corine Barnes Scholarship By Questia.”

How to apply

Once there, you’ll be asked to do the following:

1. Answer the pre-qualifying criteria questions.
2. Create an online account to enable you to access and save the online application.
3. Submit your application materials by the deadline.

Then you’re all set!

How to qualify

In order to be qualified for The Julia Corine Barnes Scholarship by Questia applicants must meet the following qualifications:

1. Be either high school seniors, high school graduates, undergraduates enrolled in college or graduate school students.
2. Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale at the end of the latest spring term.
3. Plan to pursue a degree in language, linguistics or literature.
4. Plan to attend an accredited college, university or technical college.
5. Demonstrate traits of a high moral character and leadership qualities.

What to submit

Applicants will submit the following materials:

1. Signed Terms of Agreement.
2. Official transcript with grades and cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale at the end of the latest spring term.
3. SAT/ACT scores for applicants who are high school seniors.
4. Letter of recommendation from a teacher/professor.
5. Personal statement.
6. List of your academic honors, leadership skills, community service, etc.

Be sure to submit all of these materials by January 31^st, 2013 deadline! But why not get started early over winter vacation?

The Julia Corine Barnes Scholarship By Questia is non-renewable and is for the year awarded only. The Center for Scholarship Administration, Inc. (CSA), a non-profit and independent organization, will facilitate and narrow down the finalists. From there, the three lucky scholarship winners will be selected by Julia herself. Stay tuned this spring, when the scholarship winners’ names will be announced. Congratulations again to MVP, Julia Corine Barnes, and a big thank you to professors everywhere! Best of luck to all the applicants!

For further information regarding The Julia Corine Barnes Scholarship By Questia, please send all questions to Sally King at sallyking@bellsouth.net.

The entire Questia site has been redesigned to be more user-friendly and useful. However, it continues to offer users:

• More than 70,000 full-text online books across a wide range of subjects
• More than 6 million full-text articles from over 1,700 reputable publications
• Thousands of research topics featuring librarian-selected sources to jumpstart projects

Questia MVP: Most Valuable Professor, Julia Barnes at Berry College

The first ever Most Valuable Professor competition by Questia resulted in dozens of nominations and over a thousand votes! The professor who ultimately took home the title of MVP was Spanish professor at Berry College, Julia Corine Barnes, and her students were ecstatic over the victory. Not only does Berry College have the world’s largest campus to tout, but now they also have America’s Most Valuable Professor teaching at their school!

Marlon Blugh, a junior at Berry College, nominated Barnes for the honor of MVP for many reasons. “Prof. Barnes is simply a fair and reasonable individual. I nominated her because she has helped me in ways other professors have not. She truly listens and works with you.” Read the nomination Blugh submitted in our MVP announcement.

When Blugh learned his professor had made the finalists, he notified all of his classmates about the competition and “they were as eager as I was to vote.”

Blugh’s classmate and also a junior at Berry, Cari Voutila, was excited to hear her professor had won. “She set a new precedent for my expectations of what a professor should be like,” said Voutila. “She is incredibly challenging yet incredibly caring at the same time and I’ve encountered few professors that are both of those things at once. I can’t think of another professor that would deserve it more.”

Senior at Berry, Lara Thomson, said she’s learned so much from Barnes in a small amount of time. “I’ve learned more Spanish in two semesters than I’ve learned in seven years of middle and high school. I am really glad she knows how much her students appreciate her and I hope she feels appreciated.”

Congratulations again to Professor Julia Corine Barnes for winning the inaugural title of Most Valuable Professor! We will create the Julia Corine Barnes Scholarship by Questia in her honor, where three students will each be awarded $2,500 scholarships. Barnes will participate in determining the scholarship criteria and selecting the scholarship recipients with a team of Questia researchers.

Check back on our blog for more news on the Julia Corine Barnes Scholarship by Questia!