USC Dornsife News

USC Dornsife researchers will evaluate a new classroom program that’s teaching debate, deliberation and civil discussion skills to middle and high school students.

Very few prisons offer credit-bearing college programs for inmates. That’s about to change.

Saud Siddiqui ’11 helped develop the innovative educational software SketchyMedical, which landed him a spot on the Forbes 30 under 30 list. [5¾ min read]

A USC Dornsife study finds that together, genetics and years of education can influence whether or not someone becomes obese. [2 1/2 min read]

Genoeconomist Daniel Benjamin of USC Dornsife says that a combination of roughly 1,000 genetic variants across the genome can predict the length of a person’s formal education to a degree comparable with the usual demographic predictors.

Daphna Oyserman and Oliver Fisher take a look at what motivates and demotivates students in “The Conversation.” They found that how a person reacts to challenges – and even ease – can impact their academic success.

Promising results from a pilot study led by Anna Saavedra of the Center for Economic and Social Research (CESR) and supported by the George Lucas Educational Foundation could herald a shift in traditional approaches to education.

The genetic variants found by scientists account for a small fraction of the differences across individuals in education.

J.P. Guilford’s “Structure of Intellect” theory proposes a three-dimensional model of intelligence, with added emphasis on skills cultivated through a liberal arts education. Developed decades ago, the theory could help guide education policy today.