The success and satisfaction of students with online courses is significantly impacted by the sequencing of learning objectives and activities. Equally critical is designing online degree programs and structuring multiple courses to reduce learners' cognitive load and attain maximum learning success. In its current form, the evaluation of program…

Public administration scholarship has documented the effectiveness of rubrics in assessing student competencies within classrooms and across MPA programs. Rubrics are one of many innovative techniques, however. As we advance pedagogy in public administration, scholars should consider additional grading techniques and evaluate a grading system…

This study evaluated syllabi (N = 87) from introductory advertising and public relations courses to examine to what extent and how stated course goals and assignments signal the overall learning orientation of a course and which type of learning orientation--mastery or performance--was most common. Mastery orientations emphasize intrinsic rewards,…

This study offers a unique perspective on assessment of learning by comparing results from direct and indirect measures in a social work graduate program across two campuses of a single university. The findings suggest that students' perceptions of learning are not necessarily reflective of content and applied skills mastery. Perception of…

While student global ratings of college courses historically predict learning achievement, the majority of recent U.S. college graduates lack proficiency in desired skills. Teaching and Learning Quality (TALQ), a new course evaluation instrument, was developed from extant instructional theory that promotes student learning. A survey of 193…

First-year students experience academic, social, and emotional adjustments as they transition to college. First-year experience courses support students in this transitional phase by helping them integrate into the campus environment and by teaching them college-appropriate learning strategies. This study explored the role that participation in a…