This book is intended to help college faculty effectively design and evaluate courses and curricula. The 16 chapters address the following topics: a learning-centered approach to course and curriculum design; a systematic design model (showing benefits); the decision to begin a curriculum project; getting started; linking goals, courses, and…

As the first in a series of monographs on competency-based education (CBE), this paper presents background information and exercises to aid instructors in understanding and utilizing performance goals as tools for articulation, program development, and student evaluation. After introductory material discussing the major differences between…

The explicit statement of course objectives and a retrospective analysis of student test results are used in the evaluation of a mathematics course for engineering students. (BW)

A description is provided of Tennessee's Volunteer State Community College's (VSCC's) approach to defining the goals, expected outcomes, and assessment procedures of individual courses, utilizing teacher-developed course instruction manuals and standardized course syllabi. Introductory material explains why and how the approach was developed,…

A program designed for the achievement of equal educational opportunity in Connecticut's Middletown public schools is presented in this report. The document describes the program's statement of goals, identification of objectives, specification of expected levels of competency for each subject area at each grade and ability level, adoption of…

This guide for a refresher training program for basic Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) is designed to assure continuance of a uniformly high level of knowledge and skills among EMTs who have completed the U.S. Department of Transportation's basic training for EMTs. The first of four sections presents the purposes of the course, the role of the…

Characteristics of a minicourse developed at Macquarie University in Australia, its application in Australia, and potential for countries in the Asia-Pacific region are discussed. A minicourse is defined as an entire course of studies for a group, similar to a conventional course but compressed into a few hours. The Australian minicourse is…

The evaluation system described in this paper represents an attempt to provide objective, current, and course-specific evaluation of liberal education at Marycrest College, Iowa. This evaluation system uses a questionnaire to assess student perceptions of individual courses in relation to a set of general educational objectives determined by the…

This manual for teachers, administrators, and counselors both explains the Program/Course Inventory (PCI), a data collection instrument, and provides instructions for completing the PCI form. The first section describes the PCI developed by the Ventura County Superintendent of Schools staff to collect data that define vocational education…

This guide provides specific information and resources for course and curriculum development, beginning with an outline of the basic elements of a curriculum and a listing of exemplary curricula in computer science education from other colleges. The definition of, need for, and essential and secondary features of a goal are presented, as well as…

This set of descriptive instructions explains and defines each of the 19 elements of the Chancellor's Office Course Reporting and Data Collection Form (CCC-456), with the intent of providing the completer with a sense of the philosophical basis of the element. CCC-456 requires such basic information as the course title, semester units, college…

Discusses two approaches for evaluating distance education. One collects six categories of evaluation information (measures): activity, efficiency, outcomes, program aims, policy, and organization. The other identifies key questions needed for effective evaluation and methods for determining outcomes in five areas: accountability, effectiveness,…

The course outline record plays a central role in course planning and curriculum development in the California Community Colleges (CCC), forming the basis of a contract between students, teachers, and the institution regarding course content. This report reviews the role of the course outline and summarizes requirements and standards for writing…

This document is a guide for use in self-study by groups of college faculty using the Course Planning Exploration (CPE) survey. The CPE is designed to uncover approaches to course planning and thereby stimulate discussion, collegial learning, and development among faculty members. Section I describes the CPE including the history of its…

Two different methods for collecting course-specific data on class learning and growth are discussed. The first, Item/Student Sampling, is directly dependent upon assessing class performance both prior to and following instruction. This procedure relies on multiple matrix sampling techniques. The second method, referred to as Self-Report of Course…