Purpose: Since accreditation bodies emphasize program-level learning goals, there is often less focus on measuring learning at the course level. This study aims to offer a method for using experiential learning exercises to measure student engagement and learning outcomes in cross-cultural relations courses by highlighting which learning outcomes…

This paper reports on a qualitative evaluation of the postgraduate courses offered by distance in one university department. The types and amount of support provided to students was evaluated and compared with Simpson's (2008a) Proactive Motivational Support model (PaMS). While students were largely satisfied with the support they received during…

Seeing the need to change parts of one's teaching project may be the starting point for scholars to seek inspiration and guidance from educational psychologists for innovation in their teaching. In this report, the authors address the question of how educational psychologists can assist lecturers in higher education with the implementation of…

This study explored the impact of a learner-centered, mid-semester course evaluation process called the small group instructional diagnosis (SGID) on student perceptions of dimensions of teaching that promote effective learning. Classes where instructors requested the SGID were randomly assigned to either traditional or learner-centered SGIDs and…

This paper reports on the perceptions of teaching economists of the nature, implementation and result of outcomes assessment/assurance of learning (AOL) in higher education. The results reported in the paper are based on over eight hundred responses to a web-based survey of teaching economists. While there is little consensus among economists…

This discussion describes an evaluation model designed to complement a curriculum development project, the primary goal of which is to structure a performance based program for preservice teachers. Data collected from the implementation of this four-phase model can be used to make decisions for developing and changing performance objectives and…

An opinion survey was mailed to former education graduate students in order to assess the effectiveness of an introductory educational research course given at Memphis State University (Tennessee). The purposes of the study were to determine the extent to which the course was helpful to students: (1) in subsequent graduate courses; (2) in their…

As part of a review of its Psychology department, William Rainey Harper College in Illinois conducted a study of 400 students who had taken at least 3 courses in the department from fall 1989 to fall 1993. Questionnaires were sent to the students in spring 1995, requesting information on their perceptions of the effectiveness of courses in the…

A study was undertaken at Glendale Community College, in California, to determine the effectiveness of a 2-week summer macroeconomics course. To gather data, the instructor maintained a diary of topics covered and problems encountered, surveyed all 20 students upon completion of the class regarding their experiences and satisfaction, and compared…

Over the past decade, faculty in the Humanities department at Raritan Valley Community College, in New Jersey, have developed two interdisciplinary, team-taught courses organized on a thematic basis. To determine student and faculty perceptions of these courses, the college distributed questionnaires to students in one of the courses, conducted…

This extensive revision of a 1975 publication, "Guidelines for the Evaluation of Training Courses, Workshops, and Seminars in Scientific and Technical Information and Documentation," suggests possible approaches to the evaluation of the type of training sessions that might be organized or promoted by Unesco. Guidelines relate to what…

In 1984-85, Miami-Dade Community College's (MDCC's) North Campus developed a one-credit orientation course (SLS 1101) to provide students with information and college-level skills before they encounter problems. A study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of SLS 1101 in reducing attrition and increasing grade point average (GPA) over the…

Reports on the evaluation process and results of an in-service training program for English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) teachers in Costa Rica. The program was developed in response to new public policy concerning EFL instruction. The project itself is described, but focus here is on the evaluation process, which was designed to examine…

A systematic approach to the improvement of courses, programs and curricula in higher education is presented in the following chapters: (1) "Benefits of a Systematic Approach to Course and Curriculum Improvement"; (2) "Making the Decision to Create or Redesign a Course or Program"; (3) "Selecting a Design Team and Establishing Goals and…

In winter 1995, a study was conducted at Rochester Community College (RCC), in Minnesota, to examine the effectiveness of a study skills class (SS198). Specifically, the study sought to determine if the course met established criteria of retaining 50% of completers in good academic standing for 1 year, to compare retention rates to non-enrolled…