In winter of 2004, the Sociology Department at California State University-Bakersfield (CSUB) conducted a student assessment using an embedded assessment technique--a technique wherein a class assignment serves as an assessment tool. The authors conducted the embedded assessment for their Five-Year Program Review. Thus, similar to many…

A variety of general education programs and evaluation approaches are described, with a focus on assessments of student attitudes and achievement. The introductory essay by Jerry G. Gaff, "A Practical Approach to Evaluation," presents a three-step evaluation approach, as well as suggestions for general education program directors, deans,…

This document, the first volume of the summative evaluation of "Man: A Course of Study" (MACOS), focuses on motivation and achievement of students using the MACOS curriculum. The major purpose of the two-year study was to compare MACOS as it was taught in 57 fifth and sixth grade classes in 15 school districts with other social studies…

The document summarizes a two-year longitudinal evaluative study of the elementary school social studies curriculum, "Man: A Course of Study" (MACOS), which was compared with other social studies programs. The aims of the study were to examine what MACOS students seemed to learn, what they retained, and how what was learned was different…