The use of appropriate Educational Simulation systems (software and hardware for learning purposes) may contribute to the application of the "Learning by Doing" (LbD) paradigm in classroom, thus helping the students to assimilate the theoretical concepts of a subject and acquire certain pre-defined competencies in a more didactical way.…

"The First-Year Seminar: Designing, Implementing, and Assessing Courses to Support Student Learning and Success," a five-volume series, is designed to assist educators who are interested in launching a first-year seminar or revamping an existing program. Each volume examines a different aspect of first-year seminar design or…

The purpose of the study was to develop an improved teaching evaluation questionnaire based on students' learning experiences and selected teacher characteristics identified as indicators of teaching quality. Teaching evaluation questionnaires are commonly designed either based on agreed indicators of teaching excellence, students' suggestions of…

The Community of Inquiry framework has become a useful instrument for exploring learning in online classes; however, the interactions between the constructs of teaching presence and cognitive presence remain relatively unexplored. This study investigated student perceptions of cognitive presence as explained by three teaching presence elements;…

A significant problem facing teachers relating to the major professions is their relative isolation from the day-to-day skills while teaching when compared with their colleagues in full-time practice. A technique for determining specific needs in the content of courses is described and the survey questionnaires are appended. (LBH)

A short term training institute conducted August 12 to August 23, 1968, at Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, is described. Thirteen participants took part in a series of meetings, discussions, and activities related to evaluation problems connected with innovative reading programs funded under Title I and Title III of the Elementary and…

A course evaluation method is described in which the adoption of a desirable change is integral to the process of evaluation designed to motivate teachers, students, and other course organizers to improve and consequently change the structure, content, and conduct of the course when necessary. The course illustrated leads to a Postgraduate…

Unstructured and structured evaluation modes were used to probe teacher perceptions of a socially-oriented chemistry course for non-science majors. Students' assessments reinforced teacher perceptions. This procedure yielded information concerning course content, societal relevance, motivation, interest, laboratory and demonstration exercises,…

A course evaluation model is illustrated with a case study of 116 college biology students. For a one-year course, evaluation has three phases: (year 1) internal evaluation--questioning students, departmental staff, and other faculty; (year 2) external evaluation; and (year 3) solving problems highlighted in the previous year's evaluation. (CP)

An "investigative method" can be used by the English education specialist to determine both content of a curriculum and the organization and instruction of courses. Assuming that the purpose of teaching is to produce desired changes within learners, the method of the English teacher is to (1) decide the content of a new course which will develop…

The advantages, feasibility and problems associated with a student-paced course were investigated, and a computer managed evaluation system compared to paper and pencil testing mode. The development of a self-paced course was facilitated by explicit behavior objectives, a variety of learning materials referenced to the objectives and a large pool…

Intensive foreign language courses are discussed in terms of historical background, categorization of types, definition of components of intensive instruction as practiced at present in academic settings, and advantages and special problems of intensive instruction. Practical considerations for the implementation of intensive options cover the…

Participant observation of an innovative art teacher's classroom technique suggested that, despite his popularity with students, this teacher did not fully engage his students' attention. His attempt at using cognitive dissonance to bring about attitudinal change in the classroom left many students baffled despite the effort expended to involve…

Study investigated the association between university social-work students' ratings of teaching ability and several course, student, and instructor variables. Analysis of over 5,000 standard evaluation forms indicated strong positive relationships between ratings of teaching effectiveness and ratings of skills, as reflected by course organization,…

The usefulness of alumni ratings in assessing departmental quality was investigated at the University of Illinois by a survey one year after graduation, in 1977. Groups of 4,573 enrolled students and one year later, 1,228 alumni from 22 departments responded to 11 satisfaction items concerning instructional, curricular, advising, and functional…