The absence of universally accepted definitions for direct and indirect assessment motivates the purpose of this article: to offer definitions that are literature-based and theoretically driven, meeting K. Lewin's (1945) dictum that, "There is nothing so practical as a good theory" (p. 129). The authors synthesize the literature to…

A structured search of library databases revealed that research examining the effectiveness of e-Learning has heavily increased within the last five years. After taking a closer look at the search results, the authors discovered that previous researchers defined and investigated effectiveness in multiple ways. At the same time, learning and…

Engagement is one of the most widely misused and overgeneralized constructs found in the educational, learning, instructional, and psychological sciences. The articles in this special issue represent a wide range of traditions and highlight several key conceptual, theoretical, methodological, and analytical issues related to defining and measuring…

Education has a long-standing practice of turning worthwhile learning goals into lists of bits. One might even say that this practice is the original sin in curriculum design: take a complex whole, divide it into small pieces, string those together in a rigid sequence of instruction and testing, and call completion of this sequence…

While the evidence for the effectiveness of the use of stories in science teaching and learning is strengthening in current research and literature, the intervention itself, namely, the science story, still suffers from a lack of definition and conception. The purpose of this paper is to determine the amount of narrative relative to non-narrative…

The main purpose of this article is to provide educators with clear definitions of motivational factors in reading so that instructional planning can capitalize on important distinctions. The authors present definitions of a small set of related motivational concepts (including attitudes, interests, self-efficacy, self-concept, goals, and value)…

Early childhood educators play a critical role in preparing students for success later in their school experience. The instructional techniques, emotional supports, and assessment approaches for early childhood settings are different from classroom settings in later grades. How can states and districts develop evaluation systems that are tuned to…

Good evaluation requires that evaluation efforts themselves be evaluated. Many things can and often do go wrong in evaluation work. Accordingly, it is necessary to check evaluations for problems such as bias, technical error, administrative difficulties, and misuse. Such checks are needed both to improve ongoing evaluation activities and to assess…

The paper takes a critical look at the different metrics that could be used to measure First Nations student success. The paper concludes that more than one metric is needed given the holistic worldview of First Nations Aboriginal people. A framework undergirding First Nations student success is presented and discussed.

Discusses the proposition that: "The educational problem involved in behavior modification, in the evaluationand measurement of learning, is the integration and coordination of three types of information affecting the achievement of specific behavioral goals: (1) information about the child, (2) information about the task, and (3) information…

In both purpose and practice, general education in American higher education has experienced several recurring debates and national revivals. In a world with constantly evolving technology, students need a strong general education to be flexible and adaptable to the changes of the world. General education is an important component and requirement…

This paper defines key educational outcome terms, discusses national and international practices in the assessment of educational outcomes, describes activities of states in outcomes assessment, notes objectives of the National Center on Educational Outcomes, and delineates major considerations in the development of a comprehensive system of…

This article's thesis is that the principal, as instructional leader, should be responsible for the educative effectiveness of the "third curriculum", defined here as the student activities program. (Editor)

Defines evaluation and demonstrates that the general concept of evaluation can provide significant information for both the assessment of personnel as well as the assessment of the curriculum that is currently in place in the schools. Describes five steps that should be used in any evaluation. (Author/RK)

Mega planning has a primary focus on adding value for all stakeholders. It is realistic, practical, and ethical. Denning and then achieving sustained organizational success is possible. It relies on three basic elements: (1) "A societal value-added "frame of mind" or paradigm": your perspective about your organization, people, and our world. It…