This module presents results of a demonstration project investigating portfolio assessment uses in adult basic education and English as a second language. It describes how to use the approach to design a portfolio assessment plan in any chosen subject area. Section I provides an overview and reviews the project framework. Section II focuses on…

This report describes a project to develop a tutor training model for teaching adults who manifested signs of learning disabilities. A needs assessment was done by surveying previously trained tutors. Existing adult literacy materials and instructional materials specifically developed for individuals with learning disabilities were reviewed and…

Differences among students can yield rich benefits as well as pose difficult problems during collaborative learning. Students can draw on diverse individual experiences to exchange information, to understand different expressions of shared commonalities, and to construct new possibilities jointly. However, they also face the potential pitfalls of…

Summaries are presented of papers from a symposium entitled "The Evaluation of Complex Programs Using Participatory Evaluation" that focused on a comprehensive school service program in a south Texas alternative high school. "Theoretical Framework and Objectives" explores the problems of evaluating such programs. Problems…

Critical reflection refers to an adaptation of civic literacy theory by educators seeking to promote the development of learning communities, taking an analytical approach to educational institutions. Critical reflection is being combined with the praxis approach, which stresses investigating issues, acting based on findings, subjecting outcomes…

Evolution is often equated with natural selection and is taught from a primarily functional perspective while comparative and historical approaches, which are critical for developing an appreciation of the power of evolutionary theory, are often neglected. This report describes a study of expert problem-solving in phylogenetic tree construction.…

The increasing emphasis on teacher-directed processing of adventure experiences may be devaluing both the learning experience and the promotion of self-reliance among students. The problem with "overprocessing" is that the teacher, not the student, decides what was learned and its relative value. In addition, this approach emphasizes…

This publication reports on an evaluation commissioned by the Greater Glasgow (Scotland) Health Board of a school sexual health education program. The program emphasized providing accurate and relevant sexual health information; promoting pupils' ownership of their own sexual health issues; developing pupils' informed decision-making abilities…

This paper describes five programs of early intervention for children with hearing impairments and their families. Programs are described according to their mission, services, and unique contribution to the field of early intervention. First, essential components of all programs are identified. These are evaluation, audiological management, parent…

This document, which is intended for individuals at the state and local levels with responsibility for school-to-work opportunities, focuses on recommended standard procedures for evaluating school-to-work transition programs. In the introduction, the role of evaluation as a critical element in an overall program management strategy is discussed…

This report contains a proposed framework for the subject matter of vocational education that is presented in two sections. Section 1 describes concepts central to the idea and ideal of vocational education. The analysis and interpretation of each concept are summarized as a set of propositions concerning the meaning of vocational education. These…

Conceptual foundations of a process for assessing higher-order thinking are reviewed, and a viable model for carrying out the process is presented. The first section of the paper formulates 21 criteria that should be met by any process adequate to the task. The second section outlines the basic concept of critical thinking on which the paper is…

Studies conducted by Rand Corporation suggested that students did not need to be taught generic skills and work-related attitudes in actual workplaces. Such instruction could occur effectively at schools in traditional stand alone classrooms. To develop an instructional model for teaching generic skills, researchers used ethnographic methods to…

A critical linkage in training systems is the translation of training evaluation information for reassessing training needs and for making training program changes. This paper presents the development of a conceptual framework for examining the job relevancy and efficiency of training and the linkage for this evaluative information to training…

This resource provides tools that are relevant to understanding the nature and scope of substance abuse. The tools are also meant to be helpful in identifying and guiding students who need help and in preventing substance abuse. The aids are grouped into five sections. Section I provides basic fact sheets on substance abuse among youth. Section II…