Two different methods for collecting course-specific data on class learning and growth are discussed. The first, Item/Student Sampling, is directly dependent upon assessing class performance both prior to and following instruction. This procedure relies on multiple matrix sampling techniques. The second method, referred to as Self-Report of Course…

Three principal types of goal structure are (1) cooperative; (2) competitive; and (3) individualistic. Specifically designed cooperatively structured group activities can improve group performance and attitudes in class. A writing class for English majors is briefly described and evaluated before and after goal structure was considered. Grade…

Data from a study of the preceptorship in family medicine, a required four-week experience for fourth-year medical students at the University of North Carolina, indicate that it was a synthesis experience. Seven functions of the preceptorship, many of which were not official program goals, are identified. (Author/JMD)

Discusses the benefits of marking sexual identities (as heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual) in the classroom, exposing students' hetero-normativity, and alerting them to ways in which seemingly "personal" lives are shaped by the political. Relates the authors' classroom experiences in trying to illustrate the socially-constructed aspects of…

An innovative approach to teaching undergraduate psychology in a self-directed group discussion format was implemented at Raymond Walters College, in Ohio, based on premises from the active learning and employee involvement movements holding that adults achieve more when they are actively involved in their own learning and that students are…

This study evaluated the Agricultural Curriculum Project which is being implemented in 16 secondary schools in Mauritius. Specific areas examined included: (1) the relevance, appropriateness, and practicability of the project's general objectives; (2) the relevance, balance, and organization of the course content; (3) the effectiveness and…

Data obtained from a province-wide survey of compulsory physical education programs in Alberta, Canada, is presented (1) describing current parent and student perceptions of required physical education, (2) identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the program as it exists, (3) assessing areas of expressed or implied concerns, and (4) making…

This final report formulates objectives for literary instruction of a type suitable for inclusion in a central standard curriculum for the Swedish Comprehensive School and a coordination of curricular objectives with instructional procedures and evaluation methods. Based on results of questionnaires sent to literature methods teachers, literary…

Describes the development of a new mathematics course in a school district in Great Britain which was designed for low achieving high school students. Provides the course design including aims, objectives, levels of attainment, and assessment exercises. Discusses the mathematics achievement certificate created as a result of the course. (TW)

Reports on the case of a university student studying English as a Second Language who disliked the informal writing of dialogue journals. Implications from the case suggest the need for researchers and practitioners to consider students' perspectives when employing nontraditional writing assignments. (53 references) (Author/CK)

Discusses the preparation of students of Indonesian origin for the type of thinking and writing they will have to do in graduate programs in Canada. The article argues that foreign students bound for Western English-medium universities must learn not only to produce a new language but also to display a different form of logic in the classroom.…

The ending of the academic year of second language instruction is discussed. It is suggested that vocabulary and grammar review be used in communicative activities and that the review should not be started too early in the final grading period (i.e., a week and a half may be allowed for the review and the test). Emphasis should be placed on the…

A course titled "Editing As a Way of Life," dealing with communications media, was tried out at the senior high school in University City, Missouri. A total of 38 activities were devised to meet the 16 objectives of the course, which were subsumed under six categories: perception, knowledge, creativity, skills, production techniques, and…

Describes a course which provides training opportunities for academic staff who wish to acquire professional orientation toward their teaching functions. Course origins, current practices, and an independent course evaluation are described. Tentative conclusions are drawn concerning distance academic staff training and ways distance study can…

Reviews the published evaluations used in online formal courses in higher education. The 10 instruments reviewed indicated three general categories of evaluation. Three evaluation (30%) were given pre-course, two (20%) were given mid-course, and five (50%) were post-course evaluations. Questions in each of these categories break down into several…