Introduction: This article critiques the questions asked and methods used in research syntheses in continuing education (CE) in the health professions, summarizes the findings of the syntheses, and makes recommendations for future CE research and practice. Methods: We identified 1.5 research syntheses published after 1993 in which primary CE…

This qualitative study provides insight into the first-year university experiences of students in a problem-based learning context an area that has received little attention in the literature. Data collection consisted of one-on-one interviews with students throughout their first year and of participant observation of students in the classroom at…

Information on the educational systems of Israel and the Occupied Territories (West Bank and the Gaza Strip) and guidelines on placing students from this region in U.S. high schools and colleges are presented. After describing the country and territories, attention is directed to preschool, primary, and intermediate education; secondary education;…

An instructor in a junior high school English program which involved teaching approximately 160 eighth graders on a daily basis found it almost impossible to assess students fairly by taking individual differences into account when grading. Her solution was to invite students to participate in the construction, performance, and evaluation of their…

This report, part of a series of documents which describe assessment of student learning in various curriculum areas, focuses on assessment of student learning in the mathematics classroom, beginning with an overview of current curriculum goals in mathematics. The rationale for reforming the content, instructional practices, and assessment methods…

This book contains necessary information to help teachers deal with the assessment concerns of classroom teachers. The major theme is that classroom assessment should help teachers make better educational decisions. Each chapter contains several elements intended to foster mastery of its contents, including a summary of contents, a more succinct…

This study examined performance of a simulated computerized adaptive test that was designed to help direct the development of a medical recertification examination. The item pool consisted of 229 single-best-answer items from a random sample of 3,000 examinees, calibrated using the two-parameter logistic model. Examinees' responses were known. For…

This book provides practical, commonsense strategies successfully used by teachers to help students become active, responsible learners. In general, these strategies are centered on mutual respect, not bossiness; collaboration, not isolation; commitment to learning, not fear of failure; and the dignity of all, not praise or rewards for a few. Each…

Authentic assessment, as referred to in this book, encompasses meaningful tasks, positive interaction between teachers and students, methods that emphasize higher-order thinking skills, and strategies that allow students to plan, monitor, and evaluate their own learning. Most important, authentic assessment means helping students to apply and…

Information on teaching techniques, student evaluation, and campus resources is presented for new teaching assistants. Topics include: lecturing, leading discussion sessions (especially in the humanities and social sciences), teaching the laboratory section, teaching a section of a course, teaching a foreign language, office hours, and use of the…

A descriptive study outlined the approaches used in the assessment of student performance in technical/practical subjects (e.g., agriculture, home economics, and woodworking) in Zimbabwe secondary schools. Eight schools participated in the study. Data on techniques used to evaluate student performance were collected by questionnaires received from…

The effectiveness of the "read-comp" technique in assessing writing ability and the usefulness of a rubric and procedure devised for scoring read-comp samples and essays were evaluated. Subjects were 100 freshman students enrolled in general and remedial English classes in a 6-week summer session at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.…

Academic decisions related to grouping, grading, and student promotion are discussed in this legal memorandum for secondary school principals. Federal and state court cases involving enrollment, student placement, promotion, grading, graduation, and gender-based classification are examined. Conclusions are that judges tend to respect an educator's…

A computerized management system to improve efficiency was implemented for one year in a fifth grade classroom in a large metropolitan city in the southwest. A variety of computer application software packages were reviewed and selections were made for use in grading and prescriptive analysis. The teacher also developed a database of student…

A study investigated the possible relationship between college French teachers' cognitive style and their predictions of student performance. Four American-born French instructors and their 84 students at two state-supported universities formed the sample. The results suggest that the field-independent teachers may display more competence in…