Facilitating productive class discussions is one of the most challenging tasks facing college educators, especially when potentially divisive issues are discussed. The author shares ten recommendations derived from teaching a course on current and controversial managerial issues via conversational learning. Excerpts from student comments are…

Electronic assessment (e-assessment) methods are at an early stage of development at various levels of education in South East Asian region. Until the primary resource requirements of the various educational institutions have been met in terms of providing an effective and efficient e-assessment system, a range of problems will arise for the…

In 1995, 2000, and 2005, the authors surveyed U.S. academic economists to investigate how economics is taught in four different types of undergraduate courses at postsecondary institutions. They especially looked for any changes in teaching methods that occurred over this decade, when there were several prominent calls for economists and…

Over the past three years, Patricia L. Scriffiny has transformed the grading system in her high school mathematics classroom by replacing the traditional points-based system with a standards-based system. Instead of assigning points for assignments, she lists student progress toward meeting clearly defined course objectives. In this article,…

A study of the non-punitive grading system at Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC) was undertaken to assess the impact on student performance of X (assigned in lieu of F), W (withdrawal), and I (incomplete) grades, and other institutions' perceptions and use of these grades in considering KVCC transfer students for admission. KVCC Student…

This unique time-saving book is packed with tested techniques and materials to assist new and experienced English teachers with virtually every phase of their job from lesson planning to effective discipline techniques. The book includes 175 easy-to-understand strategies, lessons, checklists, and forms for effective classroom management and over…

Findings of a study conducted at Iowa State University, Ames, indicated student subjects were not affected by the use of pass-fail grading, and that student teachers were less anxious and more positive about their relationship with their cooperating teachers under pass-fail than under A-F grading. (BP)

Several arguments are made for changing the present system of grading in college. The arguments deal with: (1) the negative effect of grading on the teaching situation--the system is capricious and variable and encourages "grade grubbing"; (2) the lack of accuracy and uniformity of grades; (3) the effect of grading, as an enforcer of the…

Discusses the use of numerical grades or a pass-fail system at the first-professional degree level in a health professions college, this paper provides the results and analysis of a student survey. Some 73 percent of student respondents felt that academic achievement was not affected by pass-fail. (LBH)

Performance in a second-year course in pedodontics/orthodontics for three classes at the State University of New York at Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine who received grades under an honors/pass/fail system was compared to that of three academically comparable classes that received letter grades. (Author/MLW)

The grading standards must be based on society's needs and the availability and ability of students to be trained to fill these needs. (IR)

A study of 750 students from four community colleges showed that high-risk students graduated only half as frequently in traditional community colleges (miniuniversities) as in non-punitive colleges (opportunity centers). However, there were no differences in subsequent academic performance of such students in senior institutions, suggesting that…

In 2006, a 9th-period program and an A, B, C, Incomplete grading policy were implemented as high school reform initiatives in a rural high school in the Midwest. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to determine how teachers interpreted the effect of the A, B, C, Incomplete grading policy and the 9th period reform initiatives at the…

The purpose of this study was to examine and describe the environmental factors that influence an undergraduate music education major's investment in instrumental techniques courses taught by a graduate teaching assistant. Each participant (three undergraduate music education majors and three teaching assistants) submitted to being interviewed…

In this exploratory inquiry into the nature of the relationship between systematic instructional design models and teachers' planning practices and needs, the researchers conducted open-­ended interviews with six teachers of science and math in order to discover how they conceptualized and practiced instructional design. The most important finding…