Recent educational journals on both sides of the Atlantic have seen a resurgence of debate about the nature of educational research. As a contribution to these debates, this paper draws on theoretical and methodological "thinking tools" of French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. Specifically, the paper explores what Jenkins [Jenkins, R.…

Problem-based learning, process-oriented guided inquiry learning, and peer-led team learning are student-centered, active-learning pedagogies commonly used in science education. The characteristic features of each are compared and contrasted to enable new practitioners to decide which approach or combination of approaches will suit their…

Among the academic community, there is a perception that there is an upward shift in grade point average over an extended period of time without a corresponding increase in achievement. This trend has become an alarming topic among educators, industry and the general public. Some attribute increases in GPA to improvements in student quality while…

Diverse strategies for marking GCSE examinations have been identified, ranging from simple automatic judgements to complex cognitive operations requiring considerable expertise. However, little is known about patterns of strategy usage or how such information could be utilised by examiners. We conducted a quantitative analysis of previous verbal…

An integrated technical writing and design course has been developed at Rowan University. This course was developed using aspects of project-based learning and recent discussions about design education, as well as pedagogical approaches from the write-to-learn and the writing in the disciplines (WID) movements. The result is a course where the…

Written to accompany the strategies presented in "The Principalship from A-Z," the activities in this book will help you apply the leadership concepts of Blackburn and Williamson to your own experiences as principal. Here, the authors guide you through the process of turning each idea into an actionable plan for your school, allowing you to take…

The "Student Evaluation of Instruction" (SEOI) was administered to all full-time and part-time faculty. Approximately 105,475 surveys were sent out in 5,489 envelopes; 66,790 surveys were returned to the Office of Institutional Research. The return rate for the SEOI packet envelopes was 81.0%. The instructors' reports were provided to…

The Student Evaluation of Instruction (SEOI) was administered to all full-time and part-time faculty. Approximately 105,192 surveys were sent out in (5,726) envelopes; 77,886 surveys were returned to the Office of Institutional Research. The return rate for the SEOI packet envelopes was 96%. The response rate for the survey was 74%. The…

Students now have at their disposal a range of Web 2.0 authoring forms such as audio and video podcasting, blogging, social bookmarking, social networking, virtual world activities and wiki writing. Many university educators are interested in enabling students to demonstrate their learning by creating content in these forms. However, the design…

The purpose of this study was to investigate problems and potentials of new technologies in English writing education. The effectiveness of automated writing evaluation (AWE) ("MY Access") and of peer evaluation (PE) was compared. Twenty-two English as a foreign language (EFL) learners in Taiwan participated in this study. They submitted…

Compared to other subjects, the typical introductory programming (CS1) course has higher than usual rates of both failing and high grades, creating a characteristic bimodal grade distribution. In this article, I explore two possible explanations. The conventional explanation has been that learners naturally fall into populations of programmers and…

In 1989, the previously autonomous Melbourne (Australia) College of Advanced Education was incorporated into the existing Universiy of Melbourne Faculty of Education to form a new faculty, the Institute of Education. A grading procedure was developed at the Institute of Education to incorporate the College of Advanced Education's long tradition of…

Addressing the trend in American colleges and universities to award constantly higher grades each year, New College of Hofstra University has been studying the grading patterns over the past years. Grades awarded during the academic year 1975-76 have not changed significantly. They remained at B level. The percent of grades in each grade category…

Law schools traditionally have relied on the undergraduate grade-point average (GPA) and the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) to determine admission policies. The adoption by an increasing number of colleges and universities of pass-fail grading systems has some implications for the law school admission process. This statement examines some of the…

Traces the history of grading and discusses the complex problem of evaluation and grading of student achievement. Reviews the various reference measures and notes the type of functions grades are supposed to serve. Cites seven alternatives to traditional grading. Concludes that "grades are the tail that wags the dog." (BRR)