The Information Age is a new cultural era in which the dominant resource is information. For educators attempting to prepare the increasingly diverse student body for the 1990's and beyond, the scope, magnitude, and constantly changing nature of this Information Age renders the task monumental. In an effort to create a real-world context for a…

This literature review and annotated bibliography on student evaluations of teacher performance begins by reviewing the issues involved and the results of relevant research. The introductory section indicates that student evaluations of teaching effectiveness are commonly solicited in Ontario postsecondary institutions as diagnostic feedback to…

This book explains curriculum audits and how to conduct them. Chapter I, "Why Audit?" presents criteria for determining if an audit is warranted and describes three basic types: functional, operational, and programmatic. Chapter II shows how the three primary activities of document review, interviews, and site visitations yield answers to the…

Characteristics and job expectations of students taking courses in the field of higher education were investigated, along with student perceptions of their programs. Findings may be helpful in making curricula responsive to student expectations and in developing marketing/recruitment strategies. Eleven questions that relate to client…

A handbook to help faculty plan and implement the evaluation of medical school courses is presented. Seven steps necessary to planning a course evaluation are specified: identify users and needs, ask specific questions, indicate how questions will be answered, select and/or design instruments, consider ethical issues, collect and analyze data, and…

Student academic motivation and student evaluation of overall faculty effectiveness and instructional techniques at Barber-Scotia College were studied to identify the academically underprepared and unmotivated students. Students provided assessments concerning the impact of the college's course offerings, the effectiveness of their instructors,…

One of a series of resources for teaching sociology at the postsecondary level, this volume discusses the background, problems, and course format for an introductory course on war as a social problem. Material is divided into seven sections. Section 1 provides an introduction to the course. Section 2 contains the instructor's personal background…

This study showed that field work in economics is enjoyed by both teachers and students and appears to be a worthwhile aid to motivation. Sixty-eight students, ages 16-18, in England who were studying introductory economics participated in the study. All field work was done in private industry. Students were surveyed before and after the course to…

Because student ratings of their instructors are frequently used by colleges in making personnel decisions and because a variety of course, student, and instructor characteristics may be significantly related to these ratings, academic departments should investigate their student evaluation process. Responses on 1292 student evaluation of…

Designed as a reference guide for continuing education planners, this manual provides basic information about the process of developing and delivering programs and courses. Material is organized to match job skills described in the systematic approach called DACUM--Designing a Curriculum--which reflects all skills required to be a continuing…

The long-term stability of students' evaluations of instructional effectiveness was investigated. The focus was on the extent and nature of realtionships between end-of-term and retrospective ratings. Ratings given by alumni one year after program completion were compared with ratings given by these individuals in 85 undergraduate and graduate…

Through support from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, a model for providing graduate programs to full-time employed adults residing in remote locations of southern West Virginia was designed by the West Virginia College of Graduate Studies, a college that does not have a campus. The essence of the delivery model was to…

Student assessment procedures used by the University of Mid-America/State University of Nebraska (UMA/SUN) for its first two televised courses, Introductory Psychology and Accounting I, are presented in this report. Included are descriptions of various experiments in producing test items, a report on the construction of tests from the items, and a…

In response to a low passing rate in a general psychology course taught at Howard Community College (MD), as well as to student and instructor dissatisfaction with the course, a systems model was developed and applied to improve course quality. The development of the model involved nine steps: (1) enumerating precise skill objectives which could…

Goals and objectives, student activities, and a detailed course evaluation are provided in this guide for an English unit in which a rock climb serves as the basis for learning about different forms of literature and improving written and oral communication skills. The unit, designed to give below-average students an opportunity for success in…