Describes a study conducted at the University of North London (England) that used an illuminative approach to evaluate undergraduate students' initial attitudes towards the use of information and communication technology. Discusses results of Honey and Mumford's learning style questionnaire and a factor analysis of student attitudes that included…

Using one set of standardized tests to determine if a student graduates or is promoted makes students pay for society's failure to provide an equal, quality education; encourages teaching to the test instead of teaching critical thinking skills; and ignores research findings and test publishers' advice that multiple measures are necessary for…

Discusses the effectiveness of computer mediated communication (CMC) in higher education. Highlights include a review of pertinent literature; factors associated with successful CMC resources; activity theory; helping users establish a shared purpose; methodological problems; evaluation methods; a conferencing system; and the patterns and content…

A 45-item self-rating scale based on nine creativity fostering behaviors was developed and validated with a self-describing adjectives checklist. Analysis of the responses of 117 teachers found adequate construct and concurrent validities. Specific teachers' creativity fostering behaviors were found to correlate with sex and ethnicity. (Contains…

Describes the use of literacy portfolios in an eighth-grade classroom. Discusses the growth of self-awareness, the strong sense of personal commitment, the connection between analyzing and critiquing individual work through the eyes of a reader, the creation of a community of writers, and student reflections on their writing experiences. (SD)

Discusses a method of evaluating middle school students' writing portfolios that places responsibility on the students themselves. Presents the evaluation assignment in three parts: students' self-evaluation, peer-evaluation, and parent-evaluation. Notes the effects of the portfolio method and evaluation strategy on literacy education. (JPB)

Examines recent organizational changes within Norway's teacher education, highlighting two state colleges and exploring: how teacher education leaders from the current and former systems perceive these changes and how they meet new challenges. Results from interviews with academic and administrative leaders are presented, emphasizing evaluation of…

Examines factors influencing research-practice gaps in the assessment and treatment of adults with neurologic communication disorders. Both researchers and clinicians are urged to learn alternative research strategies, build partnerships, and take advantage of new information technologies. Strategies are suggested for directly applying, adapting,…

A study of general and English-as-a-Second-Language elementary classrooms investigated teacher and student functional uses of language. The need to use dynamic assessment procedures and ethnographic observations to distinguish between a language disorder and typical difficulties associated with second-language acquisition is discussed. (Author/CR)

Reasons for a national shift from traditional to alternative assessment practices are examined, and the philosophical beliefs and theoretical assumptions of traditional and alternative assessment are examined. Classroom implications of this paradigm shift for instructional strategies, formative and summative evaluation, development of rubrics used…

Describes an inexpensive method for analyzing the cost-effectiveness of a liberal arts college's journal collection, based on measurements of journal use, journal subscription prices, and course enrollment by academic department. Explains data collection methods and presents results of collection analysis. Discusses the benefits of empirical…

Reviews the origins of the concept of cognitive style. Explores the fundamental applications of that style and relevant methods of assessment. Examines the distinction between style, which is likely to be relatively fixed, and strategies which are capable of being learned and developed. Discusses the relationship of style to learning preferences…

Reviews best practices for curricular design and instruction for students with moderate retardation and severe disabilities. Describes the benefits of alternate assessment practices such as portfolios and authentic assessment, and presents strategies for alternative assessment processes that can link best practice assumptions and can redirect…

A study investigated the effect of different diagnostic criteria on the identification of emotional or behavioral disorders in 3694 second-grade children. Results indicated the 13 different diagnostic combinations identified from 1.1% to 27.5% of the sample. Four of these combinations resulted in significant ethnic or gender bias. (Author/CR)

This article provides an overview of some of the recent developments in assessing social skills of children, as well as best practices in conducting assessment and linking assessment to effective intervention. Naturalistic behavioral observation and behavior rating scales are proposed as first-line choices for social skills assessment. (Contains…