This resource has been written specifically for higher education practitioners who are interested in improving students' learning experiences through the process of researching their own practice. We use the term 'higher education practitioners' to describe all who work in universities and who have a stake in students' learning experiences.…

As the education reform movement increasingly focuses on teachers and teaching, educators, policy-makers, and researchers need valid and reliable measures that can be used to evaluate individual teachers, provide guidance for improving teaching performance, and support research in ways that advance instruction and classroom dialog and practice. A…

School accountability is subject to considerable scrutiny. It generates sharp political debate, policy challenges, and continuous discussion. Growth models are now a part of that discussion. To many practitioners the sheer volume of "important to know" information is daunting. The members of the Technical Issues in Large Scale Assessment…

Discusses the need to include studies of reliability and maintainability during the design of any system. Topic areas addressed include availability calculations, complex systems and standby redundancy, availability and malfunction levels, design techniques, fault trees, functional maintenance, and others. (DH)

The model is designed to be responsive to parent, teacher, and pupil needs in reducing the discrepancy between the problem behavior and what is reasonably appropriate for the classroom setting. Forms for detailed coding of classroom behavior are included. (Author/CP)

A discussion of external evaluation of a college or university program or unit looks at two different approaches used in the United States for accreditation purposes--standards of good practice and competency-based learning and review. Methods of maintaining consistency and eliminating bias are examined briefly. (MSE)

Discusses computer assisted instruction programs that deal with the specific area of the modeling of systems and the programing techniques that affect their educational value. An environment intended to increase the impact of interactive CAI is described and developed. (Author/CHC)

Uses the various strategies involved in baseball to illustrate basic concepts in game theory. Specifically discusses Willie Mays' base-stealing strategy and how it relates to probability and risk. Reminds students that expected results depend on adopted assumptions. (MJP)

Instructional leadership studies are plentiful but have many shortcomings, including lack of definition of key variables, problems of causality, overrepresentation of exemplary schools, and lack of validity and reliability in research design and implementation. Definitions of "leadership" and "instruction" are needed. There is…