In today's output defined society, alumni are the output of higher education. This article shows how alumni research can be used as an important indicator of curriculum quality. This relatively unexplored area of engineering education research in Europe is highlighted using a case study carried out in the Netherlands, the outcomes of which have…

Competence-based education is becoming increasingly popular. Competencies are used more and more as the starting point for designing curricula and instructional methods, especially in vocational education and training, to realize authentic and self-steering study programmes. Despite its popularity in both research and educational settings, there…

Formative evaluation of a physics curriculum unit (PLON) is reported. Phase one used general ideas and many instruments; phase two focused on specific questions arising from phase one. Findings suggested that relating curriculum content to ability to think about and explain a task was a prerequisite for student satisfaction. (CP)

Discusses curricular changes in Dutch teacher training colleges and analyzes current instructional design activities of teacher trainers using a repertory grid technique. Their actual approaches are compared to instructional systems design approaches and related to innovative teacher roles, and suggests that more attention needs to be placed on…

To alter the predominance of secondary school enrollment in lower vocational education in the Rotterdam district, the Educational Social Environment Project has developed and introduced kindergarten and elementary school curriculum for socially deprived children. This article describes the project's summative evaluation design, variable…

The introduction and six articles of this special issue focus on curriculum evaluation in the Netherlands, reviewing approaches and results in the nation overall, and in the specific areas of physics, mathematics, and English. The use of innovative approaches and practice profiles is also explored. (SLD)

Describes plans in The Netherlands to simultaneously restructure schools and curriculum, integrate information technology with the new curriculum, and redefine teacher support and inservice training. The PIT School Project is discussed, including evaluation; teacher networking is examined as a means of ongoing professional development; and PIT…

This paper examines possible explanations for the fact that evaluation results are rarely used. Most explanatory factors for use of results in decision making mentioned in the literature have been clustered in three categories of variables. They concern: (1) the making of decisions about the practical problem; (2) the way in which evaluation is…

Discussion of differences in elementary and secondary school mathematics instruction between the United States and The Netherlands focuses on a Dutch project brought to the United States that uses print materials and software products. Topics addressed include integrating technology into the curriculum; cultural differences; designing assessment;…

A Canadian art teacher informally observes art education curricula and assessment methods in England, Wales, Scotland, and Holland; and compares these with North American and Canadian practices. Discusses issues concerned with art history, national curricula, and multicultural education. Suggests that systematic assessment of students' work and…