It is nearly impossible today to discuss education without considering testing and evaluation. In the opening article of this volume, professors Baird, Andrich, Hopfenbeck, and Stobart (2017) lay out the challenge of putting learning and teaching first, tracing the development of the science of educational assessment and raising the question…

David Thissen is a professor in the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Quantitative Program at the University of North Carolina. His research interests include psychological testing, measurement, and item response theory. Here Thissen expresses his gratitude to Howard Wainer for his illuminating discussion of the oral presentation upon…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) rightly calls itself the Nation's Report Card. As the gold standard of educational assessment, it offers a picture of what U.S. students know and can do in a subject. There have been NAEP Geography assessments in 1994, 2001, and 2010. The next assessment is planned for 2014. Before reacting to…

Mazoue's ("J Comput High Educ," 2012) article, "The Deconstructed Campus," is examined from the perspective of instructional design practice. Concerns center on: the knowledge base of precision instruction; the differential effectiveness of teaching procedural as opposed to declarative knowledge; the reliance on assessment of online learning; and…

This paper examines research into teaching, learning and assessment (TLA) in higher education in terms of structure and agency. It argues that although issues of structure and agency are seen as crucial in social theory, they are very little discussed in research into TLA in higher education and that a consideration of structure and agency raises…

As writing-program administrators and faculty are being called upon more frequently to help design and facilitate large-scale assessments, it becomes increasingly important for us to see assessment as integral to our work as academics. This article provides a framework, based on current historical, theoretical, and rhetorical knowledge, to help…

With increasing attention being given to the importance of microcomputers in the schools, there is concern about how new teachers can best be prepared to use the new technology effectively. This paper presents a perspective on teacher training based on three categories in which computers may be used in the classroom: to provide unique learning…

How psychologists and theologians define the peak/spiritual experience and how this aspect of human behavior can be approached in the classroom are examined. Benjamin Bloom interviewed college students who had undergone peak experiences in the classroom. The students described a sense of total involvement, a loss of a sense of time and place, and…

A former editor of this journal, 1969-72, selects an article from his tenure that stands as an outstanding example of evaluation research. The article selected describes the comprehensive evaluation of the Individually Prescribed Instruction Project in mathematics in three Alberta elementary schools. The project was evaluated via classroom…

Six participants in the Third International Conference on the Teaching of English share their views on the contributions made during the conference. (HOD)

A general text on bilingual multicultural education geared toward teachers, teacher trainers, supervisors, administrators, researchers, and other professionals in the field, at both the preservice and inservice levels, is presented. Contents are as follows: a historical, philosophical, and legal introduction to bilingual education; theoretical…

A response to the Minister of Education's announcement of provincewide testing in English and mathematics and a look at the tests thay may be used. (CRH)

Discusses the role of the teacher, the nature of learning, and the relationships between students and teachers in calling for a science of English teaching. (DF)

Outlines recommendations for classroom teaching of English as a second language and the national language, Malay. It is noted that these recommendations are unlikely to be widely implemented as long as such external factors as a highly structured syllabus and an emphasis on written work remain in place. Khalid's response addresses the issue of…

Discusses various assumptions about excellence in education: (1) excellence must be imposed on the educational establishment by those who are outside education; (2) test scores are the best indications of excellence; and (3) American education will become excellent only if we adopt a common core of academic subjects that all students must…