Describes lessons evaluators can learn from the Honda Motor Company and how an evaluation office within the Department of Health and Human Services has applied these lessons. The lessons include (1) sound market research; (2) creating top-notch production capabilities; (3) building a better mousetrap; and (4) aggressive product selling. (SLD)

This article presents the authors' response to the commentaries on their article. They focus on two important issues raised by most of the reviewers: (a) the curricular dependence of the proposed learning progression and the daunting (twin) challenges of bringing about changes in curriculum and assessment and consolidating and validating the…

Health survey research assesses health of individuals in population. Measures include prevalence/incidence of diseases, signs/symptoms, functional states, and health services utilization. Although assessing individual biologic robustness can be problematic, testable approaches do exist. Characteristics of health of populations/communities, not…

Describes administrative changes at the National Institute of Education (NIE) over the last four years and relates these to NIE's recent revision of its peer review system. Briefly describes changes in peer review and asserts that the new system provides researchers great opportunity for participation in maintaining quality research. (KH)

This article demonstrates the impact of functional analysis methodology on clinical work, by describing the evolution of assessment procedures based on "brief functional analysis" methodology at University of Iowa outpatient clinics. It discusses the positive impact functional analysis has had on outpatient clinic assessment as well as…

Discusses the importance of the scholarship of application, incentives for such scholarship (e.g., readiness of funding for directly applicable research), ways to evaluate such scholarship (create a more expansive peer-review process), ways to reward such scholarship, and ways to nurture such scholarship (rigorous training in methodology and…

Discussion of intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) focuses on what is required to evaluate the efficacy of an ITS. Research and development aspects of ITS are examined; and seven main principles that may be used to design, plan, and implement an effective ITS evaluation are described. (Contains 40 references.) (LRW)

Impact must be defined before it can be assessed. Part of the definition is that impact is the consequences of funded vocational education research and development projects and programs, not just the fact of the dissemination of the products of the projects. Programs are defined as a group of funded research and development improvement projects…

Coordination between research and practice in performance appraisal is essential. Specifically, researchers should focus on utilization methods while practitioners should focus on appraisal content. Cognitive process research may increase raters' ability to judge accurately but fails to address raters' willingness to provide accurate ratings. (BL)

Volume Three of the Biomedical and Behavioral Research Scientists study contains five commissioned papers. The first paper, "Evaluating the National Research Service Award Program (NRSA): A Review and Recommendations for the Future," (Georgina M. Pion) reviews previous evaluation activities of the NRSA program and proposes an agenda describing the…

Examines changes which have occurred in the development and evaluation of intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs), speculates on future directions, and proposes a conceptual model for the development of ITSs. Topics discussed include the effectiveness of ITSs; the need for multidisciplinary efforts; and internal and external evaluation. (Contains 78…

Describes the practice of federal evaluation of research impact through three approaches: retrospective methods; qualitative methods, including peer review; and quantitative methods. Recommended areas for study in federal research impact assessment are suggested, including predictive reliability, comparative studies, time and cost estimates,…

Describes how general systems theory was used to develop a system for infusing computer technology into teacher education at the University of Houston-Clear Lake (TX). Topics include strategic alignment; curriculum development; distance learning programs using the Internet; assessment of preservice and inservice teacher performance; and an…

This introduction to the special issue summarizes issues raised in the nine subsequent contributed papers, which discuss research findings on communication and language development in persons with mental retardation or developmental disabilities. The paper stresses the direct relevance of the research for prevention, assessment, intervention, and…

This researcher discusses what he has learned about the field of program evaluation and makes three observations: (1) Testing does not define key objectives in evaluation. (2) Politics influences what clients want to know. (3) Case studies are necessary for epistemological reasons. (LMO)