This retrospective analysis of curriculum change in an academic unit explored the extent to which characteristics of learning organizations developed during the process. Three practitioner researchers designed the study as a practice-based, interpretive, single-case study using mixed methodology with data collected from documentary analysis, an…

We summarize the history of the development of the Teacher Behavior Checklist and review examples of its utility for studying excellence in teaching across cultures and contexts.

This paper expands on empirical research which revealed that, whether or not an institution's interpretative community was explicitly informed by outcomes-based assessment, the more powerful and implicit discourses that emerged in assessment practices were those of their professional practice and academic traditions. Tensions, between the emerging…

Measurable targets, key performance indicators, value for money--whatever we may think of the "impact agenda," it looks like it is here to stay. Are we trapped in a positivist, new managerialist spiral of demonstrating the value of our work, or can we take the lead in reframing the discourse on how educational development proves its…

Systematic review methodology can be distinguished from narrative reviews of the literature through its emphasis on transparent, structured and comprehensive approaches to searching the literature and its requirement for formal synthesis of research findings. There appears to be relatively little use of the systematic review methodology within the…

Rather than a rational, technical activity, evaluation reflects the socio-political dynamics of the evaluative context. This presents a challenge for universities and the individuals within them, who may assume that plans or policies for evaluation will result in straightforward outcomes. This small-scale study in one institution looks at the…

This issue of "Assessment Update" presents the following articles: (1) SLO-Based Grading Makes Assessment an Integral Part of Teaching (Nagy N. Bengiamin and Christina Leimer); (2) Editor's Notes: Assessing Assessment's ROI (Trudy W. Banta); (3) Assessment Plans: A Tool for Sanity (Shannon M. Sexton); and (4) Lessons from…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to chart developments in a community engagement scheme run by two Universities in the North East, offering students academic credit in return for work within the local community. The particular focus is on how learning has been assessed from this work experience, within the requirements of higher education…

The American Association of Community Colleges' (AACC) Plus 50 Initiative is a three-year initiative launched in June 2008 and funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies. It was created to support a pilot group of two-year institutions to develop or expand campus programs that engage plus 50 learners. The initiative focuses on three types of…

In many practical settings, essentially the same differential item functioning (DIF) procedures have been in use since the late 1980s. Since then, examinee populations have become more heterogeneous, and tests have included more polytomously scored items. This paper summarizes and classifies new DIF methods and procedures that have appeared since…

The American Association of Community Colleges' (AACC) Plus 50 Initiative is a three-year initiative launched in June 2008 and funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies. It was created to support a pilot group of two-year institutions to develop or expand campus programs that engage plus 50 learners. The initiative focuses on three types of…

This paper presents the characteristic features of a method for description and evaluation of learning environments which aims at the improvement of the traditional questionnaire-based methods and the integration of the varying points of view of design, support for learning, and evaluation. This method, called Integrated Pedagogical Profile (IPP)…

Selected for their influence on the field, their continued reference over the years, and the reputation of the authors, this collection includes 17 seminal works in educational technology. These previously published articles are sometimes difficult to locate and this book acts as a single source for the works. The articles are arranged in four…

Discusses ways to evaluate proposals for change in the educational system. Outlines three principles to guide in the planning and organization of educational change projects: (1) Base policy and practice on proven practice and research; (2) Support the creation of professional learning communities; (3) Use diffusion principles to support adoption…

Making general vocational education available in Western Europe is the result of the rapid expansion of jobs available in commerce and administration, higher standards in general education producing people capable of performing the tasks, and educational motivation. Areas of commercial and administrative activity needing employers are distributive…