The concepts of differentiation and profiling are cornerstones in discussions about the organisation of contemporary higher education systems, following the trends of massification and global competition. This contribution provides a system-level description and comparison of the German and Dutch higher education systems regarding these topics,…

This paper describes an ongoing literacy research project involving writing samples and observations of workers in a state social service agency, a large labor union, and several scientific laboratories. Procedures discussed are: (1) selecting participants who were willing to give 16 hours of interview time over the course of a year; (2) selecting…

This paper reports on an investigation of the evaluation of teaching and research at Stanford University in the School of Humanities and Sciences. It was found that professional colleagues had far more influence on organizational rewards and penalties than did administrative superiors. Evaluations of research had far more influence than did…

This report discusses major areas of research dealing with the evaluation of college student performance. Three types of measurement which have been systematically examined are: examinations for which academic credit is awarded, criterion-referenced tests, and assessment of extracurricular achievement. The report is divided into an "Overview,"…

A discussion of the age of accountability in American education is presented. The point is made that this new element is causing many educators to think more precisely about their goals, how they can be achieved, and how they can determine the degree to which they have been achieved. State laws are appearing and school policies are being defined…

Examines the original Hawthorne relay-assembly research. Asserts the "Hawthorne misunderstanding" is common in criminology and criminal justice because authors have failed to properly attribute the explanation of increased work output to the Hawthorne effect. Describes the Hawthorne effect, how it is produced, and ways to achieve the…

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION OF TRAINING DEVICE EFFECTIVENESS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED. THE REPORT EXAMINES METHODS OF EVALUATION WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON THE PROBLEMS OF OBJECTIVE EVALUATION IN THE ONGOING TRAINING SITUATION. CONSIDERATION IS GIVEN TO PROBLEMS OF MEASUREMENT, EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN, AND ANALYSIS IN THE FIELD SETTING. FURTHER, ATTENTION IS…

THE TOPICS OF EIGHT CONFERENCE PAPERS INCLUDE (1) THE PROBLEM OF DIFFERENTIATING EFFECTS OF SPECIFIC INSTRUCTION FROM EFFECTS OF OTHER INFLUENCES (GROWTH, ENVIRONMENT, AND SELF-INSTRUCTION), (2) CRITERIA FOR MEASURING CHANGE IN PROFICIENCY, AND (3) WAYS OF RELATING SUCH CHANGE TO OUTSIDE VARIABLES SUCH AS MEASURABLE CHARACTERISTICS OF LEARNERS AND…

This article examines strategies to foster and evaluate research and scholarship in Hong Kong's higher education sector. It addresses the definition of performance indicators, the role of governmental policy initiatives, performance indicators in the academic research context, possible research indicators, application of indicators, and other…

Introduces the Monte Carlo method which is shown to represent an attractive alternative to the hypergeometric model for identifying the levels at which random retrieval performance is exceeded in retrieval test collections and for overcoming some of the limitations of the hypergeometric model. Practical matters to consider when employing the Monte…

The overall objective of this research was the development of procedures for selecting and training personnel to serve in Small Independent Action Forces (SIAF) units. This report of Phase III of the three-phase research and development project describes research that required two almost completely independent activities: (a) development of a…

In an effort to improve individual progress toward meeting university requirements for promotion and tenure, librarians at Murray State University (Kentucky) recently revised their Faculty Activities Report and Faculty Evaluation forms to meet the following objectives: (1) to develop a Faculty Activities Report form that would be easier to…

Six evaluation methods are discussed: student ratings, colleague evaluations, definitions of good teaching, teacher-designed examinations, evaluation of research and scholarship, and the politics of evaluation. (Author/MLW)

This article provides a framework for the rest of the articles in this special issue comparing the utility of three standard-setting methods with complex performance assessments. The context of the standard setting study is described, and the methods are outlined. (SLD)

This document focuses on a stakeholder survey for a research unit. Although it covers just one part of the overall planning process that the Research & Planning (RP) Unit at the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, the researchers did survey other groups in the strategic planning effort. The stakeholder survey focused on four…