Focus groups have an established history in applied research and evaluation. The fundamental methods of the focus group technique have been well discussed, as have their potential advantages. Less guidance tends to be provided regarding the analysis of data resulting from focus groups or how to organize and defend conclusions drawn from the…

Eight articles discuss the teaching of evaluation methods through the process of performing evaluations. Four articles concentrate on evaluation as taught in higher education and professional education, and four articles deal with the four-state East Central Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Education and Training Center Project. (SLD)

Challenges encountered in developing and maintaining an extensive evaluation program at Ohio State University are retrospectively reconstructed. The setting, the history of program development, and the nature of the program are described as a backdrop for discussion of six issues with implications for program development. (SLD)

Reviews two books that are representative of the substantive books aimed at those who wish to design effective distance learning. Together these books provide a reasonably complete perspective on how to design effective distance learning. They have many strengths, and few weaknesses. (SLD)

Part of a graduate program in clinical community psychology was subjected to a jury trial as a form of program evaluation. The theory of the trial as evaluation, the problems of implementation, and a post-trial evaluation are discussed. (Author/MH)

Explores the evaluation of information and communication technology in educational settings in France. Focuses on characteristics of the French educational system and the current trend toward more decentralized management of education. Discusses research approaches concerning students' learning, learning instruments, and teachers' communities.…

Evaluated a multimedia learning environment developed and evaluated in the context of a research project on the learning dependent progression of mental models in economics. More than 400 students have used the environment in various settings. Reports on five replication studies of the learning environment. (SLD)

An outcomes hierarchy for professional training programs in higher education institutions is advanced. The hierarchy was developed, using an inductive approach, from the research literature and an empirical inquiry into the outcomes of a graduate training program in evaluation that involved 26 Australian graduate students. (SLD)

An evaluation design project was undertaken to design a cost effective, standardized method for assessing the instructional effectiveness of the changes and outcomes associated with a pilot curriculum project focusing on the importance of the medical history in clinical problem solving. (LMO)

A general model for conceptualization methods is presented along with considerations for implementation. The model is illustrated in two planning and evaluation studies which involved a broad range of constituent groups within the organizations in the development of "concept maps." General implications of conceptualization methods are…

The seven articles of this special feature consider the role of evaluation in learning organizations. They draw on applications in business and industry, public schools, higher education, a community arts agency, and a foreign township to illustrate the importance of evaluation in the growth of learning organizations. (SLD)

The impacts of independent study and the lecture approach on student test scores and study time were compared for 205 medical students studying surgery. Learning objective, multiple-choice, and essay questions were developed for selected topics related to surgery. Findings support increased individual active learning strategies and decreased…

The establishment of the European Higher Education Area has involved specifying lists of professional competencies that programs are expected to develop, and with this the need for procedures to measure how every course within a higher education program is aligned with the program's competencies. We propose an instrument for characterizing this…

Medical students' performance on simulated patient practical examinations were compared to faculty ratings of the surgical clerks and awards of honor ratings. Faculty ratings were correlated with objective measures of the criteria on the exams. The performance of honor, versus non-honor students was higher on the practical exam. (Author/GDC)

It is argued that there are three critical aspects to the evaluation of computer aided instruction (CAI): (1) determining the predisposition of users toward CAI; (2) technographics and demographics of the students; and (3) the situatedness of the CAI application. Data from three studies with college students illustrate the importance of all three…