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 chapter describes essential components of an all-in-one assessment system used for learning outcomes assessment. The recent review, revision, and implementation of a new general education program led to important illustrations of how this assessment system contributes to course, program, and institutional alignment, access, action, and…

Assessment of student learning is the systematic gathering of information about student learning and the factors that affect learning, undertaken with the resources, time and expertise available, for the purpose of improving learning. In assessment, there are no conclusions, just ongoing questions that the data raise about learning and the process…

Assessing learning in higher education can be a very difficult task. There are some differences, however, when assessing for accountability to others and assessing for transformation. These distinctions are embedded in our historical understanding of teaching and learning. This article describes how over time, higher education has viewed…

There is mounting evidence from faculty and employers that a broad set of skills and abilities are essential for student success as graduates, citizens, and employees. The traditional approach to general education with an emphasis on exposure to a menu of knowledge no longer suffices. Graduates need to be able to integrate their learning, apply it…

In the fall of 2003, Teaching Support Services (TSS), a department at the University of Guelph, was approached by a faculty member in the department of food sciences. Professor Art Hill was interested in seeking support in systematically assessing the department's undergraduate curriculum and using that assessment to trigger further improvement of…

Uses recent developments in teacher accreditation in the United Kingdom as a case study through which to consider the implications for evaluating teaching and the changing professional identity of academics. (EV)

Four issues seem to be at the heart of improving the evaluation of college teaching: defining faculty roles and expectations, understanding teachers and teaching contexts, meeting the multiple demands placed on teaching evaluations and the need for better use of evaluation in faculty development. (JM)

Warns that the effectiveness of on-line assessment can be mitigated by several factors: unrealistic appraisal of the potential of on-line education, enforcement of a code of conduct, computer and telecommunication skills bias, and other limitations of on-line media. (EV)

Ten examples of quick and easy classroom assessment techniques, carried out by higher education faculty in 10 different disciplines, are described. The techniques, designed to inform and inspire faculty to adjust classroom instruction, focus on four dimensions of learning: declarative, procedural, conditional, and reflective. (MSE)

Reviews the literature on teaching awards and then examines a specific case, the Alan P. Stuart Award for Excellence in Teaching at the University of New Brunswick, using Menges's three tests of effective awards. Suggests that examining the strengths and weaknesses of institutional teaching awards can help illuminate the processes involved in…

Asserts that professors can make effective use of electronic folios (e-folios) to enhance their students' learning and facilitate their own process of responding to student work. Maintains that e-folios have unique navigational advantages, are generally easier to maintain and share than traditional portfolios, and encourage students to develop…

Portfolios provide an opportunity for college students to participate actively in learning by selecting materials and engaging in self-assessment. Development of a portfolio should take into account its structure, the kind of evidence it will contain, when and how the instructor and student will assess the work, and what will happen to it at the…

Examines the evaluation of teaching in entire programs, departments, and institutions. Discusses the varying levels of evaluation and their corresponding methodologies, asserting that these indicate the broadening context in which the evaluation of teaching is now taking place. (EV)

Are online student ratings the "wave of the future"? This chapter introduces numerous advantages and challenges of adopting an online system for student evaluation of teaching; in it, the authors preview the research of the other authors of this volume and suggest areas that universities can investigate when determining the desirability of…