Students generate internal feedback by comparing their current knowledge against some reference information. That information might be planned for by teachers -- usually as comments on students' performance -- although most information is accessed by students themselves during task engagement, from their interactions with others, with resources…

An emergent data analysis technique was employed to test the veracity of a conceptual framework constructed around visual data use and instruction in science classrooms. The framework incorporated all five key components Vosniadou (2007a, 2007b) described as existing in a learner's schema: framework theory, presuppositions, conceptual domains,…

Three university ranking systems in vogue have been shown in the previous issue of "Higher Education Review" to be capable of modifications to make them more parsimonious by using only about half of the number of predictors currently in use. This makes some of the predictors "redundant" as they contributed little to the overall ranking. It is…

The diverse ways in which two-year colleges use and present data from the National Association of College and University Business Officers' annual study of comparative financial statistics are described and illustrated. (MSE)

Policy analysis in higher education is distinct from but is informed by and can contribute to both institutional research and institutional planning. Policy analysis extends beyond data analysis, using many qualitative research methods and a degree of intuition, and focuses on specific issues, not systems as does planning. (MSE)

A discussion of college guides reviews the older, standard resources briefly, looks at more recent and less well-known guides in greater detail, and discusses the methods used for institutional comparisons. Two surveys of high school seniors concerning their use of the guides are also summarized. (MSE)

Comparing an institution's fund-raising cash proceeds with other institutions' is straightforward, using readily available data. However, measuring fund-raising productivity requires care in defining related expenses and resulting fund-raising achievements. Simplifying assumptions can be helpful. (Author/MSE)

Several problems in reporting and presentation of Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS) data that might affect data comparability are outlined and recommendations of a HEGIS study group are presented. Suggestions range from increased institutional involvement and increased feedback to institutions, to improvements in data storage and…

The value of giving instructional feedback on all test items to medical students following an examination is studied. Also examined is the relative effectiveness of two modes of feedback delivery--oral and written--and the manner and extent to which students use the feedback provided. (JMD)

A critique of rankings of Canadian universities focuses on one popular 1993 ranking and comparative data for the previous year. Several problems in the ranking procedures and results of some correlational analyses of the ranking data are discussed. Implications, particularly in the wider context of public institution accountability and the…

First semester college students (n=92), during their second week of classes, participated in a two (received grade point average information vs. no information) by two (imagined academic achievement scenarios vs. no scenarios) by two (received reattribution information vs. no information) intervention program designed to enhance their academic…

Successful outcomes assessment programs have many common characteristics. Institutional researchers should examine these signs of success and use them as guides for developing their own campus programs. (Author/MSE)

Reports on a study which compared serials use by and serials use behavior of psychologists at the University of Illinois, Urban Champaign (UIUC), to published national rankings and an earlier study at UIUC. It is concluded that locally collected data, citation analysis, and qualitative and quantitative analyses are all needed for collection…

The role of contextual information in the generation of early hypotheses during the clinical interview was studied with expert and novice medical diagnosticians: 18 experienced family physicians versus 5 new physicians and 12 final-year medical students. The 18 experts and 17 novices were presented with 32 short case histories each presented on…

Data on state aid to higher education is compiled in a variety of ways, using a variety of classification and and analysis methods, but can be misleading or misused and cause bitter political disputes about the strength of state support. (MSE)