Few of the papers published in journals and conference proceedings on problem-based learning (PBL) are empirical studies, and most of these use self-report as the measure of PBL (Beddoes, Jesiek, & Borrego, 2010). The current study provides a theoretically derived matrix for coding and classifying PBL that was objectively applied to official…

The aim of this article is three-fold: (a) to present an example of best practices in formative assessment in university instruction, offering three different methods of learning and assessment to pass a subject; (b) to analyze differences in academic performance depending on method of learning and assessment chosen; (c) to consider professors'…

These proceedings contain the papers of the 14th International Conference on Cognition and Exploratory Learning in the Digital Age (CELDA 2017), 18-20 October 2017, which has been organized by the International Association for Development of the Information Society (IADIS) and endorsed by the Japanese Society for Information and Systems in…

This digest reviews the basic building blocks of a structured interview, points out some of the pitfalls in interviewing, and suggests ways for researchers to avoid these difficulties to produce questions that have the best possibility of generating reliable and accurate data on the topics of interest. The data collection instrument is a document…

Thirty psychology majors in a Tests and Measurement class, and 49 of 65 faculty members of a liberal arts arts college developed a college-wide course ratings questionnaire. The psychology students, in class exercises and homework assignments, collected data over a 6-month period from peers (n=153) and faculty at every stage of the design process.…

The external audit is a way of assessing the trustworthiness of a study, attesting to its dependability from a methodological standpoint and to its confirmability by reviewing the data, analysis, and interpretations and assessing whether the findings represent the data accurately. This paper discusses issues in the audit process, drawing on data…

A detailed outline is provided of the steps necessary to use the Validity Study Service provided by the National Teacher Examinations (NTE) program at Educational Testing Service. It is intended to assist those school districts, teacher-training institutions, and state certification offices that have NTE data to establish a standard system for…

The Core Alcohol and Drug Survey helps universities obtain accurate information about the effectiveness of their substance abuse prevention efforts. The self-report tool examines the nature, scope, and consequences of college students' substance use. Currently, 500,000 students on 800 campuses have completed the survey. The article presents…

The philosophy and mission statements of both the American Physical Therapy Association and Nova Southeastern University's physical therapy program state that holders of a Master's Degree in physical therapy will be reflective practitioners with the ability to assess and reflect on their own performances. This research project is being proposed to…

Five university faculty members identified six broad topic areas in research and statistics that they considered important for Master's level graduate students. The six areas were: (1) types of research; (2) research process; (3) hypothesis testing; (4) data gathering; (5) descriptive statistics; and (6) inferential statistics. These broad areas…

Different formats for four types of research items were studied for ease of computer data entry. The types were: (1) numeric response items; (2) individual multiple choice items; (3) multiple choice items with the same response items; and (4) card column indicator placement. Each of the 13 experienced staff members of a major university's Data…

The function and structure of a data base system called RIBYT (Review It Before You Test) is described. RIBYT simultaneously controls and associates questions in question pools for many courses of instruction. The data base stores questions created by both faculty and students and is used for formal testing and student self-assessment. The…

Increased demands for colleges and universities to engage in outcomes assessment for accountability purposes have accelerated the need to bridge the gap between higher education practice and the fields of measurement, assessment, and evaluation. The "Handbook on Measurement, Assessment, and Evaluation in Higher Education" provides higher…

A context in which existing items may provide a convenient source of questions for questionnaires was explored through a case study making use of existing comparison groups. Two programs at Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), the Science and Engineering Research Semester (SERS) and the Laboratory Graduate Research Participation (Lab Grad)…

A student perceptions measure of college and university classroom learning environment was developed to reflect the dynamic interplay among contextual variables and accommodates theoretical and practical applications in light of logistical concerns found in such complicated educational settings as a medical school. The 18-item Teaching and…