Emphasizing the deficiencies of standardized assessments in measuring what counts for learners, the author highlights the complexity of assessment as well as the significance of the teacher-student relationship in learning.

This paper presents the response of the technology teacher education programmes at the University of Limerick to the assessment challenge created by the shift in philosophy of the Irish national curriculum from a craft-based focus to design-driven education. This study observes two first year modules of the undergraduate programmes that focused on…

The following article discusses holistic grading as implemented in a first-year undergraduate calculus course. The intent of this manner of grading is to distinguish both students that truly master the material and those that have not even a limited understanding from the majority of the student body. (Contains 6 figures.)

In the past, engineering programmes were developed with separate technical learning outcomes supplemented by generic attributes. The latter were in most cases a standalone set of attributes developed by academic institutions or professional societies overseeing engineering accreditation processes. Although the technical learning outcomes were well…

With a national drive in England for the development and restructuring of services encouraging interdisciplinary approaches and multi-agency working, the question remains as to how services should be developed and why it is perceived as so important. This study by Pearl Barnes, who is an Every Child Counts Teacher Leader and a member of the…

This article describes a holistic, discourse-based method for assessing the critical thinking skills of undergraduate senior-level finance majors. Rejecting a psychometric assessment approach in which component features of critical thinking are disaggregated, this study is based on a holistic scoring of student memos. Students were asked to…

Geoscience educational publications are reviewed in seven areas to identify future directions for curriculum development, professional development and research. The review shows that: effective teaching methods encompassing broad geoscience study still need extensive research; whilst some valuable materials have been developed for the teaching of…

Presents an integrated generalized model of education, called Holistic Education, which the author feels is equally relevant to all adult educators regardless of their area of specialization. The author describes those characteristics which distinguish the Holistic Education model from other approaches. (CT)

Blended learning is an approach to instructional design that seeks to maximize learning potential by applying the most effective form of instruction for a given program element. The term "blended learning" should not refer to just the mixing of training delivery methods (as it is often defined) but to the orchestrated application and integration…

Describes a system to evaluate writing in which students use extensive marginal notes to comment on their own writing processes. Provides sample notes from a variety of student papers to illustrate the effectiveness of this system in increasing student knowledge and involvement. (KEH)

Outlines a team-grading program for freshman composition in which instructors collaborate to evaluate student writing holistically. Argues that while students may be the major beneficiaries of team grading, the writing program benefits by addressing problems of grade inflation and grade inconsistency, building departmental morale, and contributing…

Impromptu writing on tests is a useful way to evaluate student comprehension and encourage students to use critical thinking skills. Students' performance on essay tests can improve, and teachers' time required for grading can decrease through the use of an adapted holistic grading scale that clearly states expectations. First, a carefully written…

A critique is presented of naturalistic inquiry as a scholarly activity or as an alternative research paradigm directed toward extending knowledge of physical education curriculum and instruction. Four questions are posed: (1) What is the value perspective of naturalistic inquiry? (2) What are the phenomena of interest? (3) What are the…

This booklet is designed to help teachers begin documenting in the classroom and is a supplement to "Windows on Learning: Documenting Young Children's Work." In that book, three "windows" were used to provide a framework for thinking about documentation: a Window on a Child's Development, a Window on a Learning Experience, and a Window for Teacher…

Techniques for teaching writing should emphasize revision and editing, practice in sentence-combining, and exposing students to fine prose. To encourage good writing in all subjects, teachers should be trained to read students' essays holistically, paying attention to style as well as content. (PP)