Internal quality assurance systems are expected to improve the institutions' core mission of teaching and learning. Using data gathered through an online survey, distributed in 2014/2015, to the teaching staff of all Portuguese private and public higher education institutions, this paper examines the impact of internal quality assurance systems on…

This article presents student perceptions about different types of web-based activities used to seek information for French language learning. Group interviews were conducted with 71 students in five Canadian universities to elicit data on their use of the Internet for information-seeking activities. These students use the Web for three main…

Assessment is a worthwhile undertaking when meaningful data are generated, evidence-based improvement initiatives are thoroughly considered and discussed, and results are ultimately used to improve educational effectiveness. National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) results are oriented toward such practical use. Each year, more campuses use…

College students were interviewed about the information they seek and use before enrolling in a course, during instruction, and after instruction. (Author)

There are many ways to collect information about college teaching. Many are quick, easy, and unintrusive, and are valuable supplements to the standard source of information, student ratings. A matrix of data needs and corresponding sources of course, instructor, and student information helps refine the information gathering process. (MSE)

Conditions that can enhance college teachers' acceptance and productive use of feedback about instruction are outlined, including understanding of the purposes of evaluation, who provides the feedback, the message itself (form, timing, sources, and subsequent messages), characteristics of the recipient, immediate environment, and consequences…

Assessment of college teaching is viewed broadly as the gathering of information for understanding and improving teaching as well as judging its quality. It is seen to play a crucial support role at each stage of instructional development: problem clarification, instructional design/redesign, and field testing and implementation. (MSE)

For student rating data to be useful in improving college teaching, consultants and faculty need to know how different evaluative purposes effect evaluation results, and they must be able to interpret and use the data at hand. A series of steps should be followed to help ensure valid data interpretation. (MSE)

Each of the many methods or approaches to assessing student learning is based on a clear understanding of validity, reliability, course objectives, the advantages and disadvantages of different evaluation formats, and the ways assessment data will be used to improve instruction. (Author/MSE)

There are now established methods and models to assess critical thinking in any discipline. The approach selected will depend on how critical thinking is defined, whether national norms are needed, and how the results will be used. (Author)

Discussed is the renewed attention given in the education of engineers to documentation and information. A framework for training in the command of specialized or professional information is presented. The objectives that should be pursued in terms of training for the command of specialized information are described. (KR)

A survey of 280 college faculty and graduate teaching assistants investigated methods used to gather feedback on teaching and use of that information to modify instruction. Results show amount of feedback and instructional modification did not vary significantly across variables of teaching experience and class size, and that teachers with some…

When faculty include assessment as part of the learning process, student learning and teaching are both enhanced. Faculty must integrate expected learning outcomes, assessment, and feedback mechanisms to clarify what should be taught, expectations of students, collaboration with other faculty, and evaluation quality to judge learning and teaching.…

After preparing their own teaching portfolios, four Georgia Southern University instructors designed a study to investigate what happens when neither follow-up workshops nor mentoring are provided by the institution. Results indicate that without institutional support, especially mentoring, faculty use teaching portfolios primarily for tenure and…

Grades should be a way for teachers and students to communicate about student performance. Using grades to rank and sort is detrimental to learning and to the development of a stimulating and supportive academic climate. (Author)