The Formative Evaluation and Heuristic Research (FEHR) PRACTICUM, a computerized game, gives practical experience in such program evaluation tasks as problem definition, operationalizing objectives, field study, budgeting, proposal writing, data analysis, and interpretation--without the expense and time commitments required by most research. The…

An authoritative, research-based guide to determining faculty effectiveness is offered. Assessment of classroom teaching, scholarship and research, public service, and student advising are faculty tasks examined for personnel decisions and general improvement. Emphasis on educational accountability in academe, due to declining enrollments and…

Using an eight-day hydraulics maintenance course taught by 121 instructors on a regular basis to classes of about 14 students using the same classrooms and materials, the Air Force conducted a study designed to determine instructor measures which correlate with, and are therefore predictive of, student achievement. The study report first discusses…

Students were surveyed who took the American College Testing Program test, enrolled in the Grand Valley State Colleges in the fall of l973, and were still enrolled in fall 1975. Based on a sample of 40 students, these results were shown: over a quarter had changed majors; the overall distribution of majors had not changed; over a third anticipate…

An attitude rating scale and instructional assessment survey were administered in 62 classes at the State University of New York at Cortland to examine the relationship between student ratings of instruction and students' course-oriented attitudes. The Adjective Rating Scale (ARS) was designed to measure course and program-oriented attitudes, and…

Analyzes the social knowledge, or "practical ideologies" implicitly transmitted by classroom procedures and ways of formulating course content in two contrasting high school history classes. Discusses the attitudes and behavior of "conformist" and "nonconformist" students in terms of socioeconomic class. (MCG)

Classroom techniques (collaboration, mentoring, emphasis on problem-solving) used in supplemental instruction (SI) for chemistry at Saint Xavier University (Illinois) are detailed, the role of SI leader and supervisor are examined, and a small-scale (n=219 students) study of student perceptions of the program is reported. (MSE)

Examined the effects of a combination of televised instruction and a computer-based communications software that gave students access to a calculator, a word processor, and course specific computer programs on the educational environment of distance learners (n=18). Results indicated increased student/student communication and enhanced learning…

This study examined teaching practices in undergraduate education by surveying 180 undergraduate students and 29 faculty, most in the school of education, at the Rio Piedras Campus of the University of Puerto Rico. Factors investigated include: (1) degree of agreement between faculty and students on good teaching practices; (2) relationship…

A survey measured the attitudes of sixth-graders in one school district concerning the school's elementary foreign language program, with the intent of improving the program's design and content. Students identified these program strengths: organized and prepared teachers; respectful teachers; interesting lessons; positive student attitudes toward…

This annual journal issue contains 17 papers on issues of faculty development, instructional improvement, faculty collaboration and collegiability, students, and educational practices in higher education. Many of the papers were developed for the annual conference of the Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education…

A study investigated Japanese college students' perceptions and assessments of their college English classes, and to what factors they attribute difficulty in acquiring oral English. Subjects were 189 students from a junior college and a university, in first- through third-year English conversation classes. Most were English majors required to…

This paper describes how students can be personally challenged in the work they do and how secondary students or tertiary-level education students and teachers can collaboratively diagnose existing quality of classroom practice, via the concepts of personal challenge and interpersonal shared adventure. The approach involves the teacher obtaining…

This volume offers strategies and suggestions for college instructors at all levels in the form of 49 teaching tools (organized into 12 sections) that cover both traditional tasks--writing a course syllabus, delivering an effective lecture--and newer, broader concerns such as responding to diversity and using technology. Each tool includes a brief…

This volume on college and university faculty evaluation presents the latest findings, approaches, and issues with an emphasis on careful reflection for all involved. Chapter One discusses the diverse responsibilities of college faculty and the role evaluation can play in faculty improvement. Chapter Two presents a brief history of teaching…