Continuous professional development is essential for upgrading and updating teachers because the rate of social and educational change makes pre-service training an inadequate basis for long term professional competence. The design of these continuous professional development programmes must be informed by an effective needs analysis that…

This paper draws on lessons learned from the development process of the entertainment games industry and discusses how they can be applied to the field of game-based learning. This paper examines policy makers and those wishing to commission or develop games for learning and highlights potential opportunities as well as pitfalls. The paper focuses…

Distance education initiatives that incorporate interactive television are explored from the perspective of two social work programs. Though both programs are of similar size and exist in the same state, one is private and located in an urban area, while the other is public and located in a rural area. Four key dimensions essential to distance…

Factors affecting the implementation of two health education models for inservice training of elementary school teacher are reported. (GW)

This review of evaluation findings on Dutch government policy successes and failures points to the influence of political culture on policy effectiveness. Public policy goal attainment is more likely when the government acts purposively, on the basis of relevant information, with power, and with integration. (Author/BS)

Process Analysis is described as a method for identifying and measuring the probability of events that could cause the failure of a program, resulting in a cause-and-effect tree structure of events. The method is illustrated through the evaluation of a pilot instructional program at an elementary school. (SLD)

Experiences from evaluation of the American Sociological Association's Project to Improve Undergraduate Training in Sociology, and ways that evaluators can avoid alienating program participants are discussed. Data highlight the futility of measurement couched solely in terms of success and failure. A conceptual framework based on organizational…

Much of the criticism of higher education involves demands for greater efficiency. In certain areas, such critiques are valid; in others, they are misguided. Often the criteria and measurements used are misleading. In presenting the perspective of a large university, three erroneous means of increasing efficiency are highlighted, including: (1)…

Although this paper identifies the various reasons for project failure, it also highlights the principles and practices related to project success. The paper attempts to strike a positive note concerning steps to take to increase the probability of successful project implementation and to suggest more realistic attitudes and expectations toward…

A follow-up study of agricultural education graduates from Texas A & M University was conducted to determine the effectiveness of the curriculum in agricultural education at the University in the preparation of graduates for careers in agriculture and to determine the factors which might influence the choice of and success in either teaching…

The document consists of two sections. The first is a seven-page audit report which sought to establish whether the project evaluators' methods, data, and conclusions were valid. The overall design of the evaluation was found to be adequate for documenting progress toward the objectives, and the format was well-chosen. However, the auditors felt…

The author looks at three years of effort to measure the effectiveness of the career education curriculum in Ohio. The final analysis revealed that test items should be developed by examining instructional processes rather than stated goals and objectives, to better measure change and reflect what is taking place. (BP)

During the past year and a half, the University of Toledo has developed a competency-based model for teacher education, the basic elements of which are (a) the explicit statement of performance objectives, (b) one or more sets of instructional procedures specifically designed for attainment of each objective, and (c) criterion-referenced…

This paper describes a study designed to identify factors that have inhibited the success of adult training programs. The investigation looked specifically for key factors or incidents that contributed to program failure. The sample included 51 adult training programs scheduled for implementation between 1988 and 1992 in the Great Plains region of…

In order to determine how much objective evidence exists regarding the effectiveness of career education programs in U.S. schools, American Institutes for Research in Behavioral Sciences (AIR) conducted a comprehensive, national search for well-evaluated activities. The initial nominations of 394 programs were received from state career education…