This reaction paper stresses the importance of matching the qualitatively different types of educational decisions with appropriate types of tests. Reading instruction is used to illustrate that while standardized tests are helpful for student classification and program accountability, they are hazardous to instructional process decisions which…

This study was designed to test the effectiveness of providing students with instruction on how to use the information contained in examples and non-examples of disjunctive concepts, and of five different instructional sequences of examples and non-examples. Students (192) enrolled in a mathematics course for prospective elementary teachers served…

Increased student demand for foundations courses, coupled with a lack of qualified staff, made it necessary to provide workable alternatives to traditional instruction. Substantial adjustments could not be made until the efficacy of the new methods could be documented. The study compared cognitive and attitudinal outcomes of two types of classes,…

The attitudes and practices of teachers of English in an elementary school in India were studied through a questionnaire completed by all 11 teachers who taught the English classes in grades 1 through 5. The survey elicited data about participants' beliefs about teaching English and their instructional and assessment practices. Teachers believed…

An interview with Christopher Schenk, Britain's Inspector of Schools, reveals his impressions of the differences and similarities of early childhood education in Britain and the United States. Topics included teaching methods, at-risk children, standardized tests, early intervention, family involvement in the schools, funding, and health care.…

Optimize action learning and successful evaluation through adopting new views of IQ. IQ as developed here relates to success in life and it is among the most changeable of characteristics. However, IQ as measured in the past is one of the least malleable of factors. Had you rather measure for and teach toward something that is not changeable or…

This selection of readings in the field of educational reform presents 46 articles, mostly from the news media, and 2 cartoons related to improvement of the educational system. It opens with "Network Notes," brief reports and reviews about events and recent publications of interest to those concerned with educational reform. The first…

An interactive computer simulation program has been developed at Northern Illinois University for use by undergraduate students majoring in special education. It was designed so that these students could learn to evaluate the exceptional student using diagnostic and remediation skills. Initially, the special education undergraduate is given only…

A study involving four sections of a general psychology course at Delta College (Michigan) was conducted to determine: (1) the effectiveness of repeated, cumulative testing on long-term retention of information; (2) its effect on students' ability to generalize information learned as measured by the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) general…

An educational cognitive style map was prepared for each new student in the Allied Health Division of Spartanburg Technical College in Fall 1978. The Cognitive Style Map Interest Inventory was administered and individual profile sheets were developed for each of the 130 students in the division. These profile sheets provided a composite picture of…

This instrument was originally designed to provide a five year pre and post measure of the effectiveness of the Curriculum and Instructional Development Center at Valencia Community College. The purpose of the instrument is to ascertain faculty members' awareness and use of numerous alternative teaching styles. Four areas are covered by the…

This curriculum guide, one of a series developed to assist those involved in implementing career education programs concerned with public service occupations, contains the basic instructional material recommended for the area of educational services preparation. The units described are: (1) human growth and development, (2) how people learn, (3)…

A study was conducted to test and compare the effects of a group-paced, multimedia, non-lecture method and a traditional lecture method of instruction in General Biology, and to determine if the type of evaluation used influenced a student's chances of successfully completing the course. Subjects were 308 students enrolling in General Biology…

The National Council for the Social Studies is concerned with how the social studies teaching profession can enhance learning in history and the social sciences and develop the skills necessary for participatory citizenship. The purpose of this position statement is to demonstrate how testing and evaluating social studies students can contribute…

A presentation based on the research of Dr. John Goodlad and Dr. Benjamin Bloom is given which compares alternative learning approaches to the traditional learning approach. Alternative learning approaches are defined as approaches that may change or adjust one or more of the three major components of learning which are curriculum, testing and…