Discusses ideas and practices in using formative assessment. Suggests the benefits of conceptualizing formative assessment as a tool for signposting the journey of second language learning. (Author/VWL)

Discusses underlying issues that affect all forms of teaching evaluation: determining criteria, making links between teaching methods and learning outcomes, and distinguishing between evaluation for self-improvement and evaluation for accountability. (EV)

The National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers are bringing peer-review and assistance resolutions to the bargaining table. Both unions seek a new unionism with a strong role in ensuring teacher quality. Some critics are skeptical about putting teachers in charge of improving their profession. (MLH)

Discusses issues surrounding classroom-based assessment of writing. Describes the author's own experiences in developing and using a formative evaluation system for middle school students with learning problems; and discusses issues related to the linkage between assessment and instruction. Suggests matters of technical adequacy are as important…

Surveyed faculty and students at a Scottish university about their perceptions of the purpose, nature, and procedures of student assessment. Found significant differences between them in their perceptions, which may suggest that while faculty declared a commitment to the formative purposes of assessment, actual practice did not support this. (EV)

Five models of program evaluation--needs assessment, feasibility study, process evaluation, outcome evaluation, and cost analysis--are described, and how they differ from research is explained. Six groups of stakeholders are identified, reasons for doing evaluations are discussed, qualitative and quantitative methods are described, five stages of…

Describes research that used formative evaluation methods to examine synchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) systems for online learning at the University of Hawaii. Discusses learner-centeredness, constructivism, and sociocultural theories that were used as the bases for the design of synchronous activities and recommends 10 desirable…

An invitation to explore innovative practices in program and system evaluation in a medium-sized school jurisdiction of approximately 11,000 students has resulted in a model with generative characteristics. This paper will describe the process, and several of the outcomes, when a generative evaluation approach is used to assess the effectiveness…

Assessment and learning are two sides of the same coin (Ramsden, 1992, Biggs, 1999) and their relationship has also been likened to the participants in a three-legged race (Harding & Craven, 2001). The aim of this article is to explore the potential of e-assessment to provide solutions to some of the challenges for e-learning. Drawing on…

Recent years have seen a growing awareness of the incidence of plagiarism, though the response has largely been to focus on deterrence through detection and punishment. However, student plagiarism is a much more complex issue than suggested by a one-solution response and this paper argues for a more holistic institutional approach that recognises…

This paper reports a study designed to enhance students' ability to implement assessment marking criteria and to develop the role of dialogue in student learning. Pairs or trios of undergraduate biology students were asked to complete a poster on the theme of histology using student/tutor-constructed marking criteria. The study showed: (1)…

This article reports the development of an evaluation technique that uses adjective checklists as instruments for use by low-literate and marginally literate adults to provide assessments of their learning experiences in adult education and development programs. Vignettes of activities from three stages of the development process depict the range…

We are all accustomed to periodic summative testing for achievement, but in this chapter the importance of requiring mastery of fundamentals as the baseline for evaluation, regardless of the level of the class involved, is discussed.

Adaptive tests offer the advantages of reduced test length and increased accuracy in ability estimation. However, adaptive tests require large pools of precalibrated items. This study looks at the development of an item pool for 1 type of adaptive administration: the computer-adaptive sequential test. An important issue is the sample size required…

The goal of this study was to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of two interventions aimed at reducing alcohol-related risks at community festivals--a training program for festival planners and a community organizing campaign. We randomly selected four festivals for each intervention and had 24 comparison festivals. Our assessment included…