A model checklist conceptualizing the evaluation process is presented and discussed. It is quite general and is intended to apply to the evaluation of educational products, procedures and most outcomes. The Pathway Comparison Model consists of the following: (1) characterization--how generally or specifically to describe the "treatment"; (2)…

Three types of evaluation used in program evaluation and the type of instrument or measure used are discussed. The three types of evaluation are: comparison group evaluation, analysis of learner outcome or product objectives, and process evaluation. Measurements employed are either direct or indirect. Most measurement in education is usually…

This project represents the first year of a proposed two-year program to develop FEHR-PRACTICUM (Formative Evaluation and Heuristic Research), a computerized game which simulates experience in a research evaluation assistantship or practicum. In the game teams of from two to five players are given the task of finding the "best" among several…

Two new directions for strengthening the evaluation and research efforts of school districts are discussed. The first direction is in developing a methodology for clarifying and systematizing formative evaluations; the second is in improving the attitude survey capabilities of school districts. (DB)

Advocates a new set of feedback principles: (1) providing feedback immediately is frequently less effective than later; (2) it is usually a poor idea to couple feedback with praise; and (3) holding people accountable for achieving objectives that they have set often decreases their performance quality. (VT)

Reports an experiment to find out if formative student feedback is effective in improving teaching. Results indicated that this was true when the feedback contained specific enough information regarding instructor classroom behavior. (VT)

Findings from the ninth annual Gallup Poll of the public's attitudes toward the public schools are exerpted. (JD)

Tells leaders how to design debriefing and processing sessions that allow outdoor education participants to integrate learning and achieve closure to experiences by setting aside time to reflect; asking proper questions; planning appropriate reflective activities; assessing collective and individual needs of group; and balancing variety,…

Discusses the growing use by educational psychologists and teachers of developmental and academic behavior checklists. Identifies the minimum criteria necessary for checklists and criticizes their use as many fail to meet these standards. Describes the limitations, misuse, and narrow focus of behavior checklists. (GEA)

Shows how observation of a second-language classroom activity can be used to assess student, teacher, and materials performance. The classroom activity involves the key skills taught in the course and mirrors the overall methodological approach of the course. (Author/CB)

Defines self-formative evaluation as the formative evaluation of instructional materials conducted during the development of the product by its users or developers. Topics discussed include the results of a study that examined users' attitudes toward such evaluation, their ability to execute it, and the effects of training on that ability. (CLB)

Reviews current systems designed to help end-users search online databases without the assistance of an intermediary and describes a prototype system which emulates the Deco (the text storage and retrieval system used by Unilever) interface on Dialog and Data-Star. Initial trials of the prototype system are reported. (15 references) (MES)

Addresses the four questions raised by Yelon about use of pretests with instruction--should I pretest; on what should I pretest; how should I pretest; how should I adjust to results--and answers them from the perspective of instructional designers conducting formative evaluations to improve quality of instruction under development. (MBR)

The effects of different group processes on team performance is examined using a formative evaluation. A taxonomy of six different decision-making and leadership styles is developed. Cohesion was found to be a significant factor in explaining high performance. (Author/BL)

In an attempt to correct for limitations in the Program Evaluation and Review Technique-Critical Path Method (PERT-CPM), the Graphical Evaluation and Review Technique (GERT) has been developed. This management tool allows for evaluation during the facilities' development process. Two figures and two references are provided. (DCS)