There is evidence that pre-tests can have orienting and motivational and teaching functions - in addition to the sought-for testing function. There is also evidence that these additional functions can be either general or specific. The present paper contributes to the ongoing debate by discussing the issues involved in the context of a series of…

Argues that, if progress is to be made, educators must develop processes by which they redefine their own professional goals, identify their objectives, proceed toward them, and put into operation an evaluation system that is strongly formative in its effect. (Author/JN)

The in-service effort described here was an Institute Program sponsored under Title IV, section 404, of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to assist those school personnel faced with the myriad of problems occasioned by desegregation-integration activity. (Author/CB)

Evaluation, learning and instruction are complex and inter-related processes. A sound philosophy and methodology of evaluation demands that evaluation be considered in context. (Author)

Outlines research into teenage viewing preferences which was undertaken prior to production of a television series for CITY-TV, Toronto. The series is designed to attract as large a teenage audience as possible, and to promote "socially responsible" attitudes. The resulting effects on instructional television programing design are…

Identifies and describes six differences between formative and summative evaluation in career education. Formative evaluation involves more coordination, more stress, special observation and teaching skills, criterion-referenced measures, learner safeguards, and choosing priorities among objectives. (SK)

Determined whether or not formative evaluation could facilitate goal attainment in a biochemistry course and produce desired learning outcomes consistently by altering course materials and/or instruction. Formative evaluation procedures included two tests administered to subjects (N=64) over a three-year period. Findings supported the formative…

This discussion of the use of computers to help improve written documents and support writing instruction briefly surveys the Writer's Workbench system, a set of programs that provides automated editorial feedback. A rationale for such programs is described and possible instructional uses are explored. Fourteen references are listed. (Author/MER)

Describes low-cost evaluation methods that many educational broadcasting organizations could use to make their programs more effective. Nine references are listed. (Author/LLS)

Distinguishes between the process and products of science and describes the role of each in Instructional Development (ID). The observe, hypothesize, test components of the scientific process are examined as they apply to front-end analysis, instructional strategy description, and formative evaluation stages used in ID models. Thirty-four…

The proposition was investigated that concept learning is a twofold process: acquisition of a prototype and development of generalization and discrimination skills. The assumption that formative evaluation procedures are necessary when attempting to prepare better instructional treatments for improved student performance was tested. (Author/GK)

Evaluation is discussed as an information-gathering process. Currently popular evaluation programs are reviewed in relation to decision making and various approaches that seem to contribute to the decision utility of evaluation (e.g. classical approaches, Bayesian approaches, adaptive designs, and model-based evaluations) are described. (Author/AL)

Discusses observation of teaching behavior (what should be recorded, what methods of recording are available, what is low inference and high inference data) and aspects of teacher evaluation (summative evaluation, formative evaluation and constraints on the evaluative process). (SS)

Significantly higher posttest achievement scores and more favorable unit evaluations were achieved in a secondary social studies unit using a feedback-corrective strategy with a manageable degree of specificity. This supports previous research that suggests the strategy is possible within a social studies area. (SB)