In winter 1994, a study was conducted at Miami-Dade Community College (M-DCC), in Florida, to determine students' perceptions of the college's educational goals. Surveys were distributed to students in 200 courses, representing 5% of all classes offered in the term. Using a 5-point scale, students were asked to rate both the importance of 20…

This paper contends that the survey research approach is limited for generating substantive data to improve college teaching, because it is impersonal, lacks opportunities for probing, suppresses the idea of discourse by offering fixed-choice and yes-no questions, disregards respondents' social and personal contexts of meaning, and is dependent on…

This report analyzes data on bachelor's degree recipients in physics or astronomy in 1997. Data are from a survey of senior-level physics majors (n=1,696) and the American Institute of Physics' Enrollments and Degrees Survey, and include text, tables, and graphs. The report notes that: (1) the number of undergraduates who received bachelor's…

This study examined the relationship between students' perceptions of the two-way audio/video classroom and their anxiety, as well as their satisfaction with their distance learning experience. Students (n=222) in 12 two-way audio/video distance classes at two major midwestern universities and two midwestern community colleges completed…

The instructor of the educational computing course at the University of Houston used action research to address the following questions and improve the course: "How could I formalize the process of action, reflection, and feedback?" and "Do certain types of learners do better with certain types of activities and certain structures…

A study explored rates of learning and political interest among students in the "Introduction to American Government" course at a community college. The study was sparked by calls for program review and outcomes assessment that are commonplace on contemporary American campuses. The study featured a pretest/posttest methodology and…

In March 1996, the Region XI Education Service Center, Fort Worth (Texas), was designated to continue a project implemented in 1990 by the Texas Education Agency to study the overall effectiveness of special education programs. The 1996 project was extended in 1997. This paper reports on the first of three newly planned study components, the…

This paper reports on a study to determine if existing technology is adequate for the delivery of quality distance education. The survey sample was 392 respondents from a non-traditional graduate level. The study included 15 descriptive questions on course assessment and satisfaction. The three hypotheses used Chi-square to find relationships…

This paper examines some of the dominant discourses related to poverty and education such as those offered by the prominent political ideologies, those presented by educators who write about poverty, those embedded in popular culture, and those surrounding current teacher education curricula. Furthermore, this study evaluates the impact these…

The purpose of this study was to examine the roles self-efficacy, specifically technology self-efficacy and distance education self-efficacy, and self-regulation play in students' learning via distance education. This study examines a system for evaluating distance education courses in a similar manner to those for traditional university courses.…

A sample of 26 at-risk fourth graders was randomly divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group was taught geometry concepts using drama, while the control group received more traditional instruction. Fifty minute lessons per day were given for one week. Then, a multiple choice test to assess academic achievement was…

Over the past decade, public attention on the importance of the civic development and education of youth has grown. To address these concerns, the East Bay Conservation Corps (EBCC) Charter School opened in 1996 with the explicit mission to prepare and engage students grades K through 12 as caring citizens who are capable and motivated to fully…

Each semester, the College of the Canyons (California) surveys all students enrolled in occupational courses. This information has three primary purposes: (1) the survey results are used in determining funding through the Vocational and Technical Education Act (VTEA); (2) beginning in fall 2000, the College expanded the survey to include students'…

This action research project investigated the effectiveness of having immediate access to grades, attendance, homework, and teachers' comments for parents and students alike. There are many involved in the success of children including the administration, teachers, parents and the students themselves. Advancing technology helps students become…

This report describes a program to advance library research skills in two sixth grade science classes. The problem was assessed through a survey, questionnaire, and worksheet, and by direct observation. Analysis of probable cause data revealed that students displayed a lack of research skills related to library research. Some of the causes were…