Comparison of traditional teaching methods and Web-based modules used in a class of 96 graduate nursing students showed that conventional methods were rated significantly higher in terms of content, interaction, participation, and faculty preparation. Technical skills were higher for the Web materials. Although there were no significant…

Evaluation of distance-learning materials was conducted through a national survey of 1,000 British pharmacists and focus groups of 40-50. High users were motivated and undeterred by design issues mentioned by mid and low users. Portability, storability, and relevant topics were valued. (SK)

Describes the application of evaluation methods to a graphic mechanics course offered to two public high school classes in Brazil through the Web-based distance education program "Programa Educ@r." Discusses the need for ongoing evaluation to control quality, and presents the results of the evaluation. (PEN)

Curriculum evaluations were sent to fourth-year medical students randomly assigned to receive the survey either by mail or e-mail. Mailed evaluations yielded a higher return rate, fewer students omitting items, and shorter responses to an open-ended question than evaluations completed via e-mail. (EV)

Evaluated a service learning course that matched preservice teachers and older adult literacy learners and aimed to address widespread attrition in adult education programs and the need for multicultural education for preservice teachers. Data revealed two essential elements of successful, reciprocal learning relationships: connecting across…

There is steadily accumulating evidence of the misuse or overuse of ratings data, but this does not invalidate their usefulness. The research literature has been concerned almost exclusively with the construction of ratings instruments. There has been little systematic study about creating evaluation systems that truly respond to the needs of…

Outlines a course in Digital Terrain Analysis taught at Michigan State University (Lansing) during the 1997 spring semester. Explains that focus groups were conducted with enrolled students about the usefulness of the course material and with geography majors and non-geography majors to determine any barriers they might have in taking the course…

Student and teacher opinions were obtained regarding a Web-based ethics course for nursing graduate students. Both groups had positive views of online discussions; critical and reflective thinking was enhanced; technical difficulties were overcome with the help of expert support services; compressed time frame was a drawback; and ways to enhance…

Focuses on a course in humanistic and transpersonal psychology for undergraduate students that addresses metaneeds, consciousness, altered states of consciousness, Eastern and Western meditative practices, mytho-poetic wisdom, and metaphoric epistemology. Describes the goals, content, and structure of the course and discusses the course…

Discusses the design and teaching of an online undergraduate course and considers similarities and differences of learning and teaching in traditional and electronic environments. Highlights include instructional design; course assignments; student course evaluations; and the relationship between course curriculum and goals, pedagogy, and student…

Explores the utility of a multicultural approach to teaching an undergraduate social psychology course. Discusses institutional context and the transformation of the course by infusing multicultural content. Uses survey data and student performance on the first examination before and after the class transformation to evaluate the multicultural…

How do evolving academic priorities influence the review and reform of a pioneering general education program?

A case is made in this paper for using checklists and contextbound evaluations of online learning materials in higher education. Contextbound evaluations complement traditional forms of evaluation of educational courseware, such as checklists. Contextbound approaches are useful for indicating the pedagogical quality of online learning materials…

An increasing number of academic institutions are considering changing to Web-based systems to take advantage of efficiencies in the collection of end-of-semester course evaluations. In considering such a change it is important that researchers determine whether it will affect mean evaluation scores and response rates. We undertook this study in a…

The increasing perception of students as customers of services puts a stronger focus on improving the quality of the student experience. Satisfaction with aspects of service, such as access, flexibility and fitness for purpose can be assessed through student feedback questionnaires. The results of these surveys may not immediately suggest…