This paper describes the introduction of web-based portfolios as a means of authentic assessment in collegiate physical education classes. Students in three volleyball classes were required to contribute to web-based team portfolios, and at the end of the semester, were able to make comment upon this process. A six-item on-line survey used to…

College teachers in the sciences and professional studies have endorsed collaborative learning group strategies for teaching undergraduate statistics courses, but few researchers provide empirical evidence that students' quantitative skills actually increase as a result of the collaborative experience. Assessment of the efficacy of collaborative…

In this update, Linton provides a report on what transpired during the invitational technical assistance training meeting for State adult correctional education programs titled "Making Data Work for You," which was hosted by the Department of Education a year ago. As a key part of that training, States shared their efforts to utilize…

Context: In-training assessment (ITA), defined as multiple assessments of performance in the setting of day-to-day practice, is an invaluable tool in assessment programmes which aim to assess professional competence in a comprehensive and valid way. Research on clinical performance ratings, however, consistently shows weaknesses concerning…

Purpose: Where the auditory saltation illusion has been used as a measure of auditory temporal processing (ATP) in dyslexia, conflicting results have been apparent (cf. R. Hari & P. Kiesila, 1996; M. Kronbichler, F. Hutzler, & H. Wimmer, 2002). This study sought to re-examine these findings by investigating whether dyslexia is characterized by…

It is difficult to ensure that incoming students enrol in first year courses at a level that is commensurate with their ability. Not only do students come from a diverse range of backgrounds, but mathematics at university is, in general, more rigorous and conceptual than it is at high school, and success at high school does not always guarantee…

This article raises questions about three features of musical education that have been explored in the pages of the "British Journal of Music Education" ("BJME") over the last 25 years: the assessment of creative work; the nurturing of an elite among young musicians; the uses of electronics in music classrooms. The article…

Within the fields of human performance technology (HPT), human resources management (HRM), and management in general, performance measurement is not only foundational but considered necessary at all phases in the process of HPT. In HPT in particular, there is substantial advice literature on what measurement is, why it is essential, and (at a…

While the politics of curriculum reform occupy adults, high stakes get played out in crowded classrooms. As a component of democratic inquiry, how might teachers engage students in a study of those agendas shaping their education? What sorts of conceptual resources could help? To begin to answer these questions, I briefly review scholars who…

The goal of this project was to develop and test the efficacy of a research-based early reading program that provided integrated reading instruction in kindergarten through 2nd grade. The Reading and Integrated Literacy Strategies (RAILS) program provided integrated instruction in word reading, vocabulary development, and comprehension to students…

This research evaluated South Carolina's Program of Alternative Certification for Educators (PACE). Specifically, the study analyzed this nontraditional teacher preparation pathway's outcomes: to recruit, train, and retain effective beginning teachers who fill the growing teacher vacancies in rural South Carolina. From an in-depth review of the…

An intent of many business programs is to enhance the critical thinking capabilities of their students. Since AACSB accreditation requires evidence that business schools fulfill their goals, our students were required to take the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST). As expected, the CCTST was significantly related to SAT performance…

Performance assessments have become the norm for evaluating language learners' writing abilities in international examinations of English proficiency. Two aspects of these assessments are usually systematically varied: test takers respond to different prompts, and their responses are read by different raters. This raises the possibility of undue…

In the light of the uncertainty surrounding the new National Senior Certificate that was written in South African schools for the first time in 2008, this article aims to examine the new Grade 12 National Senior Certificate results quantitatively in the context of the Grade 11 application score for entry into higher education and the Grade 12…

Alverno College is a private, liberal arts college located in a residential neighborhood on the southwest side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In fall 2008, the student body numbered 2,783, and there were 231 resident students. The student body is highly diverse (34% minority), and most students commute to campus for their classes. The culture at Alverno…