This paper discusses the evaluation of Web-based tools to support Personal Development Planning (PDP) in order to illustrate issues associated with the introduction and assessment of the effectiveness of online resources. The aims of the evaluation were based on concerns about the very complex situation that offering online resources including PDP…

This article investigates the value of writing reflective journals for student teachers during practicum placement. The author invited 10 pre-service education degree teachers to write a weekly reflective journal throughout their four weeks practicum teaching. Each student teacher was given the opportunity to revisit the issues in his journals…

While peer observation of teaching is regarded as an important part of a faculty member's promotion and tenure portfolio, little has been reported on its usefulness. Results from this study indicate that both observers and observees value the peer observation process, are neutral about the adequacy of observer training, use a variety of…

This paper describes the evaluation of a drama production which involved 6 young people with profound and complex learning needs and 23 pupils from a mainstream school. The young people worked together on the project for nearly 2 years. At the end of the project we wanted to find out what the young people with disabilities thought of the inclusion…

A survey was completed in 1994 by 395 students attending the Center for Arts and Sciences (CAS), an enrichment program in Saginaw, Michigan, for gifted and talented students in grades 6 through 12. Highlights of the findings included the following: (1) most students attended CAS because of their own special interests and career plans; (2) most…

This paper describes a method used to evaluate 48 medical residency programs at one institution. It presents the background rationale, logistics, and results obtained by surveying alumni, in the context of their current practice, for relevant data on the value of their training experience. Surveys were sent for 3 years to all alumni of Cleveland…

A study ascertained the educational and occupational status of Ohio 4-H alumni and, in particular, their perceptions of the impact of 4-H on their career development. The population of the study was 883 Ohio 4-H alumni from Hancock, Darke, Portage, and Licking counties who were 17- and/or 18-year-old members as of January 1, 1977, through January…

An evaluation of the Central Michigan University Counseling Center is presented in this document. Parts of the study methods are described, including the questionnaires sent to 1,000 randomly selected students in residence, use of an optical scan answer sheet, and data collection from 112 users and 324 nonusers of counseling services (a 43.6%…

To examine the possible interaction of types of social support variables on individuals' reactions to the supportive intervention and its effects on performance, two studies were conducted. In the first study, 167 college students attempted to solve anagrams following initial failure at five unsolvable anagrams and participation in one of four…

Intake and demographic data from 1,137 clients of a community outpatient clinic in Muncie, Indiana, also known as Middletown, U.S.A. in the Lynd and Lynd study (1937), were studied in relation to client-reported outcome variables: counseling outcome, evaluation of counselor, and willingness to return for counseling. Results of regression analyses…

While supervisory research focuses on trainee performance in counseling situations as the primary outcome criterion, few instruments have been developed for evaluating behavior in the supervision interview. To develop a scale that reflects critical factors in the supervisory relationship, the Supervisor Personal Reaction Scale (SPRS) and the…

Inconsistent use of contraceptives or discontinuance of family planning services places women at risk of unintended pregnancies. Dropping out of family planning clinics also could mean interrupting gynecological care. Nonetheless, approximately 20% of adolescent family planning patients and nearly 25% of adult patients do not return for a second…

The ecosystem approach to environmental assessment of college residence halls asks students to identify issues they feel strongly about, and to recommend action the university might take to enhance or rectify a situation. This approach was used to examine life in the undergraduate residence halls at Indiana University. A forced-choice…

Self-initiation of activities by individuals may have an affect on their mood. To study the relationship between the appraisal of self-initiated activities and dimensions of positive or negative affect 36 graduate students (22 female and 14 male) engaging in a total of 202 activities appraised dimensions of the activities and responded to a…

A project identified strategies to improve the design of workshops. Seventeen workshops were offered in 1984 by one training team, Macduff Bunt Associates, a management training company. The workshops were conducted throughout the Pacific Northwest for business and industry, nonprofit volunteer organizations, and government agencies. Workshop…