Describes the need and prospects for alternative assessment approaches in online learning environments in higher education. Explains the difference between assessment and evaluation and discusses three approaches to integrating alternative assessment approaches into online learning environments: cognitive assessment, performance assessment, and…

Discusses how the sources of research-based information in developmental education have increased in recent years except in the area of program evaluation. Describes the differences between program evaluation and research and argues for the need to standardize the criteria used. Concludes with a list of practical ideas for conducting program…

It is now a matter of routine that schools in England are able to demonstrate the value of their work in terms of "impact" and "outcomes." In the province of imaginative education this is problematic. While Government has sought to create a new relationship between inspection and school self-evaluation, this in effect has…

While decisions regarding institutional accreditation rest on the attributes of the entire college or university, the process used for accreditation self-studies at Huntington College, in Indiana, emphasizes the selection and role of the self-study coordinator. The coordinator is responsible for developing a realistic schedule for the process,…

Many students view statistics as their worst college course. Four heuristics that can improve students' proficiency in statistics and in interpreting reports of research are presented in this paper. The heuristics guide students' judgments about significance, generalizability, cause-and-effect, and strength of independent-dependent variable…

Despite many service-learning programs that are now in practice, the empirical assessment of their effectiveness is sparse, due in part, to the difficulty in identifying a common indicator to measure effectiveness. In order to bolster the empirical assessment of these programs, evaluation of one such service-learning program is presented here.…

Focusing on efforts at community colleges to demonstrate institutional effectiveness, this monograph presents findings from a survey of 147 colleges regarding accountability practices and showcases seven colleges with effective accountability programs. The first chapter, "Focusing on the Problem: Accountability and Effectiveness in the Community…

This paper takes the position that shrinking resources and increasing accountability have forced counselors to reassess the role of evaluation. This new role should afford evaluation a higher priority so that it becomes as much a part of counseling as the interpersonal skills that currently form the bulk of counselor training programs. Some…

A review of 178 sources (articles, books, and other sources from 1971 through 1980, and frequently-cited earlier sources) on rural sociology and rural mental health indicated 4 major categories of definitions of rural: not explicitly stated, verbal (qualitative), homemade quantitative, and external quantitative. Sources were summarized as to…

The South Carolina Trade Examinations for Trade and Industrial Education teachers are administered semi-annually by the South Carolina State Department of Education, Office of Vocational Education, Vocational Teacher Education Programs Unit. This handbook is designed to provide prospective trade and industrial education teachers, vocational…

This paper reviews the evaluation studies conducted by the University of Alabama clinical training program in psychology over more than 10 years. Four program areas which were evaluated during these years are described: teaching, research, training issues, and clinical administration. The research apprenticeship emphasis in Alabama's psychology…

The purpose of the conference, "Wagging the Dog, Carting the Horse: Testing vs. Improving California Schools," was to discuss alternative perspectives on testing and evaluation in education and their role in improving teaching and learning. Four papers were presented: (1) "Using Educational Evaluation for the Improvement of California Schools," by…

The papers in this monograph address an issue of importance to educational policy and practice: the use of testing and evaluation to assess the quality of education and to facilitate school improvement. The authors consider the traditional role that testing has played in accountability and the role that assessment and evaluation can and should…

This paper applies questions of coverage, quality and linkages to the current collection of national statistics on education at the preprimary, elementary/secondary, and higher education levels. The main questions raised at the preprimary level pertain to availability of programs, standards, and family-school interaction. At the…

This paper addresses specific and general issues regarding data needs and considerations that might improve and better facilitate the collection, use, and interpretation of educational data at the elementary and secondary levels. Specific issues discussed are: (1) preschooling and early education, with emphasis on the nature of preschool…