In considering academic success, equal emphasis should be given to oracy and literacy competencies. The view that oracy is achieved naturally while literacy requires taught methods needs to be revised, since both areas demand a framework to support their mutual development. The giving and receiving of spoken information is an area that has been…

The lines separating the components of educational, personal, and career counseling may be becoming less distinct. A shift to a new paradigm of holistic adult learner counseling by adult educators is evolving, with several major implications for the adult educator. Whether in a classroom setting or during one-on-one sessions with students, the…

This paper provides advice to college and university administrators on issues and problems associated with the assessment and documentation of institutional effectiveness, in light of the current Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) criteria for institutional self-evaluation. Administrators need to: (1) get the attention of…

This paper, based on an interactive session, offers the perspectives of three male professors, all of whom teach science methods classes consisting primarily of female prospective teachers. These three men have engaged the matter of gender-inclusive education in their classrooms and have struggled with the ramifications of that engagement. It is a…

Recent advances in technology enable universities to radically expand traditional definitions of both "the classroom" and "distance learning." In this paper, one professor's initial experience using interactive video to teach learning theories to 29 undergraduate education students in 4 locations is analyzed. Class sizes at the individual sites…

Although police officers are routinely criticized for their negative attitudes and behavior toward sexual assault victims, few programs are described in the literature which educate and train officers to improve their actions in this area. This neglect is addressed in this study, in which three classes of police recruits are examined: (1) a…

This paper describes the application of compressed video technology in distance education programs in the training of teachers of the deaf. Compressed video transmits voice and video via high speed digital telephone lines to connected classroom sites and is capable of delivering coursework statewide. Instructors can monitor several sites…

A study was conducted of nurse educators in Canada involved in distance education to determine their perceptions of the unique role of teachers in the distance education teaching/learning process. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were held with 21 nurse educators with a range of 4 to 28 years teaching experience and 2 to 16 years experience…

The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the application of a process approach for the teaching of algebra with a heterogeneous class of eighth-grade students. The assessment was conducted by identifying the processes used by above-average, average, and below-average algebra students in solving standard and nonstandard problems ranging…

This paper proposes that post-reform mathematics teaching may be characterized as "improvisational." Observations of an extended mathematical investigation from a summer institute for elementary teachers are used to examine four aspects of improvisational practice: (1) the structuring of the activity; (2) planning and preparing that is…

This research explored the degree to which group sizes can differ before the robustness of analysis of variance (ANOVA) and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) are jeopardized. Monte Carlo methodology was used, allowing for the experimental investigation of potential threats to robustness under conditions common to researchers in education. The…

Elements of arbitrariness in the standard setting process are explored, and an alternative to the use of cut scores is presented. The first part of the paper analyzes the use of cut scores in large-scale assessments, discussing three different functions: (1) cut scores define the qualifications used in assessments; (2) they simplify the reporting…

A faculty committee was commissioned at Ohio State University's College of Social Work to study that College's grading practices. In fulfilling this charge a survey of the faculty was conducted and the results presented along with a review of useful literature on grading and recommendations for change. The survey of faculty used a questionnaire…

Thinking skills instruction involves both the mastery of skills and the development of dispositions, habits of thought, and interpersonal behavior. Schools incorporate thinking skills programs into their programs to achieve two basic goals. The first goal is the development of autonomous thinkers. The liberal tradition in American education takes…

A working definition of critical thinking is needed to guide teachers to encourage their students to think critically and to coach them as they proceed. Constructing a working definition involves first identifying certain assumptions that, when taken collectively, may be incompatible with an effective definition of critical thinking. Among these…