Rapid technological advances in the last decade have sparked educational practitioners' interest in utilizing laptops as an instructional tool to improve student learning. There is substantial evidence that using technology as an instructional tool enhances student learning and educational outcomes. Past research suggests that compared to their…

This paper identifies some of the major obstacles to the integration of university qualifications into New Zealand's National Qualifications Framework. Currently, New Zealand's universities are under pressure to integrate their qualifications into the Framework which employs a method of unit design that is generally more suited to trade and…

The report provides an overview of the academic preparation of a sample of prospective candidates for the ministry. Data were drawn from the records of approximately 12,000 students taking the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) from 1981-1988. It was found that during this period, 1,000-1,500 applicants to Masters of Divinity programs took the GRE…

A total of 283 students at Fassett Middle School in Oregon, Ohio, a suburban, middle-class city were surveyed about their attitudes toward foreign language study in high school. The participants were 151 male and 132 female students in grade 6 (87), grade 7 (104), and grade 8 (92). The objective was to determine whether or not the middle school…

This paper addresses problems confronting law school teachers in grading law school exams and assigning letter grades. Using prototypical dialogue and scenarios, the paper examines mathematical and statistical issues that contribute to grading errors. Discussed in relation to real world data and the bar exam are: differential weighting, combining…

Data from the 1980 High School and Beyond (HSB) study are used to examine the variables associated with the grades that college-bound high school sophomores received in English, algebra, and geometry courses. Special concerns included determining if gender differences in high school grades could be explained, and how teachers' perceptions of…

Assessment practices used in elementary school classrooms in British Columbia (Canada) were explored through a survey that also considered the perspectives of the people directly affected by assessment: students, parents, teachers, and administrators. Data were collected through focus group interviews with each of the 4 respondent groups from 10…

This study used LOGO II, an instrument designed to assess students' learning and grade orientations, with a freshman class and again 4 to 5 years later when the same students (N=174) were seniors at the University of Montevallo (Alabama). To determine if there were differential effects for different majors, the data were disaggregated by major.…

In validating tests for course placement in college, the criterion variable is usually defined in terms of the grade earned in a particular standard course. This study considers the issue of interpreting incomplete (I) and withdrawal (W) grades either as unsuccessful outcomes or as missing data. The effects of either type of interpretation on…

The experiences of two mathematics teachers at a high school in which assessment reform is being encouraged are described. The school district had decided that the implementation of authentic assessment and assessment reform would be levers to broaden school reforms. Observations in the Algebra 2 class of one teacher and the Algebra 1 class of…

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the cognitive styles of 144 education majors over a 2-to-3-year period culminating in the internship experience. The hypothesis was that scores on the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) following the internship would be more field-independent, and the intent was to document the influence of…

At Oregon's Lane Community College (LCC), all full-time students and students enrolled in English Composition (WR121) are required to take a 35-item writing placement test. Students with test scores deemed "marginal" (i.e, those scoring between 20 and 24 points) are advised to take a preparatory course (WR120) before enrolling in WR121,…

This report details the performance of recent high school graduates on entrance exams given at Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC) in fall of school year 1987-88 to assess basic reading, writing, and algebra skills. The following data are provided: (1) the numbers and percentages of MDCC students from Dade County high schools who submitted…

College student persistence and overall educational attainment were studied, based on data from the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972. Attention was directed to the influence of student socioeconomic status, academic aptitude and preparation, educational goal commitment, college quality/selectivity, college orientation…

This fifth in a series of six learning modules on instructional evaluation is designed to give secondary and postsecondary vocational teachers help in developing a basis for assigning grades to students and devising efficient procedures for arriving at these grades. The terminal objective for the module is to determine student grades in an actual…