Using the College Outcome Measures Project to measure college outcomes

This article describes one institution's use of the College Outcome Measures Project (COMP) in comparing outcomes for graduates of traditional and non-traditional programs. The study was designed to answer three questions concerning the use of COMP in evaluating traditional and non-traditional programs. Results obtained in a study of 96 University of Minnesota graduating seniors suggest greater potential usefulness in distinguishing among institutions than in comparing outcomes of programs within an institution. The authors conclude that as new approaches and instruments for measuring college outcomes become available, criteria for instrument selection need to be shared among individuals charged with conducting outcome studies.     

Patterns of institutional self-recruitment of young Ph.D.s: Effects of academic markets on career mobility

In social science research on academic careers and mobility, a persistent finding is the substantial effect of doctoral origin on the prestige of the first institution at which one works. There also seems to be a substantial tendency among academic institutions to follow institutional self-recruitment. That is, an academic is more likely to be recruited by an institution in the same prestige category as that which produced him or her. From the period of large expansion to the slowdown of growth in higher education, how have patterns of institutional self-recruitment changed? While elite institutions tend to recruit Ph.D.s from a similar group of institutions, as we go down the line of institutional prestige hierarchy there is a diminishing trend of self-recruitment among similar institutions. This study suggests that there is a general downward mobility in prestige for newly recruited Ph.D.s in a period of a tighter market. While Ph.D.s from elite research universities have continued to increase their chances for being employed at lesser institutions, Ph.D.s from less prestigious graduate institutions have trickled down in the prestige hierarchy. The data used for our analysis are from the National Research Council's Doctorate Records File covering the period from 1969 to 1981, which is marked by significant changes in higher education. The techniques applied are developed by Leo Goodman's loglinear models.     

An examination of self-directed contract learning as an instructional strategy

In recent years, instructors, academic programs, and innovative educational institutions have begun utilizing self-directed learning concepts and contract learning structures for assumed development of student self-directed learning outcomes. However, prior investigations of development of self-directed learning have been hortative in form or have examined correlative relationships of self-directed behavior with specific learner characteristics. Does learner participation in a self-directed contract learning course influence his/her future behavior and attitudes toward self-directed learning? This study examined the impact of a self-directed contract learning course upon participant self-directed learning behavior and attitudes. Findings of this study were examined from three forms of impact evaluation. Significant positive gains were noted on participant pre- and postgain scores on the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS). Course evaluations noted a majority of positive participant responses regarding perceived changes in knowledge and skill of self-directed learning as well as reported value of the course experience. The third form of impact evaluation came from observational diaries analysis. Diaries from selected students and the instructor were analyzed for major themes and transitions. A discussion of these themes and transition points are presented in a framework analysis of the Fuller and Bown “Concerns model.” Findings are discussed for their varying significance in understanding the development of self-directed learning behavior.     

Adult higher education opportunities: An evaluation of sources of information

How do adults learn about higher education opportunities that are available to them? Few studies have investigated this question. The Institute for Communication Research study of the promotion of adult learning programs in the United States and the Center for Research and Development in Higher Education study of higher education opportunities for adults focused on the channels chosen by educational institutions for communicating information. This study investigates adult audiences' attentiveness and evaluation of various sources of information about opportunities for higher education. Generally, it was found that personal sources of information were evaluated more highly by adults interested in pursuing higher education than by those who were not interested. The evaluation of mass media information sources were not significantly different, however, between interested adults and not-interested adults.     

Analysing novices analysing Prolog: what stories do novices tell themselves about Prolog?

Informal observations of Prolog learners showed that, despite being presented with correct information and models, students still tended to construct their own idiosyncratic explanations of events, and, characteristically, they defended these ‘stories’ fiercely when tutorial intervention was attempted. Although the stories were often so flawed that the student's future progress was potentially hampered, it was nevertheless true that learning could not have proceeded at all without them. It seems that if we are to understand the novice Prolog programmer, we need to know about these stories, their source, and what, if anything, they have in common from one learner to another. Pain and Bundy (1987) posed the question “What stories should we tell novice Prolog programmers?” in order to teach them Prolog. In our research, we ask: “What stories do novices Prolog programmers tell themselves?” in order to learn Prolog. Observational studies undertaken showed that students used tacit knowledge of human discourse processes both to interpret the language used to communicate with the computer and to interpret the behaviour of the machine. Students did not appreciate the fundamental differences between natural discourse (as takes place amongst humans) and formal discourse (as takes place between humans and machines), and confused elements of the discourse levels. This can be an effective initial learning strategy, but unless its limitations are recognised, programs are inevitably incomplete at some level. Examples from these studies are reported here with illustrative protocol fragments.     

Anatomists debate the value of a teaching credential

Fewer and fewer programs are training graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in the classical anatomical disciplines. Nonetheless, there remains a need at all levels of clinical and basic science education for skilled instructors of anatomy, histology, and embryology. Two sessions at the 2006 annual meeting of the American Association of Anatomists (AAA) explored whether a system of accreditation would benefit students, institutions, and training programs. Although the value of accreditation was controversial, three challenges for the various anatomical societies emerged from these discussions: (1) To identify the skills and knowledge that should be shared among all anatomists, and the more specific skills and knowledge needed for the diverse settings in which anatomists work. (2) To address the historical inattention of institutions to the training of educators. (3) To develop strategies to lobby institutions and national organizations to support the training and work of educators in the anatomical sciences. One approach to meeting these challenges would be to develop guidelines for training programs. These guidelines would help graduate students seek the training they need, provide institutions with a benchmark to assess or develop training programs, and provide the basis for focusing lobbying efforts targeted at institutions or existing accreditation bodies. Anat Sci Ed 1:60–67, 2008. © 2008 American Association of Anatomists.     

Development and formative evaluation of multimedia case studies for Instructional Design and Technology students

This study describes the development of three case studies that included a combination of multimedia production and instructional design skills within a particular setting. These case studies incorporated real-life incidents from 47 professional instructional designers. These instructional designers described a total of 146 activities involving instructional design and/or multimedia production activities. Employing an emergent theme analysis approach, nine distinct themes developed from these activities and were included in the case studies. These themes included: Collaboration; Diffusion of Innovations; Formative Evaluation; Instructional Design; Interactive Instruction; Learner Analysis; Online Instruction; Technical Infrastructure; and Video Solutions. Fifty-seven Instructional Design and Technology graduate students evaluated the effectiveness of these case studies and considered the case studies as being valuable in furthering their understanding of related multimedia production and instructional design activities. The intent of these case studies was to enable Instructional Design and Technology students to comprehend the relationship between multimedia production and instructional design activities.     

Validation of a brief measure of teachers’ perceptions of school climate: relations to student achievement and suspensions

Based on theory and research on learning environments, the Delaware School Climate Survey–Teacher/Staff (DSCS–T/S) was developed to provide schools with a brief, psychometrically sound measure of teachers’ perceptions of school climate. Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses, conducted on a sample of 5,781 teachers, support staff, administrators and other staff in 132 schools, showed that a bifactor model consisting of seven specific factors best represented the data. Those factors were Teacher–Student Relations, Student–Student Relations, Teacher–Home Communication, Respect for Diversity, School Safety, Fairness of Rules, and Clarity of Expectations. Measurement invariance was found across grade levels (i.e., elementary, middle, and high schools) and subgroups of respondents (i.e., teachers, instructional support staff and noninstructional staff). As evidence of concurrent validity across grade levels, nearly all scores, aggregated at the school level and correlated significantly and negatively with suspensions/expulsion rates and positively with academic achievement. The DSCS–T/S is likely to be useful to schools interested in assessing school climate and the effects of various programs, such bullying prevention programs, that target the seven dimensions of school climate measured.     

Counseling and advisory service for adult learners: An Open University perspective

The nature of counselling and advisory services which the Open University offers its students and applicants is dictated by the fact that its students are learning at a distance, are adults, and are not engaged in full-time study. In addition, a policy of open entry means that while some students come from a background of higher education, others have few or no previous qualifications. These factors require the University to try to provide an individual service to its applicants and students whenever possible. In pursuit of this aim students are allocated to Tutor-Counsellors, part-time staff who are locally based and who have a continuing responsibility for the progress of individual students from their initial registration until graduation. These Tutor-Counsellors play a considerable part in determining the extent, nature, and timing of the resources with which the university can support an individual student. Tuition for higher level specialist courses is normally provided by tutors at a greater distance, with the Tutor-Counsellors continuing to provide local generalist support. The Open University has set up a regional infra-structure of full-time academic and administrative staff for the support, briefing, supervision, and organization of this local network of part-time staff.     

Required: A professional development component for every early childhood education program

Whether your day care center or Head Start program has staff of five or twenty-five, you might wish to consider a professional development component (PDC). “What is that?” you say. “Not another thing we have to do. Isn't it enough that early childhood educators ... must be an astute purchaser, ... must be persnickety picker-and-chooser, ... must be a scavenger, ...” (Hymes, 1968, pp. 82–85) “and that programs have to meet state licensing standards or Head Start Performance Standards? Now programs must develop a new component!”     

Embedding quality culture in higher education in Ghana: quality control and assessment in emerging private universities

High quality provision has been one of the key aims of the current reforms in higher educational institutions across the globe since the beginning of the century and the millennium. Consequently this has led to the increasing demand for quality assurance (QA). This report identifies those institutional processes and structures that support the development of an internal quality culture in the emerging private universities in Ghana. The study bases its understanding of “quality culture” on the definition which sees it as referring to an organizational culture characterized by a cultural/psychological element on the one hand, and a structural/managerial element on the other hand. If we take our educational activity as a process, then the process (the activity) requires inputs (information, materials), resources (people, equipment, space) and control (QMS) to produce outputs (products and/or services). QA then is a culture—a way of continuously aiming to improve and do better—and the private universities in Ghana are responding to this.     

“The Scientific Method” as Myth and Ideal

“The Scientific Method” as it has been portrayed in popular and introductory contexts has been declared a myth. The variation that one finds in introductory presentations of “The Scientific Method” is explained by the fact that there is no canonical account among historians and philosophers of science. What, in particular, is wrong with “The Scientific Method”? This essay provides a fairly comprehensive survey of shortcomings of “The Scientific Method”. Included are corrections to several misconceptions that often accompany such presentations. Rather than treating “The Scientific Method” as a useful approximation or an ideal, the myth should be discarded. Lessons can be learned for introductory pedagogical contexts from considering the shortcomings of the myth.     

The development and maintenance of odor-based double-alternation responding under conditions of Thorazine and Elavil injection

Two experiments investigating odor production and utilization in rats under the effects of Thorazine and Elavil injections, respectively, are reported. In Experiment 1, significantly slower speeds shown by the Thorazine-injected subjects indicated that this drug depressed performance. It is felt that depressed performance allowed these subjects to attend and respond to odor cues earlier in Phase 1 than did saline-injected control animals. Reversing the injection conditions (Phase 2) failed to disrupt already-established patterning. During the first phase of Experiment 2, Elavil-injected subjects failed to establish patterned responding, whereas such responding was readily established by saline-injected subjects. Reversing the injection conditions (Phase 2) resulted in the rapid development of double-alternation patterning by the subjects that were shifted from Elavil to saline and in the maintenance of such responding by the animals shifted from saline to Elavil.     

Man's Leisure and His Health

Quality control of graduate physical education has been the sole responsibility of educational institutions offering such programs. Regional and national accrediting bodies have also guaranteed some standardization of programs. Now the profession of physical education, through the National Association of Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), has launched a significant undertaking toward establishing its own specialized accreditation. This paper examines the need for such a model in graduate physical education, presents arguments for and against, and delineates directions taken by NASPE toward full implementation of accreditation.     

The PISA mathematics regime: knowledge structures and practices of the self

Within mathematics education research, the responses to the Programme for International Student Assessment’s (PISA’s) international testing regime tend to accept its framework and results as necessary points of reference, even when offering a critical reinterpretation or challenging national policy discourses based on PISA. In this article, we offer a different approach to the critique of PISA, drawing on theoretical tools provided by Bernstein and Foucault, to ask what the PISA regime achieves. Our understanding of this achievement encompasses both the production of knowledge structures and the production of students, teachers and other agents as subjects. We propose that the theoretical approach we offer provides a methodological entry point into analysis of the texts comprising the PISA mathematics regime. Analysis of a single PISA item is used to illustrate the insights that may be gained from such a theoretical lens. Such insights into the logic of PISA have the potential to allow us better to understand and hence contest the role that PISA and other large-scale assessment regimes may play in global and local policy discourses.     

Ensuring Effective Student Support in Higher Education Alleged Plagiarism Cases

Plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct are matters of great concern at all levels of study worldwide. This is especially so for students in higher education institutions, where higher degrees and publications are key focus activities. Ready access to internet based resources assist academic writing practices. However, the unintentional, or sometimes deliberate, lack of acknowledgment of intellectual property ownership by some students results in plagiarism allegations. In this article we explain how the Business School at Curtin University, Western Australia, currently handles plagiarism accusations; and we propose a model for making the University’s approach more transparent, supportive, and educative for students. We recommend this model to others.     

Symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and home learning environment (HLE): findings from a longitudinal study

The concept of “Home Learning Environment” (HLE) covers activities in a family providing intellectual stimulation for a child, such as reading to him or her or visiting libraries. Numerous studies have shown an association between HLE and children's cognitive development. In this longitudinal study, we focus on HLE as a predictor for children's behavioral development, namely, for later symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), controlling for relevant aspects like socioeconomic status (SES), or television viewing behavior. We analyzed the development of ADHD symptoms from kindergarten to the end of grade 2 and possible associations with HLE, SES, and television exposure, using a German community sample (N?=?924). Results indicated that ADHD symptoms were negatively and significantly correlated to HLE for all five measurement points as well as to SES (except T4) and to television exposure for T1 to T4. Observing later development, only early HLE but not SES or television exposure served as a significant predictor for ADHD symptoms at school, when age, sex, and ADHD symptoms in kindergarten were controlled for. A structural equation model showed that HLE acted as a mediator between SES and later ADHD symptoms. Our results highlight the importance of the concept of home learning environment also for children's behavioral development. As a consequence, parents should be supported in offering their children a more favorable learning environment.