An evaluation of traditional admission standards in predicting Kuwait University students' academic performance

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of the traditional admission standards utilized by Kuwait University in predicting students' academic performance. It was found that the established practice of using students' score in standardized secondary school examinations and branch of study (i.e. sciences or arts emphasis) to be highly predictive of their college cumulative grade point average. Moreover, it was established that students' secondary school scores reflect intellective as well as the non-intellective factors pertaining to students' background.     

Organization,management and academic problems in the Arab University: The Kuwait University experience

The modern university is essentially an alien phenomenon in the Arab world where it lacks the societal support base enjoyed by the western university. Moreover, many of the new Arab universities, like Kuwait University, established in 1966, were either modeled after the French influenced Egyptian university — in-turn based on semi-independent colleges — or received their initial administrative and teaching faculty from Egypt. From this legacy is derived a significant share of the obstacles hindering organization and management reform. At the same time a variety of governmental traditions and regulations binding the university to general civil service regulations, an under-developed tradition of university autonomy and faculty participation in university decision-making, and a utilitarian concept of formal education which associates degress with employment status are among the more serious problems confronting the Arab university.Kuwait University can be seen as a microcosm of the organizational, management and academic problems encountered in the Arab university. Although Kuwait University enjoys adequate financial support and is not forced to accommodate an unreasonable number of students, it has peculiar problems arising from unequal admissions standards (Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti), traditional societal values, paucity of indigenous staff, inexperienced administrators, lack of balance in academic ranks, absence of tenure, a fragmented physical plant, inadequate support staff as well as insufficient societal understanding and support. Like most other Arab universities Kuwait University not only reflects the rudimentary societal development but is located on the frontier of that development. Given the small population of Kuwait, the university is especially important in this development role. As the university and its distinctive needs become better understood the total society will be strengthened.     

Continuous improvement in the Industrial and Management Systems Engineering programme at Kuwait University

This paper describes the process employed by the Industrial and Management Systems Engineering programme at Kuwait University to continuously improve the programme. Using a continuous improvement framework, the paper demonstrates how various qualitative and quantitative analyses methods, such as hypothesis testing and control charts, have been applied to the results of four assessment tools and other data sources to improve performance. Important improvements include the need to reconsider two student outcomes as they were difficult to implement in courses. In addition, through benchmarking and the engagement of Alumni and Employers, key decisions were made to improve the curriculum and enhance employability.     

Improving educational objectives of the Industrial and Management Systems Engineering programme at Kuwait University

This paper describes the process of developing programme educational objectives (PEOs) for the Industrial and Management Systems Engineering programme at Kuwait University, and the process of deployment of these PEOs. Input of the four constituents of the programme, faculty, students, alumni, and employers, is incorporated in the development and update of the PEOs. For each PEO an assessment process is employed where performance measures are defined along with target attainment levels. Results from assessment tools are compared with the target attainment levels to measure performance with regard to the PEOs. The assessment indicates that the results meet or exceed the target attainment levels of the PEOs' performance measures.     

Summer science program at Appalachian State University

Practical problems of the gifted dyslexic are explored through a case study, that of an unusually talented craftsman who is both dyslexic and epileptic, and whose school history is reviewed and evaluated.     

大学公共英语课程与教学测评分析

由于受到传统应试教育的深远影响,高校英语教学始终还是存在着传统应试教育的身影,但是在很多教学理念以及教学的手段和方法上已经极大地超越了传统应试教育模式的束缚,逐渐给学生营造出了更自由更利于自我发挥的学习环境,但是英语的教学模式改革还应该继续深入的开展下去,这其中对大学英语课程改革所取得的成果我们也应该要有一个更为直观的认识,对大学公共英语课程的教学评测则显得尤为重要。     

Building an evaluation framework for a competency‐based graduate program at the University of Southern Mississippi

This article describes an ongoing project to build an evaluation framework for a competency‐based graduate program at The University of Southern Mississippi. Many traditional methods of evaluating performance at academic institutions provide only a partial assessment of individual program performance. In an increasingly competitive global economy, program evaluations should also consider the perspectives of students, graduates, and employers in order to develop curricula that will address the critical skills sets needed for strategic and value‐added performance improvement work in the 21st century.     

地市级广播电台节目评估的实践与思考

从目前各电台开展节目评估的情况来看,全国各家电台做过多种尝试但是作为普通的地市级广播电台,花大价钱请央视索福瑞、赛立信等知名公司,对节目进行科学、精准的评估不太现实,如何利用现有资源,建立一套符合当地实际的节目评估体系,以达到提升节目质量,提高自身的市场竞争力的目的.从多年的工作实践出发,从节目评估体系框架的建立、考评内容的界定、基本数据管理及评估结果的运用等方面,对地市级广播电台建立一套切合实际的节目评估体系进行了初步的探讨.     

SCIS-II and the elementary teacher: A program evaluation

A two-part opinionaire was used to identify teachers' perceptions of the SCIS-II elementary science program. Of particular interest were perceived barriers to effective implementation of the program. The first part of the opinionaire was administered to 685 individuals, or 96.8% of the elementary teachers in a metropolitan school district. The second part was completed by a group of teachers at each grade level in each of the 31 elementary schools, with completion rates ranging from 77%–97% for the 13 SCIS-II units. Results indicate that grades K-2 teachers rated the program more positively than grades 3–6 teachers; teachers who rated the program highly perceived fewer barriers to effectively utilizing the program; and teachers rated the program higher for developing social skills and positive attitudes than for teaching science content and processes. Data on problems with individual SCIS-II units indicated that the viability and performance of the living organisms are problematic in all life science units. Further, the small number of insightful evaluative comments received for the last one-third to one-half of some units suggests that a significant portion of teachers are quitting the units before reaching the end.     

From program evaluation to intstructional information system

This article describes the emergence of a new and exciting possibility for upgrading teaching and learning in American schools. We call this new phenomenon, instructional information systems (IIS). Instructional information systems are computerized data banks that allow a variety of users to ask important evaluative questions about student learning, classroom function, school management, and district policies. They built on current practice in testing and program evaluation but go way beyond it.     

The University of Chicago program in comparative education

There is no single, best formula for a graduate program in comparative education. We at Chicago do believe that there are certain essentials of a sound program, and we give high priority to features that others would regard as idio-syncratic. The advantages of the program we have followed will perhaps become evident in the following pages; its defects are revealed by some of the successful endeavors of colleagues at other universities.This contribution continues a series of articles started in vol. XI/2 of theInternational Review of Education describing the work of educational institutes in different countries written by the head of the institute or somebody else closely involved in its work. This particular article by the Director of the Chicago Comparative Education Center was prepared for the Southern Regional Comparative Education Meeting, Peabody College, October 22–24, 1964.     

Program evaluation of a school consultation program

The results of a school psychological and social work program are presented on children referred for behavioral and learning problems. Through the consultation service, the average student objective for learning problems was achieved to 85% of criterion, and the average objective for behavioral problems was achieved to 82% of criterion during a 10-week period. An analysis of the consultation activities was made in relation to the accomplishment of the objectives for both learning and behavioral problems. No clear evidence was found for any single activity being related to success. Also analyzed was the time spent on each consultation activity and the accomplishment of the student objectives. There was a positive relationship between total consultation time and student outcomes on learning problems, but there was no significant relationship between total consultation time and the accomplishment of objectives for behavioral problems. General findings show that consultation activities can be conducted with small investments of time and with a high degree of student accomplishment of objectives. A case is presented for the merits of program improvement by monitoring psychological and social work services.