Grade Inflation Marches On: Grade Increases from the 1990s to 2000s

Grade inflation threatens the integrity of college grades as indicators of academic achievement. In this study, we contribute to the literature on grade inflation by providing the first estimate of the size of grade increases at the student level between the mid‐1990s and mid‐2000s. By controlling for student characteristics and course‐taking patterns, we are able to eliminate alternative explanations for grade increases. Our results suggest that grade inflation has occurred across decades, at a small yet non‐negligible rate. Suggestions for future research are discussed.     

The Relative Merits of Different Types of Overall Evaluations of Teaching Effectiveness

An unresolved issue in student evaluations of teaching effectiveness (SETE) literature is what type of overall evaluation of teaching effectiveness should be used in personnel decisions. The objective of this study is to compare the merits of: (a) an overall evaluation made by students, (b) a weighted average overall evaluation with the weights determined by students, (c) a weighted average overall evaluation with the weights being determined by the individual instructors teaching their respective classes, (d) an unweighted average overall evaluation, and (e) a second-order factor that proxies for an overall evaluation. Our results indicate that: (a) all of these overall evaluations were very highly intercorrelated, (b) the unweighted and weighted average overall evaluations measured virtually the same thing, and (c) the second-order factor that served as an overall evaluation was most highly correlated with the other overall evaluations and had the advantage of being most understandable to the faculty.     

Prediction-Based Student Evaluations of Teaching as an Alternative to Traditional Opinion-Based Evaluations

Abstract

The validity of traditional opinion-based student evaluations of teaching (SETs) may be compromised by inattentive responses and low response rates due to evaluation fatigue, and/or by personal response bias. To reduce the impact of evaluation fatigue and personal response bias on SETs, this study explores peer prediction-based SETs as an alternative to opinion-based SETs in a multicultural environment. The results suggest that statistically significant fewer respondents are needed to reach stable average outcomes when peer prediction-based SETs are used than when opinion-based SETs are used. This implies that peer prediction-based SETs could reduce evaluation fatigue, as not all students would need to do each evaluation. The results also report that the peer prediction-based method significantly reduces the bias evident in the opinion-based method, in respect of gender and prior academic performance. However, in respect of the cultural variables, race and home language, bias was identified in the peer prediction-based method, where none was evident in the opinion-based method. These observations, interpreted through the psychology literature on the formulation of perceptions of others, imply that although peer prediction-based SETs may in some instances reduce some personal response bias, it may introduce the perceived bias of others.     

国外高校学生评教研究进展

对国外高校学生评教导致学生评教产生偏误的非教学因素,以及学生评教实施过程中的保密性、匿名性、信息采集手段、结果的解读和利用等问题作一个综述。研究发现国外非常重视评教中心理层面因素研究以及科学的研究设计和统计方法的应用。提出应合理解读及利用学生评教结果,注意学生评教实施过程中的保密性,将学生评教与其他手段结合起来形成全面的质量信息体系等建议。     

Translating Comments on Student Evaluations into the Language of Learning

Written comments on student evaluations often seem idiosyncratic, lacking the power of numerical statistical data. These statements, however, may sometimes reveal intellectual challenges common to novice learners in our disciplines. Instructors can use these insights as part of a scholarly approach to teaching, making meaningful adjustments to future classes and informing curricular choices in productive ways. In this article we examine common student complaints in three particular situations: quantitative classes, writing-intensive courses, and classes taught using student-active formats. We discuss implications of these comments for faculty as they seek to promote students’ intellectual development. Linda C. Hodges is Director of the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Center for Teaching and Learning at Princeton University. She received her B.S. in Chemistry from Centre College of Kentucky and her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Kentucky. Her special interests include the scholarship of teaching and learning and faculty beliefs about teaching. Katherine Stanton, Assistant Director of the McGraw Center, received her B.A. from Swarthmore College and her M.A. and Ph.D. in English Literature from Rutgers University. Her pedagogical interests include course design and teaching the interpretative process.     

The Meaning and Utility of Institutional Teaching Evaluations

This study analyzes end of course institutional teaching evaluations (ITEs) done anonymously by students in a pre-service teacher education course over a 15-year span. The purpose was to determine if and how the ITE findings might inform practice and relate to teaching metaphors as a tool of study. Analysis revealed: (a) teacher effectiveness ratings were more meaningful when examined by metaphor periods and when outliers, which skewed the trends, were removed, (b) patterns in students’ optional narrative comments on ITEs indicated that students consistently saw instructor strength in caring and weakness in clarity, (c) there was no clear correlation between narrative comments and teacher effectiveness ratings, and (d) alignment with identified teaching metaphors was strongest with student narrative comment categories. In addition, doing this analysis reframed the way I thought of myself as a teacher and allowed me to make positive changes in how I related to students. Comments from the course in the semester following the analysis support this contention. This work informs the field by considering the usefulness of metaphors for long-term study of practice as well as modeling how teacher educators subjected to accountability measures can use such institutional measures to create meaningful study of practice.     

学生评教中班级人数和年级差异的影响探析

学生直接参与教学质量评估可以最直观地体现高等教育机构的人才培养效果,对提高教学质量有着十分重要的作用。针对影响学生评教结果客观性的若干因素,通过大量统计数据定量地分析了班级人数和年级差异对教学质量评估的影响。研究结果表明,对于新生,适宜采用人数小于20人的小班授课模式,而21～75人的中班授课模式将给高年级学生带来最佳的教学效果。     

浅谈独立学院大学英语分级教学B级班教学——以南京理工大学泰州科技学院为例

随着大学英语教学改革的进一步深入,越来越多的学院采用了大学英语分级教学这样一种新型的教学模式,以期提高大学英语教学质量。文章以南京理工大学泰州科技学院为例,探索针对理工科独立院校中等英语学习水平学生的教学方案,并总结分级教学带来的问题,同时提出解决方案,力争让分级教学在课程实施中发挥最大的效应。     

关于大学英语分级教学后初级班教学的思考

在实施大学英语分级教学后，初级班的教学成了令人头疼的问题，许多教师不愿意承担初级班的教学任务。文章结合自己的教学实践，对初级班的教学策略、教学内容及教学模式等有关问题进行了探讨，以就教于同仁。     

大学英语分级教学的理论依据

众多高校在英语教学实践中实行了分级教学 ,但理论研究不够。文章从大学英语教学大纲 ,素质教学 ,i+1理论和效用差异理论四方面探寻大学英语分级教学的理论依据 ,分析大学英语分级教学必要性     

高校英文写作课的有效评价

英文写作课是将学生的英语思维,文章建构及语法词汇表达等能力融合于一体的综合学习课程。研究并运用适合学生的写作评价方式是教师们一直关注的话题。沈阳师范大学国际商学院作为中美合作办学的教育机构,在英文写作教学方面拥有中外教师合作教学的授课模式,有条件借鉴国外英文写作课的授课模式。文章采用列举外籍教师实例教学的模式,重点探讨适用于英文写作课的有效评价方式。     

对我校大学英语分级教学的几点思考

大学英语分级教学是各高校英语教学改革的趋势.我校的大学英语分级教学对不同层次、不同需求的学生制定不同的教学目标,采用不同的教学方式,体现了＂因材施教＂的教学原则.我校的大学英语分级教学刚刚起步,还需要不断探索和完善.     

基于网络的大学英语的学生评教体系研究

大学生基于网络的评价英语教学是高校重要的教学管理活动,但是从管理学原理分析目前大学生评价英语教学的评教体系存在指标内容不科学、评价主体不完整、评价结果反馈缺失、评价结果运用不足、配套网络设施落后等方面的问题。据此,提出相应改进建议,以期提高基于网络的大学生评价英语教学的准确性,提高英语教师教学质量。     

Comparing Student Evaluations of Distance Learning and Standard Classroom Courses in Graduate Social Work Education

Abstract

This study compared the student course evaluations of standard education and distance learning courses in the school of social work of one southern university. The sample included 14 distance learning (DL) and 122 standard education courses. A 20-item quantitative student course evaluation and a 7-item qualitative questionnaire were used to compare differences between social work courses taught in a standard classroom setting with those taught using distance learning technology. Comparisons of identical courses taught in both formats found that students rated distance learning higher than the standard classroom for a course having predominantly lecture content. Conversely, ratings for clinical practice courses were just the opposite with lower ratings for distance learning than the standard classroom. Results of a qualitative survey (n = 39) of students conducted at the end of a course taught by distance learning found that 73% of the students felt that distance learning technology interfered with class participation. However, 73% of the students felt the instructor handled technological problems in a professional and patient manner. Although 54% of the students reported that they would take another course by distance learning, more research is needed to determine what social work courses can be most effectively taught by distance and classroom formats.     

综述通货膨胀的成因与危害

通货膨胀的成因及危害,如何治理通货膨胀关键在于正确分析通货膨胀的形成原因和危害性,然后对症下药,本文就通货膨胀的原因及危害加以综述。     

通货膨胀与通货膨胀不确定性——基于中国数据的实证研究

本文采用中国1952年至2010年的年度数据以及1993年第一季度至2009年第四季度的季度数据,基于AR（p）-EGARCH计量技术手段以及Granger因果检验实证分析了中国的通货膨胀与通货膨胀不确定性之间的关系。研究结果表明。中国高的通货膨胀水平将带来通货膨胀不确定性的增加,而通货膨胀不确定性增加也会进一步提高通货膨胀水平。根据研究结果,为了降低通货膨胀的社会成本,应该注重保持中国物价水平的稳定。     

Online Course Evaluations: Faculty Perspective and Strategies for Improved Response Rates

This article provides an overview of issues involved with traditional paper versus online course evaluations. Data were gathered from university faculty, who transitioned from traditional paper to online course evaluations. Faculty preferred traditional course evaluations versus online course evaluations by a small margin. However, faculty overwhelmingly believed that traditional course evaluations result in higher response rates from students. Incentives were also believed by faculty to increase student response rates. Suggestions from faculty on how to improve student response rates are also provided in this article.     

大学扩招后英语分级教学模式探讨

从1999年高校扩招以来,高校学生人数不断增多。由于学生生源分布广、水平参差不齐,老师在选择教学模式、教学方法等方面感到越来越困难。因材施教,进行分级教学,是十分必要的。     

大学生的信仰教育

本文通过对大学生信仰教育的重要性以及当前形势的分析,对大学生信仰教育提出几点切实可行的措施。     

分级教学中的心理干预

通过对某高校学生问卷调查和分析,发现大学英语分级教学对不同层级教学团体的学习者的心理状况存在消极影响,并提出心理干预机制。