Assessment by employers of newly graduated civil engineers from the Islamic University of Gaza

The evaluation process is very important to identify and recognize the strengths and the weaknesses of graduated students. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the performance of the newly graduated civil engineers from the Islamic University of Gaza in Palestine. The methodology was based on questionnaires and informal interview. The population of this study consisted of 35 contractors and 7 Owners. The questionnaire was developed to evaluate the quality of the Islamic University civil engineers who have obtained their degrees in the past five years. The evaluation involved several aspects such as practical, social, ethical, technical writing, communication skills, and computer skills. The results indicate that most of the Islamic University civil engineers have some practical problems in construction sites. On the other hand, they have several strong characteristics such as computer skills, ability to develop themselves, and an understanding of ethical responsibilities. Some recommendations and suggestions are proposed to improve the performance of the graduate civil engineers in the practice.     

The Impact of Item Stem Format on the Dimensional Structure of Mathematics Assessments

Item stem formats can alter the cognitive complexity as well as the type of abilities required for solving mathematics items. Consequently, it is possible that item stem formats can affect the dimensional structure of mathematics assessments. This empirical study investigated the relationship between item stem format and the dimensionality of mathematics assessments. A sample of 671 sixth-grade students was given two forms of a mathematics assessment in which mathematical expression (ME) items and word problems (WP) were used to measure the same content. The effects of mathematical language and reading abilities in responding to ME and WP items were explored using unidimensional and multidimensional item response theory models. The results showed that WP and ME items appear to differ with regard to the underlying abilities required to answer these items. Hence, the multidimensional model fit the response data better than the unidimensional model. For the accurate assessment of mathematics achievement, students’ reading and mathematical language abilities should also be considered when implementing mathematics assessments with ME and WP items.     

Guidance and counseling in the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan: Some observations

This study traces the development of guidance and counseling movement in Jordan. Two phases of guidance movement are described. The study focuses on the need for counseling, counseling settings, counselors training and problems of guidance and counseling programs and services. Finally, suggestions for overcoming existing limitations are presented.This research was supported by a grant from the Deanship of Research and Graduate Studies at Yarmouk University, Jordan.     

Software Engineering Design Principles Applied to Instructional Design: What can we Learn from our Sister Discipline?

The failure of many instructional design initiatives is often attributed to poor instructional design. Current instructional design models do not provide much insight into design processes for creating e-learning instructional solutions. Given the similarities between the fields of instructional design and software engineering, instructional designers could employ the ideas and techniques employed in software engineering to improve their design solutions. Software engineering development and project management methodologies can be employed to develop effective e-learning solutions. Furthermore, software engineering design principles used to develop high-quality software can be applied to planning and enhancing instruction. Fundamental software design concepts, such as abstraction, modularity, reusability, compatibility, extensibility, scalability, and maintainability are all important factors that can potentially lead to the development of high quality instructional solutions. This paper explores the possibility to integrate software engineering design principles into instructional design for e-learning solutions, which not only augment the generic instructional design approach with the best practices from the field of software engineering, but also make the development process more productive and efficient. Finally, this paper illustrates how all of the software engineering design principles are interrelated and can be realized in practice to enhance the quality of instruction.     

Best and worst dressed web courses: Strutting into the 21st century in comfort and style

Web courses are constructed as the answer to fiscal crises evoked by neo‐liberal restructuring. They are also touted as an anarchist exemplar of ‘de‐schooling’ as envisaged by Ivan IIlich. The trouble is, some courses are vastly under‐dressed and merely attempt to display a face‐to‐face course on‐line. At the other extreme are those laced with links, animation and more than enough glitter and glam to make Liberace wince. In this study the authors employed a 43‐item coding schedule to examine the accessibility, opportunities for interaction and attractiveness of 127 courses on the web. Interrelationships between the 43 variables and issues pertaining to accessibility, interaction and attractiveness were identified with the aid of SPSS. Exemplary web courses were then distinguished from mediocre web courses. In our view, Madonna exemplifies qualities that should be incorporated into web courses. After examining 127 sites the Madonna award for the ‘best‐dressed’ site went to a University of Wisconsin History course. The ‘worst‐dressed’ award went to a Social Foundations of Education course at a USA State University which exuded glitter but lacked substance. Reasons for these decisions are elaborated. (The word, course, used here, describes what some systems call a unit of study.)