Delivering a non-resident Master's degree: Qualitative and quantitative measures of effectiveness

An evaluation of the non-resident Master of Arts program in Elementary Education offered by the University of Northern Colorado supports the thesis that quality programs can be offered in a non-traditional setting and without significantly affecting on-campus enrollments. Students in the external program were mid-career educators who were older and had more experience than the campus population. Based on qualitative assessments, the vast majority of the non-resident students supported positive personal and professional growth. They also performed equally well on comprehensive exams. Responsible institutions can demonstrate that external degree programs are fundamentally the same quality as resident degree programs.     

The Effects of a Teaching Perspective of Guided Internality on Intellectually Disabled Students,Locus of Control Orientation

The locus of control construct (LOC) and its implications for students’ behaviour are discussed. The effects of a teaching perspective designed to modify 110 intellectually disabled students’ LOC orientation was evaluated by analysing the data from a pre‐test, post‐test, follow‐up design study using: (1) an established LOC measure of students’ control of reinforcements for academic intellectual situations (MIARQ); (2) a new LOC measure of students’ expectancies of control of reinforcement for adaptive behaviour situations (KABLOC); and (3) a measure of students’ behaviour displayed in the classroom (BRS). The results for the students aged from 12 to 14 years indicated that the teaching perspective was effective in the longer‐term in modifying students’ LOC expectancies and overt behaviours. The results have positive implications for the education of intellectually disabled students.