Generalizability of diagnostic-prescriptive teaching strategies across student locus of control and multiple instructional units

The influence of locus of control and diagnostic testing with prescribed remediation on immediate and retained science achievement was the focus of the study. To test the generalizability of the results across instructional units and to check on the existence of a treatment warm-up period, the experiment was conducted across three biology units. The results supported the existence of the warm-up period with no significant effects of diagnosis and remediation during the first unit. On later units and on the retention measure, the experimental subjects achieved significantly more than the control. No locus of control X treatment interactions were found; although, in one unit, the internal locus of control subjects achieved significantly higher than externals.     

New Directions in Electrical Engineering Education

Virtually all of us believe in the great importance of physics in engineering curricula and have fought for years to develop a strong and modern physical basis for instruction in engineering. From our observations, the basic question is no longer seriously disputed; the idea is generally accepted and only the details of local implementation seem to remain. If this is so, why does discussion continue on what should be a dead issue? Why do we continue to beat an academic "dead horse?" In searching for the answer, we have come to some disturbing conclusions which, theoretically, place the entire issue in a different perspective, establishing new directions in electrical engineering education.