Evaluation of teaching at universities is traditionally realized in terms of student ratings. Curriculum evaluation is rarely done in a systematic manner. More often, the emphasis is placed on a particular aspect, which is only of little help in terms of modifying education. A very prominent example is that of medical education. Here, evaluations…

Opposes the practice of aggregating impacts on outcome dimensions to arrive at one summary assessment of program merit. Suggests that impacts should be kept separate and unweighted, expressed in their own measurement scales. Illustrates this method through an evaluation of the effects of research grants on a university. (SLD)

Survey items representing 30 standards of the Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation were used to examine violations in program evaluations. Twenty-nine novice graduate students, 57 graduate students with moderate knowledge about evaluation, and 61 expert evaluators viewed propriety and accuracy standards as suffering the most…

Reliability and accuracy of peer ratings by 32, 28, 33 general surgery residents over 3 years were examined. Peer ratings were found highly reliable, with high level of test-retest reliability replicated across three years. Halo effects appear to pose greatest threat to rater accuracy, though chief residents tended to exhibit less halo effect than…

Three exploratory studies involving 116 students examined the relevance of a developmental model for approaching supervision of graduate students in evaluation studies. The model includes three stages and eight developmental tasks in each stage. Three case studies support using the developmental model in conceptualizing student progress. (SLD)

Considers how performance standards should be set and applied in the face of problems caused by auxiliary outcomes (outcomes other than those of interest) and counterfactual outcomes (the threshold standard not observed). Makes the case that the proper way to implement standards varies with the prior information an evaluator can credibly bring to…

The linked judgments approach is offered as a potential solution to problems of statistical conclusion validity when judges' ratings are employed in pretest-posttest designs. (Author/GK)

Microcomputer simulations in evaluation research are useful for (1) improving student understanding of research principles and analytic techniques; (2) investigating problems arising in research implementations; and (3) exploring the accuracy and utility of novel analytic techniques. This article describes these simulation uses for the context of…

This article focuses on the distinction between needs assessment and demand assessment and presents a methodology for operationalizing and measuring demands. Results are reported of a survey of a national sample of 32 university and college administrators to assess their need and demand for an adult student opinion package. (Author/LMO)

The impact of an undergraduate course on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) was studied. Results of a post-test, completed by 352 students (including 96 controls), suggested that the course had a beneficial impact on knowledge, attitudes, and behavior relevant to the transmission of AIDS. Implications for AIDS education are discussed. (SLD)

This study examined 38 textbooks, published between 1977 and 1981 in the fields of social work and education. Evaluations were frequently cited. Compared to social work texts, education texts cited significantly more program outcome findings; social work texts tended to cite more references dealing with recipient characteristics. (Author/PN)

Challenges of collecting and using photographic evidence and photo-interviewing to evaluate technology infusion programs in higher education are discussed. A five-phase study for using photo-interviewing is presented, using evaluation of a hypermedia workshop attended by 1 instructor, 1 graduate assistant, 26 graduate students, and 1 art…

Two quasiexperimental designs--nonequivalent dependent variable and reversed treatment designs--illustrate pattern matching logic as a basis for evaluation, examining college health services. Three pattern matches are significant: (1) program pattern match indicates implementation; (2) measurement match assesses test validity; and (3) effect…

Available research suggests that personal characteristics of decision makers, influence how information is used. Results of three studies presented in this article indicate that locus of control in educational decision-making settings is related to (1) knowledge of superintendent support; (2) type of audience; and (3) context of the program.…

The abbreviated (less-than-two-year) advanced-standing program in social work education was evaluated based on studies indicating that holders of bachelors' degrees in social work perform better than others in graduate social work programs. Admissions office record data allowed proper assessment of undergraduate grade inflation and graduate record…