Student retention and progression has exercised the HE sector for some time now, and there has been much research into the reasons why students drop out of Higher Education courses. (Allen, 2006; Buglear, 2009;). More recently the Higher Education Academy Grants Programme Briefing (HEFCE, 2010), outlined a number of areas that emergent project…

Reviews programs such as the Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and literature on the scholarship of teaching at the higher education level. Suggests that the scholarship of teaching is not synonymous with excellent teaching, but requires faculty to "go meta," to systematically investigate questions of student learning.…

The relationship between test performance and the size of the class in which instruction occurred was studied at Brigham Young University. The classes prepared students for examinations to meet general education graduation requirements. All test scores from 318 sections representing 27 courses from the fall semester, 1980 were analyzed. Section…

Agencies in at least a dozen states are seeking information about college faculty workload, including number of student contact hours, reflecting concern about faculty productivity and quality of undergraduate teaching. The issue is considered delicate, but both internal and external pressure to account for faculty time and salaries are mounting.…

The 11 papers in this collection address research and theory in higher education. The papers are: (1) "Teaching, Learning, and Thinking about Teaching and Learning" (W.J. McKeachie); (2) "Costs and Productivity in Higher Education: Theory, Evidence, and Policy Implications" (Darrell R. Lewis and Halil Dunbar); (3) "Institutional Adaptation:…

This manual, the second part of a guide to assist colleges in field-testing the survey instrument "Student Goals Exploration" (SGE), is a technical treatment for use by researchers. The SGE is a survey designed to measure student goals for attending college and for enrolling in specific courses. Section I, "About the Student Goals…

Differences in grades received by students in different sections of the same college course were evaluated at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in fall 1983 and compared to spring 1983 findings. After determining grades for each section of a particular course, the chi-square test for "k" independent samples was applied to the data to…

Institutional researchers can play a key role in linking basic, policy, and evaluation research to improve teaching and learning. Potential intervention points to improve teaching and learning, types of research, institutional research role, learners and teachers, curriculum content, etc. are discussed. (MLW)

Institutional research that examines the influence of organizational and administrative factors on student learning may be critical in improving educational performance. The role that institutional researchers might play in reducing semantic confusion and enhancing understanding of how colleges and universities improve student learning is…

A review of studies of U.S. and Canadian college and university institutional research offices finds a traditional focus on size, organizational location, professional preparation, and primary tasks. Suggests the emergence of four trends related to: (1) technology, (2) demographics, (3) emphasis on pedagogy, and (4) national, regional, and state…

The purpose of the study was to investigate grading patterns at Indiana University at two points in time to ascertain whether or not grade inflation had occurred. Grades were compared in classes that were taught by the same professors and were of the same size in 1970-71 and 1975-76. The ability level of the students was statistically controlled.…

A two year pilot study of interactive computing in teacher education began in 1973 at the University of Iowa. Project planning included provisions for four support systems--faculty involvement, technical support, communication and hardware and facilities. A committee of representative faculty and staff had responsibility for planning, program…

Several important issues to improvement of teaching and learning are identified: accountability, assessing effectiveness, increasing demands for data, expanding technology and research, and minority participation in higher education. Useful tools for institutional researchers emerging from work at National Center for Research to Improve…

College catalogs present a snapshot of the institution's curriculum perspectives at a given point in time and can help document changes over time. For curriculum evaluation, college catalog analysis is best used in conjunction with other methods of curriculum data collection. (MSE)

A survey was conducted of a college faculty of 253 to assess faculty attitudes toward governance, teaching, curriculum and students. A modified, abbreviated form of the Carnegie Foundation Faculty Survey was developed. The response rate was 67%. Results included the following: (1) 67% indicated that their writing had been published, or their…