Increasingly, academics have to demonstrate that their research has academic impact. Universities normally use journal rankings and journal impact factors to assess the research impact of individual academics. More recently, citation counts for individual articles and the h-index have also been used to measure the academic impact of academics.…

This article explores the efficacy of formative assessment feedback models in higher education. Over 1 year and two courses, three feedback techniques were trialled: staff-to-student feedback in class, peer-to-peer feedback in class and peer-to-peer feedback online, via "the Café," an e-learning application hosted by…

Data collection methods constitute a major area of concern in interlanguage pragmatics (ILP) research, since there is no easy way to collect the type of data that is relatively 'naturalistic' while at the same time allowing for researcher control. Further, current ILP research also suffers from the shortage of studies making use of self-report…

Art is visual literacy, some would say more basic than writing and speaking, because it is not hampered by the barrier of language. The process of creating a visual narrative and understanding visual literacy is multi-faceted. Because similar cognitive strategies are used in the practice of both visual and written literacy, incorporation of…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of peer-generated feedback versus visual feedback in inspiring preservice physical education teachers to produce reflections that are more critical than technical. The participants were junior-, senior-, and graduate-level health and physical education majors enrolled in an instructional…

A workshop in which faculty meet with their peers to critically review their work-in-progress, conference papers, or journal articles before they are submitted is described. The program has served to assist faculty in making work more publishable, improve skills, and encourage professional development activities. (MSE)

Designed for college freshman composition classes, this guide describes a writing assignment for teaching students to write a formal review of a favorite children's book. The book analysis worksheet serves as a springboard for questions and a vehicle for teaching persuasive discourse, the business of publishing, the organization of libraries, the…

Describes a writing assignment to help students develop the capacity to anticipate and deal with the counter arguments of a skeptical reading audience, in which classmates offer rebuttals to student position papers. A sample peer review form is included. (HTH)

Presents an exercise in which students are assigned a current study then write three two-page critiques of the article. Peer review using double blind, single blind, or open review systems is employed followed by class discussion. (DDR)

Discusses the importance of voice in writing and suggests that the current interest in the writing process encourages students to increase their power of expression without distorting their voice beyond recognition. Includes samples of student writing. (MM)

Offers notes and anecdotes concerning an article on the "New York Times Book Review," marginally useful research, Denis Diderot and politics, peer review of journal articles, loss of valuable literary criticism manuscripts, social sciences education, great mathematician Paul Erdos, quality of political judgment, and creation education.…

Presents the results of a survey of perceived quality of doctoral programs in mass communication as rated by members of the Broadcast Education Association and members of the Association for Communication Administration. (MS)

Purpose: To provide a best practice framework for peer review via teaching observation as a method of appraising teaching performance within UK higher education (HE) institutions. Design/methodology/approach: The paper uses secondary data analysis via the current literature on peer review and peer appraisal, as well as use of primary data obtained…

Responds to recent scathing criticism of the peer review process of scholarly publishing. Identifies three main problems with reviewers and editors: unresponsiveness, inconsistency, and indecisiveness. Discusses the pros and cons of several proposed publishing reforms including multiple submissions, establishing clearer and more consistent…

Before students are able to write fairly original, successful, critical essays on literature, they need to become experienced members of the audience for whom they will write, sharing fully the social context of critical writing by becoming part of an interactive, interpretive community. This reader-response technique appears to be the best…