In support of research examining relationships between learner characteristics and the quality of online discussions, this paper surveys different methods for evaluating discussions. The paper will present coding methods used in our own research as well as methods used by others interested in quality online discussions. Key topics include what…

This document examines the work of Daniel Starch, emphasizing his work in educational psychology and advertising. After earning his doctorate in psychology (1906), Starch attempted to apply the findings of the new science to education and to advertising. This application met with much success. In advertising, he devised new sampling techniques and…

This brief report summarizes the analysis and conclusions presented in detail in Interim Report VI regarding the feasibility of conducting a longitudinal study of Project Developmental Continuity (PDC). This project is a Head Start demonstration program aimed at providing educational and developmental continuity between children's Head Start and…

COLLEGE FRESHMEN VOLUNTEERED FOR THIS LABORATORY EXPERIMENT USING SELF PACING ON INDIVIDUAL TEACHING MACHINES FOR LIBRARY ORIENTATION. SLIDES PRESENTED TO ONE GROUP (COL) COMBINED COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS AND PRINT, WHILE THE OTHER GROUP (PRN) SAW SLIDES WITH ONLY PRINT CONTENT. PRE-TESTS INCLUDED STANDARD ABILITY TESTS, AND A LIBRARY USAGE TEST, ALSO…

A chronicle of the problems faced in an attempt to collect data on sociology curriculum trends in California's community college system is presented. The project was initiated in an effort to determine if other colleges in the system were experiencing the same difficulties with curriculum and enrollment in sociology courses being encountered by…

The purpose of the study was twofold: first, to determine the reliability of a paired-associate (PA) task when used as a test of learning proficiency; and second, to assess the relationship between performance on the PA task and on IQ tests as a function of grade level (kindergarten, first, third) and socioeconomic status (high, low). The…

Unlike the past models guiding cross-cultural psychological research, a new paradigm facilitates multiple level investigations by incorporating both culture-specific (nested) and culture-general (crossed) independent variables within its partially-hierarchical framework. Based upon the generalizability analysis, this model generates sequential…

This paper reports the results of an evaluative statistical analysis of the instrument employed for student evaluation of faculty at Oakton Community College (Illinois). The analysis was performed because the locally devised instrument had never been subjected to systematic study of reliability or validity, and because a review of pertinent…

This descriptive report covers the first phase of a 20-year longitudinal study of black children adopted under 3 years of age by black couples, white couples, and single persons. The sample of three groups of approximately equal size was selected from the adoptive placements of two private child welfare agencies between June 1970 and June 1972.…

The Beginning Teacher Evaluation Study (BTES), Phase II, was a research project on effective teaching behavior--what teachers do that significantly affects what and how pupils learn. The purposes of Phase II were to (1) develop an assessment system for measuring teacher and pupil behaviors and other factors which could influence each of them and…

Factors associated with effective job performance among agricultural extension workers in Jamaica were examined; and the validity of transferring, to a developing nation, the descriptive and theoretical generalizations concerning selection of effective extension workers in the United States was investigated. The sample of 99 officers included 30…

A test of a reputable scholarship search service using a fictitious student and characteristics revealed that the aid source information obtained was only fair in relevance and response rate to follow-up inquiry. Students are advised to concentrate on more productive sources of information: colleges, personal contacts, and publications. (MSE)

The No Child Left Behind Act requires standards-based accountability for school districts and schools receiving Title I funds. A major component of this policy is to report whether districts and schools are making "adequate yearly progress" (AYP) based on their performance goals. This paper raises questions for rural schools using the…

In response to the numerous school reform initiatives being implemented, Sternberg proposed a theory of contextual modifiability stating that successful change in a school requires that the school be modifiable. Sternberg developed the School Characteristics Inventory (SCI), a 116-item Likert scale questionnaire, to assess schools'…

The construct of dispositions is well defined in national standards, and U.S. colleges of education are required to assess candidate dispositions to meet accreditation requirements. Measurement, however, is virtually non-existent. On-line reviews of college accreditation reports indicate that colleges are attempting to assess dispositions without…