Two multiple-examination system, in which the best test score or the last test score counted toward the final grade were compared with a conventional testing and grading system for 271 undergraduates. The type of examination system generated no significant effect on a cumulative final, but multiple examinations appeared to result in poorer unit…

Describes an interactive game used in conjunction with traditional laboratory work, group discussions, student presentations, and writing exercises to provide an enjoyable and motivating dimension to a university seminar/lab course in historical geology and paleontology. The game is designed for a university setting but can easily be modified for…

This research comprised three studies (two prospective and one short-term longitudinal) designed to investigate mastery, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance goals as predictors of achievement-relevant processes prior to the undergraduate examination experience. Results from across the three studies were supportive of hypotheses and…

Letter writing in a "Dear Abby" format can encourage your reluctant writers to dig deeper into books by dispensing advice to troubled characters When this author's triplet daughters were in the fifth grade and wrote the advice column for their school newspaper, she discovered giving advice can motivate reluctant writers. This realization prompted …

This study investigated first-year students' perceptions of their level of capability across several domains of generic skills and attributes. Factor analysis of students' ratings revealed that first-years categorize skills in ways that can be meaningfully related to job performance. While there were some differences in students' perceptions of…

Proposes that content- or skill-based labs can be revised to explicitly involve the scientific method by asking students to propose hypotheses before making observations. Students' self-assessment showed they felt that they learned a great deal from this style of labs and found the labs to be fun; however, students felt that they learned little…

Due to the effect of academic performance on employment opportunities and admission to graduate schools, researchers have long recognized the need for identifying factors that are linked to the academic performance of undergraduate marketing students. This research proposes a model that investigates the relationships among motivation, effort,…

This study canvasses reliability of students' self and peer evaluation, a method of assessment of university students that has recently gained renewed pedagogical interest and broad recognition. Two experiments, imbedded in classroom curriculum, examined the effects of the instrument of evaluation (with criteria vs. no criteria for evaluation…

Television production is a complicated task. It requires advanced technical skills and abilities, as well as tremendous creative input. It requires an outlying of time by an individual to learn the skills and implement the creative ideas he or she might have for a television show. A study examined the perceptions of 30 students who were highly…

First year university students are identified and categorized according to their motivations for enrolling in colleges. Characteristics and achievements of students with varying motivations are discussed, and changes in motivation during the first year of college are explored. Students were surveyed in the fall during the first 2 weeks of class to…

Montana State University's (MSU) use of the Student-Outcomes Information Services (SOIS), developed jointly by the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) and the College Board for surveying the characteristics and opinions of entering undergraduate students, is examined. The Entering-Student Questionnaire, one of five…

Reports on a study of the intellectual and socio-emotional orientations of younger and older (over 26 years) undergraduate students. Describes a typology of characteristics of the two groups and discusses the effects of age, circumstances, and prior life experiences upon student motivation and learning. (SK)

This study examined the views of 70 undergraduate and graduate students exposed to multimedia projections in a classroom. It found that students supported the integration of animation, music, and voice; perceived screens to be better organized and clearer than traditional classroom settings; and were more interested in the material presented in…

Investigated the relationship between client motivation and certainty toward a college major in 80 college undergraduates enrolled in group career counseling. Results do not support hypothesis that clients with high motivation are more certain about their careers. (TE)

Discusses development and use of an instrument for assessing introductory psychology students' perceptions of success in the course. Reports that perceptions were ranked and analyzed for motivational orientation. Reveals the discovery of primarily intrinsic orientation for highest ranked perceptions and extrinsic orientation for lowest rated ones.…