The activities of the Multilevel Analysis Project of the Center for the Study of Evaluation from February 1 to June 1, 1978 are summarized. Twelve project staff activities are listed, including papers on alternative analytical models for identifying educational effects, conference presentations, and grant proposals. A report on empirical…

An approach for merging quantitative-qualitative data in order to enlarge the evaluators' perspective and provide an enriched data base for evaluating elusive evaluation problems in school settings is described. Mini-case studies were conducted over a period of three years in 11 urban schools to examine the impact of an arts-in-the-schools program…

Seven studies commissioned by the U.S. Department of Labor measuring the net market impacts of the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act are reviewed. Their purpose was to generate informed debate on the efficacy of quasi-experimental designs and structural economic models to evaluate federally subsidized employment and training programs. (BS)

Measuring change when true experimental conditions do not exist is a difficult process. This article reviews the artifacts of change measurement in evaluations and quasi-experimental designs, delineates considerations in choosing a model to measure change under nonideal conditions, and suggests ways to organize models to facilitate selection.…

Alternate approaches to traditional research techniques available for the physical educator are: (1) field research, using structured and unstructured observation in actual settings; (2) survey analysis to ascertain current conditions or practice; (3) field experiments conducted in actual settings with experimenter controls; (4) time series…

At-risk adult literacy learners (n=20) were randomly assigned to a control group or one of three treatments: counselor-teacher team support, small-group instruction with students not at risk, or one-on-one tutoring. All in the treatment groups persisted longer than controls. The small group method was most effective for retaining students. (SK)

Interactive Web-based tutorials were developed as a supplement to lectures in an introductory statistics class. A quasi-experimental design compared learning outcomes of students who attended one of two classes that offered the tutorials to students as an extra-credit course option to those who attended a lecture-only class. Analysis of critical…

Four pairs of connectionist simulations are presented in which quasi-regular mappings are computed using localist and distributed representations. In each simulation, a control parameter termed input gain was modulated over the only level of representation that mapped inputs to outputs. Input gain caused both localist and distributed models to…

This paper argues for the integration of metacognitive thinking into the content of school science. It describes the ' metacognitive instances ' approach of implanting metacognitive activities, such as classroom discussions, annotated drawing, keeping diary-like notes and concept-mapping, at selected points of the teaching procedure, in an attempt…

One goal of professional development is to improve student achievement through improved teacher practice. The middle school philosophy, which supports the rationale that student learning is inextricably interwoven into the fabric of an active learning environment, contains many promising practices that "mirror" what is often considered to be high…

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of the Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Extension, and Evaluation (5E) learning cycle, conceptual change texts, and traditional instructions on 8th grade students' understanding of photosynthesis and respiration in plants. Students' understanding of photosynthesis and respiration in…

This longitudinal study examined the effects of providing an accelerated mathematics curriculum in heterogeneously grouped middle school classes in a diverse suburban school district. A quasi-experimental cohort design was used to evaluate subsequent completion of advanced high school math courses as well as academic achievement. Results showed…

This paper presents the development and evaluation of a web-based lesson--Lesson Rainbow. This lesson features multiple representations (MRs), which purposefully deliver concepts in relation to distinctive disciplinary subject areas through story-based animations that are closely related to learners' life experiences. The researchers selected 58…

A quasi-experimental research design with quantitative and qualitative methodologies was conducted to explore reactions of 21 students to treatment manuals for substance abuse. Students were randomized to experimental (n = 11) and attention-control (n = 10) groups involving exposure to one of two manual-based therapy interventions. Quantitative…

Distance education cannot escape comparisons to traditional classes, and critics of distance education frequently point to the higher drop rate in distance education as evidence of its lower educational quality. While David Diaz and Ryan Cartnal note that this conclusion is a debatable one, they acknowledge that reducing drop rates in online…