Data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study of Special Education Students were used to examine five key aspects of secondary education: (1) the overall high school experience, (2) academic course-taking, (3) vocational preparation, (4) placement, and (5) support services for students. An executive summary reports major findings in these…

Despite enormous political, social, and psychological forces working against them, some inner city black youths defy the odds and succeed academically. This study focuses on a group of successful at-risk minority students in an urban secondary school, and in particular on their student experience, including interactions with school culture,…

Attitudes of college seniors toward Saint Mary's College were surveyed in 1981. Of the 403 surveys, 175 responses were obtained. The following areas were addressed: choice of major/career, satisfaction with assistance in choosing a major or making educational plans, plans for the future, evaluation of major program, evaluation of programs abroad,…

Three current approaches to the investigation of active learning and a study of two designs of a field-based graduate course are considered. The first approach, by Lenore Borzak and Barbara Hursh (1977, 1979), centers around the study of students' cognitive development and changes in self-perception stemming from experiential learning. Another…

The effect of student-faculty interaction on student outcomes after four years was examined within the context of a causal model adapted from a general college impact model. This model includes three sets of variables: students' background characteristics, four aspects of student-faculty interaction, and four categopies of outcomes. The four…

Evaluation methods for master's degree programs should be substantially different from those currently used for doctoral degree programs. Three current methods, that of Beverley Hurlbert, that of Jack Gourman, and that using departmental reputations as the major criterion, are insufficient. Elements that should be included in the evaluation are…

Various topics concerning assessment in higher education are considered in five papers. In "Defining and Measuring the Competencies of a Liberal Arts Education," David G. Winter proposes that liberal arts competencies can be assessed by creative new quantitative strategies and outlines five important criteria, or standards, as well as measures of…

This publication is intended to provide educators and interested community agencies with basic information to help determine which of the four Experience-Based Career Education (EBCE) programs would be most appropriate for their school and community. Four regional educational laboratories selected by the National Institute of Education to develop…

The handbook provides practical guidelines for approaching and carrying out an individual program at the University Without Walls (UWW). Section one gives an overview of UWW, with key affiliations, concepts, and materials, and a look at student participation. Section two contains information on implementing a program: program advisors, faculty…

The degree to which cooperative education is a viable educational and/or financial aid mechanism for institutions of higher education to adopt is examined in this research report. A postsecondary co-op program is defined as one in which the institution takes primary responsibility for providing the student with a series of experiences in which…

During the 1976 academic year the Evaluation Office continued its study of student development at Simon's Rock and of the factors that underlie successful academic and social adjustment at an early college. Included in the year's study are the characteristics of 1976 incoming students, compared with students entering in previous years, predictors…

What students do in college matters as much as anything else in terms of their educational success. Educationally effective colleges and universities - those that add value to the student experience - intentionally craft policies and practices that channel students' energy to the activities that matter to student learning. Students who…

In 1992, a study at the University of Melbourne (Australia) investigated the experiences of 1,108 freshman students in the schools of arts, economics, and commerce. Based on the results, areas for improvement in curriculum design and faculty development were identified. The three faculties were then invited to develop teaching and curriculum…

The characteristics and experience of mature students at the National University of Ireland (NUI) Maynooth were examined in a study in which data were collected from the following: detailed questionnaire mailed to all 298 mature students registered at NUI Maynooth and returned by 164 (55%) of them; semistructured interviews with a sample of 20…

Instructional design (ID) case studies that pose authentic ill-defined design problems in realistic environments can help instructional design students bridge the gap between novice and expert practice. Over the past 3 years, the authors have explored aspects of this educational approach through the development of World Wide Web-based…