"Scrapbooking" is a popular hobby and as such, has found its way into educational settings, primarily in middle and elementary school levels. This article describes a scrapbook project that is used both as a means of demonstrating the connections between geology and students' daily lives and as an alternative form of assessment. The project was developed for an introductory Earth Science class for ... Full description.

This article examines the effects of a program involving authentic research on the participants' interest in research, career plans, and attitudes on science. The findings are from the first year of a three-year program funded by the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates program. In three out of four projects, participants increased their interest in research, with two-thirds ... Full description.

This article describes a study in which a university course that is divided into many sections was evaluated for grading congruence and teaching conformity to determine the effectiveness of weekly teaching team meetings and a comprehensive instructors' teaching guide. Three grading variables, a semester project, laboratory reports, and examination scores, were studied over a five-semester period and ... Full description.

This site contains a list of criteria to look for in evaluating a website critically. There are checklists for general criteria, suitability for the audience, content, timeliness, ease of use, presentation, appropriateness for digital/web format, and special characteristics of web-based media. This resource is intended for use in the classroom by novice evaluators and K-12 teachers. Full description.

This page provides an overview of the evaluation activities of the Center for Technology in Learning (CTL). There are links to a number of past and present CTL evaluation projects. Also available is a collection of publications by members of the CTL group. Full description.

This article describes the use of the mastery learning approach for two large enrollment introductory level courses. Students were required to complete a minimum number of assignments, and were then given the option to complete additional work that could be substituted for other completed assignments. In general, student perception of these grading systems was favorable; however, students did not ... Full description.

This visioning document sets forth recommendations for reformed assessment and evaluation in Earth and space science education. These recommendations include a greater emphasis on performance assessment, as well as a review of standardized tests to ensure that science content is aligned with curriculum and grade level. Interdisciplinary assessments, assessing student misconceptions and additional ... Full description.

This is an exhaustive glossary of evaluation terms. This is a good resource for anyone who wants to become more familiar with the vocabulary of evaluation or for anyone who needs to look up evaluation terminology. Full description.

This article describes the benefits of research partnerships to scientists, students, and teachers. There is growing awareness that the way science is experienced in the K-16 classroom deviates greatly from the experiences of practicing researchers. Whereas researchers are immersed in more open-ended observation and inquiry, many K-16 students find themselves cramming to memorize core scientific content ... Full description.

Action research consists of a family of research methodologies which pursue action and research outcomes at the same time. This is a resource file which supports the regular public program "areol" (action research and evaluation on line). Using an evaluation process in the general style of action research, it illustrates some points about qualitative research and evaluation. Full description.