James F. Niss

End-of-Course Evaluations as Indicators of Student Learning and Instructor Effectiveness

There are two aspects of this article that readers should find particularly interesting. First, Marlin and Niss provide additional data on the question of student evaluations of professors and courses. Second, they suggest the use of canonical correlation as an ideal way of facing the problems confronted in analyzing the educational production function. The authors assert that “canonical correlation would seem to answer many of the problems encountered in previous single-equation models….” Their research suggests that student evaluations can be used as surrogates for direct evaluations and that the former “do indeed measure the level of teacher input.”

The Effectiveness of "Economics U

Using a standard economics course as a control group, the authors tested the relative effectiveness of this television course on student achievement and attitudes.

A" on Learning and Attitudes.

Using the Economics U

Concentrated Study Time and Improved Learning Efficiency: An Experiment Using Economics U

A television series, the authors conducted an experiment to test whether course length and concentration affect learning.

A

Marlin and Niss describe the computer-managed Advanced Learning System developed at Western Illinois University for teaching macro and micro concepts for the basic principles course. By adapting the Air Force Advanced Instructional System, the economics faculty at WIU has created an individualized, self-paced, multi-media, instructional system. A description of how the system operates, the progress to date, and statistical results of an experimental program to measure student comprehension and information retention as compared with classes taught by conventional teaching techniques is presented.

The Advanced Learning System, a Computer-managed, Self-paced System of Instruction: An Application in Principles of Economics

Abstract The Advanced Learning System, developed at Western Illinois University is a micro-computer managed, self-paced, multi-media, and student centered system of instruction which is currently being used to teach two beginning courses in economics. Students progress through the course by accomplishing the objectives established for each unit of instruction. Learning is individualized in that each student chooses the materials which help him to learn best. Traditional textbooks are used along with videotape presentations, audiotape/workbook combinations, discussion groups, and written exercises. Students determine when they are ready to display their understanding of the objectives by testing on the micro-processor controlled CRTs. Each student receives a randomly selected test. Upon completing the test, the student immediately receives feedback on whether or not he passed, which questions he missed, why they were wrong, and in which areas he needs restudy. The system has been in operation for four years and evaluation of results reveals that students perform as well or better than students in traditional classroom settings. Of particular interest is the fact that slower students seem to gain even more from te system than do the brighter ones. The authors indicate that the Advanced Learning System can be used in many disciplines almost without modification.