Lou M. Carey

The Academic Motivation Profile for Undergraduate Student Use in Evaluating College Courses.

Abstract Even though student ratings of instructors are widely used across college campuses, few instruments have the necessary psychometric properties of reliability and validity to permit the decisions for which they are often used. Further, these instruments are rarely based on theory. This research describes a new instrument, the Academic Motivation Profile, that is derived from theories of motivation. The instruments development, psychometric properties, and its potential uses for improving instruction are discussed.

Using Formative Evaluation for the Selection of Instructional Materials.

Instructional materials selection practices vary widely in the way they are administered and conducted, the criteria that are used, and the precision with which they are carried out. In this paper a two-phase instructional materials selection process is presented. The process is based on considerations from the design and formative evaluation of competency-based instruction. The purpose of the first phase is to select materials that have the best potential for affecting learning outcomes desired by a local or state educational agency. The purpose of the second phase is to verify decisions made in Phase I, and make recommendations to teachers about how the materials can be used most effectively. The paper also includes a comparison between the guidelines for materials selection published by the State of Florida and the considerations recommended in this paper.