Thomas M. Sherman

Ten Commandments for Successful Technology Implementation and Staff Development

President Clinton has set a goal of a computer in every classroom by the year 2000. What will be done with those computers once they are installed? Parents, teachers, students, and community members are likely to hold principals accountable for producing evidence that tech nology is enhancing teaching and learning in the classroom.

Measurement of Multicultural Attitudes of Teacher Trainees.

An instrument was developed to measure multicultural attitudes of teacher trainees. The Multicultural Attitude Questionnaire (MAQ) was based on the hypothesis that multicultural attitudes would best be reflected by responses in several dimensions. Consequently, the MAQ contains items relating to variety in family and friends, social distance, acceptance of others, opinions on specific groups, and ethnic composition. The MAQ was analyzed through the use of factor analysis, multiple regression, and the correla tion of scores with personality variables. The MAQ appears to be a promising tool to assess multicultural attitudes. It ap pears to be sensitive to differences between students and to offer a method for assessment of developmental differences of teacher trainees in a teacher education program.

Learning Improvement Programs: A Review of Controllable Influences.

Effective learning in higher education is a relatively complex phenomenon and, like achievement in other settings, not fully understood. Because a number of factors that clearly influence student learning have been identified [5, 37, 42], it is possible to describe the processes students employ while learning. In general, current characterizations of these processes differ from those of only a few years ago, with increased attention being given to the complex, personal, and controllable nature of learning. These more varied and detailed pictures of effective and ineffective learning make possible predictions about how to assist all learners to become more effective and efficient. Traditionally, effective learning was considered a function of individual effort. Students, admitted to colleges selectively, were expected to study hard and learn. In 1946, following pioneering work by Whipple and Curtis [55] and McCluskey [36], Robinson [47] introduced the first systematic study method. Robinsons main focus was on individual student effort, but his emphasis shifted somewhat from native ability to general classes of study behaviors. These behaviorsspecifically, survey, question, read, recite, review (SQ3R)-were organized study actions that, to some degree, made learning a function of more than ability. That is, study behaviors were a means to maximize an already demonstrated ability to achieve. For the next thirty years or so, programs to improve learner achievement employed variations of SQ3R. Coincidentally, efforts were initiated to improve instruction by creating learning resource centers and instructor evaluation programs as well as by emphasizing teaching missions. For the most

The Development and Structure of Personal Control in Teachers.

AbstractIt is unclear how the degree to which teachers perceive themselves as responsible for student achievement is developed. Teacher personal control was investigated by comparing the responses of teacher trainees with the responses of practicing teachers on the I-E Scale. Teacher trainees responded in a manner somewhat different from other reported groups of undergraduate students. The responses of teachers with more than 5 years experience indicated a significantly higher sense of personal control than either teacher trainees or teachers with less than 5 years experience. Other identified differences and their implications are discussed.

The Effects of Student Formative Evaluation of Instruction on Teacher Behavior.

Two university classes rated their instructors after each class without their instructors knowledge. Students rated both the value and quality of instruction for each class and indicated why each rating was given. The effects of formative feedback and the specificity of feedback were investigated. Results indicated that formative student feedback was effective in improving ratings when this feedback contained specific enough information regarding instructor classroom behavior. The implications of using formative student evaluation of instruction are discussed along with suggestions for utilizing student instructor feedback information.

The use of subjective scales for measuring interpersonal reactions

Abstract A procedure is described for using subjective scales similar to the subjective unit of disturbance scale to measure changes in interpersonal relationships. An example of the use of such a scale to measure changes in levels of interpersonal irritation is given. Several other examples of possible subjective scales in similar ways are suggested.

Evaluating a computer literacy curriculum: a comparative study of evaluation procedures for validating a computer literacy curriculum

A multi-measure validation procedure was employed to evaluate a computer literacy curriculum. The evaluation was based upon the assumption that a comparison of results from several validation techniques produces more conclusive evidence about transfer hypotheses generated for the curriculum. The evaluation process was enhanced by the development and use of a sequenced decision-making procedure through which validation data from many sources could be employed. The results of the evaluation were used to produce a validated and reproducible curriculum consisting of sixty-two specific computer literacy objectives relating to five major goals or objectives.

A Strategy for Systematic Component Analysis of Instructional Programs

A strategy for systematic analysis of the contribution of each component of an instructional program to a prescribed outcome is described. The strategy is based upon a multiple baseline experimental design; in this strategy instructional components are successively added to either students, content or situations. An example of the application of the strategy to analyze components of an instructional program is presented along with examples of how the process may be used in other situations.

Application of behavioral technology to small group discussion with university students

Tokens were given to university students in two separate experiments for participation in small group discussions. In the first experiment a multiple baseline design was used with two small groups in an educational psychology class. In the second, 10 small groups were assessed on group participation without and with a token condition. Results of the first experiment were inconclusive though favorable; the second experiment resulted in a significant difference (t=15.41; P<.001, df=77) in group participation when tokens were delivered contingent upon group participation. The results indicate that token technology can be an effective technique to increase small group participation when a variety of back-up reinforcers is offered. The results are discussed in terms of possible applications of token technology within a university setting.