The first purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of a tool to measure students' evaluation of online courses. A second purpose was to examine students' evaluations of our online courses. A principal components analysis revealed six underlying factors that appear to have high validity: appropriateness of readings and assignments; technological tools; instructor feedback and communication; course organization; clarity of outcomes and assignments, and content format. Cronbach's alpha of .98 indicated high inter-item reliability. Feedback from students showed an overall satisfaction with online courses, with somewhat lower satisfaction regarding aspects pertaining to instructor feedback and technology. Students rated content organization and formatting of the content more favorably than other aspects of the course.

The purpose of this survey was to explore how adults communicate their end-of-life preferences. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 119 community-dwelling adults who had previously engaged in conversations about their end-of-life preferences. Factors that made it easier to initiate the discussion included having personal experience with illness or death (24.4%), being straightforward (24.4%), or having someone else facilitate the discussion (11.8%). Most described vague end-of-life preferences such as not wanting any machines (41.2%) or heroics (34.5%). Although 22.7% reported using a living will to make their preferences clear, only 5.9% mentioned repeating or reinforcing their preferences. In all, 21% had discussed their end-of-life preferences with their physicians. These findings show discussions about end-of-life preferences frequently lack the clarity and detail needed by significant others and health care providers to honor the preferences. Routine dialogue with health care providers and significant others about end-of-life preferences might provide greater clarity and comfort.

In the last twenty years, the educational system has seen a drastic increase in the number of individuals served under the category of autism spectrum disorder (ASD); which has led to an emphasis on ways in which to meet the needs of this multifaceted group of students. Although evidence-based practices (EBPs) have been identified for this population, research suggests teachers report having only moderate levels of confidence in their ability to implement these EBPs. The purpose of this review of the literature is to identify ways in which public school teachers determine the interventions used to meet the IEP goals of students with ASD, the efficacy of the chosen interventions, and the ways in which teacher preparation can be improved to ensure teachers are better able to identify and implement appropriate EBPs. Findings suggest an emphasis on coursework, and fieldwork specifically related to meeting the needs of students with ASD, should be addressed in preservice teacher training programs.

This chapter discusses differentiated instruction for the gifted and talented educator. The first section focuses on the foundations of differentiated instruction (DI) including the definition with examples of DI. The second section discusses specific skills identified for the GATE teacher with examples of instructional methods for the skill and examples of specific assessments to evaluate the skill. The chapter concludes with a wrap up of skills and DI methods related to instruction and assessment for the GATE teacher.

No abstract