IntroductionA number of recent papers have emphasized that determinants of student learning and the relationship between learning and student evaluations of teachers and courses (SETs) can be satisfactorily understood only within the context of a behavioral model in which students and teachers are treated as rational individuals intent on maximizing their own satisfaction. 1 This paper develops a general model of student allocation of effort among courses that incorporates constraints on student time and ability, curricular choices open to students, and information concerning course characteristics . The model provides a framework for clarifying the relationship among student learning, course evaluation, and various course characteristics and for interpreting the often conflicting results of statistical studies relating to these factors. By providing a basis for understanding the implications of teachers' choice of subject matter and grading practices, the model fills a void in the existing literature. In addition, the model provides the rationale for empirical measures of student effort and learning rate superior to those currently available. 2