Education Commons^™

Factors In The Probability Of Covid-19 Transmission In University Classrooms, Charles Connor

Numeracy

University students and faculty members need an effective strategy to evaluate and reduce the probability that an individual will become infected with COVID-19 as a result of classroom interactions. Models are developed here that consider the probability an individual will become infected as a function of: prevalence of the disease in the university community, number of students in class, number of class meetings, and transmission rate in the classroom given the presence of an infected individual. Absolute probabilities that an individual will become infected in a classroom environment cannot be calculated because some of these factors have unknown values. Nevertheless, …

The Impact Of Class Size On The Speech/Time Ratio In The Public Speaking Course, Brent Kice

Basic Communication Course Annual

Authors were asked to prepare an essay as if they were writing a letter to their dean (whose academic training was in another discipline) who (1) asked that enrollment in each basic course section be increased to a level that compromises the pedagogy of the basic course or (2) proposed that the required basic communication course be eliminated from the university’s general education program.

Here, the author discusses the pressures of increased class sizes. The nature of public speaking requires that class time be divided between instruction and graded student speeches. An increase in allotted time in one area results …

A Practical Method Of Policy Analysis By Estimating Effect Size, James L. Phelps

Educational Considerations

The previous articles on class size and other productivity research paint a complex and confusing picture of the relationship between policy variables and student achievement. Missing is a conceptual scheme capable of combining the seemingly unrelated research and dissimilar estimates of effect size into a unified structure for policy analysis and decision making. This article builds a rationale for a unifying structure and consistent method of estimating effect size.

Another Look At The Glass And Smith Study On Class Size, James L. Phelps

Educational Considerations

One of the most influential studies affecting educational policy is Glass and Smith’s 1978 study, Meta-Analysis of Research on the Relationship of Class Size and Achievement. Since its publication, educational policymakers have referenced it frequently as the justification for reducing class size.

Introduction To The Special Issue, Faith E. Crampton, David C. Thompson

Educational Considerations

We are pleased to share with you this special issue revisiting the research on the relationship between class size and student achievement, along with its implications for education policymakers and practitioners. For over half a century, researchers have struggled to identify those variables that contribute in significant ways to students’ academic success, and the resulting, voluminous literature is rife with contradictory results. At the same time, the positive results of class size research, which is part of the body of “production function” analysis, has received broad acceptance by policymakers, parents, and practitioners who believe “smaller is better.”

A Practical Method Of Policy Analysis By Considering Productivity-Related Research, James L. Phelps

Educational Considerations

The basic notion underlying schooling is rather simple: Hire teachers to instruct students. From there, the tasks become more complicated. How many teachers should be employed? What assignments should the teachers be given, in the classroom or in a supporting role? What assistance should teachers receive from aides or volunteers?