AN EVALUATION OF A SUMMER INSTITUTE TO TRAIN INSTRUCTORS OF INSTRUMENT TECHNOLOGY. FINAL REPORT

AN EVALUATION WAS MADE TO DETERMINE THE ADEQUACY AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A 1966 SUMMER INSTITUTE HELD AT THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AGRICULTURAL AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE, MORRISVILLE, NEW YORK. FURTHER OBJECTIVES WERE TO CONSTRUCTIVELY CRITICIZE THE APPROACH TAKEN, TO SUGGEST CHANGES FOR SUCCEEDING PROGRAMS, AND TO FORMULATE PLANS FOR THE DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION PERTAINING TO THE TEACHING OF INSTRUMENTATION TECHNOLOGY. THE EVALUATION WAS CONDUCTED BY A FOUR-MEMBER REGIONAL VISITATION COMMITTEE AND A SIX-MEMBER CENTRAL EVALUATION COMMITTEE WITH ALL MEMBERS KNOWLEDGABLE IN THE AREAS OF INSTRUMENTATION AND EDUCATION. IT WAS CONCLUDED BY BOTH COMMITTEES THAT THE PROGRAM WAS SUCCESSFUL AND OUTSTANDING, PARTICULARLY IN THE AREA OF FACILITIES, DEDICATION OF STAFF, AND THE TECHNICAL INFORMATION ON INSTRUMENTATION TECHNOLOGY THAT WAS PRESENTED TO THE PARTICIPANTS. HOWEVER, THE PROGRAM WAS DEFICIENT DUE TO THE HETEROGENEOUS BACKGROUND OF THE PARTICIPANTS AND THE LACK OF PRESENTATIONS ON HOW TO TEACH. SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY THE CENTRAL EVALUATION COMMITTEE WERE THAT (1) THE U.S. OFFICE OF EDUCATION SHOULD SPONSOR SIMILAR PROGRAMS, (2) FUTURE PROGRAMS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TOWARD THE SELECTION OF A MORE HOMOGENEOUS GROUP, (3) THE 8 WEEKS OF STUDY SHOULD BE REDUCED TO 4 TO 6 WEEKS, AND (4) EMPHASIS SHOULD BE PLACED ON THE PEDAGOGICAL ASPECTS OF INSTRUMENTATION TEACHING. (HC)