An Examination of Evaluation Methods for Comparing Two Information Retrieval Systems Supporting Teacher Performance

ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Here I stand with my piccolo but the orchestra plays much more sweetly… My thanks is humbly offered: • To my committee – Tom, Javed, Curt, and Marty, who have guided me through the years leading up to this process and through this long, messy labor. Like midwives everywhere, I made the problems and you were there to help me push, 'though you rarely got more than cursing for your efforts. • To Mike for many moments of calm guidance. Your words helped me learn to be a student and a scholar. • To Bill and Bob, who went there first. • To Gene, for two very well timed and well placed boots. • To Sasha, who got me started on the right track. • To Rob, for wicked humor and deep understanding. I miss you. • To Lee, for understanding my ramblings and making these things work. • To Harvi for starting me out and Javed for helping me understand and continually sharing insights while keeping me going. • To Tom, for friendship, guidance, too many books, and many hours of wonderful chats – I guess you finally got me hooked on this scholarship thing. • Dr. Ajit Mukherjee – for guiding me through the statistics and accomplishing the impossible – helping me understand what the statistics say. • To William Cooper for an idea too long kept waiting. • To Mom and Dad, for continued love, support, guidance, and the belief that I could do this, even when I doubted it. You each made this possible. • To Susan, who has been through so much for so many years…with great love. There ARE a million things to be – aren't there? • And finally, to Paul, who came all the way to Indiana for no good reason except so we could stay together…who was there through the tensions, fears, frustrations, and silences with your quiet, solid, love. You have been entirely patient with me & incredibly good. ..I don't think two people could have been happier than we have been. S. Learning objects have stirred great controversy in the educational community over the past few years. Some embrace the idea as a new wave in education, allowing customization of instruction on the fly. Others flatly reject the concept of objects. If learning is constructed (either internally or socially), then the idea of objectified learning contradicts over …