Development and Testing of the Cluster-Analytic Model to Identify Coursework Patterns Associated with General Learned Abilities of College Students: Report on Evergreen State College Combined Samples.

This report presents the findings of the application of the Differential Coursework Patterns (DCP) cluster analytic model to the tests and transcripts of a combined sample of 1987-88 and 1988-89 graduating seniors at Evergreen State College (Washington). The project found that enrollment in different patterns of programs was consistently associated with gains in the general learned abilities of undergraduate students. Other findings indicated that the development of general learned abilities did not have an exact one-to-one relationship with departmental categories; that the development of general learned abilities was not confined to the lower division; and that there was little formal monitoring and description of the curriculum in terms of general learned abilities. The report is divided into seven sections, each describing one of the following research components: the theoretical basis for the differential coursework hypothesis including the development of the cluster analytic model as a means of testing the hypothesis; the procedures and methodology used; the major characteristics of the two samples of graduating seniors whose transcripts and test scores provided the data analyzed; characteristics of the programs found on the student transcripts in terms of the criterion variables; the intended curriculum of the institution, its goals, curriculum organization, and structure; the findings; and a summary, conclusions, and recommendations. Contains 199 references. (Author)