The sentiment that there is more work to be done than there is time is pervasive among faculty members at most academic institutions. At health science centers, faculty members often balancing teaching responsibilities, clinical loads, and research endeavors. Creative use of educational support staff may provide institutions an avenue for…

This dissertation describes a design for training, in accordance with probability judgment heuristics principles, for the Angoff standard setting method. The new training with instruction, practice, and feedback tailored to the probability judgment heuristics principles was called the Heuristic training and the prevailing Angoff method training…

"Differential item functioning" (DIF) and "differential distractor functioning" (DDF) are methods used to screen for item bias (Camilli & Shepard, 1994; Penfield, 2008). Using an applied empirical example, this mixed-methods study examined the congruency and relationship of DIF and DDF methods in screening multiple-choice items. Data for Study I…

Multiple-choice item-writing guideline research is in its infancy. Haladyna (2004) calls for a science of item-writing guideline research. The purpose of this study is to respond to such a call. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of student ability and method for varying the location of correct answers in classroom multiple-choice…

This study was undertaken as an attempt to assess the effects of storytelling and reading aloud on fourth and fifth grade children's comprehension and oral reading fluency of both narrative and expository texts. The independent variable involved two strategies for introducing stories to children (storytelling and story reading) and a comparison…

The relationship between teaching and learning requires a coordinated effort between teachers and students that depends upon common goals aligned to the teachers' expertise and the students' academic needs. Without a systematic approach to teaching, instructional practice can neglect learning targets. Formative practices afford teachers a…