Funded through Title II-D of the No Child Left Behind Act, the Massachusetts Department of Education's Technology Enhancement Competitive grant program (fund code 170) supports school districts in the development of two-year sustainable projects that use technology to: (1) Improve student academic achievement; (2) Assist every student in becoming…

Computerphobic adults including first-year university students have been reported to range from 25% to 50%. Although self-reported computer anxiety has reduced in the past decade, it continues to be a significant issue for many. This is especially true for students of today where the stakes are high when using computers for their course work.…

This article presents the outcomes of the Mobile Technologies Pilot Project for the Assessment and Learning in Practice Settings (ALPS) Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL). ALPS is a partnership of five Higher Education Institutions (HEI) that aims to develop and improve assessment, and thereby learning, in practice settings for…

The study investigated the effects of exposure to computer-assisted testing (CAT) as an effective instructional method and its effects on attitudes toward computer-assisted instruction (CAI). Results indicated that subjects exposed to CAT had significantly more favorable attitudes toward CAI than subjects not exposed to CAT. (Author)

This article discusses some of the advantages of computer-based testing and highlights efforts by several states and organizations to introduce electronic assessment. It also describes the challenges policymakers face in planning and implementing such an initiative and details the steps they can take to pursue this type of testing. As electronic…

Large-scale testing is dominated by the multiple-choice question format. Widespread use of the format is due, in part, to the ease with which multiple-choice items can be scored automatically. This paper examines automatic scoring procedures for an alternative item type: figural response. Figural response items call for the completion or…

Discusses the four components of the computer based instructional support program of a Texas school district: (1) computer managed instruction; (2) computer assisted instruction; (3) computer augmented learning; (4) student data computer input. (EKN)

Describes a project that addressed the challenge of promoting systemic change in science education through the use of instructional assessments. Instructional assessments integrate performance-based assessments with curriculum and instruction at the classroom level. Authors claim instructional assessment provides a promising lever for promoting…

Summarizes recent developments in the use of technology in schools and state-level testing programs. Presents results of two studies, one with 114 students and one with about 200 students, that indicate that written tests administered on paper underestimate the achievement of students accustomed to working with computers. (SLD)

This article discusses some of the limitations of current educational assessment and how application of universal design for learning (UDL) concepts can improve assessment accuracy and its applicability to instruction. Benefits of UDL are described and include allowing for multiple means of representation and expression, and multiple means of…

Describes Apex (Assistant for Preparing Exams), a tool for evaluating student essays based on their content. By comparing an essay and the text of a given course on a semantic basis, the system can measure how well the essay matches the text. Various assessments are presented to the student regarding the topic, outline, and coherence of the essay.…

Researchers and educators have expressed many concerns regarding cyberspace curricula. In this review of the literature, it was found that articles dealing with educator concerns regarding cyberspace curricula reported five major categorical concerns: insufficient teacher training, insufficient educator involvement in the technology development…

In recent years portfolios have served increasingly as a vehicle for individual and program evaluation, as well as for career purposes in many fields including education (Galloway, 2001). Nationwide, teacher development programs are being asked to include their students' artifacts in some form of teaching portfolio that will ultimately be used as…

The field of instructional design and technology (IDT) evolved during the 1990s to include theories and practices of performance improvement. Some authors have indicated that the goal of our field has shifted from facilitating learning to improving performance; and contemporary definitions of IDT incorporate human performance technology concepts…

Two types of independent practice activities to improve accuracy of pre-service teachers' measurement of oral reading fluency (ORF) were contrasted. Forty pre-service teachers, enrolled in an introductory special education course, received instructor-delivered classroom instruction on measuring ORF. After lecture and guided practice, participants…