A relevant aim of research in education is to find and study the reasoning lines that students deploy when dealing with problematic situations. This can be done through an analysis of the answers students give to a questionnaire. In this paper, we discuss some methodological aspects involved in the quantitative analysis of a questionnaire by means…

The EM algorithm is used to derive maximum likelihood estimates for item parameters of the two-parameter logistic item response curves. The observed information matrix is then used to approximate the covariance matrix of these estimates. Simulated data are used to compare the estimated and actual item parameters. (Author/BW)

Designed as a tool for colleges and the State Board for Community Colleges in Maryland to update economic impact data on a regular basis, this manual describes sources of impact information, and how the information can be used in economic equations. Part I of the manual describes how values for short-term economic impacts of community college…