This qualitative case study investigated how computational models can help students engage in scientific practice and influence their emotional, epistemic, and conceptual aspects. Twenty-four sixth-graders were guided to conduct scientific practices as they predicted and modified the computational models on food web using StarLogo Nova. Three…

Background: Owing to the exponential growth of three-dimensional (3D) environments amongst researchers and educators to create simulation games (SGs) in primary education, there is a growing interest to examine their potential support in computer science courses instead of visual programming environments. Objectives: This study explores the…

Chess is a game of minds, bodies, and emotions. Most players recognize each of these as essential to playful competition, and all three are embedded in social relations. Thus chess, despite its reputation as a game of the mind, is not only a deeply thoughtful exercise, but also a test of physical endurance and strong emotions in its joys and…

Interest in and research on disgust has surged over the past few decades. The field, however, still lacks a coherent theoretical framework for understanding the evolved function or functions of disgust. Here we present such a framework, emphasizing 2 levels of analysis: that of evolved function and that of information processing. Although there is…

Many latent traits in the human sciences have a hierarchical structure. This study aimed to develop a new class of higher order item response theory models for hierarchical latent traits that are flexible in accommodating both dichotomous and polytomous items, to estimate both item and person parameters jointly, to allow users to specify…

For the forty-fourth time, the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is sponsoring the publication of these Proceedings. Papers published in this volume were presented online and onsite during the annual AECT Convention. Volume 1 contains papers dealing primarily with research and development topics. Papers dealing with…

An item response model is proposed for the analysis of continuous response formats in an item response theory (IRT) framework. With such formats, respondents are asked to report their response as a mark on a fixed-length graphical segment whose ends are labeled with extreme responses. An interpolation process is proposed as the response mechanism…

Van Breukelen (this issue) provides an approach to using both response time (RT) and accuracy for (1) measuring latent abilities of participants even when they may trade speed for accuracy, and for (2) providing insight into the psychological processes underlying task performance. In this commentary, I focus on the second of these aims and assess…

Structural equation models are commonly used to analyze 2-mode data sets, in which a set of objects is measured on a set of variables. The underlying structure within the object mode is evaluated using latent variables, which are measured by indicators coming from the variable mode. Additionally, when the objects are measured under different…

Dynamic factor models have been used to analyze continuous time series behavioral data. We extend 2 main dynamic factor model variations--the direct autoregressive factor score (DAFS) model and the white noise factor score (WNFS) model--to categorical DAFS and WNFS models in the framework of the underlying variable method and illustrate them with…

The evaluation literature on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) youth programs is largely absent of quantitative studies, likely in part due to the challenge of using experimental or quasi-experimental evaluation designs. This paper proposes the creative use of a national data set to overcome the problem of estimating a…