This paper describes the task analysis of performance-based science tasks that were designed for the 1994 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) science assessment, now postponed until 1996, and field tested in 1993. A brief description of the science performance tasks is followed by a description of the task analyses performed and a…

Working on an open-ended task such as designing an engineering artifact is a rich learning experience for students, although they generally receive little direct guidance and instruction from their professors. In order to be successful on such a task, students need to set reasonable goals for themselves and adopt intrinsic standards for success so…

Purpose: We developed and evaluated an explicit procedure for obtaining self-report pain data from nursing home residents across a broad range of cognitive status, and we evaluated the consistency, stability, and concurrent validity of resident responses. Design and Methods: Using a modification of the Geriatric Pain Measure (GPM-M2), we…

Effective evaluation of educational software is a key issue for successful introduction of advanced tools in the curriculum. This paper details to developing and evaluating a tool for computer assisted learning of science laboratory courses. The process was based on the generic instructional system design model. Various categories of educational…

The experiences of novice users (freshman students at Ohio University) searching OCLC's FIRSTSEARCH set of databases were studied. The 13 subjects were asked to complete a search on the FIRSTSEARCH databases; and data were collected through observations, administration of a questionnaire, and a thinking-aloud protocol. Data were analyzed to…

This study investigated and compared the effects of two test formats (free response and multiple choice) on English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learners' reading comprehension. The tests, together with a checklist of test-taking strategies and retrospective questionnaires concerning more general reading strategies, were administered to 57 ESL…

The experience of novice users searching SilverPlatter's ERIC CD-ROM on the Macintosh was studied. Ten students from an introductory master's level course in library and information science were recruited as volunteer subjects. Subjects were asked to complete a search on the ERIC CD-ROM; and data were collected via observations, a think-aloud…

An item classification scheme developed by A. M. Gallagher (1990) was refined, resulting in a more accurate prediction of sex differences in the mathematical sections of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Differential Item Functioning (DIF) procedures for examinees scoring over 650 indicated that the majority of items favoring males required the…