Purpose: The need for psychometrically sound measurement approaches to social work educational outcomes assessment is increasing. Method: The research reported here describes an original and two replication studies of a new scale (N = 550) designed to assess an individual's self-efficacy regarding social work competencies specified by the Council…

Research suggests that L2 students (English-language learners) do not access postsecondary education as the same level as L1 (native English-speaking) peers. Using a computational linguistics approach, this study analyzes financial aid application instructions from 341 randomly selected four-year, Title IV-participating U.S. institutions. Results…

The assessment of learning in large online courses requires tools that are valid, reliable, easy to administer, and can be automatically scored. We have evaluated an online assessment and learning tool called Knowledge Assembly, or Knowla. Knowla measures a student's knowledge in a particular subject by having the student assemble a set of…

Investigates whether news stories that are easier to read will be more positively evaluated by readers. Finds no support for that hypothesis. Suggests that intriguing topics might attract and challenge all readers and potential readers because reader interest appears to be accompanied by a host of other positive reactions. (RS)

Using 48 college texts, comparisons were made of Dale-Chall Readability Formula results based on samples taken from various page intervals. (HOD)

Identifies and describes major factors interacting with readability measures in 36 experimental studies analyzing the validity of such measures. (RB)

This article describes the results of a survey of the readability of most of the intermediate and advanced accounting textbooks currently in use at colleges and universities throughout the United States. (CT)

Found that standard readability indexes by themselves are not useful in measuring readability and comprehensibility of income tax material. Also casts doubt on the use of only readability indexes to measure insurance, labor, and real estate contracts. (PD)

Twenty-four survey textbooks in special education, published between 1974 and 1982, were analyzed with formulae of R. Flesch to determine readability levels and human interest. Among results are that the texts are dull and difficult but usually complete in coverage, although some handicaps (e.g., severe/profound) receive scant coverage. (Authors)

Reports results of a survey on the readability of 12 recently published business communication textbooks. Shows that important differences in readability do exist and that the majority of texts were within or below the lower end of the undergraduate-level reading range. (PD)

Identifies major philosophical, methodological, and pedagogical issues in the controversy over the legitimacy and methodology of using statistical measures to assess the readability of documents. Explores the implications of the controversy for using numerical readability measures to assess written documents. Examines the pedagogical implications…

Argues the cloze procedure is the appropriate method of assessing the readability of business writing. Uses this procedure to determine the readability of a statement issued by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB). Finds one important GASB statement unreadable by college-level readers. (NH)

Determines from empirical information on the application of four readability formulas to a group of widely used college economics textbooks that there is no consistency in the absolute reading levels or the rank orderings of these books. (AEA)

Attempts to determine whether the Raygor graph produces readability estimates compatible with estimates derived from the Fry graph, whether the Raygor graph is less time-consuming, and whether it lends itself to greater computational accuracy. (DD)

Investigates whether readability is a key criterion for college and university professors in selecting textbooks. Finds that many selected textbooks are at too high a level for the students. Suggests that students have a difficult time learning when the text is even slightly above their level. (PRA)