Background/purpose: Critical thinking (CT) is fundamental in science education, but instruments to measure CT in specific domains, such as physics, are still limited. The present study aims to develop and validate the Critical Thinking Test in Temperature and Heat (CTTH), an instrument designed to measure critical thinking skills in the topic of…

It is important for educational assessment bodies to demonstrate how they are seeking to meet the demands of validity. The approach to validity taken here assumes a "consequentialist" view where the appropriacy of the inferences made on the basis of assessment results is seen as central. This paper describes the development of a…

The aim of the 2018 International Association for Development of the Information Society (IADIS) Cognition and Exploratory Learning in the Digital Age (CELDA) conference was to address the main issues concerned with evolving learning processes and supporting pedagogies and applications in the digital age. There have been advances in both cognitive…

These proceedings contain the papers of the 18th International Conference on Cognition and Exploratory Learning in the Digital Age (CELDA 2021), held virtually, due to an exceptional situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, from October 13-15, 2021, and organized by the International Association for Development of the Information Society…

Describes a study which tested the reliability and validity of the Barth-Shermis Social Studies Preference Scale as a measure of teaching orientations with respect to Barth and Shermis' three traditions. Subjects were 190 secondary social studies teachers. (AM)

Questionnaires used to measure subject-matter-directed motivation have tended to use information-seeking behavior as the prime indicator. A new measuring instrument, consisting of a list of 15 sets of three adjectives, asks subjects to select one from each set which best applies to the subject matter in question. (BW)

This annotated bibliography attempts to answer the following questions: (1) What is criticial thinking? (2) Can it be taught and to whom? (3) Which methods are most practical for teaching critical thinking to secondary students? and (4) Can its acquisition be tested? The first question researches the literature for a definition of the term. The…

Reviews selected research, widely-used commercial tests, and recent literature on critical thinking. States that evaluation of critical thinking processes should encompass more than simple tests. Concludes with six guidelines for evaluating critical thinking. (JDH)

The relative efficacy of rating and testing approaches for predicting criterion behavior was examined with mildly retarded secondary students. Three tests from the Social and Prevocational Information Battery were selected as a foundation for development of analogous behavior rating and applied performance instruments. All three types of…

Although the cloze procedure was shown to be satisfactorily reliable with deaf Ss, cloze scores did not relate to the predicted passage difficulty; therefore, the validity of the cloze procedure as a readability measure was not confirmed. (Author/DLS)

Hearing-impaired students (n=324) in grades 9-11 were administered the Adolescent-Coping Orientation for Problem Experiences. The measure was found to be valid and reliable for measuring subjects' coping skills and for assessing students' suitability for various types of educational placements. (Author/JDD)

A synthesis of the report, "The Current State of Assessment in Literature," (produced by the Center for the Learning and Teaching of Literature), this digest discusses methods of evaluating students' knowledge of literature. The digest argues that, by and large, the tests that now exist in the United States do not live up to the…

There is no one structural model that defines the construct functional literacy. However, acceptable construct definitions in the literature cumulatively form some beginnings for a nomological network that relates functional literacy to the level of skills deemed necessary for survival in society. In the study, two different validation…

Arguments for and against the use of an oral examination as part of the evaluation process are reviewed and found to rely on the experience of practitioners rather than on empirical research. Several alternatives to the traditional oral examination are discussed as ways to increase the validity of educational evaluations. (AA)

Assessed the reliability and validity of an instrument designed to assess the extent of alcohol and drug use. Factors in a school or community contributing to use of alcohol and drugs are identified. Uses of the results for school and community planning are included. (Author/JAC)