In multiple-choice items, differential item functioning (DIF) in the correct response may or may not be caused by differentially functioning distractors. Identifying distractors as causes of DIF can provide valuable information for potential item revision or the design of new test items. In this paper, we examine a two-step approach based on…

Purpose: This study describes the creation and use of a web-based resource, designed to help nursing homes implement quality improvements through changes in staffing characteristics. Design and Methods: Information on staffing characteristics (i.e., staffing levels, turnover, stability, and use of agency staff), facility characteristics (e.g.,…

The discrimination between alternative models and the detection of latent classes in the context of latent variable mixture modeling depends on sample size, class separation, and other aspects that are related to power. Prior to a mixture analysis it is useful to investigate model performance in a simulation study that reflects the research…

Realism remains a prominent topic in game design and industry research; yet, a strong academic case can be made that games are anything, but realistic. This article frames realism in games in semiotic terms as iconic simulation and argues that games can gain expressiveness when they move beyond the current focus on iconic simulation. In parallel…

We (Landau, Meier, & Keefer, 2010) reviewed a growing body of research demonstrating metaphors' far-reaching influence on social information processing. In their commentary, IJzerman and Koole (2011) claimed that we devoted insufficient attention to the origin of metaphors, and they reviewed research showing that bodily, social, and cultural…

The purpose of this study was to examine the use of an emerging technology called augmented reality to teach science vocabulary words to college students with intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorders. One student with autism and three students with an intellectual disability participated in a multiple probe across behaviors (i.e.,…

The effect of simulation-based probability teaching on the prospective teachers' inference skills has been examined with this research. In line with this purpose, it has been aimed to examine the design, implementation and efficiency of a learning environment for experimental probability. Activities were built on modeling, simulation and the…

This article analyzes specific uses of digital video production in the field of educational leadership preparation, advancing a three-part framework that includes the use of video in (a) teaching and learning, (b) research methods, and (c) program evaluation and service to the profession. The first category within the framework examines videos…

This comparative case study presents one key challenge that 2 experienced teachers faced when using simulations: control. Simulations are activities that place high demands on teachers, including the ability to anticipate pitfalls in advance, act in multiple capacities, shape the direction of the activity without unduly interfering, and to be…

Assessors' scores in performance assessments are known to be highly variable. Attempted improvements through training or rating format have achieved minimal gains. The mechanisms that contribute to variability in assessors' scoring remain unclear. This study investigated these mechanisms. We used a qualitative approach to study…

Equity Indexed Annuities (EIAs) are controversial financial products because the payoffs to investors are based on formulas that are supposedly too complex for average investors to understand. This brief describes how Monte Carlo simulation can provide insight into the true risk and return of an EIA. This approach can be used as a project…

Despite the frequency with which performance feedback interventions are used in organizational behavior management, component analyses of such feedback are rare. It has been suggested that evaluation of performance and objective details about performance are two necessary components for performance feedback. The present study was designed to help…

In item response theory (IRT) modeling, the item parameter error covariance matrix plays a critical role in statistical inference procedures. When item parameters are estimated using the EM algorithm, the parameter error covariance matrix is not an automatic by-product of item calibration. Cai proposed the use of Supplemented EM algorithm for…

The current study evaluated the accuracy of the Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms, Second Edition (SIRS-2) in a criterion-group study using a sample of forensic psychiatric patients and a community simulation sample, comparing it to the original SIRS and to results published in the SIRS-2 manual. The SIRS-2 yielded an impressive…

Students are required to choose courses they are interested in for the coming semester. Due to restrictions, including lack of sufficient resources and overheads of running several courses, some universities might not offer all of a student's desirable courses. Universities must know every student's demands for every course prior to each semester…