Since the end of the Cold War, and more recently since September 11, 2001, relations between the United States and Russia have reached new levels of cooperation and accommodation. At the same time, many important developments in Russia remain cloaked by government intrigue or obscured by the complexity of Russia's political and cultural past. This…

Many measures found in educational research are ordered categorical response variables that are empirical realizations of an underlying normally distributed variate. These ordered categorical variables are commonly referred to as Likert or rating scale data. Regression models are commonly fit using these ordered categorical variables as the…

Differential item functioning (DIF) analyses are conducted to investigate how items function in various subgroups. The Mantel-Haenszel (MH) DIF statistic is used at the Law School Admission Council and other testing companies. When item functioning can be well-described in terms of a one- or two-parameter logistic item response theory (IRT) model…

A two-stage design provides a way of roughly adapting item difficulty to test-taker ability. All test takers take a parallel stage-one test, and based on their scores, they are routed to tests of different difficulty levels in the second stage. This design provides some of the benefits of standard computer adaptive testing (CAT), such as increased…

A model for constrained computerized adaptive testing is proposed in which the information on the test at the ability estimate is maximized subject to a large variety of possible constraints on the contents of the test. At each item-selection step, a full test is first assembled to have maximum information at the current ability estimate fixing…

This paper describes the use of simulated appellate court proceedings as an educational tool in U.S. undergraduate colleges and universities (and schools worldwide). Undergraduate moot court is less common in the United States than is the law school form of appellate simulation. Research shows that moot courts benefit students as they perform…

This mock trial curriculum is intended to help high school students learn about the law and the legal system. The curriculum is divided into the following sections: Statement of the Case, Stipulations, Legal Authorities, Witness Statements/Narrative Report (Prosecution Witnesses; Defense Witnesses), and Exhibits (Statement of Miranda Rights; Front…

CATSIB is a differential item functioning (DIF) assessment methodology for computerized adaptive test (CAT) data. Kernel smoothing (KS) is a technique for nonparametric estimation of item response functions. In this study an attempt has been made to develop a more efficient DIF procedure for CAT data, KS-CATSIB, by combining CATSIB with kernel…

The analytically derived expected asymptotic standard errors (SEs) of maximum likelihood (ML) item estimates can be predicted by a mathematical function without examinees' responses to test items. The empirically determined SEs of marginal maximum likelihood estimation/Bayesian item estimates can be obtained when the same set of items is…

Article describes a lab to investigate instructional decisions and to help instructors acquire new strategies. It consists of a computer simulation of a set of students which permits the user, cast in the role of teacher, to make pre-instructional decisions. (Author)

Simulation can take advantage of the characteristics of the younger child more readily than the project. The challenge to industrial arts education is clear: The project method should be augmented with career simulation experiences associated with industrial technology--especially at the elementary school level. (Author/SA)

The single purpose of this chapter is to provide the reader with a simulated experience in statewide planning for occupational education with an interactive computer system. (Author)

Simulations, gaming and role-playing are innovative means which teachers can use to supplement existing instructional practice. When used to enhance learning in the responding dimension of the art program they suggest sound and interesting experiences for students. (Author)

A rotational program format was used, with seven program sessions operating simultaneously, by the Secondary Department of the National Convention of the American Vocational Association. Brief notes are given on the seven major topic clusters. (DS)

The social influence School Game'' seeks to engage teachers or prospective teachers in the process of advocating procedures in their real or anticipated schools. The primary technique employed is counterattitudinal roleplaying.'' (Author/JA)