This study examined the following question: What is the relationship, if any, between COMPASS placement scores and the student success in the first online course during the students first semester? Discriminant function analysis was used to examine the relationship. This study used existing data from new students, who took the COMPASS placement…

A significant challenge in higher education is to narrow the educational attainment gap between academically prepared and unprepared students. To this end, developmental or remedial education is intended to improve the academic skills and knowledge of students who are unprepared for undergraduate coursework, particularly in the areas of…

Three applications of microcomputers in Elementary Algebra instruction are described. The paper first discusses a program developed to help students explore the basic algebraic concept of linearity. Text and illustrations show how students can use the computer to visualize the conceptual relationship of slope and intercept, until they can…

Reviews the current literature concerning distance education and student assessment, including a focus on the unique circumstances found at the community college level. Topics include computer-based assessment; online computer-based testing; commercial testing agencies; and assessment styles. (Contains 10 references.) (Author/LRW)

Considers the use of PLATO in student assessment and placement, individualization of instruction, and curriculum evaluation at the City Colleges of Chicago. Focuses on the use of the PLATO-based versions of the Test for Adult Basic Education and the Mathematics Association of America test. (DMM)

Los Angeles Pierce College has been using Computer-Based Spelling Instruction (CBSI) software in spelling enrichment classes since 1992. Students who have used the program average 96% on final exams, and student retention proves excellent. The CBSI module performs the following functions: (1) administers a 1,200 word pretest; (2) divides missed…

Discusses computerized adaptive testing, which is designed to provide students with an individualized examination adjusted to their skill levels. Indicates that scores are derived by comparing correct answers with the answers' difficulty rating. Highlights the advantages and disadvantages of the system and provides guidelines for successful…

Discusses the use of computerized placement testing at Santa Fe Community College to enable students needing only a short review of reading skills to exit early from a College Preparatory Reading Class (CPRC). Describes CPRC placement, structure, curriculum, and exit criteria; the Early Exit Reading Project; and project results. (DMM)

A description is provided of the experiences of three community colleges in implementing computerized adaptive testing to assess the entry-level skills of students. Chapter 1 provides background information on the project, which utilized The College Board's Computerized Placement Tests (CPT's), a battery of untimed, individualized tests of reading…

Item banks and computer-generated tests in a Canadian community college's computerized testing system were evaluated and student and faculty attitudes surveyed. Item banks were found inadequate, tests addressed low-level learning outcomes, and the system's location in centralized administration gave instructional staff little ownership or…

Triton College, under the auspices of a National Science Foundation grant, has designed a team taught course combining an engineering and rhetoric course in which students are introduced to the engineering profession and its communication techniques. The instructional technique is multi-faceted, integrating simulation of the professional…

This information capsule explores the effectiveness of score ranges on the Computerized Placement Test (CPT), used to assess the skills of entry-level students at Miami-Dade Community College and place first-time-in-college students in classes. Data are provided for students entering in Fall terms 1996 and 1997 showing the number of students…

Describes a study to determine whether traditional paper-and-pencil tests or new computer-adaptive tests were better suited for assessing entering students at Santa Fe Community College, Florida. Focuses on teachers' attitudes toward computerized placement tests (CPTs), relationships between CPT scores and course grades, predictive ability of CPT…

Describes a study examining the relationship between scores on a Sentence Skills component of an English placement test and final course grades in a community college marketing course. Finds a significant positive correlation between scores and final grades, but one not strong enough to be used for predictive purposes. (13 citations) (BCY)

At Santa Fe Community College, the development of a biology course and departmental final examination was accomplished in the following stages: (1) faculty reached consensus on course content, major objectives and sub-objectives; (2) faculty contributed final examination questions corresponding to the 10 major course topics to a pool for review…