Intended for students taking the English 33 Grade 12 Diploma Examinations in Alberta, Canada, this test booklet contains the composition component of the June 1988 tests. During 2.5 hours, students are required to perform the following writing tasks: (1) a personal response to an excerpt from Ursula K. Le Guin's "Very Far Away from Anywhere…

The effects of different types of feedback in computer assisted instruction were studied in 30 college students with different cognitive styles. The program, written in Apple Pilot and administered on an Apple IIE microcomputer, consisted of 16 problem solving tasks; for each, a graphic display and a textual question were presented. Two feedback…

Evidence suggests that a significant proportion of school children consider themselves lonely and isolated from peers. However, less data exists as to (1) the accuracy of children's perceived loneliness when compared with their reported popularity with peers; (2) specific behavioral attributes that might contribute to popularity; and (3) stability…

Our initial intention was to set out to explore the potential for implementing outcome-based assessment practices in a first year statistics unit. It has evolved into a search for a pedagogy enabling clear definition of the desired learning outcomes in our students, and alignment of instruction, student resources and assessment with these…

The Student Attributes Coding System has been developed for gathering data about the personal characteristics and classroom behavior of elementary school students selected for observation because they engender predictable attitudes and expectations in their teachers. This system is designed to systematically record and categorize all interactions…

Latent trait theory supposes that, in testing situations, examinee performance on a test can be predicted (or explained) by defining examinee characteristics, referred to as traits, estimating scores for examinees on these traits and using the scores to predict or explain test performance (Lord and Novick, 1968). In view of the breakthroughs in…

An in-depth study was conducted of instructional improvement activities at Kansas State University, including a student evaluation instrument of teacher performance, called Instructional Development and Effectiveness Assessment (IDEA). Faculty reactions to the total evaluation system, the use of results for multiple purposes, and the current…

A situation in which computer-assisted instruction was combined with teacher-taught classes and computerized diagnostic adaptive testing was examined. The computerized diagnostic adaptive test for pre-algebra signed-number lessons was programmed along with a computer-managed routing system by which examinees were sent to the instructional unit…

FIVE RECENT STUDIES AIMED AT MEASURING THE AMOUNT OF TRANSFER-OF-TRAINING FROM SPEECH TO WRITING (AS DEMONSTRATED BY STUDENTS PREVIOUSLY CONDITIONED THROUGH AUDIOLINGUAL CLASSROOM DRILL) ARE EVALUATED IN THIS PAPER. FOLLOWING A REVIEW OF PRELIMINARY RESEARCH, THE METHODOLOGY USED TO CONDITION THE STUDENTS AND TO TEST FOR TRANSFER IS DESCRIBED AND…

Faculty from fifteen colleges developed open-ended questions to assess group competence in four areas of learning associated with general education--communication skill, analytic thinking, synthesizing ability, and social/cultural awareness. A secondary purpose was to determine faculty expectations for learning in the general education component…

The 168 items selected for administration to 7,905 17-year olds in 1976-77, were developed from existing National Assessment items and from existing sets of life/coping skills. Skills designated as basic included: career development; citizenship; community resource utilization; consumer protection; family management; health maintenance; and…

FOCUSED HISTORICALLY AND CHOSEN TO STIMULATE RESEARCH IN PSYCHOSOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF ASTHMA, THE COLLECTION CONTAINS 18 PAPERS BY DIFFERENT AUTHORS. AREAS OF PSYCHOSOMATIC MEDICINE COVERED ARE (1) PRINCIPLES OF RESEARCH (ONE ARTICLE), (2) HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS, THEORETICAL MODELS, AND CORE PROBLEMS (THREE ARTICLES), AND (3) THE HYPOTHESIS,…

Team teaching was introduced in a summer academic program for grades one through three in Concord, California. Each team was composed of three or four teachers and a teacher aide. A total of 410 children were assigned to four teams, and curriculum was basically enrichment oriented with assistance for those with remedial problems. The curriculum…

The principal objectives of this conference were to exchange information, discuss theoretical and empirical developments, and to coordinate research efforts. The papers and their authors are: "The Graded Response Model of Latent Trait Theory and Tailored Testing" by Fumiko Samejima; (Incomplete Orders and Computerized Testing" by…

Faculty debate preceding the introduction of a visitation program designed to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of the instructors and professors of the Carnegie-Mellon University English department examines the advisability of initiating such a program and the machinery used to assure its introduction. Comprising the major portion of the…