This study examined variations of a nonequivalent groups equating design used with constructed-response (CR) tests to determine which design was most effective in producing equivalent scores across the two tests to be equated. Using data from a large-scale exam, the study investigated the use of anchor CR item rescoring in the context of classical…

In assessment, the ability to construct test items that measure a targeted skill is fundamental to validity and alignment. The ability to do the reverse is also important: determining what skill an existing test item measures. This paper presents a model for classifying test items that builds on procedures developed by others, including Bloom…

Interaction between the cerebral hemispheres may allow both hemispheres to contribute their processing resources in order to cope efficiently with complex tasks [Banich, M. (1998). The missing link: the role of interhemispheric interaction in attentional processing. "Brain and Cognition," 36, 128-157]. The current study investigated whether the…

This article argues that certain philosophically devised quality control parameters should guide approaches to interdisciplinary education. We sketch the kind of reflections we think are necessary in order to produce epistemologically responsible curricula. We suggest that the two overarching epistemic dimensions of levels of analysis and basic…

The acquisition of Japanese conditionals is regarded as one of the most complicated items for foreign learners of Japanese to acquire. However, when it comes to account for this fact, there is no ready answer. By focusing on the acquisition of conditionals by Norwegian learners of Japanese, this study discusses whether modal constraints on the use…

This study investigated the influence of informational complexity and working memory capacity on problem-solving efficiency. We examined two predictions of the "situational efficiency hypothesis," which states that the efficiency of problem solving varies as a function of situational constraints. One prediction is that informational complexity…

A new method for analyzing differential item functioning is proposed to investigate the relative strengths and weaknesses of multiple groups of examinees. Accordingly, the notion of a conditional measure of difference between two groups (Reference and Focal) is generalized to a conditional variance. The objective of this article is to present and…

In "Orange Juice or Orange Drink?," the authors provided evidence that many students are receiving credit for courses with little indication that they have learned the content implied by the course titles (Dougherty, Mellor, & Jian, 2006). Yet in pursuit of the goal of preparing all students for college and careers, many policymakers…

Throughout the United States, administrators and teachers in American high schools face mounting pressure to increase the academic rigor of their curriculum in an effort to prepare students for postsecondary education and workforce success. Career and technical education (CTE) courses have often been overlooked in the public debate about making…

In recent times, science education researchers have identified a lot of instruments for evaluating conceptual understanding as well as students' attitudes and beliefs about physics; unfortunately however, there are no broad based evaluation instruments in the field of problem-solving in physics. This missing tool is an indication of the complexity…

The Cognition Hypothesis (Robinson 2005) claims that pedagogic tasks should be sequenced for learners in an order of increasing cognitive complexity, and that along resource-directing dimensions of task demands increasing effort at conceptualization promotes more complex and grammaticized second language (L2) speech production. This article…

A core aspect of working memory (WM) is the capacity to maintain goal-relevant information in mind, but little is known about how this capacity develops in the human brain. We compared brain activation, via fMRI, between children (ages 7-12 years) and adults (ages 20-29 years) performing tests of verbal and spatial WM with varying amounts (loads)…

The involvement of working memory capacity (WMC) in ruled-based cognitive skill acquisition is well-established, but the duration of its involvement and its role in learning strategy selection are less certain. Participants (N=610) learned four logic rules, their corresponding symbols, or logic gates, and the appropriate input-output combinations…

The goal of this study is to investigate the impact of manipulating the cognitive complexity of three different types of oral tasks on interaction. The study first considers the concepts of task complexity and interaction and then examines the specific studies that have looked at the effects of increasing task complexity on conversational…

This study examines the self-reported average level of challenge of 793 students while in school and doing various school-related activities. Using multivariate regression models, the study examines whether Mexican American students report lower levels of challenge in school and during school-related activities as compared with students of other…