The degree to which an undergraduate mathematics curriculum matched the item difficulty levels of representative mathematics problems based on that sequence was studied with 62 items and 423 undergraduates and 937 high school seniors. Results suggest congruence between curriculum sequence and item difficulty levels. (SLD)

Addresses difficulty levels and the importance of providing experience at all levels. Levels are count and land, at which children do not understand if the number arrived at is reasonable; number sense and relationships, where children are developing a sense of reasonableness; and parts of numbers, when children are able to work flexibly with…

Four autistic children, age 8-15, exhibited fewer correct responses to a stimulus as the number of stimulus components was increased from 1 to 4. Training was effective in producing some generalized increases in responses to complex stimuli. (Author/JDD)

Linguistic performance of 7 children (mean age=68 months) with spina bifida, hydrocephalus, and average intelligence was evaluated. Subjects dealt with the semantic-pragmatic requirements of linguistically posed problems in an age-appropriate manner. Performance declined as task demands increased but no more than performance of nondisabled…

Describes knowledge mapping, a tool developed to increase the objectivity and accuracy of task difficulty ratings for job design. Application in a semiconductor manufacturing environment is discussed, including identifying prerequisite knowledge for a given task; establishing training development priorities; defining knowledge levels; identifying…

Severely hearing-impaired students (n=187, ages 7-23) at eight reading levels were evaluated to determine their ability to comprehend common English modals. Although subjects' modal comprehension improved with reading level, subjects at the highest reading levels did not demonstrate complete mastery of modals. Modals tended to be acquired in a…

Seven rigidity tests varying in difficulty were administered to 45 retarded subjects, with a mean age of 10, and 45 mental age-matched nonretarded subjects. Subjects did not differ on 3 easy tests, but retarded children were more rigid on 4 difficult tests. (Author/JDD)

Examined the ability of students at different achievement levels to understand worksheet directions and accurately identify the reasons for completing worksheets. The cognitive processes that students employed when they read directions were also examined. (PCB)

Investigated ability of 32 children from grades one, three, five, and seven to distribute study time so that certain units of material were given more emphasis than others (differential allocation) and determine how much study time was needed to meet the study goal (sufficient allocation). Age differences, effect of order of study, and allocation…

Discusses the importance of providing enough activity choices for young children during outdoor play. Defines simple, complex, and super play units. Describes the application of an equation for determining the number of available play spaces in a playground. (RJC)

The effect of using statistical and cognitive item difficulty to determine item order on multiple-choice tests was examined, using 120 undergraduate students. Students performed better when items were ordered by increasing cognitive difficulty rather than decreasing difficulty. The statistical ordering of difficulty had little effect on…

An extension of the Rasch model is used to obtain objective measurements for examinations graded by judges. The model calibrates elements of each facet of the examination on a common log-linear scale. Real examination data illustrate the way correcting for judge severity improves fairness of examinee measures. (SLD)

Discusses some of the complex questions differentiation raises that have been glossed over as unproblematical and questions some of the assumptions underlying differentiation that have remained unchallenged. Areas needing further research are discussed. (13 references) (CK)

One hundred eighteen college students studied a passage as a knowledge map or as traditional text. Half studied already color-coded material, and half color coded the material themselves. Results support effectiveness of knowledge maps and indicate the role of test anxiety in mediating outcomes associated with demanding tasks such as color coding.…

An interactive, multimedia text for calculus instruction that contains the entire contents of a corresponding textbook is evaluated and found to have features that enhance concepts with dynamic examples of graphs and problems that make good use of animation, audio, and video. Its design accommodates diverse student abilities and educational…