The most advantageous relationship between computer technology and institutional research is considered. Three potential problem areas are discussed: those associated with a central data processing center, those germane to minicomputers or terminals within the institutional research office, and those nondiscriminating types which cover both…

This document contains three papers from the Methodology Project of the Center for the Study of Evaluation. Methods for characterizing test accuracy are reported in the first two papers. "Bounds on the K Out of N Reliability of a Test, and an Exact Test for Hierarchically Related Items" describes and illustrates how an extension of a…

An essential first step in the investigation of employment discrimination is establishing that the selection procedure has had an adverse impact. The 80% rule and statistical significance (as determined with a chi-square test), two methods of assessing adverse impact, were compared considering the variables: number of applicants (N), proportion of…

Student questionnaire data concerning the evaluation of instruction were collected over a 3-day period. Multivariate analyses of variance were used to investigate the statistical analyses of evaluation data. It was found that: departments differed significantly on overall ratings of instruction; class size and level of instruction affected all…

The current state of usage of regression models in analysis of variance (ANOVA) designs is empirically examined, and examples of several statistical errors made in usage are presented. The assumptions of the general linear model are that all predictors are known without error of measurement and are fixed with no replication or sample variation; in…

A meta-analysis procedure was used to review research on pictorial effectiveness which focused on the use of static iconic visuals in instructional materials. The purpose of this exploratory study was to provide a means for forming future hypotheses based upon a quantitative aggregation of past research. The study was concerned with differential…

Findings and methodological problems of a survey on financial support for humanities in higher education are discussed. Usable data were gathered from 351 of 671 Higher Education Panel member institutions. Two weighting methodologies were employed. The conventional method assumed that nonrespondents were similar to respondents, whereas a…

Appropriate for college level introductory sociology classes, five units on empirical research use empirical results that are true, demonstrable, causal, and thought-provoking. The units take educational attainment as the main variable, drawing on data from the decennial census and the NORC Social Surveys. Each unit begins with a lecture, followed…

Significant regional differences in the proportion of white male and female children in the 19th century in different areas of the United States may be attributable to the economy. Boys were more numerous than girls in the South and along the frontier, while the ratio was more equal or in favor of girls in the eastern states. Data were obtained…

The psychometric properties associated with the "specific objectivity" of the simple logistic model are acknowledged to be far superior to those of competing models. It is therefore the ideal model to be used for test development or for the analysis of any measuring instrument developed within a well-defined psychological construct. In…

The results of six major projects are discussed including a comprehensive mathematical and statistical analysis of the problems caused by errors of measurement in linear models for assessing change. In a general matrix representation of the problem, several new analytic results are proved concerning the parameters which affect bias in…

Feelings of medical technology graduates about their jobs were studied using the descriptive survey research method. Attention was directed to the relationship of job attitudes to time since graduation, presence/absence of professional development activities, and selected characteristics of the respondents. Questionnaire responses from 186…

Online practice tests and quizzes are commonly available to higher education students. The extent of student use of such study tools and the relationship of use to achievement, however, have not been fully investigated. One hundred twelve college students were encouraged to use optional online quizzes in preparation for proctored examinations.…

The impact of faculty unionization on faculty compensation, research contract revenues, student tuition and fees, and other financial considerations are examined in this report. The study uses multiple regression models to analyze the net impact of collective bargaining on a sample of over 100 union and nonunion institutions. Faculty compensation…

The focus for most school desegregation analysis has been the school district. Segregation among neighborhoods in many school districts is such that if children are assigned to schools in their neighborhoods, they may be segregated in the schools. A problem that arises in analyzing a particular school district is the extent to which neighborhood…