Provides asymptotic standard errors of the estimates of equated scores from several types of item response theory (IRT) true score equatings. Equating designs considered cover those with internal or external common items and separate or simultaneous estimation. Uses marginal maximum likelihood estimation for the estimation of item parameters. (SLD)

Uses a laser pointer to demonstrate the analogy between optical and X-ray diffraction and a laser printer with 600 or 1200 dot resolution to create and modify arrays, print them on transparencies, and illuminate them with laser pointers. Includes 14 references. (Author/YDS)

Extends the modeling system presented in Part I. This model is applied to two widely diverse educational processes: "Student Actions" and "Do Homework Problem." Its computational syntax imposes completeness criteria on the modeling and its uniformity. (AIM)

Theoretical null distributions of several fit statistic have been derived for paper-and-pencil tests. Examined whether these distributions also hold for computerized adaptive tests through simulation. Rates for two statistics studied were found to be similar in most cases. (SLD)

Studied transfer with 60 adults in 4 different computer-based learning environment conditions (simulation of a business with multiple or uniform contexts) for which learners were given either no guidance, problem-solving guidance, or worked-out examples. Results suggest that to optimize learning, learning by problem solving should be combined with…

The hypothesis that applicant and rater sex, job sex-type, and job-relevant information would affect discrimination against applicants was tested in simulations. Both sexes received lower ratings when applying for opposite-sex-typed jobs. Both male and female raters rated male applicants higher. Differences between male and female ratings…

Assesses desktop-computer models that rotate in virtual three-dimensional space. Compares spatial learning with a computer carpal-bone model horizontally rotating at 10-degree views with the same model rotating at 90-degree views. (Author/CCM)

Evaluated the distribution of person fit within the computerized-adaptive testing (CAT) environment through simulation. Found that, within the CAT environment, these indexes tend not to follow a standard normal distribution. Person fit indexes had means and standard deviations that were quite different from the expected. (SLD)

Investigated three models that permit restricted examinee control over revising previous answers in the context of adaptive testing, using simulation. Two models permitting item revisions worked well in preserving test fairness and accuracy, and one model may preserve some cognitive processing styles developed by examinees for a linear testing…

Describes the creation of a campus organization at Rutgers University to address the role of social interaction in college drinking based on the Socially Situated Experiential Learning Model. Explains a simulation designed to allow students to participate in the dangerous-drinking prevention campaign by actually designing, implementing, and…

Describes the curriculum and learning objectives for law-related education in high school, middle school, and elementary school. Advocates the use of simulations to teach law-related education. Discusses law-related teacher training and where to find a law-related education resource person. (Contains 14 references.) (PKP)

Examined the effects of test length and sample size on the alternate forms reliability and equating of simulated mathematics tests composed of constructed response items scaled using the two-parameter partial credit model. Results suggest that, to obtain acceptable reliabilities and accurate equated scores, tests should have at least 8 6-point…

Simulations on computers can allow many experiments to be conducted quickly to help students develop an understanding of statistical topics. We used a simulation of a challenging problem in statistics as the focus of an exploration of situations where members of a problem-solving group are physically separated then reconnected via combinations of…

When the item response theory (IRT) model uses the marginal maximum likelihood estimation, person parameters are usually treated as random parameters following a certain distribution as a prior distribution to estimate the structural parameters in the model. For example, both PARSCALE (Muraki & Bock, 1999) and BILOG 3 (Mislevy & Bock,…

Does designing a large academic library Web site for an imaginary person seem a sensible thing to do? As a reference librarian and member of the Web team of the Gerstein Science Information Centre (Gerstein Library), that is exactly what this author set out to do in May 2005. She proposed that the best way to ensure that the Web site meets the…