In this paper, we describe a new method we have developed for setting cut scores between levels of a test. We outline the wide variety of potential methods that have been used for such a process, and emphasize the need for a coherent conceptual framework under which the variety of methods could be understood. We then describe our particular…

According to a March estimate from Distimo, there were 653,614 apps in the iPhone, Android, iPad, BlackBerry, and Windows Mobile stores alone. So, is it any wonder that these busy people have found a few that come in handy on the job? Mobile apps are as indispensable to district IT executives as they are becoming in the classroom--for professional…

The Moffitt-Woodward-Moscowitz-Klyne-Djerassi octant rule is one of the most successful empirical rules in organic chemistry. However, the lack of a simple effective modeling method for the octant rule in the past 50 years has posed constant difficulties for researchers, teachers, and students, particularly the young generations, to learn and…

This article discusses how a special library can meet the needs of a specific industry. The author focuses on India's National Insurance Academy (NIA) Library, which serves the insurance industry of India and some neighboring countries. It is where the author serves as the chief librarian.

This paper describes how a linguistic form, rap, can evolve in tandem with technological advances and manifest human-machine creativity. Rather than assuming that the interplay between machines and technology makes humans robotic or machine-like, the paper explores how the pressure of executing artistic visions using technology can drive…

As virtualization becomes commonplace in higher education, it is clear that the traditional licensing options for software are woefully inadequate. The definitions of who is licensed to use what--and where--are blurring, as users move from physical to virtual spaces and can access software from a variety of devices. In discussing the need for new…

Whether one is on Wall Street, in Congress, or working in an IT shop on campus, negotiating a good deal is hard work. As higher education enters its purchasing season, "Campus Technology" talks to deal makers who have "been there and done that." This article presents their tips for getting the most value from vendors the next time one buys…

A very low-cost, easy-to-make stopwatch is presented to support various experiments in mechanics. The high-resolution stopwatch is based on two photodetectors connected directly to the microphone input of a sound card. Dedicated free open-source software has been developed and made available to download. The efficiency is demonstrated by a free…

This project represents an initial investigation into utilizing the two-dimensional Continuous Response Digital Interface (CRDI) to track listener perceptions related to the possible relationships between focus of attention to musical elements and perceived musical tension. The two-dimensional CRDI software creates an environment in which the…

Rating scale items have been widely used in educational and psychological tests. These items require people to make subjective judgments, and these subjective judgments usually involve randomness. To account for this randomness, Wang, Wilson, and Shih proposed the random-effect rating scale model in which the threshold parameters are treated as…

Learners studying mechanical or technical processes via dynamic visualizations often fail to build an accurate mental representation of the system's movements. Based on embodied theories of cognition assuming that action, perception, and cognition are closely intertwined, this paper proposes that the learning effectiveness of dynamic…

There are hundreds of Web accessibility software options out in the world that serve many different functions. Not surprisingly, many of them are designed for users with a wide range of abilities, with the intent of making the use of computers and the Internet easier for both work and entertainment. There are, however, numerous products available…

Computerized adaptive testing (CAT) is an active current research field in psychometrics and educational measurement. However, there is very little software available to handle such adaptive tasks. The R package "catR" was developed to perform adaptive testing with as much flexibility as possible, in an attempt to provide a developmental and…

Polynomial loglinear models for one-, two-, and higher-way contingency tables have important applications to measurement and assessment. They are essentially regarded as a smoothing technique, which is commonly referred to as loglinear smoothing. A SAS IML (SAS Institute, 2002a) macro was created to implement loglinear smoothing according to…

Mantel-Haenszel (MH) methods constitute one of the most popular nonparametric differential item functioning (DIF) detection procedures. GMHDIF has been developed to provide an easy-to-use program for conducting DIF analyses. Some of the advantages of this program are that (a) it performs two-stage DIF analyses in multiple groups simultaneously;…