The purpose of this article was to offer guidance to educators in evaluating the strengths, weaknesses, and most effective uses of commercial reading assessment suites. We provide three resources to help educators who are responsible for making instructional decisions in reading using formal screening, benchmark, interim, and progress-monitoring…

We want our students to experience system testing of both desktop and web applications, but the cost of professional system-testing tools is far too high. We evaluate several free tools and find that AutoIt makes an ideal educational system-testing tool. We show several examples of desktop and web testing with AutoIt, starting with simple…

This report summarizes the findings of the Computer-Aided Transcription (CAT) Project, which conducted a 14-month study of the technology and use of computer systems for translating into English the shorthand notes taken by court reporters on stenotype machines. Included are the state of the art of CAT at the end of 1980 and anticipated future…

The nutrient profile provided by the Dennison Inventory of Nutritional Experiences (DINE) for microcomputers was compared with two research-oriented mainframe computer systems to evaluate the DINE system's accuracy. Results are discussed. (DF)

Describes three categories of computer-based information systems for career guidance (batch process, online information retrieval, and online career guidance), addresses the issue of effectiveness, and discusses the approach to system selection used for the Illinois Career Information Delivery System (CIDS) Feasibility Study. Thirty-one references…

A survey instrument developed to measure the perceived performance of the six components of an electronic performance support system (EPSS) and the perceived benefits of EPSS use was mailed to 182 target EPSS co-ordinators. A total of 98 (54.0%) questionnaires were returned. Of these, there were 79 (80.6%) usable surveys. Research results indicate…

A computerized mechanism for client tracking linked to a management information system (MIS) is presented. The MIS can thus serve several evaluation functions. Features of the MIS are illustrated through a previous study of a project for pregnant and postpartum chemically dependent women. (SLD)

A program using interactive software based on repertory grid techniques was used to monitor progress of first-year nursing students at the University of London, to learn student reactions to courses and illuminate individual difficulties and concerns. The approach is found to provide useful information to course providers and evaluators.…

This paper discusses evaluation design considerations for a computer based evaluation simulation developed at the University of Iowa College of Medicine in Cardiology to assess the diagnostic skills of primary care physicians and medical students. The simulation developed allows for the assessment of diagnostic skills of physicians in the…

With respect to the design of cooperative systems, issues related to the fundamental communication channels, sociotechnical factors, and task characteristics associated with collaborative work situations are reviewed. Research strategies incorporating theory-motivated design, ethnographic methods, and controlled testing methods are discussed as a…

Recent changes in American faculty evaluation include increased use, a broader database, emergence of evaluation systems, improved instruments, and impact of court litigation on improvement of evaluation. Anticipated changes relate to improved systems, greater rigor, computer use, increased flexibility and individualization, and increased…

The eight chapters of this theme issue deal with the design, implementation, and evaluation of computer-assisted information systems for educational organizations. Points of commonality and difference across seven countries are explored with regard to the processes and uses of computing in school administration and management. (SLD)

Web-based assessment and testing systems provide a valuable new tool to the education research community: a tool that combines the ability of multiple choice diagnostic tests to handle large numbers of subjects with some of the greater flexibility and additional information that other methods offer. This article discusses the strengths and…

The differences between multiple-choice, simulated, and concurrent tests of software-skills proficiency are discussed. For three basic human-resource functions, the advantages of concurrent tests (i.e., those that use the actual application software) include true performance-based assessment, unconstrained response alternatives, and increased job…

The historical development of evaluation in higher education is traced, and current views on assessment options are discussed. A case is made for longitudinal computer-based program monitoring by defining the approach and presenting a case study. Advantages and disadvantages are examined. (Author/MSE)