This paper reports on the evaluation of an ambitious attempt to embed academic literacy support within a core content course for first-year students at the University of the South Pacific. The course is offered in both blended and online modes, catering for on-campus and off-campus students, respectively, using Moodle as the virtual learning…

The UCLA National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) is under contract from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) to conduct research on assessment models and tools designed to support Marine Corps rifle marksmanship. In this deliverable, we first review the literature on known-distance rifle marksmanship…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not the use of solid modeling software increases participants' success in solving a specified technical problem and how visualization affects their ability to solve a technical problem. Specifically, the study sought to determine if (a) students' visualization skills affect their problem…

The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of the meta-cognitive strategies on the academic and gaming achievements. Exploring the effects of those achievements on the social problem solving of students is also of interest. For this purpose, the MMORPG [Massively Multiple Online Role Playing Game] "Gersang" was used. The…

This work explores the feasibility of proposing universal design guidelines for E-training modules considering aging differences as an important factor. A controlled experiment was designed and conducted to evaluate the effects of module design characteristics on information recall, satisfaction, disorientation, and task workload, and the…

A Fisher's Z transformation is developed for the corrected correlation for conditions when the criterion data are missing because of selection on the predictor and when the criterion was missing at random, not because of selection. The two Z transformations were evaluated in a computer simulation and found accurate. (SLD)

Regression analysis is one of the more common analytic tools used by researchers. However, multicollinearity between the predictor variables can cause problems in using the results of regression analyses. Problems associated with multicollinearity include entanglement of relative influences of variables due to reduced precision of estimation,…

Effects of violating the independence assumption when combining correlation coefficients in a meta-analysis were studied. This Monte-Carlo simulation varied sample size, predictor number, population intercorrelation among predictors, and population correlation between predictors and criterion. Combining statistics from nonindependent data in a…

Ridge estimates (REs) of population beta weights were compared to ordinary least squares (OLS) estimates through computer simulation to evaluate the use of REs in explanatory research. With fixed predictors, there was some question of the consistency of ridge regression, but with random predictors, REs were superior to OLS. (SLD)

A method is suggested to estimate the relationship between a latent trait and one or more manifest predictors without estimating subject parameters. The method, developed for the Rasch model, can be generalized to two-parameter and three-parameter logistic latent trait models. The model is illustrated with simulated and empirical data. (SLD)

A reduction in agricultural activity in a rural farming community will result in reduced activity in almost every sector of the local economy. The result may be measured in loss of employment and income. This report provides a method to estimate such economic impacts with a minimum of data collection and manipulation. Most of the input data…