The Bologna Declaration brought reforms into higher education that imply changes in teaching methods, didactic materials and textbooks, infrastructures and laboratories, etc. Statistics and mathematics are disciplines that traditionally have the worst success rates, particularly in non-mathematics core curricula courses. This research project,…

Community coalitions (CCs) have labored with some difficulty to demonstrate empirical evidence of effectiveness in preventing a wide range of adolescent problem behaviors. Training and technical assistance (TA) have been identified as important elements in promoting improved functioning of CCs. A reliable, valid, and inexpensive method to assess…

Wireless Internet technology is gaining a foothold on more and more campuses, yet few studies have investigated how wireless Internet supports and enhances a student-centered learning environment. This study seeks to fill the gap by developing an instrument to measure how wireless Internet supports student-centered learning. A web survey was…

This report described a feasibility study designed to investigate the utility of interactive videodisc technology in testing preschool children. Computer assisted testing permits test administration with minimal training for personnel, high quality control in administration procedures, and immediate scoring and feedback. The combination of an…

A unique system is described for creating tests by computer. It is unique because, instead of storing items in the computer, item algorithms similar to Hively's notion of item forms are banked. Every item, and thus every test, represents a sample from domains consisting of thousands of items. The paper contains a discussion of the special…

Presents methodology for designing and delivering computer-assisted diagnostic tests and discusses two natural applications of this methodology: for testing purposes, and for implementing adaptive computer-assisted learning sequences based on test results. (MBR)

In constrained adaptive testing, the numbers of constraints needed to control the content of the tests can easily run into the hundreds. Proper initialization of the algorithm becomes a requirement because the presence of large numbers of constraints slows down the convergence of the ability estimator. In this paper, an empirical initialization of…

This paper describes an approach to large-scale assessment that uses tests that are delivered to students over the Internet and that are tailored (adapted) to each student's own level of proficiency. A brief background on large-scale assessment is followed by a description of this new technology and an example. Issues that need to be investigated…

The multistage alpha-stratified computerized adaptive testing (CAT) design advocated a new philosophy of pool management and item selection using low discriminating items first. It has been demonstrated through simulation studies to be effective both in reducing item overlap rate and enhancing pool utilization with certain pool types. Based on…

The convention for selecting starting points (that is, initial items) on a computerized adaptive test (CAT) is to choose as starting points items of medium difficulty for all examinees. Selecting a starting point based on prior information about an individual's ability was first suggested many years ago, but has been believed unimportant provided…

In this paper we provide a rationale and approach for articulating a conceptual framework and corresponding development resources to guide the design of science inquiry assessments. Important here is attention to how and why research on cognition and learning, advances in technological capability, and development of sophisticated methods and…

Reports a number of modifications to the computer readability program STAR (Simple Tests Approach to Readability) designed to make it more useful. (FL)

This article describes Minnesota Computerized Adaptive Testing Language program code for using the MicroCAT 3.5 testing software to administer several types of self-adapted tests. Code is provided for: a basic self-adapted test; a self-adapted version of an adaptive mastery test; and a restricted self-adapted test. (Author/SLD)

An alternative method for scoring adaptive tests, based on number-correct scores, is explored and compared with a method that relies more directly on item response theory. Using the number-correct score with necessary adjustment for intentional differences in adaptive test difficulty is a statistically viable scoring method. (SLD)

Reviews current research developments in several areas of personnel selection methodology which represent attempts to develop alternatives to traditional paper-and-pencil methods of test development. Areas examined include computer-interactive tests in employment situation, new uses for life history information, physical tests for physically…