This article reviews briefly some of the research related to the development of automaticity for recall of basic math facts, reports on a research project with six fourth- and fifth-grade students, and gives teaching suggestions for the development of automaticity. (PB)

Examines ways in which intelligent tutoring systems can be used to develop models of a student's domain knowledge, problem solving abilities, and learning strategies. Cognitive skills assessment is discussed, and an example of a problem based tutoring system, Qualitative Understanding of Electrical System Troubleshooting (QUEST), is explained. (25…

Reports on a descriptive profile of college students' HIV-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Students reported good HIV knowledge and positive attitudes regarding infected individuals but also reported high risk behaviors. It is proposed that information from this study will supply useful information for national health objectives for…

Describes a project that addressed the challenge of promoting systemic change in science education through the use of instructional assessments. Instructional assessments integrate performance-based assessments with curriculum and instruction at the classroom level. Authors claim instructional assessment provides a promising lever for promoting…

Derivations of several item selection algorithms for use in fitting test items to target information functions (IFs) are described. These algorithms, which use an average growth approximation of target IFs, were tested by generating six test forms and were found to provide reliable fit. (SLD)

Design details, operation, and initial field test results are reported for DynaMath, a computer-based dynamic assessment system that provides individually tailored, instructionally useful assessment of students with disabilities. DynaMath organizes and outputs student performance data, graphically shows the "zone of proximal…

Describes the design, construction, administration, and results of networked campuswide placement testing for mathematics and chemistry at Stanford University. Reasons for online testing are discussed; software requirements and programing details are explained; and the impact on students and their advisors is considered. (Contains seven…

As part of planning for implementation of computer-administered medical board examinations, a telephone survey of 143 accredited medical schools in the United States and Canada found that most have at least 1 computer for every 20 students, though nearly one-third of the schools make very few microcomputers available. Computer types used varied,…

A new test construction model based on the Rasch model is proposed. This model, the cluster-based method, considers groups of interchangeable items rather than individual items and uses integer programing. Results for six test construction problems indicate that the method produces accurate results in small amounts of time. (SLD)

Interactive computerized tests accepting unrestricted natural-language input were used to assess knowledge of clinical biophysics at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Comparison of responses to open-ended sequential questions and multiple-choice questions on the same material found the two formats test different aspects of competence.…

Item banks and computer-generated tests in a Canadian community college's computerized testing system were evaluated and student and faculty attitudes surveyed. Item banks were found inadequate, tests addressed low-level learning outcomes, and the system's location in centralized administration gave instructional staff little ownership or…

A study involving 34 fifth- and sixth graders examined the equivalence of paper-and-pencil and computer-based versions of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT), Figural Forms A and B. Computer-based TTCT scores were not equivalent with the paper-and-pencil version. Computer-based scores did show different response tendencies among…

Examined alternative-item types and section configurations for improving the discriminant and convergent validity of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test using a computer-based test given to 388 examinees who had taken the GRE previously. Adding new variations of logical meaning appeared to decrease discriminant validity. (SLD)

Three studies investigated the effectiveness of the Computer Assisted Reading Diagnosis, a diagnostic system based on "rauding" theory (a collection of theories, constructs, and equations developed to describe, explain, predict and control the ability to comprehend relatively easy sentences) and a causal model of reading achievement.…

This article discusses some of the limitations of current educational assessment and how application of universal design for learning (UDL) concepts can improve assessment accuracy and its applicability to instruction. Benefits of UDL are described and include allowing for multiple means of representation and expression, and multiple means of…