Ten different methods of using computer administered tests in college level biology are described: evaluation (or posttest), student self-evaluation, student self-remediation, class remediation, individual student remediation, pretesting, identification of problem areas, immediate feedback, group testing, and remote site testing. (Author/MBR)

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill medical school uses an objective structured clinical examination as the final exam in physical diagnosis. Since 1987, students and evaluators have shown overwhelming acceptance and support of the test, partly because it is structured for teaching as well as assessment. (Author/MSE)

Used samples of 142 management and 123 nursing undergraduates to evaluate the psychometric properties and factor structure of the newly developed Form S (short form) of the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (G. Watson and E. Glaser, 1964, 1994). Results provide only limited support for Form S, and further refinement is suggested. (SLD)

A study assessed the feasibility of sequential testing of medical students using standardized patients. Sequential testing passes students who score well on the first segment of the test thus eliminating additional student-standardized patient encounters. Subjects were six classes of Southern Illinois University students (n=404). Results strongly…

In an engineering technology course at Coventry University (England), the utility of computer-assisted tests was compared with that of traditional paper-based tests. It was found that the computer-based technique was acceptable to students, produced valid results, and demonstrated potential for saving staff time. (Author/MSE)

Three experiments were conducted, all employing undergraduates in college courses taught according to personalized system of instruction (PSI) principles. Experiment I examined retention as a function of the feedback delay interval in an introductory anthropology course using short-answer essay tests. Experiment II varied the feedback delay…

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.…

Because testing comprehension of long (5- to 10-page) second-language texts is more complex than testing shorter texts, an alternative form of second language reading comprehension test is needed. In a guided summary completion test, students are presented with a greatly shortened version of the text (e.g., one-paragraph summary), containing…

Two of the most popular assessment instruments for measuring college student educational outcomes are the College Outcome Measures Program (COMP) of the American College Testing Program (1987) and the Academic Profile of the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Characteristics of these tests were compared, and the sensitivity of each test to…

This study provides a parametric extension of the immediate feedback and partial credit components of Pressey's corrective testing procedure. On several measures of students' subjective reactions, corrective testing feedback was superior to conventional multiple choice format. Providing students two attempts to answer each item obtained the most…

The applicability of a Chinese translation of the Students' Evaluation of Educational Quality (SEEQ) (H. W. Marsh, 1982 and later) and the generality of findings based on North American research were studied with 844 students at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Results support the use of the SEEQ in this Chinese setting. (SLD)

The first administration of the newly revised Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT--formerly the Scholastic Aptitude Test) was in March 1994. This article looks at the historical background of the College Board's testing program, compares the formats of the new and old versions, and discusses implications for college-bound students and admissions…

Comparability of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and the MMPI-2 was explored by examining T-score means, profile configurations, score distribution, and rank-order correlations on validity scales for 84 undergraduates. Equivalency of the two forms was generally supported. (SLD)

The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), initially developed for undergraduate medical education, has been adapted for assessment of clinical skills in podiatry students. A 12-month pilot study found the test had relatively low levels of reliability, high construct and criterion validity, and good stability of performance over time.…

A reliability analysis was conducted of an abbreviated, 10-item version of the Pupil Control Ideology Form (PCI), using the Cronbach's alpha technique (L. J. Cronbach, 1951) and the computation of the standard error of measurement. The PCI measures a teacher's orientation toward pupil control. Subjects were 168 preservice teachers from one private…