We revisit the merits of the retrospective pretest-posttest (RPP) design for repeated-measures research. The underutilized RPP method asks respondents to rate survey items twice during the same posttest measurement occasion from two specific frames of reference: "now" and "then." Individuals first report their current attitudes…

The primary measure used to determine relative effectiveness of in-class activities has been student performance on pre/posttests. However, in today's active-learning classrooms, learning is a social activity, requiring students to interact and learn from their peers. To develop effective active-learning exercises that engage students, it is…

The original SOCO Scale was reduced to 10 items by Thomas, Soutar, and Ryan (2001). The author conducted a pretest and a posttest in his Personal Selling class during the Fall 2009 semester. Significant differences by gender, student sales experience and family member in the sales field were identified. The author once again pretested the…

Outlines the purposes of pretests and considerations in their construction. (JR)

Computer assisted test construction (CATC) is a new testing technique that seems to provide ease and flexibility for faculty members and students. The purpose of this paper was to verify that student test scores are not adversely affected by implementation of CATC. Two sections of a basic course in cataloging were tested for one semester. One…

A description of a method used with criterion referenced tests which is designed to reduce guessing. (HB)

The desirable characteristics of criterion referenced test items and sets of items are described. A two-stage item tryout and item selection procedure are also described. The paper presents the results of using the procedure as compared with traditional item selection procedures used in selecting items for norm referenced tests. It was found that…

The study aimed at constructing, validating, and testing two instruments, one of which measured attitude change toward Civil Defense adult education, and one which measured level of knowledge about Civil Defense practices; and evaluating the effectiveness of the Personal and Family Survival (PFS) Course in terms of attitude change and knowledge…

AN INVESTIGATION WAS MADE TO DETERMINE TO WHAT EXTENT TWO METHODS OF ITEM ANALYSIS - NORM REFERENCED AND CRITERION REFERENCED - YIELD THE SAME RELATIVE EVALUATION OF TEST ITEMS. ITEMS WHICH DISCRIMINATED WELL BETWEEN STUDENTS SCORING HIGH AND LOW ON POST-TESTS WERE STUDIED TO SEE IF THEY ALSO DISCRIMINATED WELL BETWEEN PRETRAINING AND…

The adaptation is proposed of an evaluation technique to the needs of the State Department of Education of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by demonstration in a selected group of schools. Improving educational quality through Comprehensive Achievement Monitoring (CAM) is accomplished by providing students and educators with longitudinal and…

Two types of sensitivity indices were developed in this paper, one internal to the total test and the second external. To evaluate the success of these statistics the three criteria suggested for a satisfactory index of item quality were considered. The Internal Sensitivity Index appears to meet these demands. Certainly it is easily computed. In…

A computer-based test administration and monitoring system developed at the University of Delaware is described. Using six terminals connected to a Burroughs B-6700 computer, the system provides numerous capabilities for interactive testing and evaluation of students' course learning, while also providing statistical data to faculty in a variety…

The development of a single value revision indicator which would utilize learner performance data obtained from a pretest-posttest design to rank a set of instructional modules as to their relative need for revision is discussed. A set of procedures was developed in connection with the implementation of the Production, Implementation, Evaluation,…

The model developed by the Computer Based Project for the Evaluation of Media for the Handicapped in Syracuse, New York to evaluate the use of captioned films for the deaf with mentally handicapped and emotionally disturbed children is briefly described, followed by a review of recent research conducted by the project staff. Among the areas which…

The effect of an advance organizer on post test performance was studied in a 2 X 2 X 2 factorial design with the effects of the organizer, pretest and mathematics learning passage controlled. An advance organizer of approximately 500 words and a learning passage of approximately 1,000 words were developed. A 41-item multiple choice test based on…