Many engineering projects fail to meet their planned completion dates in real practice. This is a recurrent topic in the project management literature, with poor planning and controlling practices frequently cited among the most significant causes of delays. Unfortunately, hardly any attention has been paid to the fact that the classical…

Currently, e-learning systems are being widely used in all stages of education. However, it is difficult for school administrators to accurately assess the actual usage performance of a new system, especially when an organization wishes to update the system for users from different backgrounds using new devices such as smartphones. To allow school…

There are two mainstream curricula for international school students at the junior high level: the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE). The former was developed in the mid-1990s and is currently being relaunched in a 21st-century approach.…

This paper presents an evaluation study of an innovative and theory-based initial teacher education course entitled Learning Study, the aim of which is to develop the instructional design and teaching competency of pre-service teachers in Hong Kong. The Learning Study course is offered to all second year students as part of the Bachelor of…

Ten evaluation models are examined in terms of their applicability to investigative, emergent design programs: Stake's portrayal, Wolf's adversary, Patton's utilization, Guba's investigative journalism, Scriven's goal-free, Scriven's modus operandi, Eisner's connoisseurial, Stufflebeam's CIPP, Tyler's objective based, and Levin's cost…

This study was designed to develop a methodology for evaluating the application of Instructional Technology (IT), conceived of in terms of a systems approach. An idealized model of IT was prepared based on a literature review of current models. The model was matched against basic nursing education programs purporting to use IT. A rating technique…

A basic methodological approach in developmental studies is the collection of longitudinal data. Behavioral data cen take at least two forms, qualitative (or discrete) and quantitative. Both types are fallible. Measurement errors can occur in quantitative data and measures of these are based on error variance. Qualitative or discrete data can…

An article was published in the December 1985 issue of this journal that used LISREL to investigate the relationship between family medicine residents' moral reasoning and their clinical performance (Sheehan). The data from that study are reanalyzed to illustrate the importance of considering alternative structural equation models in evaluation…

A proficiency model that provides information on individuals' mastery status on specific skills is illustrated. The model describes the construction and scoring of mastery tests as well as the organization and reporting of individual and group testing results. With the model, an individual's mastery status with respect to various skills can be…

The extensive sociological studies of conservation agriculture have provided considerable understanding of farmers' use of conservation practices, but attempts to develop predictive models have failed. Reviews of research findings question the utility of the conceptual and methodological perspectives of prior research. The argument advanced here…

Title I evaluations using the RMC Model C design depend for their interpretation on the assumption that the regression of posttest on pretest is linear across the cut score level when there is no treatment; but there are many instances where nonlinearities may occur. If one applies the analysis of covariance, or model C analysis, large errors may…

Evaluations of social programs based upon quasi-experimental designs are typically plagued by problems of nonequivalence between the experimental and comparison group prior to the experiment. In such settings it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to isolate the effects of the program from the confounding effects associated with the…

This paper discusses the use of the LISREL computer program to compare two groups of Ontario students who studied French as a second language in either a regular or an immersion program. Longitudinal data on growth in mathematical ability, from grade 4 to grade 6, are analyzed using seven different mathematical models. The paper illustrates the…

Computer-based testing (CBT) is typically implemented using one of three general test delivery models: (1) multiple fixed testing (MFT); (2) computer-adaptive testing (CAT); or (3) multistage testing (MSTs). This article reviews some of the real cost drivers associated with CBT implementation--focusing on item production costs, the costs…

This partially annotated bibliography of journal articles, dissertations, convention papers, research reports, and a few books and unpublished manuscripts provides a comprehensive coverage of work on latent trait theory and practice. Documents are arranged alphabetically by author. The period covered ranges from the early 1950's to the present.…