Using portfolios for assessment of nursing competence raises issues of ambiguity, confidentiality, and honesty. More research is needed to develop a clear theoretical framework and measures of validity, reliability, and credibility for nursing portfolio assessment. (Contains 29 references.) (SK)

Research in the field of Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) is based on a wide variety of methodologies. In this paper, we focus upon content analysis, which is a technique often used to analyze transcripts of asynchronous, computer mediated discussion groups in formal educational settings. Although this research technique is often…

Quantitative content analysis is increasingly used to surpass surface level analyses in computer-supported collaborative learning (e.g., counting messages), but critical reflection on accepted practice has generally not been reported. A review of CSCL conference proceedings revealed a general vagueness in definitions of units of analysis. In…

The information function is an important statistic in item response theory (IRT) applications. Although the information function is often described as the IRT version of reliability, it differs from the classical notion of reliability from a critical perspective: replication. This article first explores the information function for the…

The measurement of online self-regulation processes is a very important issue and in this rejoinder to Ainley and Patrick (this issue) I am arguing that including measures of metacognitive experiences, in conjunction with measures of other affective experiences, in various phases of task processing can increase the reliability and validity of…

The revised push-up test has been found to have good validity but it produces many zero scores for women. Maybe there should be an alternative to the revised push-up test for college-age women. The purpose of this study was to determine the objectivity, reliability, and validity for the bent-knee push-up test (executed on hands and knees) for…

Objective: To determine if Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) can be reliably identified in maltreated toddlers in foster care, if the two types of RAD are independent, and to estimate the prevalence of RAD in these maltreated toddlers. Methods: Clinicians treating 94 maltreated toddlers in foster care were interviewed regarding signs of…

This paper analyzes the reliability and validity of a questionnaire designed by Archbold, Lutman, Gregory, O'Neil, and Nikolpoulos (2002) for the assessment of pediatric cochlear implantation. Parents of 61 youngsters (age range 5 to 16 years), who had the implant for at least 3 years, responded to the questionnaire and to an interview. The alpha…

In a recent article in this journal, Lombard, Snyder-Duch, and Bracken (2002) surveyed 200 content analyses for their reporting of reliability tests, compared the virtues and drawbacks of five popular reliability measures, and proposed guidelines and standards for their use. Their discussion revealed that numerous misconceptions circulate in the…

Five rating scales for screening and detection of Asperger's Disorder, three commercially available and two research instruments, are evaluated with reference to psychometric criteria outlined by Bracken in 1987 ("Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment," 4, 313). Reliability and validity data reported in examiner's manuals or published reports…

The psychometric properties of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales Survey Form were studied in a total population of children and adolescents with MR, and in the specific levels of functioning (n=826, age 4-18 years). The original division into (sub)domains, as assigned by the authors, was replicated in the total population and in the mild and…

The use of reliability generalization methodology promises to, among other things, inform researchers about the importance of reporting reliability coefficients and their use in result interpretation. This study presents results from a reliability generalization study of the Self-Description Questionnaire (SDQ). The average score reliabilities…

The purpose of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of the self-administered International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) short form in college students. One hundred twenty-three undergraduate students (20.8 [plus or minus] 1.5 years of age, 76% Caucasian, 74% female) wore an accelerometer and pedometer at their waists…

Today's administrators in higher education face a dynamic marketplace that offers students an array of educational options and alternatives. Much like organizations more traditionally associated with marketing strategies and tactics, colleges and universities are gradually moving towards and embracing the marketing concept and a focus on consumer…

From the early 1900s to the present, there have always been inconsistencies in how teachers evaluate the writing quality of their students' essays. Their critiques vary as much as their personalities. To establish common standards in writing for all courses in which essays are assigned and, at the same time, not infringe on the integrity of…