Methodological techniques were employed to study the reliability, validity, and uniqueness of peer ratings that two sets of graduating students received during their final internal medicine rotation. Results indicate that peer ratings given as part of a promotion process were internally consistent, unbiased, and valid. (Author/MLW)

Deans' letters of recommendation can be regarded as measuring instruments that are used in the selection process to evaluate and predict the future performance of residents and interns. This study demonstrates that the dean's letter can be a reliable and valid measure of medical student performance that correlates with performance in residency…

Evaluates the reliability, concurrent validity, and comparative predictive validity of political sophistication in comparison to those of exposure, attention, and civics knowledge. Suggests that political sophisticates do not simply consume more news but process it differently than their less-sophisticated counterparts. (SR)

Questions raised frequently by college and university faculty about use of portfolios to document effective teaching are answered. The questions address such issues as how the portfolio is organized, what it should reflect, how and by whom it is used, preparation time, the mentor's role, reliability, subjectivity, maintaining the portfolio's…

Analysis of the content of and student responses to college course evaluations suggests that, in general, students are seeking entertainment, comfort, high grades, and less work and are hostile to the necessary routines and rigors of higher education. The commonly used numerical evaluation form is not only unreliable and invalid, it is an…

Provides an overview of the electronic journal market and focuses on publishers doing innovative projects. Discusses predominate market models; publishers and the Internet; issues surrounding electronic journals: pricing, security, electronic page layout, copyright, backfile availability, reliability, and accessibility. Highlights selected…

Four common difficulties in development and maintenance of a World Wide Web site are those of capturing control of the ever-changing medium and providing product consistency; providing relatively easy and rapid access for users; coping with copyrights when there are so few legal guidelines; and preserving privacy for use of credit cards. Solutions…

Explored user perceptions of dependability and accuracy of Texas A&M library services through focus groups. Reports user difficulties in locating materials, inaccurate catalog and circulation records, inadequate signage, searching the online catalog, and late notification of interlibrary loan arrivals; and discusses the library's efforts to…

The published literature addressing grocery shopping instruction for individuals with moderate, severe, or profound intellectual disabilities was reviewed. Discussion focuses on variables associated with effective instructional programming, including maintenance, generalization, reliability, and social validity. (Author)

Addresses construct validity for comparisons of racial-ethnic group response patterns on the SSQ when age is considered as a factor. Assesses whether the SSQ's factor structure is similar for African American, Hispanic American, and Anglo American children and youth, grouped by ages 8-10, 11-13, and 14-17 years old. (RJM)

This article suggests that many college educators are resistant to change, in spite of their reputation for being innovative. The author highlights three major techniques educators use to sabotage change--creating committees, using the past to dictate the future, and sticking their heads in the ground--and suggests steps to overcome them. (AUTH/NB)

Describes distance education at the School of Library and Information Science at San Jose State University (California). Highlights include interactive television transmission; interactive video and asynchronous transfer mode; reliability; experiences at other schools; computer-mediated communication and interaction between teachers and students;…

Studied longitudinal changes in performance at both the student and school district level in major content areas of a widely used norm-referenced grade-level testing program. Used data from grades 3 to 4 and from 7 to 8 of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (in Iowa). Reports descriptive statistics and empirical norms and reliability estimates for…

Studied the development of early numeracy in 207 5- to 7-year-old Flemish children compared with 299 Dutch peers. Results suggest that the Early Numeracy Test (J. van Luit and others, 1994) is moderately reliable and has construct validity. Flemish children lagged at the first assessment but caught up by the third in the middle of the first year…

The agreement between visual analysis and the results of the split-middle method of trend estimation was examined using a set of 24 stimulus graphs and 30 raters. Results revealed poor agreement between the two methods, and low sensitivity, specificity, and predictive ability for visual analysis in relation to statistical inferences. (JDD)