This paper illustrates the transformation of a raw data matrix into a matrix of associations, and then into a factor matrix. Factor analysis attempts to distill the most important relationships among a set of variables, thereby permitting some theoretical simplification. In this heuristic data, a correlation matrix was derived to display…

Tailored Response Testing (TRT) is a new type of test that has demonstrated its applicability to the evaluation of human performance in a wide variety of occupations and work settings. The Navy is using TRT to measure the technical proficiency of job incumbents in three of its jobs. The methodology holds great promise for testing aboard ships as…

To avoid the costs to the college and its students of making a poor hiring decision, Edison State Community College in Ohio uses the techniques of descriptive interviewing and teaching simulations to select new faculty. In descriptive interviewing, questions focus on how the candidate has actually behaved in real situations rather than on vague…

The space shuttle simulation, Totally Enclosed Modular Environment (TEME), was developed as a means for students to study group dynamics and how people adapt to their environment. This paper highlights features of this project. Topics reviewed include: (1) its historical development (tracing its origins as a year-long ecology course to current…

The literacy demands encountered in schools are considerably different from those encountered in the workplace. Existing measures used to analyze literacy demands and abilities in the workplace are not suitable for analyzing the same demands and abilities in schools. Methods that are effective for general job analysis can be specifically applied…

The basic communication theory course offered at Central Michigan University is designed to provide students with an understanding of fundamental concepts and terminology, and to expose them to theory and research in communication. The course gives students the opportunity to engage in simulations and other in-class activities, thus making…

A project was conducted to revise an existing office occupations curriculum to incorporate the use of telecommunications into simulated office practice and to train teachers in the use of equipment required to implement the updated curriculum. During the first phase of the project, teachers from two high schools in the school district designed the…

Some factors in the design of instructional micrcomputer simulations that high school social studies teachers must consider when selecting and using computer software are discussed: (1) Instructional computer simulations are adequate instructionally only to the extent that they make explicit the set of relationships underlying the program for the…

This paper discusses distribution theory and power computations for four common "tests of combined significance." These tests are calculated using one-sided sample probabilities or p values from independent studies (or hypothesis tests), and provide an overall significance level for the series of results. Noncentral asymptotic sampling…

According to the classical working memory perspective, tasks such as command and control decision-making should be performed less effectively if extraneous material must be retained in short-term memory. Only marginal support for this prediction was obtained for a simulation involving scheduling trucking and transportation missions, although…

A unit in business French in which students create a fictional company is outlined and discussed. In the five- or six-session unit, students follow a series of steps in establishing an enterprise, discuss various aspects of their emerging company, make legal and practical decisions, and reflect on the company's economic environment and long-term…

Simulation, including role-playing and role-simulation, as techniques for teaching English as a second language are discussed and illustrated. Introductory sections outline the instructional value of simulations, their motivating function, stages in their production, and their structure. Their production includes these stages: analysis of student…

Featuring real-life examples that show economic principles at work, this document contains teaching units which are designed to supplement basic economics and consumer education textbooks in social studies, home economics, and business education classes. Written for grades 9-12, and adaptable for grades 7-8, the materials bring economic principles…

This story, one of three in The Sexuality Decision-Making Series for Teens, contains several different possible plot lines depending on the decisions the reader makes for the characters at various "choice points." The study focuses on the theme of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs): Tracy and Tom have been in love for a year, and they…

The ue of hands-on models in teaching protein synthesis, in comparison to traditional expository methods, has been shown to improve the content achievement of biology students. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a set of models and the accompanying laboratory exercises in terms of content achievement and attitude toward biology and…