Recent events, such as the anthrax scares and the SARS outbreak, have forced teachers to focus on issues such as disease control and bioterrorism in their own backyards. Students are aware of the current biological issues in the news and are curious about infectious diseases and the issues relating to biological warfare. In order to address the…

This study compared the effectiveness of three different video-based instructional sequences, all used in conjunction with the system of least prompts, for teaching three different daily living skills to three young adults with developmental disabilities. The video-based instructional sequences (i.e., video rehearsal, video rehearsal plus photos,…

Strategies for promoting reflection in prospective early childhood teachers are summarized. Each strategy was field tested and documented in the course "The Development and Administration of Child Service Programs," which was team taught during the summers of 1994 and 1995 at The Pennsylvania State University. About 30 students enrolled…

A broad understanding of the skills and characteristics associated with successful performance in graduate school was developed through discussions with two groups of distinguished graduate faculty members, 15 in all. The first group consisted of psychologists with expertise in cognition and assessment. The second group was composed of faculty…

This interdisciplinary five-day unit provides students with an understanding of the issues in the debate on global climate change. Introductory lessons enhance understanding of the "greenhouse gases" and their sources with possible global effects of climate change. Students then roleplay negotiators from 10 nations in a simulation of the…

Researchers from BBN Laboratories and Lesley College (Massachusetts) have begun exploratory studies to build an understanding of the learning that occurs when middle school students interact with science-based simulations. Sixty hours of discussion among eight middle school students were videotaped as they used the simulations from the…

Performance assessments in education and credentialing are becoming popular. At the same time, there do not exist any well established and validated methods for setting standards on performance assessments. This paper describes several of the new standard-setting methods that are emerging for use with performance assessments and considers their…

This paper provides an overview of a teacher evaluation system designed to improve the education of preservice teachers at Auburn University (Alabama) by promoting self-assessment, reflection, and professional growth. The system uses a portfolio approach which includes a simulation exercise in pedagogical decision making. The portfolio contains…

Performance assessment is reviewed as an emerging form of alternative assessment, focusing on how it has been defined in the research literature, the criteria for evaluating its authenticity, the measurement of process and product, and the link between assessment and instruction. Three important dimensions that must be considered in describing…

This book draws on classroom experiences and faculty suggestions in providing a practical guide to teaching strategies to encourage active learning in the college classroom. A wide range of teaching tools which ask students to apply what they are learning are considered, including problem-solving exercises, cooperative student projects, informal…

Many state and local entities are developing and using performance assessment programs. Because these initiatives are so diverse, it is very difficult to understand what they are doing, or to compare them in any meaningful way. Multiple-choice tests are contrasted with performance assessments, and preliminary classifications are suggested to…

A study investigated the use of drama activities in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction in Malaysia. Instruction occurred over an extended period of time and involved over 300 teachers, with a wide range of training and experience, in secondary and higher education institutions. Students were low-level, intermediate, or advanced…

The subject of this dissertation is the examination of differential item functioning (DIF) through the use of loglinear Rasch models with latent classes. DIF refers to the probability that a correct response among equally able test takers is different for various racial, ethnic, and gender groups. Because usual methods of detecting DIF give little…

This paper describes the application of peer teaching to the training of prospective special education teachers. This approach emphasizes practicing the teaching act in a safe environment, i.e., one in which young learners are not at risk and in which the prospective teacher can receive feedback from peers and the instructor without fear of being…

How two students with the same number-correct score, calculated by dramatically different patterns of responses, can achieve the same ability estimate is demonstrated. The present study investigated the incidence of person misfit to the model in a nationally standardized test of achievement devised using the Rasch item response theory model. It…