Educational performance based on the learning outcomes of formal schooling in a future knowledge society could be significantly different from that of today. This study investigates the possibilities of developing an educational performance indicator for new-millennium learners (NMLs). The researchers conducted literature reviews, a meeting of…

Five types of multiple-choice items that can be used to assess higher-order educational objectives are examined. The item types do not exhaust the possibilities, but they are standard forms found helpful in writing items to measure more than recognitive memory. (Author/CM)

The following discussions and workshops were presented at a conference on assessing higher order thinking skills organized by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory: (1) "Assessing Higher Order Thinking Skills--Issues and Practices" by S. Rankin; (2) "Writing Multiple-Choice Critical Thinking Items (part 1)" by S. P.…

A paper-and-pencil test of seven of Inhelder and Piaget's formal operational schemes was developed. Multitrait-multimethod cross-validation procedures indicated that the objective test is a valid and reliable measure. It has the advantage of use in a large group setting without the need for trained clinical interviewers. (Author/PN)

Reasons why there are few incentives for test publishers to make significant innovations in what is tested or how it is tested are given. A brief discussion of research on growth spurts in the brain, hemispheric differences, and other neurological phenomena is followed by a discussion of some conclusions drawn from this work. While skepticism is…

The development of a process to assess higher order thinking skills associated with thinking in real world situations raises questions about the domain of assessment, the skills and dispositions to be assessed, and the purpose of the assessment. It is argued that existing critical thinking courses and instruments may be of limited value in…

Procedures that could be used to assess progress in instructional programs designed to enhance cognitive skills are reviewed, discussing measures of the following parameters: (1) knowledge acquisition, organization, and structure; (2) problem representation; (3) mental models; (4) metacognitive skills; (5) automaticity of performance; and (6)…

Conceptual foundations of a process for assessing higher-order thinking are reviewed, and a viable model for carrying out the process is presented. The first section of the paper formulates 21 criteria that should be met by any process adequate to the task. The second section outlines the basic concept of critical thinking on which the paper is…

Four major problem areas inhibit the standardized assessment of critical thinking (CT): (1) content validity; (2) construct validity; (3) technical jargon; and (4) background knowledge. Practical examples of framing multiple-choice items for assessment are suggested. In the area of content validity, new agreement about the definition of CT now…

Theoretical framework, instrument development, and psychometric qualities are reviewed for some measures of learning style currently in use with adults. Instruments reviewed include: (1) Kolb's Learning Style Inventory I; (2) Kolb's Learning Style Inventory II; (3) the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator; (4) the Productivity Environmental Preferences…

This report presents an overview of research related to the development of the "Wisconsin Tests of Testimony and Reasoning Assessment," a battery of seven tests for assessing student development in the mastery of relevant concepts and skills of verbal argument for grades 10-12. Provided are (1) a discussion of the rationale for and…

Procedures for assessing citizenship education among 13-year-old and 17-year-old students are outlined. The document is designed to be used by over 1,600 district and school personnel who have the responsibility for conducting assessments using the National Assessment of Educational Progress guidelines (NAEP). It provides information on the…

This module, one in a series of 127 performance-based teacher education learning packages focusing upon specific professional competencies of vocational teachers, deals with assessing student performance. Addressed in the individual learning experiences are the following topics: understanding the considerations involved in assessing student…

This document reports efforts to address some of the problems of competency-based assessment by developing and utilizing unique measures of competence. Seven conceptual guidelines are identified for test development and utilization: (1) new competencies must be identified and operationally defined; (2) new competencies should have general…

To what extent can photographic readability be formalized for use as a criterion in the evaluation of instructional materials? The purpose of this study was to develop and pilot test a readability index for evaluating photographic illustrations in instructional materials. The index uses an interdisciplinary battery of methods adapted from the…