Describes empirical investigations of people's use of relevance criteria. Highlights include a laboratory experiment and a naturalistic study that explored the patterns of movement in use of relevance criteria during real-time document evaluation processes; criteria patterns; and a classification scheme and criteria taxonomy that may enable…

This study investigated the relationship between categorical perception and dyslexia by comparing the discrimination responses of 19 children with dyslexia and 17 average readers to sinewave analogues of speech sounds presented as either nonspeech whistles or as speech sounds. The study found an increased perceptibility of within-category…

Three studies explored 2- to 4-year-olds' ability to categorize objects based on novel underlying causal power. Children saw that a "blicket" would set off a machine and participated in categorization, induction, and association tasks. Results demonstrated that even 2-year-olds easily learn about an object's new causal power and…

Discusses levels of the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) as ordinal categories. Presents guidelines developed through the Rasch model that prompt an analyst to investigate whether rating categories produce observations on which meaningful measurement and inference about patient status can be based. (SLD)

Preliminary findings from a longitudinal study of 32 preschool children who stutter and 32 nonstuttering controls reveal 4 subgroups: (1) persistent stuttering; (2) late recovery; (3) early recovery; and (4) control. Comparative data for the groups regarding frequency of disfluency, acoustic features, phonologic skills, language development,…

Five experiments tested the development of conceptual categories by familiarizing infants to objects in a category and presenting them with an object in a different category. Infants' responses indicated that infants at 7 to 11 months categorized animals, vehicles, and furniture; at 11 months, plants and kitchen utensils; and at 9 to 11 months,…

Explains a study that assesses students' ideas about animals. Evaluates textbooks and trade books according to the identifications and words they use. Discusses student responses from different grade levels on the classification of animals and identifying what is an animal. Summarizes the results of the study and makes recommendations on the…

Describes performance indicators (PIs) as conceptual technologies that shape the issues academics think about and how they think about these issues. Explores the normative assumptions embedded in the PIs of higher education in Alberta, Canada, to yield an initial typology of assumptions academics can apply to PIs in higher education to refine or…

Examined causal status effect (weighing cause features more than effect features in categorization). Presented adults and 7- to 9-year-olds animal descriptions wherein one feature caused two others. Asked which transfer item was more likely an example of novel animal. Found that both groups preferred an animal with a cause and an effect feature…

A study of 18 first-semester, 32 midprogram, and 18 graduating/graduated agricultural education doctoral students showed that degree progress increased the following competencies: foundations, applications, and international knowledge; social, content, process, problem-solving, systems, and resource management skills; and verbal, reasoning,…

Based on a taxonomy of knowledge management processes, provides a synopsis of technologies and vendors that support knowledge management. Proposes a model for classifying the various types of technologies related to knowledge management that are most often used in institutional research. (EV)

Identifies problems in codifying vocational knowledge, including inappropriate dualisms such as theoretical versus practical and omission of important tacit knowledge. Outlines Polanyi's ideas about tacit knowledge and presents a knowledge taxonomy as a possible strategy for codification and advocates a holistic teaching approach. (Contains 52…

Presents research that has resulted in the identification and classification of the types of questions asked by teachers during science lessons. Determines how each type of question relates to particular teaching approaches and student learning. (Author/CCM)

Thirty-five clients who had received counseling completed a letter to a friend describing in detail what they had learned from counseling. Responses were analyzed and classified using the Structure of Learning Outcomes (SOLO) taxonomy. Results suggest that an expanded SOLO offers a promising and exciting way to view the outcomes of counseling…

Using item response theory, discusses the difficulties faced in evaluating measurement invariance when a psychological construct is assessed through a test or inventory composed of categorical items. Illustrates the usefulness of fitplots in assessing measurement invariance in inventory data. (SLD)