Previous work on the effects of dimensionality on parameter estimation was extended from dichotomous models to the polytomous graded response (GR) model. A multidimensional GR model was developed to generate data in one-, two-, and three-dimensions, with two- and three-dimensional conditions varying in their interdimensional associations. Test…

The purpose of this study was to describe the Rasch model for measurement and apply the model to examine the relationship between raters, domains of written compositions, and student writing ability. Twenty raters were randomly selected from a group of 87 operational raters contracted to rate essays as part of the 1993 field test of the Georgia…

The guide is designed to illustrate how it is realistic and possible to teach in a target foreign language, propose effective instructional strategies and techniques, and offer suggestions for inservice teacher workshops on the approach. It is proposed that language students need to experience the target language as a real means of communication,…

Discussion of oral communication between native and non-native speakers focuses on proficiency-related differences in interactions where the non-native speaker is experienced and those in which he is a novice. Research in oral proficiency development, discourse domains, and communication strategies is reviewed. It is argued that the ways in which…

On the basis of teachers' ratings of impulsivity, a group of 20 preschool children with a mean age of 51 months were assigned to groups of impulsive and non-impulsive subjects. Both groups were administered two measures of impulsivity as pre- and posttests: the Draw-a-Line Test and an adapted version of the Matching Familiar Figures Test. In…

Finding meaning in an ordinary prose text and following a description or argument is generally considered less difficult than finding the essential message in a literary text. Sometimes, however, the emotional impact makes it easier for some readers with some texts to see and understand the meaning of some literary texts. Research from the…

Four multidimensional data configurations and one unidimensional data configuration were simulated for three differences in mean difficulty between two tests to be equated. Two chi-square statistics, Q1 and Q2, were examined for their ability to detect multidimensionality. Results indicated that Q1 did not discriminate between any of the…

Turner's (1980) visual literacy test for high school students and adults was adapted for use with eighth grade students. The new version was limited to questions dealing with motion media, and a half-hour "M.A.S.H." narrative television program was chosen for the focus on television production techniques and the narrative elements of the…

Focused on the effects of difficulty level and choice of difficulty level on the engagement of students working CAI (computer-assisted instruction) math problems, possible patterns of student choices, and the relationship of locus of control measures to choice of difficulty levels. (Author/BJG)

Discusses briefly some general problems in the development of taxonomic systems applicable to descriptions of human performance and tasks, describing some alternative approaches and provisional classification schemes, and reviewing some attempts to evaluate the utility and validity of these systems. (Author/JM)

This study investigated the emergence of combinatorial competence in early adolescence and the effectiveness of a programmed discovery training procedure. Significant increases in combinatorial skill with age were shown; it was found that the expression of this skill was significantly facilitated if problems involved concrete material of low…

The level of assigned reading in textbooks is compared with the measured reading ability of pupils in the elementary grades 1-5. Results identify problem areas in the implementation of individualized instruction. (CS)

A study of the holistic evaluation of writing compared holistic rating and the rating for "conformity to correct prose" technique, a technique based on error counting, of five essays representing five ability levels. The essays were produced in a college English-as-a-Second-Language program. The two scoring methods produced the same ranking of…

An attempt was made to integrate script and schema-based approaches in an examination of children's early gender role development and gender typing. The examination focused on: (1) young children's sequencing of gender scripts and the relation of this sequencing to children's age, sex, and gender role knowledge; and (2) age-related differences in…