This simulation study involved the design of two two-stage tests in which the routing tests and the second-stage measurement testlets took the form of a multidimensional knapsack problem with prespecified target informations and constraints to be enumerated using the algorithm of E. Balas. Two conventional tests of similar length to the two-stage…

A case is made for the use of computer assisted instruction (CAI) in Child Development Associate (CDA) training programs conducted on-campus in conjunction with an educational curriculum or conducted off-campus in conjunction with child care programs. The following points are made: (1) CAI can be used to supplement and amplify a teacher's…

This paper presents preliminary results of research founded on the hypothesis that in real environments there exist regularities that can be idealized as mathematical structures that are simple enough to be analyzed. The author considered three steps in analyzing the encoding of modularity of the environment. First, a general information…

Misconceptions, shown to be prevalent in students even at the college level, may affect the cognitive process of making predictions in biology. The purpose of this study was to: (1) identify students' misconceptions about important biological concepts; (2) identify students' cognitive behaviors associated with making predictions about these…

A computer-based attention reduction model of training is presented, and associated issues related to instructional systems design are outlined. Attention reduction training (ART) is based on the dual task assessment procedure developed by researchers in the area of memory. The technique involves having subjects respond to two tasks…

According to a recent survey, the quality of educational software is the single most stated concern of computer educators in Canada. Only a small fraction of the educational software is evaluated. The evaluation approaches that have emerged to deal with this problem are subjective and unreliable, and they do not provide an overall impression of a…

In keeping with current Department of Defense policies on integrated diagnostics and a reduced reliance on paper-based documentation, the concept of a portable, expert-system-based job aid and training device was proposed to assist inexperienced electronics maintenance technicians in learning to maintain sophisticated equipment. A prototype was…

The first goal of this research project was to demonstrate the use of computer assisted video instruction (CAVI) for teaching mildly handicapped students school to community transition skills. Two CAVI learning modules were developed on asking for help and budgeting. The first includes eight lessons focusing on questions of why, when, who, what,…

The purpose of this teaching unit is to approach elementary probability problems in three ways. First, actual trials are performed and results are recorded. Second, a simple computer simulation of the problem provided on diskette and written for Apple IIe and IIc computers, is run several times. Finally, the mathematical solution of the problem is…

This report describes the Intelligent Maintenance Training System (IMTS), a set of software tools for composing and delivering simulation-based technical training. The goal in developing IMTS was to generate instructional interactions from device models composed of instances of generic objects. Problem selection in IMTS relies on the use of a…

The use of new extension of standard Item Response Theory (IRT) modeling of dichotomous items to include external variables is proposed. External variables may appear both as categorical grouping variables and as continuous variables; this requires the formulation of a model for the relationships between the external variables and the response…

These three volumes list and describe a total of 65 new educational software products. The lists are the result of February and September 1988 polls of 10 computer coordinators from large educational software preview centers and evaluation agencies, who were asked to identify new products they had seen which, in their professional opinion, were…

An integral part of the curriculum in introductory biology courses is the study of Mendelian genetics. Results from genetics learning studies and needs assessments demonstrated the need for additional intensive research in biology education and genetics learning. There exists a lack of detailed information describing reasoning patterns and…

The expert system computer simulation detailed in this report is designed to investigate patterns of valuing in decision-making about dossiers of performance data used in teacher promotion evaluations. The knowledge base for the simulation consists of 111 questions organized into 117 rules. The questions and linked advice were derived from…

In order to evaluate our methods and approaches of estimating the operating characteristics of discrete item responses, it is necessary to try other comparable methods on similar sets of data. LOGIST 5 was taken up for this reason, and was tried upon the hypothetical test items, which follow the normal ogive model and were used frequently in…