In item response theory (IRT) modeling, the Fisher information matrix is used for numerous inferential procedures such as estimating parameter standard errors, constructing test statistics, and facilitating test scoring. In principal, these procedures may be carried out using either the expected information or the observed information. However, in…

Introduction: Existing studies of the variables that can impact reading comprehension at intermediate levels of Primary Education are not entirely conclusive. The present study analyzes the contribution to reading comprehension made by domain-general skills, such as fluid intelligence (Gf) and working memory (WM), and domain-specific skills, such…

Purpose: The purpose of our study was to test the hypotheses (a) that children with dyslexia have spoken word learning deficits primarily related to phonology and (b) that children with dyslexia and concomitant developmental language disorder (DLD) have word learning deficits related to both phonology and semantic processing when compared to peers…

Visual representations are prevalent in STEM instruction. To benefit from visuals, students need representational competencies that enable them to see meaningful information. Most research has focused on explicit conceptual representational competencies, but implicit perceptual competencies might also allow students to efficiently see meaningful…

Indigenous students, a subgroup of the Australian student population, produce poorer educational outcomes and continue to produce persistently lower attendance rates than non-Indigenous peers. Currently, governments collect and monitor student attendance as an indicator of students' educational achievement and a key performance measure of schools…

Considerable attention over the past several years has been given to empathy as a desirable teacher disposition. Situating empathy in a slice of the research on dispositions, the author identifies and explores several problems surrounding empathy related to expectations, definitions, measurement, inferential accuracy, and the realization of social…

The mixed methods study presented in this paper investigates the influence of planning in oral teaching methods.. This research article presented examines the impact of planned and unplanned conditions on three different variables in the context of oral teaching methods: fluency, vocabulary complexity, and accuracy. As a research tool two…

The usefulness of item response theory (IRT) models depends, in large part, on the accuracy of item and person parameter estimates. For the standard 3 parameter logistic model, for example, these parameters include the item parameters of difficulty, discrimination, and pseudo-chance, as well as the person ability parameter. Several factors impact…

This study explored the influence of instructions that combine internal and external foci. Fifty-one subjects were randomly divided into 3 groups: internal only, external only, and a combined internal and external focus. The task was the overhand lacrosse throw for accuracy from a stationary position to a target located on a wall 6 m away.…

This study used a Web-based naturalistic story-reading paradigm to investigate the impact of number of exposures on incidental acquisition and long-term retention of new meanings for known words by native English-speaking adults. Participants read one of four custom written stories in which they encountered novel meanings (e.g., a safe concealed…

As part of a perennial project, our team is actively engaged in developing new synthetic assistant (SA) technologies to assist in training combat medics and medical first responders. It is critical that medical first responders are well trained to deal with emergencies more effectively. This would require real-time monitoring and feedback for each…

This study aimed to assess the accuracy of the empirical item characteristic curve (EICC) preequating method given the presence of test speededness. The simulation design of this study considered the proportion of speededness, speededness point, speededness rate, proportion of missing on speeded items, sample size, and test length. After crossing…

The academic performance of a student in a university is determined by a number of factors, both academic and non-academic. Student that previously excelled at the secondary school level may lose focus due to peer pressure and social lifestyle while those who previously struggled due to family distractions may be able to focus away from home, and…

Peer assessment can be conducted online with rapid development of online learning technology. The current study was conducted empirically to investigate peer rating accuracy and student learning outcomes in online peer assessments, comparing compulsory and voluntary peer assessment. Section 1 (N = 93) was assigned to the voluntary group and…

Self-generated information is better recognized and recalled than read information. This so-called generation effect has been replicated several times for different types of stimulus material, different generation tasks, and retention intervals. The present study investigated the impact of individual differences in learners' disposition to engage…