The technique of having college economics students write brief reaction papers in response to assigned readings has been found to be useful in motivating and enhancing student preparedness for classroom discussions. The reaction papers also helped students study for exams and develop writing skills. (MSE)

This instructional module from the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) explains how to design assessments for written reports, develop performance criteria and communicate them to students, monitor progress, and assess the outcome. Learning how to give students a role in assessment adds a dimension to their responsibilities. (SLD)

Analysis of the use of a cloze-procedure test to measure the English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) proficiency of Japanese college students revealed that the cloze test correlated significantly with an essay test and improved prediction of ESL proficiency, suggesting that carefully constructed cloze tests could be useful in integrative language…

Describes four instructional techniques used to deliver specific developmental objectives in both an introductory chemistry course and a general course in science and technology. The four techniques described are miniresearch projects, scenario-based research projects, short essay examination questions, and issues-directed research project. (PR)

A study of 543 South African university freshmen examined testing issues in relation to use of English as a first or second language. Results suggest multiple-choice tests yield higher grades than essay tests for both native and nonnative speakers, performance on essay questions varies depending on type of question, and open-ended tutorial…

Studied the amount of measurement error in a state's performance-based writing task as it relates to high-stakes decision reproducibility. Using 175 eighth-grade writing samples, the study finds moderate correlations between the two raters' scores, with significant differences for the rates for the handwritten, but not the typed, essays.(SLD)

A hurdles approach, where qualitatively different expectations are linked to higher grades is suggested as a way of challenging high performing students in large classes with extreme range in ability. Large classes and increasing range in student ability and preparedness as well as diverse student learning styles have made it difficult to design…

This article employs the concept of intersubjectivity to analyze developments in and discrepancies between students' understandings of criteria for effective writing and the criteria of their teacher. It reports on a study that employed qualitative methods of interview and classroom observation in conjunction with analysis of students' writing and…

Two groups of middle school students were taught U.S. colonial history during a 5-week period using 2 different instructional strategies. In the experimental group, concepts and problem-solving strategies were explicitly taught; in the control group, content was presented using lectures and reading. All students took a pretest and several…

This study explores the perceptions of different groups of L1 and L2 Israeli pre-service teachers and their instructors regarding "good" academic writing. The study further investigates whether those perceptions accurately reflect their knowledge of academic writing. Eighty-one participants graded three different essays written by…

In the framework of performance assessment, because of the involvement of many facets, the development of ways to detect differential item functioning or differential facet functioning (DFF) has lagged beyond the practical needs of test developers. To monitor the validity and fairness of an assessment, it is critical to discover a method that can…

The attitudes of entering seminarians and high school and college students toward organized religion and religious professions were examined to determine why people enter the ministry. Various published sources, including a survey of 4,968 beginning seminarians that was conducted by the Educational Testing Service in fall 1992 and 1993 and a fact…

This book considers how children form connections with the natural world, and questions what may happen to children denied exposure to wild places--a reality for many children today. Two men draw on memories of their own childhoods and on their experiences as naturalists and as fathers to tell stories of children learning about wild places and…

This book offers specific how-to advice to college faculty on every stage of the testing process, including planning the test and classifying objectives to be measured, ensuring the validity and reliability of the test, and grading in such a way as to arrive at fair grades based on relevant data. The book examines the strengths and weaknesses of…

The Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) has developed an Alternative Assessments in Practice Data Base to support technical assistance needs and to promote the exchange of new assessment ideas. The database is designed to provide easy access and retrieval of information about ongoing and newly developed…