With college graduate students in actual classroom settings, the effects of taking a recall test, a recognition test, or no test on retention four weeks later were studied. Results indicated that simply taking an exam had no significant effect on retention. (Author/GK)

The differences between teaching and nonteaching hospitals in complexity and variety of cases seen are described. The results show that teaching hospitals could be expected to cost somewhat more per patient even if case mix were the only factor. (Author/MLW)

The Rasch model was used to equate reading comprehension tests of widely different difficulty for three groups of fifth grade students of widely different ability. Under these extreme circumstances, the Rasch model equating was unsatisfactory. (Author/CTM)

Studied students feelings about "getting a 'C' grade" in each of two specifically identified courses. Factor analysis of the ratings confirmed a multidimensional meaning structure for grades. One of these factors, "effort required," was found to be affected by the variation in context variables. (Author)

Four groups of children (N=80; C.A. 6.6. to 12.5; M.A. 7.9 to 14.7) were tested for ability to reproduce five-element two- and three-dimensional patterns. Significant interaction and main effects were found. Three-dimensional pattern performance increased with age; all ages performed well on two-dimensional patterns. (Author/DB)

Reports results of two experiments to test recognition decisions of increasing difficulty among preschool children. Increasing levels of difficulty were perceptual identity, common object-class, and either taxonomic category or complementary pair formation. (Author/DB)

A study of the context effects on item parameters for one- and three-parameter latent trait models showed that: (1) changes in context affected their item difficulties; and (2) context effects were more important in making predictions for single items than for groups of items. (Author/RL)

Detailed analysis of student attendance at British tutorial sessions indicate that mathematics tutorials are relatively well attended and attendance correlates well with course results. Regular attenders achieve higher marks than nonattenders. It is concluded that minimizing distances to be traveled to tutorials is important in program planning.…

Subjects learned one, two, or three verbal lists simultaneously. Recall of the common list after 24 hours increased directly as the number of lists learned simultaneously increased. Assuming that simultaneous learning reduced interference, the interference was from extraexperimental sources of a proactive nature. (Author/CP)

Characteristics of 11 Repgrid indices of cognitive structure, particularly Smith and Leach's hierarchical complexity index, are investigated among boys and girls, aged 9-15. The Smith & Leach index is shown to be significantly reliable; but in common with seven indices of cognitive differentiation, it is of dubious validity. (Author/GDC)

Instructions involving high-level questions and answers either were or were not given to fifth and sixth graders in three learning environments: cooperative, competitive, or independent. Students who received the instructions showed greater gains in recognizing and generating high-level questions. (GDC)

Laboratory and a field studies contrasted the egotism and expectancy-covariance approaches to attribution for achievement outcomes. Subjects' expectations and the basis of these expectations were varied and outcomes were then manipulated. Results supported egotism, suggesting that motivational factors can determine attributions to ability and task…

Two experiments examined problem solving in 16-month-olds' adaptive locomotion (crossing bridges of varying width with/without handrail). Findings indicated that toddlers attempted wide bridges more than narrow ones. Attempts on narrow bridges depended on handrail presence. Toddlers had longer latencies, examined bridge/handrail more closely, and…

Describes how a measure of problem difficulty (problem complexity) can be developed. Explores factors that may affect the difficulty of mathematics problems by focusing on ninth-grade student test responses (n=125), mathematics teacher questionnaire responses (n=29) in Hong Kong (China), and using a computer. Identifies four problem difficulty…

Reports the results of a survey that was conducted to determine the success achieved in increased reading of English associated with the use of graded readers for individualized reading in Japan. Recommendations are suggested for improving the program. (nine references) (GLR)