An expert/novice paradigm is applied to the development of a computer-assisted test of spatial aptitude. The qualitative differences in encoding and solution strategies between high and low "spatials" were demonstrated. Initial efforts focused on the ubiquitous figural analogy test ("A:B::C:D"). Converging evidence from a…

A recent innovation in the area of educational measurement is MDT multi-digit testing, a machine-scored near-equivalent to "fill-in-the-blank" testing. The MDT method is based on long lists (or "Answer Banks") that contain up to 1,000 discrete answers, each with a three-digit label. Students taking an MDT multi-digit test mark…

The capabilities and hardware requirements of four microcomputer software packages produced by the Office of Educational Testing, Research and Service at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are described. These programs are: (1) the Scan-Tron Forms Analysis Package Version 2.0, an interface between an IBM-compatible and a Scan-Tron…

In educational testing, one is concerned to get as much information as possible about a given examinee from each minute of testing time. Maximum information is obtained when the difficulty of each test exercise matches the estimated ability level of the examinee. The goal of adaptive testing is to accomplish this. Adaptive patterns are reviewed…

Computer simulation was used to assess the effects of item parameter estimation errors on different item selection strategies used in adaptive and conventional testing. To determine whether these effects reduced the advantages of certain optimal item selection strategies, simulations were repeated in the presence and absence of item parameter…

Indices were constructed to measure individual differences in the effects of the automated testing format and repeated testing on Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) responses. Two types of instability measures were studied within a data set from the responses of 150 undergraduate students who took a computer-administered and…

In order to estimate the classical coefficient of test reliability, parallel measurements are needed. H. Gulliksen's matched random subtests method, which is a graphical method for splitting a test into parallel test halves, has practical relevance because it maximizes the alpha coefficient as a lower bound of the classical test reliability…

A new test construction method based on integer linear programming is described. This method selects optimal tests in small amounts of computer time. The new method, called the Cluster-Based Method, assumes that the items in the bank have been grouped according to their item information curves so that items within a group, or cluster, are…

This digest on test uses in counseling discusses the selection, administration, and scoring of tests; the interpretation of test results; and communication of results to clients. It examines such issues in testing as confidentiality, counselor preparation, client involvement in the testing process, computerized testing, and ethics. (NB)

The actions of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards with regard to national teaching standards and an associated examination are critiqued. The board was established on the basis of a recommendation by an advisory council of the Carnegie Forum on Education and the Economy. The board, which is composed of politicians, business…

The current status of banks of test items existing across the United States was determined through a survey conducted between September and December 1987. Item "bank" in this context does not imply that the test items are available in computerized form, but simply that "deposited" test items can be withdrawn for use. Emphasis…

Many commericially available computer programs contain test-type materials, and some courseware makes use of testing techniques as an instructional device. The area in which testing techniques are used most effectively for teaching is self-instruction. Most microcomputers operate using the BASIC language, but authoring languages are the most…

The workshop paper examines the use of microcomputer packages to analyze spontaneous language samples of children with communication disorders. Advantages of computerized analysis are seen to include time saving, more efficient data management, and increased objectivity. To help consumers determine which programs to buy, four aspects are…

A functional design model for a computerized adaptive testing (CAT) system was developed and presented through a series of hierarchy plus input-process-output (HIPO) diagrams. System functions were translated into system structure: specifically, into 34 software components. Implementation of the design in a physical system was addressed through…

Three experiments assess the effects of variations of force and time on response latency on both simple and choice reaction time. The first two experiments demonstrate that, while latency does not vary as a function of force, increasing timing demands, by requiring that a response be maintained, led to increases in reaction time. These results led…