Approaches proposed for educational diagnostic assessment are reviewed and identified as deficit assessment and error analysis. The development of diagnostic instruments may require a reexamination of existing psychometric models and development of alternative ones. The psychometric and content demands of diagnostic assessment all but require test…

Presented are abstracts of five papers on teaching materials/methods presented at the 35th annual meeting of the American Physiological Society. Topic areas include expert system used as a teacher/consultant in hemostasis problems, computer assisted testing, and excitation/conduction properties of membranes as illustrated by the compound action…

FITNESSGRAM, a computerized program for scoring and reporting students' physical fitness status based on specific tests, has been a resounding success in the Tulsa, Oklahoma, public schools. The program provides feedback to students and permits evaluation of physical fitness efforts on a school-by-school basis. (PP)

This paper will highlight some advantages and disadvantages of several online models for student assessment. These models will include: live exams, multiple choice tests, essay exams, and student projects. In addition, real student responses and "problems" will be used as prompts to improve models of authentic online assessment in mathematics.…

To reduce the cost of item writing and to enhance the flexibility of item presentation, items can be generated by item-cloning techniques. An important consequence of cloning is that it may cause variability on the item parameters. Therefore, a multilevel item response model is presented in which it is assumed that the item parameters of a…

Score comparability is important to those who take tests and those who use them. One important concept related to test score comparability is that of "equity," which is defined as existing when examinees are indifferent as to which of two alternate forms of a test they would prefer to take. By their nature, computerized adaptive tests…

This paper takes a look at some recent studies on utilization of technical tools, primarily personal computers and software, for improving fifth-grade students' reading comprehension. Specifically, the paper asks what benefits an educator can expect students to derive from closed-captioning and computer-assisted reading comprehension products. It…

In recent years many researchers, clinicians, and testing companies have shifted from paper-and-pencil to computer administrated tests of psychological measures. This paper explores the feasibility of using the Internet to collect data from the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA), the Negative Mood Rating Scale (NMRS), and the Trait…

The purpose of this paper is threefold. First, the description of a research plan for a large-scale computer adaptive testing program migrating from a network to Internet version is presented. The general areas needed in such a research plan include: (1) comparability studies; (2) psychometric analyses; (3) development projects; (4) validity…

Discusses the advantages of using computer managed instruction (CMI) at all grade levels for record keeping, testing, and providing pupils with formative evaluation and diagnostic feedback. Several CMI software packages for use on different microcomputers, including authoring systems, are described and their prices are given. (EAO)

The purpose of this article is to present the facts regarding one school's decision to improve its educational environment by attempting to understand and utilize the computer. Described are the following uses: attendance, master schedule building, grade reporting, tuition payments, test correcting, student placement, and student surveys. (KC)

Describes a study of undergraduates in the United Kingdom that investigated the relationship between computer anxiety and self-ratings of mood change. Mood was measured either by a computerized form of visual analog mood scales (VAMS) or by a paper-and-pencil test, the Velten Mood Induction Procedure and the Computer Anxiety Rating Scale was also…

Examined user reaction to computer-administered and paper-and-pencil-administered forms of the Strong Interest Inventory. Results indicate that user reactions to the two administration modes were reasonably similar in most areas. However, the computer group indicated more often that their version was easier to use and follow. (RJM)

Research on automated scoring is extended by comparing alternative automated systems for scoring a computer simulation of physicians' patient management skills. A regression-based system is more highly correlated with experts' evaluations than a system that uses complex rules to map performances into score levels, but both approaches are feasible.…

Studied the effects of variations in screen size, resolution, and presentation delay on verbal and mathematics scores on a computerized test for 357 high school juniors. No significant differences were found for mathematics scores, but verbal scores were higher with the larger resolution display. (SLD)