Two iterative procedures for constructing Rasch scales are presented. A log-likelihood ratio test based on a quasi-loglinear formulation of the Rasch model is given by which one item at a time can be deleted from or added to an initial item set. In the so-called "top-down" algorithm, items are stepwise deleted from a relatively large…

This teaching unit, one of a series of eight, contains an overview, objectives, suggested teaching procedures, and expanded activities. In the three learning activities provided, students are presented with real situations that businesses faced during the Depression. They are asked to make decisions for each situation based on three different…

This report describes attempts to inform regular elementary teachers about the needs of handicapped students and to change negative attitudes about special education. Informal staff workshops addressed legislation, common characteristics of handicapped students, and successful techniques for incorporating students with various disabilities into…

A leadership simulation model, patterned after the avalanche simulator used by the United States Forest Service and applicable within a variety of field situations (outdoor camps, church groups, commercial enterprises) can augment the development and observation of outdoor leaders. The model includes both a broad base of practitioner inputs and an…

This word processing task simulation is designed for use in office occupations programs at the secondary level. The primary purpose is to give the student the opportunity to become familiar with the tasks and duties that may be performed by word processing personnel in a real work situation. The employee's manual provides general information for…

This secretarial task simulation is designed for use in office occupations programs at the secondary level. The primary purpose is to give the student the opportunity to become familiar with the tasks and duties that may be performed by secretarial personnel in a real work situation. The employee's manual provides general information for the…

This accounting task simulation is designed for use in office occupations programs at the secondary level. The primary purpose is to give the student the opportunity to become familiar with the tasks and duties that may be performed by accounting personnel in a real work situation. The employer's manual provides general information for the student…

Studies on typing done at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) are reviewed. The first of five chapters is a glossary of terms and classification of typing errors. Chapter 2 provides an overview of the variety of research approaches used to examine typing, including studies of continuous (transcription) and discontinuous (discrete…

These symposium papers discuss the instructional use of computers in psychology, with emphasis on computer-produced simulations. The first, by Rich Edwards, briefly outlines LABSIM, a general purpose system of FORTRAN programs which simulate data collection in more than a dozen experimental models in psychology and are designed to train students…

A six-part marine science simulation game for 4-H members concerning land use in a hypothetical community is provided. The major problem is to decide what are some possible uses of a three-mile (1,250 acre) Marsh Beach which the city recently purchased. Members assume the roles of decision-makers in the simulated environment and compete for…

Researchers are now attempting to improve techniques for studying stable behavior patterns in family systems over long periods of time, e.g., the marital dyad across several levels of function and dysfunction covering time periods of months to years. One approach to improving this research design is based on the assumptions that longitudinal…

Because a requirement for students in many public relations (PR) courses is that they must pool their efforts with other students, problems may arise when good students must work with students less motivated or organized than they. One answer to this problem may be to steer the brightest PR students toward a course that integrates communication…

Preschoolers 4 and 5 years of age were found to use four strategies differing in temporal characteristics as they solved simple addition problems with sums of 10 or less. Three strategies had visible and/or audible aspects, and one was covert, involving retrieval from memory. The harder the problem, the more often the children used an overt…

Designed to help educators identify resources for teaching concepts of peace in both public and parochial social studies classrooms, this working bibliography lists 200 books, guides, brochures, catalogs, resource centers, simulations/games, and audio-visual materials. Most resources were produced between 1965 and 1984. Entries are organized under…

This evaluation report focuses on a broad range of issues associated with the work of the Electronic Text Consortium (consisting of San Diego State University, University of Wisconsin, University of Nebraska, and WGBH Boston), whose year-long task was to develop and test a variety of electronic text services and to assess which configurations of…