It was found test item arrangement does not significantly influence test results. (CK)

Speed of performance on the Revised Block Design, Picture Arrangement, and Object Assembly subtests of the Wechler Intelligence Scale for Children was related to chronological age and problem-solving ability. Speed assumed a steadily increasing role with increasing age. Children who solved the items quickly were better problem solvers. (Author)

Investigates and compares the effects of explicit timing on mathematics problem completion rates in African American (n=68) and Caucasian (n=18) second-grade students. Results show that both African American and Caucasian second grade students increased their problem completion rates. No significant cross-group differences were found. Discussion…

Although the role of working memory in sentence comprehension has received substantial attention, the nature of this relationship remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine the interaction between general, nonverbal working memory (WM) and sentence parsing (SP) in normal English-speaking adults. Accuracy and reaction times were…

The ability to recognize letter patterns within words as a single unit is important for fluent reading. This skill is based on previously established memory representations of common letter patterns. The ability to form these memory representations may be impaired in some poor readers, particularly readers with naming speed deficits (NSD). This…

This article describes the use of a Dutch pyramid model that may help teachers design assessment problems that go beyond reproduction and need mathematization, generalization, and insight. (Contains 4 figures.)

Presents the arguments for allowing students a sufficient amount of examination time to complete the essay section of the sixth form English tests. (RB)

The major purpose of this study was to ascertain whether two patterns of writing practice dictation would produce different results in the development of shorthand writing achievement of Gregg Shorthand, Diamond Jubilee. The findings indicated that the rate pattern does not appear to affect the level of achievement in writing shorthand from…

Speededness refers to the extent to which time limits affect test takers' performance. With regard to the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), speededness is currently measured by calculating the proportion of test takers who do not reach each item on the test. These proportions typically increase slightly toward the end of the test, indicating that…

This paper reports the results of an experiment on the accuracy of information processing during attention focused arousal under two conditions: single estimation and double estimation. The attention of 187 college students was focused by a task requiring high level competition for a monetary prize ($10) under severely limited time conditions. The…

The teaching method described in this article involves the typing of a given number of words within a given period of time within a stated error tolerance." (JS)

One group of secondary keyboarding students was taught on typewriters and switched to microcomputers after six weeks, the other used microcomputers first, then typewriters. Using computers, students showed faster completion times and fewer typographical errors. Transfer from computers to typewriters slowed times and increased errors. Overall,…

The study evaluated speed as a factor in Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised performance with 66 high scoring and 36 average scoring children (ages 3-15 years). Results cast doubt on the utility of speed bonuses in tests of general intelligence with gifted children. (Author/DB)

Contrary to common belief, reliability estimates of number-right multiple-choice tests are not inflated by speededness. Because examinees guess on questions when they run out of time, the responses to these questions show less consistency with the responses of other questions, and the reliability of the test will be decreased. The surprising…