The study reported on in this paper used a framework of benefits, challenges and solutions to categorize data from a design experiment using synchronous online communication for learning French as a second language (FSL). Participants were 92 Grade 6, FSL students and four teachers from urban and rural areas of Newfoundland, Canada. Data…

In this essay I present the results of a national study of over 2,000 writing assignments from college courses across disciplines. Drawing on James Britton's multidimensional discourse taxonomy and recent work in genre studies, I analyze the rhetorical features and genres of the assignments and consider the significance of my findings through the…

A desirable characteristic for an e-learning system is to provide the learner the most appropriate information based on his requirements and preferences. This can be achieved by capturing and utilizing the learner model. Learner models can be extracted based on personality factors like learning styles, behavioral factors like user's browsing…

The prevalence of betel nut chewing among junior high school students is highest in the eastern region of Taiwan (Lin, 1990). Although there is some research on the prevalence rate, little effort has been paid to developing a classification of betel nut chewing behavior applicable to adolescents. Eight-hundred and forty-three students, including…

In this commentary, the author addresses what is referred to as the deterministic input, noisy "and" gate (DINA) model. The author mentions concerns with how this model has been formulated and presented. In particular, the author points out that there is a lack of recognition of the confounding of profiles that generally arises and then discusses…

Rupp and Templin (2008) do a good job at describing the ever expanding landscape of Diagnostic Classification Models (DCM). In many ways, their review article clearly points to some of the questions that need to be answered before DCMs can become part of the psychometric practitioners toolkit. Apart from the issues mentioned in this article that…

A method for comparing the cross-validated classification accuracies of predictive discriminant analysis and logistic regression classification models is presented under varying data conditions for the two-group classification problem. With this method, separate-group, as well as total-sample proportions of the correct classifications, can be…

A study applied artificial neural networks, trained with the back-propagation learning algorithm, to modelling phonemes extracted from the DARPA TIMIT multi-speaker, continuous speech data base. A number of proposed network architectures were applied to the phoneme classification task, ranging from the simple feedforward multilayer network to more…

A great deal of disagreement exists as to whether the writing systems of the Brahmi family of scripts from Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent and the Hangul script of Korea should be classified as alphabets or syllabaries. Both have in common a mixture of syllabic and alphabetic characteristics that has spawned vigorous disagreement among…

A specialized classification and information retrieval system is described. (PF)

Author developed a typology regarding material published in education in answer to the need for more syntheses of research. (Author/RK)

Explains why 19th century bibliographic schemes are no longer adequate tools in the organization of materials and information in present day libraries. (Author/PF)

While the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) has retained its popularity within the clinical community for over 40 years, some investigators have criticized its ability to provide an accurate diagnosis. Codetype systems of MMPI score interpretations were developed and a predictive relationship between codetypes and diagnoses was…

The reliability of a taxonomy of humor was tested in two studies. The first study involved rater identification of nine categories for humorous incidents excerpted from television comedy programs (wordplay, exaggeration/understatement, contrast, audience knowledge, aggression, emotion, taboo, pratfall/slapstick, and repetition). The second study,…

The classification for curricular materials developed by and used at the University of Iowa Curriculum Laboratory is described. (Author)