A multinormal partial credit model for factor analysis of polytomously scored items with ordered response categories is derived using an extension of the Dutch Identity (Holland in "Psychometrika" 55:5-18, 1990). In the model, latent variables are assumed to have a multivariate normal distribution conditional on unweighted sums of item…

Starting from an explicit scoring rule for time limit tasks incorporating both response time and accuracy, and a definite trade-off between speed and accuracy, a response model is derived. Since the scoring rule is interpreted as a sufficient statistic, the model belongs to the exponential family. The various marginal and conditional distributions…

Context renewal is identified when the conditioned response (CR) elicited by an extinguished conditioned stimulus (CS) reappears as a result of changing the contextual cues during the test. Two experiments were designed for testing contextual renewal in a conditioned taste aversion preparation. Experiment 1 assessed ABA and AAB context renewal,…

The educational systems in all countries have failed to adequately address the problems of students with learning disabilities. Antisocial behaviour, homelessness, mental health problems and even suicide are a result. This article will explore the reasons for this state of affairs. One of the major reasons is excessive reliance on testing without…

This study introduces emotional feedback as a construct in an acceptance model. It explores the effect of emotional feedback on behavioral intention to use Computer Based Assessment (CBA). A female Embodied Conversational Agent (ECA) with empathetic encouragement behavior was displayed as emotional feedback. More specifically, this research aims…

There has been an increased interest in developing computer-adaptive testing (CAT) and multistage assessments for K-12 accountability assessments. The move to adaptive testing has been met with some resistance by those in the field of special education who express concern about routing of students with divergent profiles (e.g., some students with…

Standardized testing has been part of the American educational system for decades. Controversy from the beginning has plagued standardized testing, is plaguing testing today, and will continue to be controversial. Given the current federal educational policies supporting increased standardized testing, psychometricians, educators and policy makers…

Background: Half of pediatric-onset OCD cases remit by adulthood. Studies have demonstrated that initial response to pharmacotherapy, age of onset, prominent hoarding symptoms, and the presence of comorbid tic disorders are associated with long-term outcome. Our goal was to examine the association between childhood performance on…

The current study investigated differences in metacognition between high school gifted (n = 44) and typical (n = 23) students and examined local calibration accuracy as a potential mechanism for partially explaining superior exam performance by gifted students. Metacognition was measured using student self-reports of metacognitive awareness,…

Many individuals who attempt to enter teacher education programs are precluded from doing so because of an inability to pass basic skills tests. The authors examine whether these tests are simply a gate that needs to be passed through or whether they provide useful early information about how individuals are likely to perform on subsequent…

Motivated by the link between play and learning, proposed in literature to have a neurobiological basis, we study the electroencephalogram and associated psychophysiology of "learning game" players. Forty-five players were tested for topic comprehension by a questionnaire administered before and after solo playing of the game Peacemaker…

This study explores the usage of language learning strategies in private secondary Schools in Malaysia. Hypothesis was made that most of the students do not practice the language learning strategies completely and accurately. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between language learning strategies and practices of the…

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the pragmatic difficulties encountered by Iraqi EFL university students in producing the speech act of apology. Although the act of apology is easy to recognize or use by native speakers of English, non-native speakers generally encounter difficulties in discriminating one speech act from another. The…

This study measured the levels of academic self-efficacy of first-year accounting students. It also investigated whether there were any gender differences and the extent to which efficacy levels explained variation in academic performance. Overall the analysis revealed that many students lacked the confidence to participate fully in the academic…

Assessment is a delicate task in the overall teaching process because it may require significant time and may be prone to subjectivity. Subjectivity is especially true for disciplines in which perceptual factors play a key role in the evaluation. In previous decades, computer-based assessment techniques were developed to address the…