Whether questions embedded in expository text could improve the correspondence between adult readers' subjective assessments of test readiness and their objective test performance (prediction calibration) was studied with 168 undergraduates. In order to minimize the confounding effects of prior knowledge, the subjects were asked to read a text…

The effect on children's test scores of different item formats used in standardized mathematics achievement tests was investigated. In a Utah school, 40 second grade students completed a mathematics computation test using eight different formats derived from five standardized achievement tests. Identical content, taken from the most frequently…

The effects of objective test answer changing on total test scores of students in grades 4 through 7, and the influences of sex, grade level, test content, and their interrelationships were examined. Standardized tests in reading and mathematics were administered at grade level and out-of-level. Answer changing was assessed by observing responses…

Nine units on anatomy and physiology are presented in this teacher's guide. The units are the following: organization and general plan of the body; skeletal and muscular systems; digestive system; circulatory system; respiratory system; nervous system and special senses; urinary system; reproductive system; and endocrine glands. Each instructional…

THIS STUDY, CONDUCTED BY THE WISCONSIN ENGLISH-LANGUAGE-ARTS CURRICULUM PROJECT, DESCRIBES, ANALYZES, AND EVALUATES 16 STANDARDIZED ENGLISH TESTS OF USAGE AND COMPOSITION. THE TESTS CHOSEN WERE THOSE FREQUENTLY USED THROUGHOUT WISCONSIN, EXCLUSIVE OF TESTS DESIGNED FOR COLLEGE-PREPARATORY STUDENTS AND TESTS OF READING ABILITY, SPEECH, AND…

CONTAINED ARE QUESTIONS AND TESTS TO EVALUATE ACHIEVEMENT IN KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE THIRD LEVEL COURSE IN SCIENCE FOR THE HIGHER SCHOOL CERTIFICATE IN NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA. THE QUESTIONS ARE BASED ON THE OFFICIAL SYLLABUS OF THE BOARD OF SENIOR SCHOOL STUDIES. THE QUESTIONS REFLECT THE LEVELS OF UNDERSTANDING AS DEVELOPED BY…

Designed by Project Africa of Carnegie-Mellon University, these two test instruments have been used to discover what selected American secondary school students know or believe about Africa and other regions of the world. The first instrument, a 30-minute objective test, "Africa South of the Sahara," is comprised of 60 multiple-choice…

This is a preliminary report concerning the development of tests which measure the linguistic ability in Spanish of English students at the beginning of their post A-level courses. The Palspan (Post A-level Spanish project) pilot test battery is comprised of five sub-tests of between 45 and 90 minutes in length which test for speaking, listening,…

Lists suggestions for alternative methods of evaluation that will bring teaching and evaluation methods into close correspondence (as opposed to following creative teaching with a memorization test). Contends methods of evaluation should become part of the learning process, not just measure recall of information given by the teacher. (SKC)

A review of 33 research studies which examined issues surrounding answer-changing behavior on objective tests indicated that (1) the majority of answer changes are from incorrect to correct, (2) most students who change their answers improve their test scores, and (3) most test-takers change answers. Future research needs are discussed. (RM)

Undergraduate subjects with either an internal or external locus of control were used to investigate the relationship between locus of control and responsiveness to expectations regarding their own and their teacher's competence. As predicted, internal subjects were more receptive to the expectation regarding self than external subjects.…

Coded, as opposed to free response items, in a multiple choice physiology test had a cueing effect which raised students' scores, especially for lower achievers. Reliability of coded items was also lower. Item format and scoring method had an effect on test results. (GDC)

Results of a study involving pathology students suggest that there is significant cluing in multiple-true-false test questions that use secondary responses to represent combinations of the primary response (e.g., "Mark B if only 1 and 3 are correct"). Thus test scores are artificially inflated and test reliability is lowered. (JMD)

Four threats to validity of an alternative objective test item format, the multiple-mark format, were studied with data from a state-mandated assessment with about 30,000 students at each of three grade levels. Reliability and validity coefficients show that the format has promise as an objective format that can be aligned with new curriculum…

A study investigated performance of 51 second-year internal medicine residents on an objective structured clinical examination and analyzed the test's role in evaluating clinical competence. The examination included nine physical diagnoses and several test-interpretation stations. Performance was analyzed statistically and correlated with…