Performance assessment is reviewed as an emerging form of alternative assessment, focusing on how it has been defined in the research literature, the criteria for evaluating its authenticity, the measurement of process and product, and the link between assessment and instruction. Three important dimensions that must be considered in describing…

This book draws on classroom experiences and faculty suggestions in providing a practical guide to teaching strategies to encourage active learning in the college classroom. A wide range of teaching tools which ask students to apply what they are learning are considered, including problem-solving exercises, cooperative student projects, informal…

A hypermedia simulation, Sickle Cell Counselor, has been developed to anchor instruction for museum visitors using the task of advising couples about the decision to have children when there is a substantial genetic risk of sickle cell disease. A visitor can perform simulated laboratory tests and ask questions via interactive video. The anchored…

The International Personnel Management Association Assessment Council (IPMAAC) is a non-profit organization of personnel assessment professionals involved in public personnel assessment. Author-generated summaries/outlines of papers are presented. The keynote address is "Ability Testing in the 1980's and Beyond: Some Major Trends" by A.…

This collection of case studies of classroom experiences in middle and secondary schools throughout the European Community describes the use of computers in mathematics education. The 16 studies are organized in four main groups: (1) experience in geometry using educational software and Logo in grades 5-10; (2) arithmetic number concepts,…

Many state and local entities are developing and using performance assessment programs. Because these initiatives are so diverse, it is very difficult to understand what they are doing, or to compare them in any meaningful way. Multiple-choice tests are contrasted with performance assessments, and preliminary classifications are suggested to…

This module is intended for use by the instructor who wishes to integrate a unit on telecommunications into an Introduction to Business course. Contents include a list of materials needed to teach the unit, a list of competency goals and objectives, and some materials necessary for the three parts of this module: an introduction to…

This module is intended for use by the instructor who wishes to integrate a unit on telecommunications into an Introduction to Computers course. Contents include a list of materials needed to teach the unit, a list of competency goals and objectives, and some materials necessary for the three parts of this module: an introduction to…

A study investigated the use of drama activities in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction in Malaysia. Instruction occurred over an extended period of time and involved over 300 teachers, with a wide range of training and experience, in secondary and higher education institutions. Students were low-level, intermediate, or advanced…

The subject of this dissertation is the examination of differential item functioning (DIF) through the use of loglinear Rasch models with latent classes. DIF refers to the probability that a correct response among equally able test takers is different for various racial, ethnic, and gender groups. Because usual methods of detecting DIF give little…

Electronic troubleshooting expertise was explored in the three contexts (design, production, and repair) that reflect distinct problem solving task environments. The purpose of the effort was to provide a more precise definition of the boundaries of expertise in electronics troubleshooting and the relationship of context to the development of…

This paper describes the application of peer teaching to the training of prospective special education teachers. This approach emphasizes practicing the teaching act in a safe environment, i.e., one in which young learners are not at risk and in which the prospective teacher can receive feedback from peers and the instructor without fear of being…

Instructional simulation is a type of computer assisted instruction that is effective for teaching dynamic skills. Control of instructional simulation may be fully automated (computer control), assigned to learners (learner controlled instruction), or control may be shared between computer and learner (learner control with advisement). The…

Performance rating systems frequently use multiple raters in order to improve the reliability of ratings. However, unless all candidates are rated by the same raters, some candidates will be at an unfair advantage or disadvantage solely because they were rated by more stringent or lenient raters. To obtain fair and accurate evaluations of…

How two students with the same number-correct score, calculated by dramatically different patterns of responses, can achieve the same ability estimate is demonstrated. The present study investigated the incidence of person misfit to the model in a nationally standardized test of achievement devised using the Rasch item response theory model. It…