This paper reviews the basic elements of the EM approach to estimating item parameters and illustrates its use with one simulated and one real data set. In order to illustrate the use of the BILOG computer program, runs for 1-, 2-, and 3-parameter models are presented for the two sets of data. First is a set of responses from 1,000 persons to five…

In April of 1982, the German Federal Armed Forces initiated the first empirical pilot project in the area of computerized adaptive testing (CAT). The configuration of hardware, psychological section, and physiological section is discussed, as well as two current problems (data transfer from the TEST 2000 microcomputer to a large sized computer for…

Reports in the ERIC database have found that computer-assisted writing instruction has some effect--if not a dramatic impact--in both the quantity and quality of student writing. Although computers are becoming more common in schools, the influx of computers into schools may not assure students ample opportunity to use them. Limited time-on-task…

The development of a data-based technical education curriculum at Western Kentucky University is described, with consideration of: assessment of the technical needs of the industrial community to identify topics for inclusion in the computer integrated manufacturing technology (CIMT) curriculum, assessment of available physical and human…

A literature review revealed that few colleges of education offering courses in microcomputer applications are addressing the training needs of college professors and graduate students aspiring to faculty positions. A study was therefore conducted to define and prioritize microcomputer applications needed by college faculty in vocational-technical…

Analytical techniques used in responding to a series of four substantial budget reductions imposed at Oregon State University are described. Over a 2-year period, each of the budget reductions demanded increasingly severe institutional action to meet the specified monetary targets. Different analytical techniques were required to meet the changing…

"Industrial policy" is an ambiguous term; however, diverse elements of our society can agree that "industrial policy" can be thought of as a combination of all the policies and practices that affect or are the consequences of a nation's ability to compete--policies and practices in the areas of international trade, capital investment,…

This report is a collection of 11 recent papers by the Human-Machine Interaction Group at the University of California, San Diego. The following papers are included: (1) "Stages and Levels in Human-Machine Interaction," Donald A. Norman; (2) "The Nature of Expertise in UNIX," Stephen W. Draper; (3) "Users in the Real…

Computer assisted learning (CAL) is an old technology which has generated much new interest. Computers can: reduce data to a directly comprehensible form; reduce administration; communicate worldwide and exchange, store, and retrieve data; and teach. The computer's limitation is in its dependence on the user's ability and perceptive nature.…

Listings of suggested topics aimed at helping university and college faculties plan courses in the main areas of the chemistry curricula are provided. The suggestions were originally offered as appendices to the American Chemical Society's (ACS) Committee on Professional Training's 1983 guidelines for ACS-approved schools. The course data included…

The California Mathematics Project (CMP) was created in 1982 to improve mathematics competence of students by implementing exemplary in-service training programs for existing mathematics teachers. This report provides a summary of local project evaluations and an assessment of the extent of program implementation and progress toward achieving…

Three research efforts that used computer-based simulations for maintenance training were in progress when this report was written: Game-Based Learning, which investigated the use of computer-based games to train electronics diagnostic skills; Human Performance in Fault Diagnosis Tasks, which evaluated the use of context-free tasks to train…

Arranged into four sections, the resource guide provides special educators with over 40 annotated listings of: (1) associations and government agencies concerned with computer use for physically handicapped and other special education students; (2) producers of software, dedicated hardware, and adaptive devices; (3) publications and directories on…

The author states that this book was written for anyone who wants to know what calculus is all about, and that those with knowledge of some algebra and geometry should be able to understand it. That calculus should be called "slope finding" is discussed, and this term is used extensively. The book is divided into three chapters: (1) the…

Teachers of public relations and other communication areas, with endorsement from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), should request the data processing industry to develop assisted instruction programs in journalistic writing. Such action would provide a clearly defined need for a significant market and…