Multiple-choice (MC) anatomy "spot-tests" (identification-based assessments on tagged cadaveric specimens) offer a practical alternative to traditional free-response (FR) spot-tests. Conversion of the two spot-tests in an upper limb musculoskeletal anatomy unit of study from FR to a novel MC format, where one of five tagged structures on…

Language complexity reveals the ability to use a wide and varied range of sophisticated structures and vocabulary. Although different languages compose complexity differently, complexity measures such as the T-unit have typically been based on clause subordination, which may underrepresent complexity and threaten the validity of studies. This…

Lexical tones are widely believed to be a formidable learning challenge for adult speakers of nontonal languages. While difficulties--as well as rapid improvements--are well documented for beginning second language (L2) learners, research with more advanced learners is needed to understand how tone perception difficulties impact word recognition…

The threshold concept framework is a key contemporary theory in pedagogy. The core idea is that 'threshold concepts' are distinctively 'troublesome' for students and act as gatekeepers to their disciplines. No doubt the theory is compelling because there is surely something right about this. Student difficulty with conceptual material is familiar…

This study explores the extent to which the difficulty levels of grammar items in an English test can be predicted by the complexity of grammatical structures. The researchers carried out two sets of analyses. In the first analysis, the item facility and item discrimination indices of 175 multiple-choice items were examined. In the second…

Full-information item analysis provides item developers and reviewers comprehensive empirical evidence of item quality, including option response frequency, point-biserial index (PBI) for distractors, mean-scores of respondents selecting each option, and option trace lines. The multi-serial index (MSI) is introduced as a more informative…

The learning process of scientific concepts has been investigated and discussed in several studies in recent decades. However, the understanding of this process may be different depending on the psycho-pedagogical approach adopted. From the perspective of the conceptual profile, the same concept can present more than one mode of thinking and way…

When learning science, students must often make sense of complex and counterintuitive ideas. However, this process of sensemaking is difficult, and consequently students risk emerging from science courses with highly fragmented understandings. In this study, I examine the ways in which students create conceptual connections to resolve such…

The input to phonological reasoning are alternations, that is, variations in the pronunciation of related words, such as in "electri[k]" - "electri[s]-ity." But phonologists cannot agree what counts as a relevant alternation: the issue is highly contentious despite a research record of over 50 years. We believe that the…

Background: Research regarding teaching expectancy has been mostly conducted in research laboratories with college students. These studies provide insufficient evidence regarding its effect on learners' delayed comprehension. Moreover, the relative superiority of teaching a peer face to face compared to teaching an imagined peer lacks empirical…

Surveys with rating scales are often used in higher education research to measure student learning and development, yet testing and reporting on the longitudinal psychometric properties of these instruments is rare. Rasch techniques allow scholars to map item difficulty and individual aptitude on the same linear, continuous scale to compare…

Purpose: As online course enrollments increase, it is important to understand how common course features influence students' behaviors and performance. Asynchronous online courses often include a discussion forum to promote community through interaction between students and instructors. Students interact both socially and cognitively; instructors'…

Background & Aims: Cognitive load theory assumes that the higher the learner's prior knowledge (i.e., the more expert the learner), the lower the intrinsic cognitive load (complexity) experienced for a given problem. While this is the case in many scenarios, there can be cases in which the converse is also true, resulting in more expert…

Pedigree problems are typical tasks in school genetics classes. However, they are perceived as difficult and often are not successfully completed. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine relevant factors that might have an impact on success in pedigree analysis. Based on previous research, we investigate the influence of the…

Current understandings of the expectations and educational needs of commencing PhD students are based on research focusing on the retrospective recollections of middle or late-stage candidates about the extent to which their expectations at entry were met. This article explores the prospective expectations of 199 commencing PhD students at the…