Describes a study that used a Web-based survey and a modified Delphi technique to identify criteria important to multimedia instructional courseware evaluation, validate them with a panel of instructional technology experts, and examine the effect of conducting panel discussions online. Shows information accuracy and reliability as the most…

Describes the development of the Hassles Assessment Scale for Students in College, which measured student stress. Development involved item generation, psychometric evaluation, and revision. Separate student samples participated in each phase. Results found very high levels of internal consistency for the frequency, unpleasantness, and dwelling…

Teachers deserve objective evaluations that will help them to improve. Delaware uses a four-point rubric ranging from "unsatisfactory" to "needs improvement,""effective," and "exemplary." Teachers' placement depends on frequency of demonstrated behaviors identified in each rubric. For lower ratings, the…

Data collected from 95 college students found the Comprehensive Childhood Maltreatment Inventory to have excellent test-retest reliability and 2 of the 4 subscales (Psychological Maltreatment and Neglect and Sexual Abuse) to possess adequate internal consistency. Reasons for low internal consistency for the Physical Maltreatment and Physical…

Data are reported on the long-term (6-month) test-retest reliability of the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS), which is a strength-based assessment instrument. Participants included 95 typical elementary students and 26 children at risk of having or having emotional or behavioral disorders. Moderate to high test-retest correlations were…

Examines reliability issues in the large-scale assessment of speech communication through authentic techniques, used recently in Saskatchewan. Performance-based approaches enable educators to evaluate the integrated, interpersonal communication skills of large student populations, thereby modeling best professional practice. However, decentralized…

Analyzed relationships between child-care experience and preschoolers' attachment. Found that maternal sensitivity was the strongest predictor of preschoolers' attachment. When maternal sensitivity was low, more hours per week in child care at 15 months somewhat increased the risk of the insecure-ambivalent classification at 36 months. Found…

Describes a pilot on-line system of rater training developed at Hong Kong Polytechnic University to support the English Language Centre's English for academic purposes and English in the workplace subjects. Presents findings from a project that investigated raters' attitudes towards assessment and rater training, and evaluated the pilot on-line…

The article presents a psychometric description of 11 statements related to use of physical violence. The items were tested in a normal sample (N=1700, age: 15-16) from urban and rural areas in Western Norway. The internal reliability was @a=0.86, and the factor analysis resulted in two factors. Boys had higher mean scores than girls.…

Examiners seeking guidance on multiple-choice and true/false tests are likely to encounter various faulty or questionable ideas. Twelve of these are discussed in detail, having to do mainly with the effects on test reliability of test length, guessing and scoring method (i.e. number-right scoring or negative marking). Some misunderstandings could…

Understanding help seeking intentions and behaviour is fundamental to the identification of factors that can be modified to increase engagement in counselling. Despite considerable research on these variables, integrating prior research has been impeded by a lack of consistent and psychometrically sound help-seeking measures. The General…

Accurate, early screening is a prerequisite for indicated interventions intended to prevent development of externalizing disorders and delinquent behaviors. Using the Fast Track longitudinal sample of 396 children drawn from high-risk environments, the authors varied assumptions about base rates and examined effects of multiple-time-point and…

The reliability and, to a lesser extent, the validity of the newly created Number Sense Test was evaluated with a group of 40 3- to 5-year-old children attending Head Start. Six number sense skills (e.g., counting, number identification, addition-subtraction) and children's feelings about school were assessed both before and after instruction…

StrengthsQuest is a student program that focuses on strengths rather than weaknesses. It is intended to lead students to discover their natural talents and gain unique and valuable insights into how to develop such talents into strengths--strengths that equip them to succeed and to make important decisions that enable them to balance the demands…

Dementia because of Alzheimer's disease (AD) commonly affects older adults with Down's syndrome (DS). Methods are needed, with established concurrent and predictive validity, to facilitate the diagnostic assessment of dementia, when it is complicated by pre-existing intellectual disabilities (ID). We report on the reliability and validity of a…