Argues that guidelines for evaluating computer applications within psychology are not having sufficient impact on professional practices because a gap exists between information available to users and information needed to make informed decisions. Surveys of software vendors and practicing psychologists are described to support this view and…

Six papers on the use of partial credit item response theory score models in applied measurement settings are presented. These applications include the scoring of medical certification examinations using computer-based patient simulations, narrative writing tests, and educational diagnosis. (TJH)

Describes a teacher support system which is a computer-based workstation that provides support for teachers and administrators by integrating teacher utility programs, instructional management software, administrative packages, and office automation tools. Hardware is described and software components are explained, including database managers,…

Effects of reviewing items and altering responses on examinee ability estimates, test precision, test information, decision confidence, and pass/fail status were studied for 376 examinees taking 2 certification tests. Test precision is only slightly affected by review, and average information loss can be recovered by addition of one item. (SLD)

Reports a study of the administration mode, scores, and testing experiences of students taking the PreProfessional Skills Test (PPST) under differing conditions (computer based and paper and pencil). PPST scores and surveys of the students revealed varied test-taking strategies and computer-related alterations in test difficulty, construct,…

Defines computer assisted language testing (CALT), discusses the various processes involved, outlines the advantages and disadvantages, and examines psychometric aspects of computer testing. A table of factors distinguishes between test content and the mechanics of test taking. These factors constitute a table for developing a CALT checklist. (24…

No significant differences in performance on a self-adapted test or anxiety were found for college students (n=218) taking a self-adapted test who selected item difficulty without any prior information, inspected an item before selecting, or answered a typical item and received performance feedback. (SLD)

In a counterbalanced, within subjects, repeated measures design, 130 undergraduates were administered the Computer-Assisted Hypnosis Scale (CAHS) and the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale and were hypnotized. The CAHS was shown to be a psychometrically sound instrument for measuring hypnotic ability. (SLD)

Discussion of expert systems and computerized adaptive tests describes two versions of EXSPRT, a new approach that combines uncertain inference in expert systems with sequential probability ratio test (SPRT) stopping rules. Results of two studies comparing EXSPRT to adaptive mastery testing based on item response theory and SPRT approaches are…

A study involving 1,000 simulated examinees compared the partial credit and graded response models in computerized adaptive testing (CAT). The graded response model fit the data well and provided slightly more accurate ability estimates than those of the partial credit model. Benefits of polytomous model-based CATs are discussed. (SLD)

This article introduces a special issue on technology-based assessment within special education. It notes the effects of the 1988 Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act and briefly reviews the nine papers in the issue. (DB)

A model integrating latent trait and latent class theories in characterizing individual performance on the basis of qualitative understanding is presented. This HYBRID model is illustrated through experiments with 119 Air Force technicians taking a paper-and-pencil test and 136 Air Force technicians taking a computerized test. (SLD)

Incidents affecting the implementation of large-scale testing programs are described to illustrate associated problems. Issues addressed include creation of test materials, preparation of answer documents, transportation of test materials, scoring and analysis of tests, and dissemination and utilization of test results. (TJH)

Six medical school faculty evaluated the overall performance of eight students completing a surgery clerkship at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. Students were also evaluated by the National Board of Medical Examiners' Computer Based Examination (CBX). Faculty ratings correlated highly with scores produced by the CBX's…

Computer simulations were run to measure the relationship between testlet validity and factors of item pool size and testlet length for both adaptive and linearly constructed testlets. Making a testlet adaptive yields only modest increases in aggregate validity because of the peakedness of the typical proficiency distribution. (Author/SLD)