The field of instructional technology is characterized by its products, such as instructional media, and its processes, such as instructional design. The process of instructional technology has been shaped by advances in learning and instructional theory over the past 50 years. Much of the development work of the field to date has been on direct…

Whether item response theory (IRT) is useful to the small-scale testing practitioner is examined. The stability of IRT item parameters is evaluated with respect to the classical item parameters (i.e., p-values, biserials) obtained from the same data set. Previous research investigating the effect of sample size on IRT parameter estimation has…

The graded response model for two-stage testing was applied to an attitudes toward science scale using real-data simulation. The 48-item scale was administered to 920 students at a grade-8 equivalent in Singapore. A two-stage 16-item computerized adaptive test was developed. In two-stage testing an initial, or routing, test is followed by a…

As drill and practice programs in computer assisted instruction (CAI) in English give students a chance to test their understanding and free the teacher from test grading, they seem a legitimate if unexciting use of the computer; but what seems less defensible is that, according to some estimates, 90% of available CAI software is of this drill and…

Advantages of using the microcomputer as an interactive electronic blackboard are discussed, and programs and programming techniques are described to illustrate the construction, design, storage, and modification of colorful and animated graphic displays. The methods described are based on use of an Atari 800 microcomputer but could be used on…

Queuing theory is examined in this paper in order to determine if the theory could be applied in educational settings. It is defined as a form of operations research that uses mathematical formulas and/or computer simulation to study wait and congestion in a system and, through the study of these visible phenomena, to discover malfunctions within…

In response to requests from the University of Alberta Department of Computing Services for PLATO (Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations) applications in structured learning situations, a program for computer-assisted bibliographic instruction (BI) was developed. The program is divided into the following six units: (1) Introduction;…

This guide lists 21 software packages considered to be worthy of further consideration by other reviewing agencies and schools by a group of 12 computer coordinators from educational software preview centers and evaluation agencies. These software products have been selected as not being likely to appear in the reviews produced by major software…

In item response theory (IRT), preequating depends upon item parameter estimate invariance. Three separate simulations, all using the unidimensional three-parameter logistic item response model, were conducted to study the impact of the following variables on preequating: (1) mean differences in ability; (2) multidimensionality in the data; and…

This report documents an experiment to determine the training effectiveness of a microcomputer-based avionics system trainer as a cost-effective alternative to training in the actual aircraft. Participants--26 operationally qualified C-141 pilots with no prior knowledge of the Fuel Saving Advisory System (FSAS), a computerized fuel management…

The effectiveness of environmental simulations in developing students' awareness of environmental issues, whether perception of environmental relationships was affected by the simulations, and whether the use of microcomputers as the medium of instruction affected student attitudes towards computers were investigated in this study. Undergraduates…

Four methods for determining the dimensionality of a set of test items were compared: (1) linear factor analysis; (2) residual analysis; (3) nonlinear factor analysis; and (4) Bejar's method. Five artificial test data sets (for 40 items and 1500 examinees) were generated, consistent with the three-parameter logistic model and the assumption of…

This paper describes an undergraduate-level course designed to teach the applications of computers that are most relevant in the social sciences, especially psychology. After an introduction to the basic concepts and terminology of computing, separate units were devoted to word processing, data analysis, data acquisition, artificial intelligence,…

Addressing the question of how computers can assist language development, this discussion paper presents a broad overview of the potential for computer use across the elementary school language arts curriculum. It begins by listing several questions that must be considered when assessing the usefulness of computers within the language curriculum,…

There is no clearly established link between business success and the personality characteristics of the individual. To investigate the effect of the personalities of potential entrepreneurs/business owners on success, college senior business administration majors (N=152) participted in a business simulation game. Subjects first completed the Work…