The applicability of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), developed in the United States, to another culture was assessed by investigating reliability and validity of the SWLS with 99 boys and 118 girls from Portugal. The cross-national validity of the scale and its utility with different age groups are supported. (SLD)

Describes a study conducted at the Dutch Open University to determine students' actual use of embedded support devices (ESD). Topics addressed include a theoretical background; research hypotheses; the use of student interviews; quantitative and qualitative aspects of ESD use; student characteristics; study success (i.e., final examination…

Describes two studies evaluating developmental reading instruction at Suffolk Community College, New York. One compared grade point averages (GPAs) for developmental reading students and two naturally occurring comparison groups. The other used pre- and posttest scores on the College Board's Computerized Placement Tests to document developmental…

The German system for educating and certifying pharmacists is described, including national standards for curriculum content and design, licensing examinations, the structure of graduate study and specialization, and the availability of continuing professional education. (MSE)

Argues against large-scale, federally funded, census approaches to measuring higher education outcomes, outlining specific problems. Discusses the effects of tests as instruments of educational reform, the cross-discipline transfer of higher-order skills, and the technology of setting performance standards. Places measurement within the broader…

Compares social influence strategies of 40 Japanese and 41 U.S. college women for various targets. Free responses indicate that Japanese women use strong and neutral strategies more frequently and weak strategies less frequently than U.S. women. U.S. women use manipulation more frequently and reasoning less frequently than Japanese women. (SLD)

Considers how the development of a computer-based microconcordance program could be used to produce cloze tests that do more than present a mutilated text derived from a single source, with an example within the context of advanced learners of English-as-a-Second-Language. (CB)

Use of the Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test in Australia was studied by comparing it with existing research, scores on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R), and other attainment tests. Subjects were 142 children aged 7-11 years. The suitability of the instrument in Australia is discussed. (SLD)

The article offers guidance on integrating computer software into instruction during the instructional phases of independent practice and assessment. Desirable software features for independent practice include a quick response rate, escalating feedback, and motivational features. Assessment can be conducted by using data stored by the computer,…

Twelve papers on the emergence and maintenance of severe clinical depression and depressive symptoms during adolescence are presented. Topics include parental influences, epidemiological data, depressive and negative affect, hormonal effects, preadolescent symptoms, sex differences, longitudinal studies with rhesus monkeys, suicidal ideation,…

The validity of using readiness tests for placing children in regular or 2-year kindergarten programs was studied in 9 Virginia school districts with a total enrollment of 17,662 in 1986-87. Four tests were evaluated; none were impressive predictors of performance on tests administered at the end of kindergarten. (SLD)

Much work is needed in the area of testing and assessment of limited-English-proficient students. The article discusses characteristics of bilingualism, code switching and other bilingual language patterns, the five types of tests currently used with limited-English-proficient students, and the new curriculum-based achievement tests which are more…

It is contended that this book should appeal especially to those who write and administer tests designed to measure psychological or educational constructs, as well as to the classroom teacher. It would be of only moderate value to those writing questions for program evaluation or questionnaires. (SLD)

To investigate the relationship between reading and listening test scores, 3 different sets of listening items accompanied by answer sheets requiring varying amounts of reading were administered to 1,200 students in grades 3 through 8. Listening scores increased as more printed information was added to the answer sheet. (SLD)

Describes a study of undergraduates that examined the effects on retention of the screen location of information displayed in computer-assisted instruction (CAI) for Spanish. Three treatment groups are described: (1) text was relevant to graphical information; (2) text was at the upper middle section of the screen; and (3) text was random. (32…