This study of the effectiveness of a multimedia course in plant anatomy shows a highly significant improvement in the capacity to answer final examination questions which involve problem solving, and a correlation between this improvement and the strategies used in small group teaching. Data, references, and notes are provided. (Author/JEG)

This response to an article on recommended practices in early intervention/early childhood special education identified by the Council for Exceptional Children's Division for Early Childhood raises concerns about the characteristics of the validation sample, the discrepancy between acceptance and use of recommended practices, and implications for…

This response to an article on recommended practices in early intervention/early childhood special education identified by the Council for Exceptional Children's Division for Early Childhood raises concerns about consensus as a legitimate method for identifying recommended practices, the significance of inclusion of a practice, and separation of…

This paper reviews literature on evaluating allegations of child sexual abuse, to determine whether there are systematic and significant differences on psychological tests between sexually abused and nonabused children, and whether these differences are a direct result of sexual abuse or a result of other coexisting factors that might cause…

In their book, IQ and the Wealth of Nations, Lynn and Vanhanen ([Lynn, R. and Vanhanen, T. (2002). IQ and the wealth of nations. Westport, CT: Praeger.]) proposed the hypothesis that "the intelligence of the populations has been a major factor responsible for the national differences in economic growth and for the gap in per capita income between…

The Psychological well being Inventory (PWBI) is a multidimensional instrument that has enjoyed widespread use in a variety of research initiatives, from small-scale studies to national surveys. Recent empirical investigation of the measure has raised questions about its validity. This study examines the factorial validity of the Environmental…

The Concept Shifting Test (CST) is a newly developed Trail Making Type test that measures concept shifting and executive functioning. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether CST performance was affected by age, gender, educational level, or handedness and to establish the normal range of test performance. The CST was…

This instructional note describes the successful application and adaptation of teacher-student conference techniques as suggested by Donald M. Murray in his book "A Writer Teaches Writing." Athanasourelis states that while he believes that Murray overestimates students' abilities when he describes the conference process as "the working talk of…

The characteristics of expert knowledge--interconnectedness, understanding, and ability to transfer--are inextricably linked, a point that is critically important for educators and constitutes a major theme of this paper. This paper explores how an analysis of the architecture of expert knowledge can inform the development of assessments to help…

The basic theory of Rasch measurement applies to situations where a person has a certain level of a trait being investigated, and this level of ability is what determines (to within a measurement error) how well the person does on each item in a test. This paper responds to frequent suggestions from colleagues that the use of Rasch measurement…

Research into the technical adequacy of statewide alternate assessments is limited. In this study, the authors analyzed 2 years of data from one state's alternate assessment in written language in an attempt to validate current test score interpretations. More than 1,000 students were included in each year. Findings support the test's technical…

This paper validates the concept of exemplary practice in work-based education (WBE) programs. The validation uses two theoretical frameworks: Social Cognitive Career Theory, and Billett's research on workplace learning. The empirical component of the validation study consists of two widely differing case studies of high school students in work…

China is the world's largest market for solar water heating systems, installing 13 million square meters of new systems in 2004, mostly in large cities. Municipal authorities, however, are sensitive to quality and visual impact issues created by this technology deployment. Therefore, there is currently a trend toward developing building integrated…

The Universal Design for Play (UDP) Tool is an instrument designed to evaluate the presence of universal design (UD) features in toys. This study evaluated its psychometric properties, including content validity, construct validity, and test-retest reliability. The UDP tool was designed to assist in selecting toys most appropriate for children…

In an effort to individualize instruction and improve the effectiveness of instructor-learner transactions, education and instructional research has addressed a wide assortment of learner variables and assessed their relationships to instructional methods and environments. Adult education has recently seen the development by Conti and Kolody of a…