This glossary presents a standardized nomenclature for numerical control. It defines and describes some 286 technical words, terms, abbreviations, and acronyms which form a specialized vocabulary. The aim of this glossary is to provide a means for arriving at some common understanding of terminology for numerical control technology. Numerous…

Since fall 1976, an undergraduate measurement class has utilized a 32K microcomputer programmed in APL to present replicate sets of questions randomly selected from 80-question item pools representing each of three domains of knowledge based on Sax's Principles of Educational Measurement and Evaluation. Multiple choice questions are presented on a…

A unique system is described for creating tests by computer. It is unique because, instead of storing items in the computer, item algorithms similar to Hively's notion of item forms are banked. Every item, and thus every test, represents a sample from domains consisting of thousands of items. The paper contains a discussion of the special…

Maintains that counselors, bewildered by the many unfamiliar terms, perceive computer applications in counseling as too complex or mechanistic. Suggests use of the term computerized focuses excessive attention on a technological innovation that is only one of many counseling resources. Recommends using terms such as computer-assisted which…

The effects of examination format and previous experience with microcomputers on the test scores of 96 undergraduate students were investigated. Results indicated no significant differences in the scores obtained on the two types of test administration (microcomputer and traditional paper and pencil). Computer experience was not an important…

Describes a computer program which will randomly select questions and change the arrangement of answers each time the program is run, providing realistic practice for standardized test-taking. A listing of the program is provided in AppleSoft BASIC, and modifications for the IBM-PC are included. (LP)

Describes two experiments which demonstrated that readers use specific lexical information in comprehending sentences to anticipate and prepare for the appearance of lexical noun phrases and to postulate "gaps" that are associated with "fillers." Results also indicated that lexically based expectations involve the use of information about…

Describes a system in which questions tailored to the examinee's capabilities are administered by computer. Enumerates possible benefits of the system, reviews the "state of the art," and predicts potential applications of computerized adaptive testing. (MCG)

Presents methodology for designing and delivering computer-assisted diagnostic tests and discusses two natural applications of this methodology: for testing purposes, and for implementing adaptive computer-assisted learning sequences based on test results. (MBR)

Discusses some of the caveats of computer-assisted teaching of foreign languages raised in David Wyatt's paper, "Computer-Assisted Teaching and Testing of Reading and Listening." These include the limited ability of the computer to display text. Questions if the benefits of computer-assisted instruction justify the time, energy, and…

The purposes of this research study were to develop and field test anchor-based judgmental methods for enabling test specialists to estimate item difficulty statistics. The study consisted of three related field tests. In each, researchers worked with six Law School Admission Test (LSAT) test specialists and one or more of the LSAT subtests. The…

Computer-based assessment appears to offer the promise of radically improving both how assessments are implemented and the quality of the information they can deliver. However, as many states consider whether to embrace this new technology, serious concerns remain about the fairness of the new systems and the readiness of states (and districts and…

This report examines the feasibility of scoring essays using computer-based techniques. Essays have been incorporated into many of the standardized testing programs. Issues of validity and reliability must be addressed to deploy automated approaches to scoring fully. Two approaches that have been used to classify documents, surface- and word-based…

Project Essay Grade (PEG), developed by E. Page (1968) uses computerized methodology to grade student writing. PEG can also be used to assess the quality of civilian and military writing products, such as regulations or instructional texts. Application of PEG offers the potential for enhancing government efforts to monitor writing quality and…

In constrained adaptive testing, the numbers of constraints needed to control the content of the tests can easily run into the hundreds. Proper initialization of the algorithm becomes a requirement because the presence of large numbers of constraints slows down the convergence of the ability estimator. In this paper, an empirical initialization of…