OVERCONFIDENCE ON PROBABILISTIC TESTS

A potentially valuable measure of overconfidence on confidence response multiple-choice tests was evaluated. The measure of overconfidence was based on probabilistic responses to seven nonsense items embedded in a 33 item vocabulary test. The test was administered under both confidence response and conventional choice response directions to 208 undergraduate educational psychology students. Measures of vocabulary knowledge based on confidence and choice responses, overconfidence, and risk-taking propensity were obtained. The results indicated that overconfidence was significantly related in a negative direction to confidence response vocabulary scores and essentially unrelated to choice response vocabulary scores. A moderate correlation was found between overconfidence and risk-taking propensity. However, the scatter plot for these measures showed that this relationship may have been spurious.     

PRIMARY ESSAY TESTS1

A summary of the development of an experimental test to measure composition ability in young children.     

TESTS IN JEWISH HISTORY

In the years following Manny Gamoran's retirement, we would meet often to talk, not just of our mutual educational concerns, but of theology. This was an old bond between us dating back to my student years in Cincinnati. The substance of these conversations, though they wandered over many an issue, was ultimately the same. Manny could not understand why I found Mordecai Kaplan's view of God intellectually inadequate and pro‐grammatically dangerous, though I agreed with a number of Kaplan's views on the Jewish community and supported a number of his practical proposals. Manny's loyalty to the Power that makes for salvation never faltered. His constancy almost persuaded me where his arguments did not.

Since leaving the Commission on Jewish Education of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations as Manny's successor, I have had the time to re‐read Kaplan's major works. This has enabled me to make my part in that long discussion clearer. I regret most sincerely that Manny is no longer able to meet my arguments with his great patience and undaunted resistance. In his memory then, I should like to analyze one aspect of Kaplan's view of God which has not received appropriate attention.     

DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AND EXAMINATION RESULTS

The possibility of using diagnostic tests was explored and several tests were used with civil engineering students to see if they would be useful in selecting students for the civil engineering degree course. The performance of students on the tests used was compared with the examination results and it was found that the tests showed a little promise. It will be necessary to design a test specifically for civil engineering students. On the other hand perhaps our methods of teaching and examining subjects fundamental to civil engineering should be examined in depth. The results from the tests used indicated a culture gap between home and overseas students and the need for a database of student information.     

COLLEGE TESTS IN VOCATIONAL DIRECTION

Christian institutions of higher education should embrace, without embarrassment or apology, their partisan perspective. This view diverges sharply from the post‐Enlightenment, or liberal, understanding of education, which discredits dependence on tradition or authority and embraces instead the ideal of “objectivity.” This paper describes the post‐Enlightenment view, then exposes shortcomings ‐‐ its “objective” ideal is in fact impossible, its individualism overlooks the impact of communities ‐‐ that postmodern analysis has revealed. Holding to a “soft” version of postmodernism, I argue that, even though inherited frameworks for interpreting the world nullify sheer objectivity, we remain accountable intellectually: we still need to justify, and if necessary adjust, our convictions. In this light I describe and defend three features of responsible partnership for Christian higher education. It should be countercultural; it should engage the whole person; and it should address and learn from opposing points of view.     

SHORTCUT ITEM-TEST CORRELATIONS FOR TEACHER-MADE TESTS

The item-test correlation is approximately equal to the difference between per-cents correct in high and low groups, each including 27% of the students tested.     

THE ROLE OF RELIABILITY IN CRITERION-REFERENCED TESTS

In discussion of the properties of criterion-referenced tests, it is often assumed that traditional reliability indices, particularly those based on internal consistency, are not relevant. However, if the measurement errors involved in using an individual's observed score on a criterion-referenced test to estimate his or her universe scores on a domain of items are compared to errors of an a priori procedure that assigns the same universe score (the mean observed test score) to all persons, the test-based procedure is found to improve the accuracy of universe score estimates only if the test reliability is above 0.5. This suggests that criterion-referenced tests with low reliabilities generally will have limited use in estimating universe scores on domains of items.     

TECHNICAL GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSING COMPUTERIZED ADAPTIVE TESTS

Guidelines are proposed for evaluating a computerized adaptive test. Topics include dimensionality, measurement error, validity, estimation of item parameters, item pool characteristics and human factors. Equating CAT and conventional tests is considered and matters of equity are addressed.     

ITEM ANALYSIS FOR TEACHER-MADE MASTERY TESTS1

Various item selection techniques are compared on resultant criterionreferenced reliability and validity. Techniques compared include three nominal criterion-referenced methods, a traditional point biserial selection, teacher selection, and random selection. Eighteen volunteer junior and senior high school teachers supplied behavioral objectives and item pools ranging from 26 to 40 items. Each teacher obtained reponses from four classes. Pairs of tests of various length were developed by each item selection method. Estimates of test reliability and validity were obtained using responses independent of the test construction sample. Resultant reliability and validity estimates were compared across item selection techniques. Two of the criterion-referenced item selection methods resulted in consistently higher observed validity. However, the small magnitude of improvement over teacher or random selection raises a question as to whether the benefit warrants the necessary extra effort on the part of the classroom teacher.