An evaluation of the use of analogy,simile, and metaphor in science texts

Teaching materials with extensive analogies, similes, and metaphors were written for two high-school biology units. Their effect on learning and attitude was assessed by a comparison to students using a literal version of the same text. Little was found to support the contention that the use of these systems increases student achievement, and there was some indication that they may have a negative effect on student attitudes.     

Somatotype and longevity of former university athletes and nonathletes

A longitudinal study was conducted on 398 athletes and 369 nonathletes who were born before 1920 and attended Michigan State University. The subjects were compared to determine if intercollegiate athletic competition accounts for significant variation in longevity when considered with somatotype. Because some of the subjects were still alive at the time of the study, the BMDP Statistical Software was used to do a survival analysis with covariates. Preliminary comparisons considered the differences in somatotype between athletes and nonathletes. Two sample t-tests indicated that athletes were more mesomorphic and less ectomorphic (p less than .05) than nonathletes. When comparing the relationship between somatotype and longevity, the pooled data of athletes and nonathletes indicated that endomorphs were shorter lived than the other three comparison groups. When only the athletes were considered, similar results were found. However, the nonathlete group exhibited differences only between the mesomorphic and endomorphic groups. The endomorphs were shorter lived. Longevity was examined by using the Cox proportional hazards regression method with somatotype and athlete/nonathlete status as covariates. Somatotype, by itself, was found to be significantly related to longevity, (p less than .001). Athletic status was not significantly related to longevity, either by itself or when entered into the model with somatotype.     

Resistance to Confounding Style and Content in Scoring Constructed-Response Items

An assumption that is fundamental to the scoring of student-constructed responses (e.g., essays) is the ability of raters to focus on the response characteristics of interest rather than on other features. A common example, and the focus of this study, is the ability of raters to score a response based on the content achievement it demonstrates independent of the quality with which it is expressed. Previously scored responses from a large-scale assessment in which trained scorers rated exclusively constructed-response formats were altered to enhance or degrade the quality of the writing, and scores that resulted from the altered responses were compared with the original scores. Statistically significant differences in favor of the better-writing condition were found in all six content areas. However, the effect sizes were very small in mathematics, reading, science, and social studies items. They were relatively large for items in writing and language usage (mechanics). It was concluded from the last two content areas that the manipulation was successful and from the first four that trained scorers are reasonably well able to differentiate writing quality from other achievement constructs in rating student responses.