On the Relative Value of Multiple-Choice, Constructed Response, and Examinee-Selected Items on Two Achievement Tests

Using analyses based on fitting item response models to data from the College Board's Advanced Placement exams in chemistry and United States history, we found that the constructed response portion of the tests yielded little information over and above that provided by the multiple-choice sections. These tests also allow examinees to select subsets of the constructed response items; we found that scoring on the basis of the selections themselves provided almost as much information as did scoring on the basis of the answers     

Perspectives on the future of educational technology

This study was conducted to determine the opinions of a broad-based sample of educational technology professionals and students about the future of our field. A nationwide sample of 268 university personnel (faculty members, doctoral students, and master's students) and trainers completed a Likert-type survey that contained 30 items covering six topic areas: Educational Technology and Learning Theory, Instructional Design Models, Technology and Individualized Instruction, Advances in Technology, Educational Technology and Schools, and Employment and Job Opportunities. The overall results reveal that educational technologists have a positive outlook toward the future of our field. Opinions were most positive in the areas of Educational Technology and Learning Theory, Employment and Job Opportunities, and Technology and Individualized Instruction, and were least positive in the area of Advances in Technology. There were numerous significant differences of opinion on individual items across the four respondent groups, with the greatest number of differences occurring between faculty members and master's students.     

The triarchic theory of intelligence and computer-based inquiry learning

Sternberg's (1985) triarchic theory of human intelligence distinguished among three types of intellectual abilities: analytic, creative, and practical. Our study explored the relationships between student abilities and the cognitive and attitudinal outcomes that resulted from student immersion in a computer-based inquiry environment. In particular, we examined outcome variables related to content understanding, problem solving, and science-related attitudes. Results indicated that more practical abilities predicted greater content understanding and transfer of problem-solving skills. High analytic abilities were predictive of content understanding but not transfer of problem-solving skills. High creative abilities predicted problem solving, but were not predictive of performance on content understanding. In terms of science-related attitudes, students who were dominant in practical abilities had significantly more positive posttest attitudes than those dominant in analytic abilities. The results from this study were used to make recommendations regarding design principles used in the subsequent development of computer-based inquiry environments.     

Creativity through self-directed learning: three distinct dimensions of teacher support

ABSTRACT

Self-directed learning and creativity are critical workplace competences that are important to foster in formal educational settings. Previous studies have identified a relationship between self-directed learning and creativity, but the specific nature of this relationship is unclear. The purpose of the present theoretical paper is to examine through a literature review the possibility that creative learning outcomes can be supported through a self-directed learning process. The importance of considering self-directed learning in the context of adult learning – as a pragmatic learning process – is outlined. A conclusion is drawn that (1) creative learning outcomes are potentially supported through self-directed learning, and (2) in the process, teachers can provide support to learners in three distinct different ways. A variety of pragmatic educational activities that may enable self-directed learning and creative learning outcomes are discussed, including experiential learning; workplace simulations; and problem-, case-, and (e-) portfolio-based learning. In these activities, teacher support seems advantageous for many learners. The three distinct dimensions of teacher support identified in the present paper are important to consider in further empirical studies on self-directed learning.     

Factors That Impact College Students’ Perceptions of Sexual Pleasure and Satisfaction

Abstract

It is important to understand how people experience pleasure and sexual satisfaction with a partner, as these phenomena can impact how they view their relationships, themselves, as well as the role of sexual activities within relationships. Three hundred and four undergraduates at East Carolina University and California State University Chico who reported having at least one sexual experience with a partner completed a 45 item survey assessing social correlates of sexual pleasure and sexual satisfaction. Analysis revealed that those in a committed relationship reported the highest sexual pleasure (on average), followed by those in an emotionally-involved relationship, followed by those in a hookup. A parallel analysis for sexual satisfaction revealed the same associations. Regarding the length of relationship, being in a relationship for at least six weeks appeared to matter for pleasure and satisfaction, but being in a relationship longer than six months did not indicate greater advantages than those in a relationship between six weeks and six months. Limitations of the research are identified.     

How Can a Career Counselor Work with a Whistleblower?

Principles for counseling potential whistleblowers are presented along with two sample cases to assist career counselors in advising their clients. The article provides information on relevant laws, difficult choices, and the working alliance that must be developed with a potential whistleblower. A checklist of questions to guide the client in their decision-making is provided as well as a table of options.     

Self-presentation bias in surveys of teachers’ educational technology practices

This study investigated self-presentation bias in the self-reports of teachers about their practices in six topic areas in educational technology (Instructional Design, Assessment, Learner-Centered Instruction, Curriculum Alignment, Attitudes about Computers, and Use of Computers with Students). Subjects were 50 middle-school teachers. Data were collected using a 30-item Likert-type survey containing five items per topic area. Teachers responded to items in two forms: “what I do” and “what other teachers do.” Significant differences favoring the “I” form were obtained in three of the six areas (Instructional Design, Learner-Centered Instruction, and Curriculum Alignment) and on nine of the 30 items, indicating a rather strong self-presentation bias. Responses were generally positive across both forms. Results are discussed with implications for working with teachers and for using additional assessment measures that complement teacher self-reports.     

How Much Do the Effects of Education and Training Programs Vary Across Sites? Evidence From Past Multisite Randomized Trials

Multisite trials, in which individuals are randomly assigned to alternative treatment arms within sites, offer an excellent opportunity to estimate the cross-site average effect of treatment assignment (intent to treat or ITT) and the amount by which this impact varies across sites. Although both of these statistics are substantively and methodologically important, only the first has been well studied. To help fill this information gap, we estimate the cross-site standard deviation of ITT effects for a broad range of education and workforce development interventions using data from 16 large multisite randomized controlled trials. We use these findings to explore hypotheses about factors that predict the magnitude of cross-site impact variation, and we consider the implications of this variation for the statistical precision of multisite trials.     

Perspectives on educational technology research and development

This is the introductory article for the first issue ofEducational Technology Research and Development (ETR&D). The authors review the issues and process that led to the decision by the AECT Executive Board to co-publishEducational Communication and Technology Journal (ECTJ) and theJournal of Instructional Development (JID) in a new journal. The results of analyses of ECTJ and JID by Schwen and Middendorf (1987) and Dick and Dick (1989) are briefly summarized. The authors then report their own survey of AECT members to determine the topics and types of articles the members would prefer to read in ETR&D. Member preferences are compared with the actual content of the last ten issues of ECTJ and JID. Finally, the authors briefly discuss their own perspectives on ETR&D.     

Student and recent graduate perspectives on radiological imaging instruction during basic anatomy courses

Recently, faculty at Pritzker School of Medicine, The University of Chicago, have made efforts to improve the depth of radiological anatomy knowledge that students have, but no insights exist as to student and resident opinions of how clinically helpful deep anatomical understanding is. A single‐institution survey of second‐ and fourth‐year medical students and postgraduate year 1–4 residents from 11 specialties, composed of five‐point Likert questions, sample examination questions, and narrative response questions, was distributed in 2015. One hundred seventy‐seven of the 466 potential respondents replied (71 residents and 106 students), response rate 38.0%. No nonresponse bias was present in two separate analyses. Respondents generally favored a superficial “identification” question as more relevant to clinical practice, which was positively associated with increasing clinical experience ρ = 0.357, P < 0.001 by point‐biserial correlation. Students and residents most commonly used self‐directed methods to learn medical imaging during their medical anatomy courses (72.6 and 57.7%, respectively). Small group education was least commonly used by students and residents (45.3 and 39.4%, respectively), but most commonly recommended (62.3 and 69%, respectively). A total of 56.6 and 64.8% of students and residents, respectively, reported that having multiple learning methods was “quite” or “extremely” important. Respondents with more clinical experience were more likely to report that a superficial identification question was more clinically relevant than a question testing deeper radiological anatomy knowledge. Small group learning was preferred among students and residents but was the least commonly employed method of instruction. Both findings contrast starkly with current radiological anatomy instructional understanding and practices. Anat Sci Educ 11: 25–31. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.