Comparison Of Test Scores Research Articles

Improvement in resuscitation knowledge after a one-day paediatric life-support course.

To assess the effect of a one-day paediatric life-support course on the knowledge of paediatric trainees. A telephone survey was performed prior to and at set intervals following the course. Responses to individual questions before and after the course were analysed and an overall test score was calculated. The acquisition and retention of knowledge was measured by comparing test scores for the same group of trainees at time intervals after the course. All candidates were surveyed. The median duration of paediatric training prior to the course was 3 years. Eighteen candidates (78%) had previously intubated a child and 13 (57%) had previously used an intraosseous needle. Prior to the course, few of the 23 candidates had adequate knowledge of either the management of the cervical spine in the seriously injured child (17%), fluid resuscitation in meningococcal septicemia (52%), shock dose in ventricular fibrillation (61%), or the management of anaphylactic shock (35%). There was a significant improvement in the knowledge of the group after the course, with median test scores increasing from 19 to a maximum of 22 (P < 0.001). This knowledge was retained at 4 months after the course. Despite a high level of experience and previous training in paediatric resuscitation, many candidates lacked the basic knowledge necessary for the resuscitation of seriously ill or injured children. There was a significant improvement in this knowledge after the course, and this was maintained for 4 months. The paediatric life-support course is an important means of resuscitation training for junior doctors.

Web‐Based Orthodontic Instruction and Assessment

Orthodontic records-study models, panoramic and cephalometric radiographs, and the patient's facial and intraoral photographs-are used to collect data to establish a diagnosis and to develop problem-solution lists. These records, however, can be damaged or lost when dispensed to students and need to be stored and maintained every year. An orthodontic diagnosis web site, therefore, has been set up using digital records to provide students with an accessible source of complete, good-quality study materials. The web site is also used for clinical examination in orthodontic courses. The effectiveness of the web-based digital records in providing relevant information to students in comparison to the traditional records was evaluated by a randomized controlled trial involving ninety-nine second-year dental students. One group (fifty students) studied two cases from the web site; the other group (forty-nine students) studied the same two cases from traditional orthodontic records. Effectiveness was assessed by comparing test scores and the time spent on the tests by t-statistics. There were no significant differences between means for the two study groups in test performance or time. Attitudes of students toward the web site, assessed from post-test questionnaires, were positive. It was concluded that web-based digital orthodontic records were as effective in teaching clinical orthodontic diagnosis as were conventional records.

Seeing Ourselves as Others See Us: Egyptian teachers’ views of science education in secondary schools in London, UK

Small differences in working patterns and social relationships can be indicators of deeper cultural differences. It is these non‐educational issues which point to the serious difficulty of making cross‐cultural comparisons. Data collected from Egyptian science teachers who have visited science classes in London are reported here. UK teachers may be habituated, or unaware of features of school life that are quite striking to the Egyptians as new observers. These include well resourced laboratories, considerable practical work done in small groups and a wide variety of classroom activities. However, it is the professionalism and the good interpersonal relationships that they see in the UK that the Egyptian teachers come to appreciate even more on their return to Egypt. Such a feature of UK teachers’ work cannot be identified by international test score comparisons.

Analysis of Gross Anatomy Laboratory Performance Using a Student Dissection/Presentation Teaching Method

Background: Maximizing the efficiency of both student and faculty, class contact time has traditionally presented a major problem in the teaching of the laboratory portion of medical gross anatomy. Purpose: We wished to determine the effectiveness of a reciprocal peer teaching method for the laboratory portion of medical gross anatomy by comparing test scores of students who actually dissected to those who received the relevant information from their peers. Methods: This study was performed on 175 first-year medical students entering the University of Iowa College of Medicine in 1995. Performance on the gross anatomy practical exams was compared between two groups of students: Those who learned the specific subject matter by actual dissection and demonstration to other students and those who were the recipients of the demonstrated material presented by their peers. Results: The students who did not actually dissect the specific items covered on the lab practical, but rather had these structures presented to them by students who did the dissection, performed at a level not significantly different from each other in 135 questions of the total 150 questions in the laboratory portion of the course. Of the 15 remaining test items, the students who dissected did better on 9 of the items and the nondissecting students on the remaining 6. Conclusion: The laboratory paradigm of rotating student dissection and peer teaching is an effective method of learning gross anatomy for 1st-year medical students.

Interpretation of International Test Score Comparisons

The most recent findings of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) prompted widespread concern because the United States ranked relatively low in test score comparisons made at the end of secondary school. These reactions are based on a misleading and seriously flawed study. The article discusses the methodological problems in the comparisons and suggests an approach to international studies that would increase their relevance.

Levodopa improves motor function without impairing cognition in mild non-demented Parkinson's disease patients. Parkinson Study Group.

The objective of the study was to determine the effects of short-term levodopa administration on motor, cognitive, and psychiatric aspects of Parkinson's disease (PD). The effects of levodopa on mental processes in PD are controversial. Opinions range from the claim that levodopa improves cognition to the opposite view that levodopa causes or exacerbates dementia, delusions, and hallucinations. Of the 800 idiopathic PD patients enrolled in the original DATATOP study, 387 reached the end point of functional disabilities sufficiently severe to require levodopa treatment. There were 263 men and 124 women who were comparable with regard to age, symptom duration of PD, and measures of PD severity. We compared test scores on motor performance, cognitive function, and psychiatric status before levodopa and again within 6 months after initiation of levodopa therapy. Levodopa administration improved all motor functions significantly. The improvement was significantly greater in women than in men. Levodopa administration did not worsen scores on any cognitive tests, and there were quantitatively small but significant improvements in tests of frontal lobe function. Levodopa exerted only minor effects on psychiatric measures. There were small but significant decreases in scores for depression, and increases in vivid dreams and hallucinations. Levodopa administration for up to 6 months in dosages sufficient to improve motor function has only small effects on cognitive function and psychiatric status in mild to moderate PD patients. We conclude that motor symptoms in early PD, which result from dopamine depletion, are dissociable from cognitive functions and psychiatric status, which may be more dependent on nondopaminergic mechanisms.

Assessment of communication impairment and the effects of resective surgery in solitary, right-sided supratentorial intracranial tumours: a prospective study

To assess the effects of solitary, right-sided supratentorial intracranial tumours on language and communication function patients were assessed preoperatively using the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) and Boston Naming Test (BNT). The impact of resective tumour surgery was evaluated prospectively by a comparison of test scores obtained at pre- and postoperative assessments. The WAB scores in 33 patients revealed that 21% were by definition dysphasic (i.e. Aphasia Quotient 93.8) and 35% obtained an abnormal Language Quotient. Performance was particularly variable on the written picture description and word fluency WAB subtests. Using the BNT 21% of 47 patients were anomic. The tumours were evenly distributed throughout the frontal, temporal and parietal lobes, but none were in the occipital lobe. Reassessment approximately 6 days after excisional tumour surgery showed that mean scores for the BNT, Aphasia Quotient, and the WAB spontaneous speech and comprehension subtests had improved significantly despite a significant reduction in dexamethasone therapy. This study has demonstrated that right-sided intracranial tumours produce subtle, but specific language deficits of a type more usually associated with left-sided brain dysfunction. The pathophysiological basis of these deficits is unclear, but they are not attributable to either limited education or pre-existing dyslexia. Further studies using a discriminating and comprehensive assessment of language in the right hemisphere are required.

Evaluation of a Model for Improving Emergency Medical and Trauma Services for Children in Rural Areas

Study objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a rural emergency medical and trauma services project in increasing the knowledge and confidence of emergency care personnel in the management of acutely ill and injured children. Methods: This prospective, quasi-experimental study used an untreated control group design with pretest and posttest of prehospital and hospital-based emergency care personnel in two rural counties in central Ohio. Project evaluation compared 50 emergency care providers from the intervention county with 43 emergency care providers from the control county. Changes in knowledge and confidence of these personnel in the assessment and management of pediatric emergencies were compared. Results: Providers in the intervention county demonstrated a significantly greater increase in test scores regarding knowledge of pediatric emergencies than did providers in the control county ( P=.001). Significantly greater improvement was also seen when comparisons of test scores were made for field ( P=.02) and hospital ( P=.03) emergency care personnel separately. Self-reports on a visual analog scale indicated that providers in the project intervention county had a significantly greater decrease in anxiety than did control subjects when presented a scenario of a child experiencing a respiratory arrest ( P=.01). On the basis of scores from a five-point Likert scale, emergency personnel in the intervention county had a greater increase in confidence regarding management of the pediatric airway ( P=.0003) and a greater increase in the belief that they had adequate pediatric training ( P=.000001) after participating in the project than emergency personnel in the control county. Conclusion: The rural pediatric emergency medical and trauma services project was effective in increasing the knowledge and confidence of emergency care personnel in the management of acutely ill and injured children. This project offers a model that can be replicated in other rural areas nationally. [Smith GA, Thompson JD, Shields BJ, Manley LK, Haley KJ: Evaluation of a model for improving emergency medical and trauma services for children in rural areas. Ann Emerg Med April 1997; 29:504-510.]

Myths About Test Score Comparisons

In recent years, expectations about what can be learned from testing students have become increasingly unrealistic. This paper discusses a set of myths that surround standardized testing. It concludes that test score comparisons are highly misleading indicators of the quality of education and are irrelevant to decisions about the wisdom of any particular school reform.

Validity of the CELF-R, TONI, and sit for children referred for auditory processing problems.

Recent changes in legislation for persons with disabilities have led to an increased focus on Central Auditory Processing problems. Test scores from the Clinical Evaluation of Language Functioning-Revised (CELF-R), Test of Nonverbal Intelligence (TONI), and the Slosson Intelligence Test (SIT) obtained from folders of 40 clients referred for auditory processing problems were analyzed to ascertain the validity of using these tests with a population on which these tests were not normed. All tests and subscales were correlated significantly. Even so, mean differences were present, with one exception, on comparisons of test scores. Moreover, females obtained significantly higher scores on the TONI than did males. Our findings generally support the validity of using these tests with a Central Auditory Processing sample.

Screening for cognitive impairment in older individuals. Validation study of a computer-based test.

This study examined the validity of a computer-based cognitive test that was recently designed to screen the elderly for cognitive impairment. Criterion-related validity was examined by comparing test scores of impaired patients and normal control subjects. Construct-related validity was computed through correlations between computer-based subtests and related conventional neuropsychological subtests. University center for memory disorders. Fifty-two patients with mild cognitive impairment by strict clinical criteria and 50 unimpaired, age- and education-matched control subjects. Control subjects were rigorously screened by neurological, neuropsychological, imaging, and electrophysiological criteria to identify and exclude individuals with occult abnormalities. Using a cut-off total score of 126, this computer-based instrument had a sensitivity of 0.83 and a specificity of 0.96. Using a prevalence estimate of 10%, predictive values, positive and negative, were 0.70 and 0.96, respectively. Computer-based subtests correlated significantly with conventional neuropsychological tests measuring similar cognitive domains. Thirteen (17.8%) of 73 volunteers with normal medical histories were excluded from the control group, with unsuspected abnormalities on standard neuropsychological tests, electroencephalograms, or magnetic resonance imaging scans. Computer-based testing is a valid screening methodology for the detection of mild cognitive impairment in the elderly, although this particular test has important limitations. Broader applications of computer-based testing will require extensive population-based validation. Future studies should recognize that normal control subjects without a history of disease who are typically used in validation studies may have a high incidence of unsuspected abnormalities on neurodiagnostic studies.

A Study of the Effectiveness of a Multimedia Intelligent Tutoring System

In this study, college undergraduate students were presented identical material on the domain of intelligent tutoring systems. The author designed his research to isolate the key variables, disallow for the effect of some of those variables, and determine in a precise way what effects are produced by a multimedia delivery system, repetition of instructional and testing material, and an intelligent tutoring system delivery system. The first phase of this study, comparing test scores of students who were presented material in two delivery systems: 1) hard-copy (printed material), and 2) a computer-based multimedia program, indicated no statistically significant difference in scores. A second part of that phase, comparing test scores and re-test scores of students studying the computer-based multimedia program, indicated no statistically significant difference in scores. The second phase of this study, comparing scores of the two initial delivery systems and scores on a multimedia modified intelligent tutoring system, resulted in a statistically significant difference in scores.

Quantitative Critical Thinking

program would help them better under stand how changing variables changes outcomes. hoped to find that a pro gram could help students see the struc ture of the process . . . that there are formulas that use numerous variables to predict outcomes. My hope was that the program would help students with what have called higher level thinking. did not reduce the course content; students would still be required to learn and use the formulas. But a modeling program would be added to help structure the learning process, to provide the road map to successful learning. believed that if positive results were found in my class, this kind of modeling program could work in other academic areas as well, such as in math, com puter, accounting, economics, or sci ence courses. If the results proved posi tive, this project would benefit both stu dents and faculty. Students would get the advantage of an additional ap proach to learning and thinking, and faculty members could evaluate whether similar projects might help their stu dents. In trying to measure any success in using the computer programs, selected two approaches: would evaluate test scores, and students would evaluate the program. Even though test scores are often considered an objective measure of per formance, much subjectivity is included in any comparison of test scores from different classes. Several variables were Having taught finance and ac counting courses at a state uni versity for the past five years, have found that a certain dilemma can sidetrack students in such quantitative courses. Instead of using the underlying theories on which courses are based to bring sense to the deluge of numbers, some students inevitably get caught up in the numbers and cannot see the logic behind the maze. And al though faculty members teaching quant courses realize the importance of the formulas, models, and techniques, they also realize that the underlying theories are what most students will carry for ward with them after their courses end, that is, if the students were lucky enough to see through the numbers. believe that there are at least two lev els of understanding in a quantitative course, and this article focuses on the higher one. At the lower level, students, if given a set of information, become successful in calculating the correct an swer to a This type of under standing enables the student to identify the pertinent information, determine the appropriate formula or model, and per form the calculation correctly. A (non quant) colleague of mine refers to this type of learning as, I do a We do a You do a problem.

Procrastinators and fear of failure: an exploration of reasons for procrastination

Procrastination, the act or tendency of putting things off that should be done today until tomorrow, has recently become a field of interest in the study of academic underachievement. In constructing tests for the measurement of procrastination, and in comparing test scores with self‐attributions of reasons for procrastination, an unexpected discrepancy has been observed between fear of failure as a prominent reason for procrastination and test fear of failure being unrelated to procrastination. This study was meant to clarify this discrepancy. Students who procrastinate generally endorse many reasons for procrastination simultaneously. For some relatively homogeneous groups of students fear of failure is one of these reasons. Other groups of students do not attribute procrastination to fear of failure at all. For the sample as a whole, procrastination and fear of failure appear unrelated. However, trait procrastination and fear of failure may interact and result in increased levels of actualprocrastinatory behaviour.

Computer-assisted instructions: a role in teaching human gross anatomy

Eight computer-assisted instructions were developed concerning selected topics in human gross anatomy. The computer lessons were designed to be very flexible in terms of the selection of material to be presented and make extensive use of colour graphics to explain the anatomy. Voluntary testing with immediate and cumulative feedback is incorporated into the lessons so that the users can evaluate their own progress in mastering the subject material. In an effort to assess the value of the computer lessons, the programs were provided to a volunteer group of 48 first-year medical students from a class of 151 students. At the completion of the gross anatomy course, the student users were requested to complete an anonymous questionnaire regarding their impressions of the value of the computer lessons. In addition, test performance on multiple choice examinations was compared between the users of the computer-assisted instructions and their non-user classmates. The responses in the questionnaires revealed a very positive attitude regarding the value and usefulness of the computer-assisted instructions in learning human gross anatomy. The overall rating of the programs on a scale of 1.0 to 10.0 was 1.8 +/- 1.0 with 1.0 representing 'extremely helpful' and 10.0 being 'of no value'. A comparison of test scores showed no significant difference in test performance between the users of the computer-assisted instructions and the non-users. The results of the study suggest that while the computer lessons provide neither an advantage nor a disadvantage in test performance as evaluated by a multiple choice examination, students perceive the computer-assisted instructions as valuable educational tools in mastering the subject of human gross anatomy. The potential role of the computer-assisted instructions in curriculum development is discussed.

Teaching Innovations in Agricultural Economics: An Economic Approach

AbstractAn economic learning model, with time inputs of instructional preparation, classroom contact, and student preparation under both innovative and traditional teaching methods, is developed and used to evaluate teaching innovations in agricultural economics. The model's implications for evaluating teaching innovations are developed and tested. The conclusions are as follows: a comparison of test scores for experimental and control groups to evaluate teaching innovations ignores the efficiency impacts of “labor‐saving#x201D; innovations; students can provide useful data for evaluating teaching innovations; and economic cost‐benefit concepts should guide conclusions about the effectiveness of innovations.

An Economic Perspective on Teaching-Innovation

An economic learning-model is developed and used as an analytical framework for evaluating the costs and benefits of teaching-innovations. The inputs for the economic model are learner study time under both innovative and traditional teaching methods. Two sources of potential benefits from teaching-innovations are identified: time-savings as innovations make learners more productive learners, and learning enhancements as innovations increase learning. One conclusion is that evaluating teaching-innovations by comparing test scores for experimental and control groups ignores the impacts of “labor saving” innovations and may not accurately measure the learning of more advanced reasoning and decision-making skills.

A Comparison of Two Tests of Auditory Selective Attention

A weak but significant correlation was found between the two tests of auditory selective attention, the FATSA and GFW-A, which suggests that although each test purports to measure auditory selective attention, (ASA), they do not appear to evaluate entirely the same constructs. Comparison of test scores with auditory profile scores derived from teacher judgments of auditory behavior were not statistically significant. Also, the formalized tests did not consistently identify children classified as having weak auditory profiles. Although low, significant correlations were shown between each test and reading level; no correlation was shown between the auditory profile scores and reading level. Implications are discussed.

HONESTY TESTING FOR PERSONNEL SELECTION: A REVIEW AND CRITIQUE

Paper and pencil predictors of employee theft are described and studies of validity, reliability, and adverse impact of these tests are examined. Validity studies for 10 tests were grouped into 5 categories: comparisons with polygraph examination results, correlations with admissions of past theft, predictive studies using future job behaviors as criteria, comparisons of shrinkage rates before and after the introduction of a testing program, and comparisons of test scores of groups known to be dishonest with groups representing the general population. While positive correlations were consistently found, a variety of methodological differences between studies were identified which make the direct comparison of test validities suspect. High reliabilities are consistently reported, and test score comparisons by race and sex generally report no differences. Ethical issues in honesty test usage are considered and future research needs are identified.

Neuropsychological test results associated with psychiatric disorders in adults.

This review addresses the question of whether neuropsychological tests can be used to discriminate between cerebral dysfunction and nonorganic psychiatric disorders. Considered are 94 studies that compared test scores of psychiatric patients with scores of brain-damaged patients or with established norms for organicity. Despite methodological inconsistencies and deficiencies across studies, most studies found that psychiatric diagnostic groups other than chronic or process schizophrenics performed better than organics on testing. Organic versus functional discrimination rates reported in these studies are similar to discrimination rates obtained by the tests when organics are compared with normal or general medical controls. Considered together with organicity base rate and error cost estimates, these discrimination rates are high enough to justify the use of most popular neuropsychological tests in psychiatric settings that do not have high proportions of chronic or process schizophrenics. The possibility is discussed that groups of chronic or process schizophrenics may look organic on neuropsychological tests because a significant proportion of such patients are organic.