Arlen R. Gullickson

Response Rates in Survey Research: A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Monetary Gratuities.

Abstract A meta-analysis was used to compare the response rate to mailed surveys with (E) and without (C) a monetary gratuity. The average response rate increased 19% when a gratuity was enclosed. When a gratuity was promised (contingent on the return of a questionnaire), the average increase was 7%. Larger gratuities had a greater effect than lesser amounts—an enclosed

Student Evaluation Techniques and Their Relationship to Grade and Curriculum

1 gratuity increased the response rate by 20%. This pattern was consistent regardless of the salience of the topic or the nature of the population (general vs. professional) surveyed. The impact of the gratuity remained substantial even when the survey design included two mailings—the use of follow-ups did not wash out the effect of the gratuity. The impact of the gratuity appeared to be attenuated by poor survey design and instrumentation, such as a cover letter that failed to present the incentive as a gratuity (rather than compensation). The findings indicate that the external validity of mail surveys can be substantially increased by ...

Teacher Perspectives of Their Instructional Use of Tests

AbstractThis study surveyed 295 teachers to investigate the relationship between 11 student evaluation techniques and two independent variables, grade and curriculum. The 11 techniques included four types of tests, five student activities, and two student behavior categories. The two independent variables were each investigated at three levels: elementary, junior high, and senior high for grade, and science, social science, and language arts for curriculum. Through analysis of variance, significant relationships were found among grade, curriculum, and evaluation techniques. However, both the strength and nature of the relationships were dependent upon the type of technique used. These relationships are discussed in the context of teacher preparation courses.

Using micros for test development

AbstractThe study investigated teacher attitudes toward measurement (testing) as it is routinely used for classroom instructional purposes. Data were collected from a stratified random sample of elementary and secondary teachers in a rural mid western state. Results are reported for six major attitudinal areas: teachers’ knowledge, information desired by the teacher, student acceptance/support, external constraints on the testing situation, the nature and quality of information yielded by tests, and the evaluative uses made of tests. The results depict teachers as: heavy users of tests, supportive of tests but concerned about the evaluative merits of tests, and limited in their testing expertise.

Teacher Education and Teacher-Perceived Needs in Educational Measurement and Evaluation.

ConclusionWhich is the better choice: general item bank software or a word processor program? Your answer is dependent upon your computer skills, the amount of test development work you do, and the nature of investment your school is willing to make for software. Both have their relative strengths and weaknesses. The trade-offs between the two approaches are real, important, and in time will probably favor the item bank software.At the moment, however, we recommend a good word processing program for most teachers. What can you expect the future to bring? At a minimum, test preparation options will continue to expand and improve. We suggested earlier that the technology is changing rapidly. For example even now you can place a printed copy of test items into an optical character recognition (OCR) scanner (similar to a photocopy machine) and read the items into a digital form which either a word processor or a test generator can use. Instead of having to type your collection of test items before selecting, editing, and printing them, the computer will read them from the paper.This new scanning technology, unfortunately, requires expensive software, powerful microcomputers, and the scanner itself costs over

Computer management of student grade records: gradebooks versus spreadsheets

1000. In addition, the accuracy of the character recognition is not perfect—especially with less than the ideal printed copy from which to work. It will be years before most of us have ready access to this technology. Even better options will be available, however, don’t wait for the next major breakthrough. There will always be another breakthrough on the horizon. You can start improving your test development process now