Terence J. Crooks

Student note-taking related to university examination performance

Student note-taking is an almost universal activity among university students, yet few naturalistic studies have examined relationships between note-taking practices and subsequent examination performance. Complete sets of notes on an introductory psychology course, involving 75 lectures presented by ten instructors, were obtained from nineteen male and nineteen female students. Notes on ten selected lectures (one per instructor) were analysed, and information derived about class attendance and the quantity, organization, and presentation of the notes. Variables based on this information were then correlated with performance on two three-hour final examination papers (one multiple-choice, one essay). High correlations were found between the quantity of notes and examination performance. Surprisingly, these correlations increased in subsamples consisting of those students who attended class most diligently. The correlations involving the multiple-choice examination tended to be higher than those involving the essay examination, most probably because of wider sampling of lecture content and a more factual orientation in the multiple-choice examination. The results appear to conflict with the advice given in student study guides, many of which suggest that students should be very selective and concise in their note-taking.

A Generalized Examinee-Centered Method for Setting Standards on Achievement Tests

Most standard setting methods can be classified as either test-centered or examinee-centered. Test-centered methods (e.g., the Angoff method, 1971) appear to work well with objective tests but seem less useful with extended-response tests. Examinee-centered methods (e.g., the borderline-groups method and the contrasting-groups method), on the other hand, appear to be particularly appropriate for extended-response tests. In this article, we describe a generalized examinee-centered method for setting multiple cutscores on a test involving both objective and extended-response items. Judges evaluate a representative sample of examinee performances using a rating scale that is defined in terms of performance standards (e.g., proficient, advanced levels). These ratings are linked to examinees test scores to generate a functional relation between scores and ratings, which is then used to assign a cutscore to each performance level. This approach is potentially more efficient than traditional examinee-centered m...

Videotape modeling for preschool children with low levels of social interaction and low peer involvement in play

This research evaluated a videotape modeling intervention for six preschool children who showed low levels of social involvement with peers in natural free-play settings. Observations across 14 weeks gave frequency and topographic data on social interactions and assessment of social involvement in play using the Parten Scale. Simultaneous observation of three children gave data on two comparison children for each target child. A multiple-baseline across-subjects design was used with two data analysis strategies. Averaged group data showed statistically significant increases in both interactions and social involvement in play. Visual analysis of the single-subject data, however, indicated no clear treatment outcome for two children, while four subjects showed a variable increase in social responding after viewing the modeling videotape. Session-by-session variability was a feature of the interaction rate measure for comparison children and for posttreatment phase data for target subjects.

Predicting Child Abuse and Neglect in New Zealand

We describe the three stages of our attempt to predict parenting problems and child abuse antenatally. In the first stage, we made an intuitive check list of ten items from 173 risk factors drawn from the literature. The check list was useful in predicting who would relinquish care or have majorparenting difficulty in two different samples drawn four years apart and before and after some major sociocultural changes in New Zealand. In the second stage we used statistical techniques rather than intuition to maximise the predictive ability of the checklist and produced a new one of 9 items. In the third stage we validated the new list in a random sample of pregnant mothers. It was effective in predicting parenting difficulty In the 2 years after childbirth. We recommend it for routine use in a New Zealand setting. We do not know how useful the checklist will be in other cultural settings.

THE GENERALIZABILITY OF STUDENT RATINGS OF INSTRUCTORS: Item Specificity and Section Effects

A number of recent studies have used generalizability theory to examine the dependability of student ratings of instruction. This study extends this line of research by examining the consistency of ratings between different sections of a course taught in a given semester by the same instructor, and by comparing the performance of global- and attribute-type instructor rating items. Five samples of physics instructors, varying in size from 5 to 12 instructors, were rated by their students on a form containing two global and eight attribute items. Each instructor taught two sections of a course. The study found that the section effect was small (ratings of instructors were consistent across different sections of the same course), and that the generalizability of ratings was substantially influenced by item specificity. For summary purposes, one global item seemed sufficient.

An Evaluation of a Program for Developing Teaching Skills: The Campus Teaching Program

The Campus Teaching Program was formally established as a part of the Course Development Division of the Office of Instructional Resources, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, in 1976. It was set up to provide training programs in teaching skills for graduate teaching assistants (TAs) — programs which might be requested by any University department, or in some cases by individual TAs. Initially staffed by a single half-time graduate assistant, it has steadily grown and will soon employ three full-time educational specialists. The role of the Program has also expanded somewhat, with a number of faculty members availing themselves of the Programs services each year.

Individual Preference for Peer Interaction: Some Data on a Self‐Report Measure for Preschool Children

Abstract Seven target children in six different kindergartens who showed low levels of social involvement with peers were compared with 24 children randomly selected from within the same kindergarten settings using a self‐report measure of preference for peer interaction. At pre‐test target children differed from the comparison group in choosing to play with peers in fewer activities and to play alone more often, and in naming fewer friends. At post‐test 14 weeks later, following intervention designed to increase their peer involvement, target children were not significantly different from the comparison group on the self‐report measure.