Telephone: (717) 941-6123
E-Mail: fusaroj1@uofs.edu
Education
Ed.D., State University of New York at Albany (now University at Albany, State University of New York)
M.Ed., University of Vermont
B.A., Rider College (now Rider University)
Current Positions
Professor of Education
Certification Officer
Consultant, Office of Instructional Development
Reading: Psycholinguistic Bases
Diagnosis of Reading Disabilities
Reading/Language Arts in the Content Areas
Educational Tests and Measurements
Research Course Requirement (3 credits)
Educational Research (3 credits)
Foundation Course Requirements (6 of following 9 credits)
Educational Psychology (3 credits)
Educational Tests and Measurements (3 credits)
Advanced Foundations of Education (3 Credits)
Reading Courses (21 credits)
Foundations of Reading/Language Arts (3 credits)
Reading: Psycholinguistic Bases (3 credits)
Diagnosis of Reading Disabilities (3 credits)
Reading/Language Arts in the Content Areas (3 credits)
Organizing and Operating Reading Programs (3 credits)
Reading Practicum (3 credits)
Children's and Adolescent Literature (3 credits)
Degree Requirements
Thirty (30) credits, an approved scholarly paper or professional
contribution, and a comprehensive examination. Individuals may choose six
(6) additional credits in approved electives in lieu of the scholarly paper
or professional contribution. Candidates for the reading specialist certificate
in Pennsylvania must also pass the Reading Specialist Test of the Praxis
Series.
Instruction in the Secondary (or Elementary) Teaching Internship (2 credits)
Managing Classrooms in the Secondary (or Elementary) Teaching Internship (2 credits)
Professional Development in the Secondary (or Elementary) Teaching Internship (3 credits)
Degree Requirements: Forty-eight (48) credits, an approved
scholarly paper or professional contribution, and a comprehensive examination.
Indivduals may choose six (6) additional credits in approved electives
in lieu of the scholarly paper or professional contribution. (Also, individuals
must pass the Reading Specialist Test of the Praxis Series for the reading
specialist certificate.)
SYLLABUS
Summer 1999 Department: Education
Course No.: EDUC 502
Credit Value: 3 credits
Day and Time: M & W; 6:00-9:45, p.m.
Room: PAN 134
Professor: Dr. Joseph A. Fusaro
DESCRIPTIVE TITLE: Educational Research
CATALOG DESCRIPTION:
A course designed to introduce students to scientific research.
Covered will be basic statistical techniques, such as correlation,
t-test, and Chi-square; quantitative research designs;
ethnographic research; and meta-analysis. Emphasis will be
placed on hypothesis-testing. Students will be required to
complete a scientific research project.
POSTED OFFICE HOURS:
Mondays: 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Wednesdays: 4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
(If my office hours are not compatible with your schedule, I am amenable to meeting in my office at a mutually convenient time by appointment.)
OFFICE:
PAN 147
TELEPHONE:
(570) 941-6123
E-MAIL:
fusaroj1@uofs.edu
WEB SITE:
http://academic.uofs.edu/faculty/fusaroj1
The PROFESSIONAL EDUCATOR AS SCHOLAR/DECISION-MAKER is a model developed
by the Education Department of the University of Scranton to describe their
philosophy and practice regarding the preparation of professionals--teachers,
counselors, and administrators--to facilitate the education of elementary
and secondary students. The programs of the Education Department
develop the skills required by the candidate to make appropriate decisions
regarding the candidnate's personal and professional life, as well as knowledge
in the content areas within the liberal arts tradition of this Jesuit University,
resulting in the well-rounded, academic preparation of the candidate.
The rigor of the programs produces a professional educator able to effectively
perform the variety of roles expected by the contemporary school environment.
©University of Scranton--Education Department 1993
1.0 Objectives of the Course
Students will
1.1 interpret the results of educational research studies.
1.2 list the components of the scientific method
and use the scientific method for the null
hypothesis statistical test procedure (NHSTP).
1.3 differentiate among the various types of research.
1.4 demonstrate the various research designs and
evaluate the efficacy of the designs in
given situations.
1.5 differentiate between quantitative and qualitative
research and categorize the
characteristics of each.
1.6 use basic educational statistics necessary for the NHSTP.
1.7 use the web to conduct literature searches.
1.8 conduct a scientific, meta-analytic study by combining probabilities.
1.9 determine an effect size, expressed as a product-moment correlation coefficient.
1.10 illustrate ability to make research decisions to facilitate learning.
1.11 explain why research decisions affect planning,
instruction, management, and
professional growth.
2.0 Textbook Required
Mason, E. J., & Bramble, W. J. (1997). Research in education
and the behavioral
sciences: Concepts and methods. Madison, WI: Brown & Benchmark.
3.0 Procedures
This course will be a combination of interactive lecture, demonstration,
and discussion.
Students will engage in journal writing to facilitate their understanding
of the NHSTP. Also,
students will keep a K-W-L journal of their textbook reading. Class
on Wednesday,
23 June 1999 will begin in room 306 of the library.
4.0 Assignments
Each student will design and conduct a quantitative, scientific research
study of a
meta-analytic nature. The study will contain the literature review,
purpose, problem,
importance, hypothesis, method, results, and discussion. The topic
must pertain to the
student's educational area of concentration. The student must use
the APA format as
explained in the 4th edition of the APA manual. As many as three
students may
collaborate on the research study. The paper will be due on Monday,
26 July 1999.
Students will write a K-W-L journal of one study containing a t-test, one
study containing a
Chi-Square test, and one study containing a product-moment r.
5.0 Examinations
There will be a midterm examination and a final examination, both of which
will be geared
to the objectives in section 1.0 of this syllabus. The midterm examination
will occur on
Wednesday, 7 July 1999. The final examination will occur on Wednesday,
28 July 1999.
6.0 Content of the Course
Decision-making in educational research
Finding educational information, including use of the web--Chapter 3
Scientific method--Chapters 2 and 7
Testing the null hypothesis--chapter 7
Basic educational statistics--Chapters 6 and 7
Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)
Meta-analysis--Chapter 7
Correlational research--Chapters 2 and 6
Basic research--Chapter 1
Applied research--Chapter 1
Action research --Chapter 2
Experimental research--Chapters 2 and 4
Quasi-experimental research--Chapters 2 and 5
Descriptive research, including survey research--Chapter 2
Ex post facto research--Chapter 2
Historical research--Chapters 2 and 10
Ethnographic research--Chapter 10
Quantitative vs. Qualitiative research--Chapter 2
Designs using two independent treatments--Chapter 7
Designs using two dependent treatments--Chapter 7
Designs using three or more independent treatments--Chapter 7
Designs using three or more dependent treatments
Factorial designs--Chapter 7
Ethics of using humans as research subjects--Chapter 12
Institutional Review Board
7.0 Grading
The midterm examination will be based on 100 raw score points, the final
examination will
be based on 150 raw score points, and the research paper will be based
on 10 raw score
points. (See scoring rubric below for the research paper.)
STUDENTS RECEIVING A
RAW SCORE OF FIVE (5) OR LOWER ON THE RESEARCH PAPER WILL FAIL
THE COURSE, IRRESPECTIVE OF HOW WELL THEY DO ON THE MIDTERM
AND FINAL EXAMINATIONS.
The scoring rubric for the research paper is as follows:
10: Clear focus; components flow smoothly with
good transitions; correct analysis;
interpretation consonant with analysis; perfect adherence to APA style;
good use of
mechanics and sentence structure.
9: Clear focus; components flow smoothly with good
transitions; correct analysis;
interpretation consonant with analysis; minor departures from APA style;
good use
of mechanics and sentence structure.
8: Clear focus; components flow smoothly but some
weak transitions; correct
analysis; interpretation consonant with analysis; minor departures from
APA style;
good use of mechanics and sentence structure.
7: Clear focus; components flow smoothly but some weak
transitions; correct
analysis; interpretation consonant with analysis; minor departures from
APA style;
poor use of mechanics or sentence structure.
6: Clear focus; flow interrupted by poor transitions;
correct analysis; interpretation
consonant with analysis; minor departures from APA style; poor use of mechanics
and sentence structure.
5: Clear focus; components flow smoothly but some weak transitions;
correct analysis;
interpretation disharmonious with analysis; minor violations of APA style.
4: Clear focus; components flow smoothly but some weak transitions;
correct
analysis; interpretation disharmonious with analysis; major violations
of APA style.
3: Clear focus; componets flow smoothly, but some weak transitions;
incorrect
analysis.
2: Clear focus; flow interrupted by poor transitions; incorrect analysis.
1: Unclear focus; flow interrupted by poor transitions; incorrect analysis.
(Before the research paper is due, students
may come to my office an unlimited number of
times with rough drafts of the paper.
While the students are in my office, I shall peruse the paper
and provide feedback, thus enabling them to
revise the paper before final submission.)
The midterm examination, the final examination,
and the research paper will have equal weight.
To insure equal weight, the raw scores of
the midterm examination, the final examination, and the
research paper will be converted to linear
standard scores with a mean of 80 and a standard
deviation of 10. The three standard
scores will then be averaged. Listed below are the final
grades that will correspond to the average
standard scores:
Average Standard Scores Final grades
94 or above
A
87 - 93
A-
80 - 86
B+
73 - 79
B
66 - 72
B-
59 - 65
C+
52 - 58
C
0 - 51
F
If a student's percentage score is higher than
the standard score on any of the three assessments,
the percentage score rather than the standard
score will be used, thus not penalizing the student.
Also, if a student's average standard score
is within two points of the next higher grade
category, the quality and quantity of the
student's participation in class discussions will influence
the final grade. For example, if a student's
average standard score is 85 (a B+), the student will
receive an A- if the quality and quantity
of her/his participation in class discussions so warrant.
The instructor will be the sole judge.
As noted above, however, students must receive
a raw score of at least six (6) on the research
paper to pass the course, irrespective of
their average standard score.
8.0 Attendance and Academic Dishonesty
The goals of
this course are for the students to learn how to read with understanding
scientific
research studies
and to be able to conduct scientific research studies of a quantitative
nature.
Attainment of
these goals depend upon mastery of the objectives in section 1.0.
Consequently,
I do not have a cut policy. I neither give nor withhold permission
to cut class,
to arrive late,
or leave early. Students are, however, responsible for everything
covered in
class, including
announcements about assignments and examinations. (Refer to the statement
above about
class participation and see the addendum at the end of this syllabus.)
I follow the University' policy on academic dishonesty.
9.0 Bibliography
Ary, D., Jacobs, L. C., & Razavieh, A. (1996). Introduction
to research in
education (5th ed.). Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace.
Borg, W. R. (1987). Applying educational research: A practical guide
for teachers
(2nd ed.). New York: Longman.
Charles, C. M. (1995). Introduction to educational research
(2nd ed.). White
Plains, NY: Longman.
Crowl, T. K. (1993). Fundamentals of educational research.
Madison, WI: Brown
& Benchmark.
Gage, N. L. (1978). The scientific basis of the art of teaching.
New York: Teachers
College Press.
Gay, L. R. (1996). Educational research: competencies for analysis
and application
(5th ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Merrill.
Glass, G. V., McGaw, B., & Smith, M. L. (1981). Meta-analysis
in social research.
Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Harris, M. B. (1998). Basic statistics for behavioral science research
(2nd ed.).
Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Hinkle, D. E., Wiersma, W., & Jurs, S. G. (1998). Applied statistics
for the
behavioral sciences (4th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Hittleman, D. R., & Simon, A. J. (1997). Interpreting educational
research: An
introduction for consumers of research (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River,
NJ: Merrill.
Leedy, P. D. (1997). Practical research: Planning and design (6th
ed.). Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Merrill.
McMillan, J. H., & Schumacher, S. (1993). Research in education:
A conceptual
introduction (3rd ed.). New York: HarperCollins.
Rosenthall, R. (1991). Meta-analytic procedures for social
research (Rev. ed.).
Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Sprinthall, R. C., Schmutte, G. T., & Sirois, L. (1991).
Understanding educational
research. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-hall.
Wiersma, W. (1995). Research methods in education: An introduction
(6th ed.).
Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Vockell, E. L, & Asher, J. W. (1995). Educational research (2nd
ed.). Englewood
Cliffs, NJ: Merrill.
Wolf, F. M. (1986). Meta-analysis: Quantitative methods for
research synthesis.
Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Addendum
Students should display appropriate behavior and a professional attitude as manifested by the following: Reliability; respect for and cooperation with colleagues; willingness to work calmly and courteously under difficult conditions; determintion to achieve first-class work while meeting deadlines; respect for equipment and systems; and constructive response to criticism.
Pearson r (pdf file)
SYLLABUS
FALL 1999 Department: Education
Course No.: Educ. 120
Credit Value: 3 Credits
Day, Time, Room: M & W; 3:00-4:15; PAN 206
Instructor: Dr. Joseph A. Fusaro
DESCRIPTIVE TITLE: APPLIED STATISTICS
CATALOG DESCRIPTION: A writing-intensive, quantitative-reasoning
course designed
to enable students to use statistics to solve problems and to
communicate clearly the procedures employed and the
results obtained. Students will be required to perform
statistical computations and to write as a means of learning
the course material and expressing comprehension of the
course material. Topics covered include hypothesis testing,
correlation, t-test, and Chi-square test of independence.
PREREQUISITES: English 107
POSTED OFFICE HOURS: Mondays:
1:50 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.
Wednesdays: 1:50 p.m.- 2:50 p.m.; 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
If my posted office hours are incompatible with anyone's schedule, I am amenable to meeting in my office at a mutually convenient time by appointment.
OFFICE:
PAN 147
TELEPHONE: (570) 941-6123
E-Mail:
fusaroj1@uofs.edu (note the number 1, not the letter l, after "j")
WEB SITE http://academic.uofs.edu/faculty/fusaroj1
1.0 Objectives of the Course
1.1 Quantitative-Reasoning Objectives:
Students will
1.11 compare and contrast the three measures of central tendency;
1.12 combine the mean and standard deviation to interpret
the center of a
distribution and degree of dispersion;
1.13 solve a practical problem by using the binomial distribution;
1.14 decide on an apprpriate course of action after computing
linear z-scores
and placing corresponding raw scores in the normal distribution;
1.15 determine the margin of error from polling data and interpret its meaning;
1.16 compute and interpret the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient;
1.17 compare the means of two samples by employing the two-sample
(independent) t-test and interpret the results in terms of probabilities;
1.18 analyze the mean difference of paired samples by using
the dependent
t-test;
1.19 analyze categorical data by computing a Chi-square test of independence.
1.2 Writing-Intensive Objectives:
Students will
1.21 write a minimum of 100 words in a journal twice a week;
1.22 write seven papers of at least 400 words each;
1.23 produce rough drafts (a maximum of three for each paper)
and, after
receiving feedback, edit and revise the drafts to produce acceptable
final products;
1.24 synthesize in writing the mean and standard deviation to facilitate
comprehension of descriptive data;
1.25 analyze in writing the results of polling data:
1.26 Interpret in writing the meaning of correlation coefficients;
1.27 interpret in writing the results of a statistical analysis
of two independent
means;
1.28 synthesize in writing the results of analyses of independent
means and
dependent means;
1.29 explain in writing the conclusions derived from the Chi-square
test of
independence;
1.30 analyze in writing the difference between the t-test
and the Chi-square test
of independence.
2.0 Textbook
Bartz, A. E. (1999). Basic statistical concepts (4th ed.).
Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Merrill.
3.0 Procedures
This course will be a combination of lecture, demonstration, and discussion.
Students will engage in journal writing to facilitate their understanding
of content.
(See objective 1.21.)
4.0 Assignments (Numbers of corresponding objectives are in parentheses)
4.1 Given a distribution of numbers, students will compute
the mean, median,
mode, and standard deviation and synthesize them to understand their
relevance in descriptive statistics. (1.11, 1.12, 1.14)
4.2. Given a distribution of dichotomous, discrete data, students
will compute
the binomial distribution. (1.13)
4.3. Given a continuous distribution, students will convert
the raw scores to
z-scores to determine where on the normal distribution each raw
score
lies. (1.14)
4.4 Given percentages from polling data, students will
find the margin or error
and determine the 95 and 99 percent confidence intervals. (1.15,
1.25)
4.5. Given sets of bivariate data, students will compute the
Pearson product-
moment correlation coefficients, interpret them in terms of the coefficients
of
determination, and analyze their relative strength. (1.16, 1.26)
4.6. Given two sets of independent scores, students will perform
an independent
t-test, make a decision about the null hypothesis, and interpret
the results.
(1.17, 1.27)
4.7. Given two sets of dependent scores, students will perform
a dependent
t-test, make a decision about the null hypothesis, and interpret
the results.
(1.18, 1.28)
4.8. Given categorical data in four cells, students will perform
a Chi-square test
of independence, make a decision about the null hypothesis, and explain
the meaning of the results. (1.19, 1.29).
4.9. From assignments 4.6 - 4.8, students will analyze the
difference between
the t-test and the Chi-square test of independence.
(1.17, 1.18, 1.19,
1.30)
5.0. Examinations
The course will have two examinations, a midterm examination and a final
examination. (See section 7.0, Grading.)
6.0. List of Course Topics
Descriptive statistics
Inferential statistics
Scales of measurement
Discrete and continuous variables
Statistical notation
Measures or central tendency
Measures of dispersion
Binomial distribution (discrete)
Normal distribution (continuous)
Correlation
Margin of Error of a proportion and consequent confidence interval
Null hypothesis statistical test procedure
SPSS (PC version)
One-sample t-test
Independent t-test
Dependent t-test
Chi-square test of independence
Analysis of variance
7.0 Grading
Given the writing-intensive nature of this quantitative-reasoning course,
80
percent of students' final grades will be determined from the quality
of the final
drafts of the seven papers. Since earlier drafts of the papers will
contain my
comments about the quality of the writing and the accuracy of the statistical
calculations and the consequent interpretations, the final drafts should
manifest
polished writing, statistical accuracy, and correct interpretations.
A midterm
examination will account for 10 percent of the final grade,
and a final examination
will account for 10 percent of the final grade.
In that I want students to devote their energies to learning statistical
concepts,
using concepts functionally, and communicating in writing their facility
with
statistics, I do not want their energies diverted to studying for quizzes
and
tests. Therefore, there will be no quizzes or tests other than the
midterm and
final examinations. The only reason I will give a midterm and a final
examination
is so a portion of the students' final grade--20 percent--will be
based on work
they must complete strictly by themselves.
Whereas I shall read each draft of the seven papers and provide appropriate
comments, I shall not do so for the journal entries. It is neither
necessary nor
desirable to read all pieces of writing in a writing-intensive course,
but is is
desirable to respond in some way to each writing assignment. Therefore,
at the
beginning of each class, I shall randomly call on students to share with
the
other class members and with me their journal entries. I shall then
respond orally
in a manner that is helpful to both the students who shared their journal
entries
and the other members of the class.
Each draft of the seven papers will contain a letter grade corresponding
to the
University's scoring system; however, the letter grade on only the final
draft--
which should be higher than the letter grade on antecedent drafts--of each
of the
seven papers will be applied to 80 percent of the final grade.
The grade on each
draft will be determined holistically. (Students may submit drafts
electronically
via e-mail.)
The raw scores on the midterm and final examinations will be converted
to
standard scores with a mean of 80 and a standard deviation of 10; however,
under no circumstances will a standard score be lower than a percentage
score.
The seven letter grades will be converted to numerical scores, that is,
an A will
become a 100; an A- will become a 93; B+, 89; B, 85; B-, 81; C+, 77; C,
73;
C-, 69; D+, 65; D, 61; and F, 0. Since there are seven grades which
will
account for 80 percent of the final grade and two grades which will account
for
20 percent of the final grade, the final numerical grade will be found
by adding
80 percent of the average of the seven paper grades and 20 percent of the
average of the two examination grades. Below are the correspondences
between the average numerical scores and the final letter grades:
95 or above
A
91 - 94
A-
87 - 90
B+
83 - 86
B
79 - 82
B-
75 - 78
C+
71 - 74
C
67 - 70
C-
63 - 66
D+
59 - 62
D
0 - 58
F
IF ANY DRAFT OF ANY PAPER IS SUBMITTED AFTER THE DUE
DATE, THE FINAL DRAFT OF THAT PAPER WILL RECEIVE A LETTER
GRADE THAT IS ONE GRADE BELOW THE WORTH OF THE PAPER.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE FINAL PAPER MERITS A "B+," IT WILL
RECEIVE A "B."
8.0. Attendance and Academic Dishonesty
The goals of this course are for the students to learn to use statistics
in a functional
way and to communicate clearly in writing the procedures used and the results
and
conclusions reached from the statistical analyses. Attainment of
these goals depend
upon mastery of the objectives in section 1.0. Since students will
be required to
write in a journal two times a week and we shall, in every class, discuss
points
raised by students in their journals, students are expected to be meticulous
in
attending class. If a student is absent for any reason, the student
must discuss with
me the contents of her/his journal entry. The student may do this
either by mail,
by phone, or by seeing me in my office. Given that class meets twice
a week,
students will be permitted a maximum of four absences. Furthermore,
students--
in attendance or absent--are responsible for everything covered in
class, including announcements about assignments and the two examinations.
(See addendum at end of this syllabus.)
9.0. Bibliography
Aron, A., & Aron, E. N. (1999). Statistics for psychology
(2nd ed.).
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Ary, D., Jacobs, L. C., & Razavieh, A. (1996). Introduction
to research
in education (5th ed.). Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace.
(Chapters 5 & 6)
Capon, A. J. (1988). Elementary statistics for the social sciences.
Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Champney, L. (1995). Introduction to quantitative political
science.
New York: HarperCollins.
Christensen, L. B., & Stoup, C. M. (1991). Introduction to
statistics for
the social and behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Pacific Grove,
CA: Brooks/Cole.
Freund, R. J. (1993). Statistical methods. Boston: Academic Press.
Gastwirth, J. L. (1988). Statistical reasoning in law and public
policy.
Boston: Academic Press.
Gravetter, F. J., & Wallnau, L. B. (2000). Statistics for
the
behavioral sciences (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson
Learning.
Harris, M. B. (1998). Basic statistics for behavioral science
research
(2nd ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Hinkle, D. E., Wiersma, W., & Jurs, S. G. (1998). Applied
statistics for
the behavioral sciences (4th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Huck, S. W. (1996). Reading statistics and research.
New York:
HarperCollins.
Lutz, G. M. (1983). Understanding social statistics.
New York:
Macmillan.
Shott, S. (1990). Statistics for health professionals.
Philadelphia:
Saunders.
Spatz, C. (1993). Basic statistics: Tales of distributions
(5th ed.).
Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Vernoy, M. W., & Vernoy, J. A. (1992). Behavioral statistics
in
action. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Williams, F. (1992). Reasoning with statistics: How to read
quantitative research. Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace.
Addendum
Students should display appropriate behavior and a professional attitude
as
manifested by the following: Reliability; respect for and cooperation
with
colleagues; willingness to work calmly and courteously under difficult
conditions;
determination to achieve first-class work while meeting deadlines; respect
for
equipment and systems; and constructive response to criticism.
Anyone wearing a cap or hat in class must sit behind students not wearing
a cap or hat. The reason is that the cap or hat not obstruct the
vision of anyone.
Finally, leaving the room during class has the potential to be distracting
for both
the instructor and other students. Therefore, I request that you
use the rest room
before class and leave the room during the class only for emergencies.
Thank you
for your courtesy and consideration.
SYLLABUS
Spring 1999 Department: Education
Course No.: EDUC 343
Credit Value: 3 Credits
Day, Time, Room: *See Below
Instructor: Dr. Joseph A. Fusaro
DESCRIPTIVE TITLE: Evaluation and Measurement
CATALOG DESCRIPTION: This course
acquaints prospective teachers with the various
facets of test interpretation and test construction.
Standardized achievement, diagnostic, and aptitude tests
will be covered, along with teacher-made objective and
essay tests. Emphasis will be placed on constructing valid
and reliable tests by the teacher. The use and misuse of
standardized tests and teacher-made tests will be discussed.
*Section 1: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:00 -11:15 a.m., PAN 206
Section 2: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:30 - 3:45 p.m. PAN
206
PREREQUISITES: Consent of Advising Center
POSTED OFFICE HOURS: Tuesdays and Thursdays: 8:45 - 9:45 a.m.
Wednesdays: 10:45 -11:45 a.m.
(If my office hours are not compatible with your schedule, I am amenable
to meeting at a
mutually convenient time by appointment.)
OFFICE:
PAN 147
TELEPHONE:
(570) 941-6123
E-MAIL:
fusaroj1@tiger.uofs.edu
WEB SITE:
http://academic.uofs.edu/faculty/fusaroj1
1.0 Objectives of the Course
Students will
1.1
perform the statistics needed to interpret and evaluate standardized tests,
and
convert raw scores on teacher-made tests to standard scores.
1.2
differentiate among the different types of test validity evidence, and
interpret
the validity, reliability, and standard error of measurement of standardized
tests.
1.3
determine the reliability and standard error of measurement of teacher-made
tests.
1.4
convert raw scores on teacher-made tests to percentile ranks, stanines,
and
T-scores.
1.5
construct appropriate questions of each of the following types of objective
tests: multiple choice, true-false, matching, and completion.
1.6 construct appropriate essay-test questions.
1.7
manifest their ability to grade in a criterion-referenced manner and in
a norm-
referenced manner on teacher-made tests.
1.8 indicate how multiculturalism affects performance on standardized tests.
1.9 state the strengths and weaknesses of portfolio assessment.
1.10 indicate why assessment requires intelligent decision-making.
1.11
demonstrate that decision-making in the areas of assessment affects planning,
instruction, management, and professional growth.
2.0 Textbook Required
Chase, C. I. (1999). Contemporary assessment for educators.
New York:
Longman.
3.0 Procedures
The
procedures of this course will be lecture, demonstration, practical activity,
and
discussion.
4.0 Assignments
Students
will submit five written reports on professional reviews of tests reported
in
the Mental Measurements Yearbook. Each report must be limited
to one double-
spaced page.
Students
will complete a group project, whereby the group will review tests in the
Mental
Measurements Yearbook and make an oral, group presentation.
Students will convert raw scores to percentile ranks and standard scores.
Students
will determine criterion-related evidence of validity and test-retest reliability
by using the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient.
Students will determine the reliability of tests using the Kuder-Richardson 21 formula.
Students will determine the standard error of measurement of tests.
Students
will construct multiple-choice test questions, true-false test questions,
matching test questions, completion test questions, and essay test questions.
Students
will read chapter 13, "Performance and Portfolio Assessment," in Salvia,
J., & Ysseldyke, J. E. (1998). Assessment (7th ed.).
Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
(On reserve)
Students will read the textbook.
Library and other reading, as directed.
(For
any written assignment, students may either send me a rough draft via e-mail
or
appear in my office with a rough draft before the assignment is due.
For e-mail
submissions, I shall return the e-mail with feedback. For students
who prefer to
appear in my office with the rough draft, I shall peruse the assignment
and provide
feedback WHILE THE STUDENTS ARE IN MY OFFICE. Students will then
have an opportunity to revise the assignment before submission.)
5.0 Examinations
The
course will contain two hourly examinations and a final examination.
It will also
contain six quizzes. The date of each hourly examination will be
announced one week
prior to the examination. The dateof each quiz will be announced
at least two days
prior to the quiz. (Missed examinations and quizzes may be made up
only under the
most extraordinary circumstances. The instructor will require irrefutable
proof that
the absence was unavoidable before allowing one to make up an examination
or
quiz. The final examination must be taken on the day and at the time
designated on
the final examination schedule, except for reasons that clearly adhere
to University
policy.)
6.0 Content of the Course
1.0 Standardized tests
1.1 Achievement, diagnostic, aptitude
1.11 Examples and interpretation
1.2 Cognitive, affective, psychomotor
1.21 Examples and interpretation
2.0 Statistics
2.1 Mean, median, mode, standard deviation,
Pearson product-moment
correlation coefficient
3.0 Percentile ranks
4.0 Linear standard scores
4.1 z-scores, Z-scores (including T-scores)
5.0 Normalized standard scores
5.1 NCE scores, z-scores, Z-scores (including T-scores), stanines
6.0 Validity
6.1 Content, concurrent, predictive, construct
validity evidence
6.2 Determining validity of teacher-made
tests
7.0 Reliability
7.1 Kuder-Richardson 20 and 21 formulas
7.2 Coefficient alpha
7.3 Alternate-form and test-retest reliability
7.4 Standard error of measurement
7.5 Determination of reliability and standard
error of measurement
of teacher-made tests
8.0 Objective-test construction
8.1 Multiple-choice, true-false, matching, completion
9.0 Item analysis
10.0 Essay-test construction
11.0 Grading and reporting student achievement
12.0 Cultural diversity and standardized-test achievement
13.0 The need to make intelligent decisions to evaluate student achievement.
7.0 Grading
The raw scores of each of the hourly examinations and the final examination
will be
converted to Z-scores (standard scores) with a mean of 80 and a
standard
deviation of 10. The raw scores of the first three quizzes will be
totaled, as will the
the raw scores of the last three quizzes. The resultant two total
raw scores will
also be converted to Z-scores as described above. The Z-scores
will then be
averaged. Below are the correspondences between the average Z-score
and
the final letter grade:
95 or above
A
91 - 94
A-
87 - 90
B+
83 - 86
B
79 - 82
B-
75 - 78
C+
71 - 74
C
67 - 70
C-
63 - 66
D+
59 - 62
D
0 - 58
F
Each of the assignments will be judged "excellent," "acceptable," or "unacceptable."
For each assignment that is judged "excellent," one point will be added
to the
average standard score. Each assignment that is judged "unacceptable"
will
result in one point being deducted from the average standard score, unless
the
unacceptable assignment is resubmitted, and the resubmission is judged
"acceptable." (A resubmission may not be judged "excellent.")
An assignment
judged "acceptable" will result in a point being neither added to nor deducted
from
the average standard score. ASSIGNMENTS SUBMITTED AFTER THE
DATE ON WHICH THEY ARE DUE WILL BE BARRED FROM
ENTERING THE REALM OF "EXCELLENCE."
Students MAY attempt to gain additional credit by completing one to four
additional reports of test reviews from the Mental Measurements Yearbook.
The guidelines are the same as for the five required reports. Additional
credit will
be given only for reports that merit "excellent."
8.0 Attendance and Academic Dishonesty
The goals of this course are for the students to know how to interpret
test results
and to construct tests that have content evidence of validity and that
are reliable.
Attainment of these goals depend upon mastery of the objectives in section
1.0.
As such, students are permitted a total of four (4) cuts during the semester.
(If
a student comes to class after I have taken roll, it is the responsibility
of the
student to remind me immediately after class that he/shewas simply
late rather
than absent.) Furthermore, students are responsible for everything
covered in
class, including announcements about assignments and examinations.
(See
addendum at end of this syllabus.)
I follow the University's policy on academic dishonesty.
9.0 Bibliography
Ebel, R. L., & Frisbie, D. A. (1991). Essentials of educational
measurement (5th ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Gallagher, J. D. (1998). Classroom assessment for teachers.
Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Merrill.
Gronlund, N. E. (1998). Assessment of student achievement
(6th ed.).
Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Linn, R. L., & Gronlund, N. E. (1995). Measurement and assessment
in teaching (7th ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Merrill.
Nitko, A. J. (1996). Educational assessment of students (2nd
ed.).
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Merrill.
Oosterhof, A. C. (1996). Developing and using classroom assessment.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Merrill.
Salvia, J., & Ysseldyke, J. E. (1998). Assessment
(7th ed.). Boston:
Houghton Mifflin. (On