Automated tests have become the most sought after method of testing in today’s market. Automating systems is generally found to be cheaper, faster and more reliable than manually operating them. For this reason many companies decide to make the switch over to this inexpensive yet efficient way of testing, only to realize that their costs have in fact gone up. The reasons for this could be poor planning, automating too much too soon or even automating unnecessary parts of the system. This study takes a closer look at the effects of automating tests used on interlocking systems. A tool has been developed as a part of the automated tests at Bombardier. The main function of the tool is to speed up the testing process by automatically generating test cases rather than having a worker write them down. The aim of this paper is to present this recently developed tool and show how its use significantly reduces testing time, costs and workload compared to the manual tests used today.

The results of a questionnaire that should reveal students’ knowledge about the use of computers in mathematics and the relevance of applications of mathematics in our society clearly show that current math teaching does not provide adequate ideas about the importance of computers. We describe the results and give examples of mathematical activities that are suitable to both foster mathematical concepts and widen the mathematical view. Possible changes in the curriculum are discussed.

Sixth grade students at a Mid-Atlantic, urban, PreK-8 public school have shown weak mathematical performance. In accordance with the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, the local district has implemented numerous policy changes to improve performance, but no substantial improvements in test scores have been seen so far. This project study focused on the development of automaticity and fluency of math facts to address this problem. The theoretical framework of the study was based on Haring and Eaton's instructional competency hierarchy framework, which claims that students who master basic mathematics skills are better able to progress to more general and abstract skills. A modified, quasi-experimental, nonequivalent control-group design was used with 2 groups of 20 sixth grade students who were neither randomly selected nor assigned to either group. Data analysis using one-way analysis of variance revealed that computer aided instruction--specifically, Fluency and Automaticity through Systematic Teaching and Technology (FASTT) Math--was more effective than the other classroom's mathematics instruction in developing multiplication fluency. In response, a curriculum policy recommendation was drafted as a project and will be presented to the board of education to conduct additional evaluations of FASTT Math as a supplemental tool in third through eighth grades in the district. This project is expected to contribute to social change by improving mathematics achievement which will create a mathematically literate cadre of students to meet the needs of 21st century employers, thus improving the quality of life in the broader community.

The purpose of this exploratory case study was to examine how student-to-teacher interactions encourage students to develop self-regulated learning (SRL) habits and skills. Zimmerman's social cognitive theory of SRL, which supposes a relationship between academic success and SRL, is used as a conceptual framework. The representative case is a computer-based alternative education program for students at risk of dropping out of high school in grades 10-12. The teachers worked one-on-one with students in a computer lab while the students engaged in mastery-based learning using Apex Learning Inc. digital curriculum. Five teachers responded to three questionnaires to examine how student-to-teacher interactions influenced student-to-content interactions, and students' forethought, performance, and evaluation behavior. The teachers also submitted instructional artifacts and described instructional tools, activity types, and scaffolds within the digital curriculum. After analysis of primary and secondary data, the results showed the following: Student-to-teacher interactions encouraged students to engage in forethought behaviors associated with goal setting and strategic planning; examples of performance behaviors were using the content to increase understanding, navigating the content efficiently and effectively, monitoring the use of task strategies, and developing thinking steps; and examples of evaluative behaviors were calibrating and making accurate self-judgments. The study can promote social change by helping students at-risk of dropping out of school develop SRL strategies correlated to academic achievement and high school graduation. SRL habits are transferable to everyday behaviors associated with continued employment, maintaining healthy relationships, and lifelong learning.

Visual analysis is the primary method of analyzing data in single-subject methodology, which is the predominant research method used in the fields of applied behavior analysis and special education. Previous research on the reliability of visual analysis suggests that judges often disagree about what constitutes an intervention effect. Considering that visual analysis involves a complex set of discriminations and sometimes produces disagreement among experts, it is particularly important to examine methods to train individuals to visually analyze data. Only a handful of studies have investigated the effectiveness of trainings on visual analysis. Most have relied on mechanical methods and/or evaluated the effectiveness of the procedure using a narrow set of graphs (e.g., graphs without slope). The purpose of this study was to evaluate two training methods using graphs with various combinations of effect types. The computer-based training, which includes high rates of practice with feedback, was compared to a lecture condition and a control condition. Results indicate that both training methods (i.e., the computer-based training and the lecture) were more effective than a control condition, but were not substantially different from one another. We discuss the implications of these results for training individuals in visual analysis as well as directions for future research.

Reading has long been acknowledged to be a critical skill that is best acquired early in life. According to the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reports, American public school children continue to struggle to master the basics of reading. Although federal funding in real dollars has increased consistently over time, reading scores have not followed suit, suggesting that fiscal resources have not been applied successfully to the variables that are directly related to reading acquisition and achievement. The current state of affairs therefore suggests the need for identifying a fiscally-targetable, instructionally-relevant variable with a direct, causal relationship to early-reading achievement. One way to determine whether such a relationship exists between two variables is by means of dose-response methodology. Although this methodology has not been broadly implemented in educational research, it is attractive because it allows for the formal characterization and comparison of cause-effect relationships, and may also inform practice in readily implementable ways. Researchers have noted that time spent learning (TSL), and in particular academic learning time (ALT), is a promising candidate for a dose-response relationship with student achievement in early reading. Although ALT holds promise, there have traditionally been significant difficulties in operationalizing and quantifying it. The growing prevalence of academic software in the American public classroom holds promise for overcoming these challenges and provides an opportunity to test the hypothesis that there is a dose-response relationship between ALT and student achievement in early reading.

The early identification of non-responding psychotherapy clients and reducing their treatment failure rates are the principal functions of Clinical Support Tools (CST). Nearly two decades of patient-focused research have produced several "evidence-based treatment monitoring" (EBTM) practices, that measure individual patients' responses to theory-guided treatments and alert therapists of clients who are at risk of eventual treatment failure. Clinical Support Tools are a quality management program that bundle several EBTM practices, and have been shown to improve outcomes in failing clients (Shimokawa, Lambert & Smart, 2010). Appropriately, EBTM has generated significant interest as it expands notions of what constitutes evidence-based practice with non-responding patients (APA, 2006). There is a practical need to disseminate Clinical Support Tools to a wider audience of clinicians and practice environments. The current study was designed to advance understanding of CST mechanisms by providing detailed, qualitative data that demonstrate how CST procedures are utilized in routine practice. Eleven doctoral-level psychologists experienced in using Clinical Support Tools at a university counseling center were interviewed about their use of Clinical Support Tools with a recent non-responding client and about their general experiences with past non-responding clients. Clinicians' responses were categorized as Actions, Decisions, or Attitudes, and were subjected to inductive, thematic content analysis. Results were interpreted to indicate which CST functions were active or inactive in the therapists' routine care. Findings indicated that therapists utilized CST resources to monitor patient status, to identify problems that may have explained therapy non-response, and to initiate corrective interventions. Although it was clear that therapists used the CST signal-alarm system to initiate a problem assessment and corrective intervention, it was less clear whether therapists used CST's to determine significance of client change or to determine the client's prognosis. This observation needs to be confirmed through further investigation. Future research that quantifies CST utilization and investigates implementation-outcome relationships is recommended. Finally, practical avenues for increasing the influence and prevalence of EBTM practices in behavioral healthcare are discussed.

Computer-based training has become more prolific as the military and private business enterprises search for more efficient ways to deliver training. However, some methods of computer-based training are not more effective than traditional classroom methods. One technique that may be able to approximate the most effective form of training, one-on-one tutoring, is Adaptive Training (AT). AT techniques use instruction that is tailored to the learner in some way, and can adjust different training parameters such as difficulty, feedback, pace, and delivery mode. There are many ways to adapt training to the learner, and in this study I explored adapting the feedback provided to trainees based on spatial ability in line with Cognitive Load Theory (CLT). In line with the CLT expertise reversal effect literature I hypothesized that for a spatial task, higher ability trainees would perform better when they were given less feedback. Alternately, I hypothesized that lower ability trainees would perform better during training when they were given more support via feedback. This study also compared two different adaptation approaches. The first approach, called the ATI approach, adapts feedback based on a premeasured ability. In this case, it was spatial ability. The second approach, called the Hybrid approach adapts initially based on ability, but then based on performance later in training. I hypothesized that participants who received Hybrid adaptive training would perform better. The study employed a 2(spatial ability; high, low) X 2(feedback; matched, mismatched) X 2 (approach; ATI, Hybrid) between-subjects design in which participants were randomly assigned to one of the eight conditions. Ninety-two participants completed a submarine-based periscope operator task that was visual and spatial in nature. iv The results of the study did not support the use of CLT-derived adaptation based on spatial ability; contrary to what was hypothesized, higher ability participants who received more feedback performed better than those who received less. Similarly, lower ability participants who received less feedback performed better than those who received more. While not significant, results suggested there may be some benefit to using the Hybrid approach, but more research is needed to determine the relative effectiveness of this approach.

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This study examined how learners construct textbase and situation model knowledge in hypertext computer-based learning environments (CBLEs) and documented the influence of specific self-regulated learning (SRL) tactics, prior knowledge, and characteristics of the learner on posttest knowledge scores from exposure to a hypertext. A sample of 160 undergraduate education majors completed measures of prior knowledge, goal orientation, intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy to self-regulate learning, and a demographic survey. They were trained in the use of nStudy, a learning environment designed to facilitate self-regulated learning from web-based media including hypertext and to trace learners' actions while they learned online. Learners completed a 20-minute study session learning about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and a posttest to assess changes in knowledge scores. Results indicate that employment of individual SRL tactics including tendency to highlight was found to be associated with increased posttest knowledge scores across learners. Goal orientation and prior knowledge also significantly predicted posttest knowledge scores in regression models. These findings can be used to inform the design and use of hypertext in order to individualize computer-based instruction and maximize knowledge acquisition for students, based upon their individual characteristics. / Educational Psychology