This study used multilevel measurement modeling to examine the differential difficulties of math and reading items for Grade 6 students participating in Ontario’s provincial assessment in 2005-2006, in relation to whether they received a setting accommodation, had a learning disability (LD), and spoke a language in addition to English. Both differences in difficulty between groups of students for all items (impact) and for individual items (differential item functioning) were examined. Students’ language backgrounds (whether they spoke a language in addition to English) were not significantly related to item difficulty. Compared to non-accommodated students with LD, math and reading items were relatively difficult for accommodated students with LD. Moreover, the difference in overall impact on math items was larger than on reading items for accommodated and non-accommodated students with LD. Overall, students without LD and who did not receive a setting accommodation outperformed students with LD and/or who received a setting accommodation as well as accommodated students without LD. It is important to note that, because this was an operational test administration, students were assigned to receive accommodations by their schools based on their individual needs. It is, therefore, not possible to separate the effect of the setting accommodation on item difficulty from the effects of other differences between the accommodated and non-accommodated groups. The differences in math and reading item difficulties between accommodated and non-accommodated students with LD may be due in part to factors such as comorbidity of LD and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or a possible mismatch between the setting accommodation and the areas of disabilities. Moreover, the results of the present study support the underarousal/optimal stimulation hypothesis instead of the premise of the inhibitory control and attention for the use of setting accommodation. After controlling for the impact across all items of setting accommodation and LD, several math and reading items were found to exhibit differential item functioning (DIF). The possible sources of DIF were (1) math items that were not adherent to specific item-writing rules and (2) reading items targeting different types of comprehension. This study also found that the linguistic features of math items (total words, total sentences, average word length, monosyllabic words for math) and reading items (word frequency, average sentence length, and average words per sentence for reading) were associated with math and reading item difficulties for students with different characteristics. The total sentences and average word length in a math item as well as total words in a reading item significantly predicted the achievement gap between groups. Therefore, the linguistic features should be taken into account when assessments are developed and validated for examinees with varied characteristics.

This study used multilevel measurement modeling to examine the differential difficulties of math and reading items for Grade 6 students participating in Ontario’s provincial assessment in 2005-2006, in relation to whether they received a setting accommodation, had a learning disability (LD), and spoke a language in addition to English. Both differences in difficulty between groups of students for all items (impact) and for individual items (differential item functioning) were examined. Students’ language backgrounds (whether they spoke a language in addition to English) were not significantly related to item difficulty. Compared to non-accommodated students with LD, math and reading items were relatively difficult for accommodated students with LD. Moreover, the difference in overall impact on math items was larger than on reading items for accommodated and non-accommodated students with LD. Overall, students without LD and who did not receive a setting accommodation outperformed students with LD and/or who received a setting accommodation as well as accommodated students without LD. It is important to note that, because this was an operational test administration, students were assigned to receive accommodations by their schools based on their individual needs. It is, therefore, not possible to separate the effect of the setting accommodation on item difficulty from the effects of other differences between the accommodated and non-accommodated groups. The differences in math and reading item difficulties between accommodated and non-accommodated students with LD may be due in part to factors such as comorbidity of LD and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or a possible mismatch between the setting accommodation and the areas of disabilities. Moreover, the results of the present study support the underarousal/optimal stimulation hypothesis instead of the premise of the inhibitory control and attention for the use of setting accommodation. After controlling for the impact across all items of setting accommodation and LD, several math and reading items were found to exhibit differential item functioning (DIF). The possible sources of DIF were (1) math items that were not adherent to specific item-writing rules and (2) reading items targeting different types of comprehension. This study also found that the linguistic features of math items (total words, total sentences, average word length, monosyllabic words for math) and reading items (word frequency, average sentence length, and average words per sentence for reading) were associated with math and reading item difficulties for students with different characteristics. The total sentences and average word length in a math item as well as total words in a reading item significantly predicted the achievement gap between groups. Therefore, the linguistic features should be taken into account when assessments are developed and validated for examinees with varied characteristics.

Contextualization is often added to mathematical achievement items to place targeted mathematical operations in a real world context or in combinations with other mathematical skills. Such items may have unintended sources of difficulty, such as greater cognitive complexity than specified in the test blueprint. These types of items are being introduced to achievement exams through assessment programs such as SBAC and PARCC. Cognitive models have been created to assess sources of cognitive complexity in mathematics items, including a global model (Embretson&Daniel, 2008) and an adapted model (Lutz, Embretson,&Poggio, 2010). The current study proposes a new cognitive model structured around sources of working memory burden with an emphasis on contextualization. Full-information item response (IRT) models were applied to a state accountability test of mathematics achievement in middle school to examine impact on psychometric properties related to burden on working memory.

Tunnel structures are important investments especially for urban areas. Ke&ccedil / i&ouml / ren - Tandogan metro alignment is one of those investments executed by Ankara Metropolitan Municipality. The purpose of this research is to evaluate Tunnel Boring Machine (Earth Pressure Balance type) (TBM-EPB) performance within different lithological units encountered along Tandogan -Mecidiye segment of the Ke&ccedil / i&ouml / ren - Tandogan metro tunnel. The evaluation is based on the data obtained from traditional site investigation methods, statistical approaches and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Complex geological and hydrogeological conditions are found to be effective in the advancement of a TBM implemented in tunnel boring works. A good understanding of the geology is essential in such cases. Available field (in-situ) and laboratory tests have been used in order to determine geological, hydrogeological and geotechnical properties of the metro tunnel alignment. Advancements in the tunnel boring process also proved that hydrogeological conditions are effective on the performance of TBM so related data are considered carefully while preparing cross-section layers and calculating weights in order to display the distribution of excavation difficulty classes through the tunnel alignment.

Cette thèse a pour objectif de donner une définition générale et mesurable de la difficulté du gameplay dans un jeu vidéo. Elle propose une méthode et un outil pour mesurer cette difficulté. La méthode de mesure couramment employée est en effet principalement heuristique et propre au contexte de chaque jeu. Nous proposons une approche générique d’analyse du gameplay qui prend en compte l’apprentissage du joueur et permet une évaluation statistique de la difficulté d’un gameplay. Dans un premier temps, la thèse explore les liens entre difficulté, game design, et plaisir de jouer. Nous étudions diverses formes de difficultés : sensorielles, logiques et motrices. Après diverses expérimentations d’analyse automatique de gameplay, nous détaillons notre modèle de mesure de la difficulté, et l’analyse en challenges et capacités d’un gameplay, ainsi que le logiciel associé. Finalement, nous présentons une expérience, dont l’objectif est de tester la faisabilité et la précision de notre modèle. / The goal of this thesis is to propose a general and measurable definition of the difficulty in video games. The current approach, widely adopted, is mainly heuristic, and depends on each game’s context. We propose a generic way to analyse a gameplay, taking into account the player’s apprenticeship, which allows to statistically evaluate the gameplay’s difficulty. The thesis first explores the links between difficulty, game design and the player’s enjoyment. Then, we study different types of difficulties, sensory, logical and motor. After a few experiments on automatic gameplay analysis, we detail our measurement model, base on the splitting of gameplay into challenges and capacities. We present the developed software, and report an experiment that we ran to test the feasibility and accuracy of our measuring technique.

A literature-survey indicated that there is a need for complete reading programmes that are integrated within the mainstream to meet the unique needs of learners who struggle to read in South African schools. Recent research suggests that the use of 'evidence-based', complete reading programmes are effective multi-purpose tools for reading intervention, cognitive enrichment, and identification of learners unresponsive to regular literacy instruction. The main conclusion of, this study was ,that the HlWAY READING & SPELLING PROGRAMME© is a complete reading programme, comprising of multiple components including phonemic awareness instruction, systematic phonics instruction, fluency training, vocabulary building and comprehension strategy training components. It is also a much-needed tool for in-service and pre-service teacher training and whole-school capacity building in the implementation of evidence-based reading instruction. A pre-test-post-test control group design was used. The weight of evidence obtained in this investigation indicates that the HRSP caused a statistically significant improvement in spelling and reading comprehension measures. The HRSP was successfully integrated within the mainstream, and the effect sizes obtained in this study were large Recommendations were offered with regard to the use of the complete reading programmes like the HRSP in school contexts to address the needs of learners unresponsive to literacy intervention. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

In order to obtain perspectives of Canadian dentists on the quality of the undergraduate education received in orthodontics and the extent of orthodontic services provided, a descriptive survey was constructed. Methods An anonymous, web-based survey was created using Survey Monkey® (Palo Alto, USA), and distributed to registered dentists in Canada via links in newsletters and mass emails. Results There were 427 respondents. Results showed that 71% of dentists provide some orthodontic treatment, and 33% of them offered only space maintainers. A total of 23% treated most of their patients requiring interceptive treatment, compared to 15% for those requiring comprehensive treatment. A driving time greater than 1 hour to the closest orthodontist resulted in a 16% increase in the provision of orthodontic treatment by the general dentists. The undergraduate orthodontic education was deemed above average by 21.4% to 50.5% of the respondents. Conclusions The percentage of dentists currently providing orthodontic services to their patients is similar to previous reports. A driving time of more than 1 hour is an influencing factor on the provision of orthodontic treatment by Canadian general dentists. The quality of undergraduate orthodontic education provided has improved over the last 25 years, although some amelioration may be beneficial.

The aim of this study is to analyse how children’s literature for ages 6 – 8 is adapted to pupils with reading difficulties. The material used for analysis in this study is six children’s books, examining some of the criteria by which a text is classified as easy-to-read. The result of the analysis shows that there is a possibility for pupils with reading difficulties to read something other than easy-to-read literature if it is carefully selected. The result also shows that the different criteria for an easy-to-read text cannot alone indicate whether a book as a whole is easy-to-read or not.

A literature-survey indicated that there is a need for complete reading programmes that are integrated within the mainstream to meet the unique needs of learners who struggle to read in South African schools. Recent research suggests that the use of 'evidence-based', complete reading programmes are effective multi-purpose tools for reading intervention, cognitive enrichment, and identification of learners unresponsive to regular literacy instruction. The main conclusion of, this study was ,that the HlWAY READING & SPELLING PROGRAMME© is a complete reading programme, comprising of multiple components including phonemic awareness instruction, systematic phonics instruction, fluency training, vocabulary building and comprehension strategy training components. It is also a much-needed tool for in-service and pre-service teacher training and whole-school capacity building in the implementation of evidence-based reading instruction. A pre-test-post-test control group design was used. The weight of evidence obtained in this investigation indicates that the HRSP caused a statistically significant improvement in spelling and reading comprehension measures. The HRSP was successfully integrated within the mainstream, and the effect sizes obtained in this study were large Recommendations were offered with regard to the use of the complete reading programmes like the HRSP in school contexts to address the needs of learners unresponsive to literacy intervention. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

This thesis examined the intra-individual relationship between state affect and task performance, with an emphasis on a) the moderating effects of trait affect and task difficulty; and b) the mediating effects of cognitive and affective regulation. Theory and empirical research from the emotion, motivation, and personality literatures was integrated to develop a multilevel model of states, traits, and situational factors as predictors of task performance. Data from five studies were analysed using single- and multi-level techniques to test the hypothesised model of relationships. The findings are reported within three manuscripts, which comprise the body of this thesis. Manuscript 1 presents validation evidence for the psychometric instruments used to measure the self-regulatory components of the model. Three studies (N = 758) were conducted to examine the nomological network of cognitive and affective regulation. In parallel, two new self-report scales were developed to operationalise these constructs within a repeated measures paradigm. The three studies demonstrated that the new cognitive and affective regulation scales were uniquely associated with other self-regulatory, personality, affective and achievement variables at the intra-individual and inter-individual levels. Study 1 provided evidence for the unidimensionality, internal consistency, and construct validity of each scale. Study 2 replicated and extended construct validity evidence using a different sample and performance domain. Study 3 established the utility of each scale for assessing intra-individual variability in cognitive and affective regulation, and their ability to predict performance within individuals. In sum, the three studies suggested that the new measures of cognitive and affective regulation were psychometrically adequate for use in model testing. Manuscripts 2 and 3 tested the intra-individual relationship between state affect and task performance, with a focus on the moderating effects of trait affect and task difficulty (Manuscript 2), and the mediating effects of cognitive and affective regulation (Manuscript 3). Each manuscript analysed different portions of data from two laboratory experiments (N = 182). In each experiment, participants performed multiple trials of an air-traffic control simulation that varied in task difficulty at the inter-individual (Study 4) or intra-individual (Study 5) level. Trait positive and negative affect were measured before the task, whereas state positive and negative affect, cognitive and affective regulation, and task performance were measured at repeated intervals over practice. In Manuscript 2, hierarchical linear modelling demonstrated that state positive affect was positively related, whereas state negative affect was negatively related, to task performance at the intra-individual level of analysis. As hypothesised, the strength of these affect-performance relationships was significantly moderated by trait affect and task difficulty. In both studies, the positive intra-individual relationship between state positive affect and performance was stronger for individuals with high (versus low) trait positive affect, particularly when task difficulty was high (versus low). In contrast, the negative intra-individual relationship between state negative affect and performance only emerged for individuals with low (versus high) trait negative affect, regardless of the level of task difficulty. In Study 4, the intra-individual relationship between state negative affect and task performance was also more pronounced when task difficulty was high (versus low). In Manuscript 3, multilevel multiple-mediation modelling demonstrated that cognitive regulation significantly mediated the intra-individual relationship between state positive affect and performance in both studies, alongside the intra-individual relationship between state negative affect and performance in Study 4. Unexpectedly, affective regulation failed to mediate either of these affect-performance relationships. However, state positive affect was positively related to affective regulation in both studies, whereas state negative affect was positively related to affective regulation in Study 5. Overall, this thesis makes theoretical, empirical and methodological contributions to understanding how affect relates to performance at the intra-individual level of analysis; and for whom, when, and why these relationships emerge. Within a multilevel framework, it integrates interdisciplinary perspectives to identify the affective determinants of performance from two levels of analysis. The results demonstrate that state positive and negative affect can differentially predict intra-individual variability in task performance, and that these effects may a) depend on trait affect and task difficulty; and b) be partially explained by cognitive regulation. These findings emphasise the importance of adopting a multilevel, repeated measures paradigm to examine how affective states, traits, and task demands interactively predict task performance. There is scope for extending this research further by investigating a broader range of moderating and mediating constructs. Practical implications and directions for future research are discussed.