The adequacy of using a posttesting method of learning hierarchy validation was investigated. Validation decisions based upon posttest data were compared to the decisions generated from validation with instruction. Five learning hierarchies were employed in the study from the areas of mathematics, science, and social studies. Data were obtained from students in grades ranging from 2 through 10, with 30 to 70 students for each hierarchy and validation method. Student mastery data were summarized to indicate acceptance or rejection of each hypothesized hierarchical pair. / Decision correlations and overall comparisons were analyzed based upon the percentage of participants failing the lower skill and passing the higher skill of each hypothesized element pair. Using a practical criterion of (GREATERTHEQ) 10% in the fail-pass category indicating rejection of the hypothesized element pair, the posttest-only method and the instruction-test method were in agreement on 27 of 34 decisions. When non-significant percentages were removed, the two methods were in agreement on 30 of 34 decisions. The phi correlation coefficient for decisions of the two methods was 0.70 (p < .01). An examination of the percentage fail-pass data utilizing the Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks Test for Matched-Pairs further indicated no significant difference between the two methods (p < .01). / The results provide support for using the posttesting method as a short-cut approximation to validation with instruction. In the context of validation decisions made during the development of instructional materials, the posttesting approach appears to be adequate. The results also suggest that retention hierarchies produced by the posttesting method appear to be the same as learning hierarchies. The apparent adequacy of the posttesting method offers many advantages to the instructional developer. Instructional materials need not be developed prior to hierarchy validation, allowing the validated hierarchy to guide the development of instructional sequences and test specifications. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-01, Section: A, page: 0131. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1984.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_75487 |
| Contributors | REID, GEORGE ANDERSON, JR., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 128 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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