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STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS AS AN AID IN DESIGNING AN INSTRUCTIONAL SYSTEM
Author(s) -
SMITH TIMOTHY A.,
SHAW CARL N.
Publication year - 1969
Publication title -
journal of educational measurement
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.917
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1745-3984
pISSN - 0022-0655
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-3984.1969.tb00670.x
Subject(s) - readability , structural equation modeling , regression analysis , computer science , regression , stepwise regression , plan (archaeology) , point (geometry) , computation , linear regression , mathematics education , statistics , machine learning , psychology , mathematics , algorithm , geometry , archaeology , history , programming language
The usefulness of a structural analysis of pretest items in designing an instructional system is illustrated by the application of this technique to 100 addition computation problems. 10 structural characteristics of the problems were derived from the more general objectives of the instructional system (micro‐objectives) and used as predictors of problem (mini‐objectives) difficulty level in a stepwise regression analysis, in a manner similar to that of traditional studies of readability. The authors point out that regression equations derived in this way can be used to plan lessons in which all problems would be of approximately equal difficulty, and thus could have maximally reliable entrance or pretests, and might also be concerned with only one factor or topic. Lessons could be arranged from easiest to most difficult by using the regression equation to predict lesson difficulty. It is thought that the size of the multiple correlation between difficulty level and the structural variables may be an indication of how well the micro‐ and mini‐objectives of the instructional system have been formulated.