7rrpOth PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE CONFERENCE OF THE COMMITTEE ON EXAMINATIONS AND TESTS :.I
DURING the week of July 21-26, the Committee on Examina- Laboratory Training, some skills to be expected as a result of tions and Tests held a conference a t the University of Chicago to organized laboratory work. Throughout the examination an reformulate the objectives of the General Chemistry Examina- effort will be made to determine the extent t o which students are tion vtirt issued yearly by the Cooperative Test Service. aware of the impact of chemistry upon their physical and social Besides the eight members of the committee. twelve other mem- environment. and the relationship of chemistry to industry. bers of the Division of Chemical Education participated. During politics, and public and personal health. Instead of devoting a the first two days the attention of the group was focused upon separate section to this objective, items bearing upon social imthe objectives of courses in general chemistry and the technics plications will be included in each part of the test. The experiwhich may be used to measure the student's progress. The mental form of the new test will be given in colleges and universidiscussion was led by several authorities on test construction at- ties which offer one-semester courses in general chemistry. tached to the Board of Examinations of the University of Chicago: After the difficulty and validity of each item have been determined, Dr. Ralph W. Tyler, Chairman of the Department of Education Form 1942 will be constructed. Teachers who wish to participate and Chief Examiner; Dr. Louis P. Heil, Associate Professor of in the preparation of the 1942 test are requested to communicate Education and Examiner; Dr. Robert J. Havighurst, former with the chairman of the committee, Professor O. M. Smith. director of the General Education Board; and Dr. T. A. Ashford, Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College, Stillwater, OklaInstructor in Chemistry and Examiner. I n addition, the group homa. had the benefit of the experience of Dr. Alexander Calandra of I n addition to the construction of tests, the committee plans Brooklyn College with the Codperative Test Service, and of the to prepare a "Manual on Examinations" for the instruction of members of the committee who have supervised the construction teachers in the methods of test construction and the many uses of the earlier forms of the Cooperative Chemistry Test; namely, to which a validated objective examination may be put. The Professor B. Clifford Hendricks, of the University of Nebraska. committee is considering the possibility of setting up a bureau and Professor Otto M. Smith, of the Oklahoma Agricultural and where test items, pertaining t o the field of general chemistry, Mechanical College. may be collected for the use of teachers. The advantages of the The remainder of the conference was devoted to a discussion use of separate answer sheets are not well understood by the of the 1941 Form of the Codperative Chemistry Test; to the majority of chemistry teachers, although their use is gradually construction of test items for the 1942 Farm; and to the formula- increasing, and it has been decided to publicize thisfeatureof the tion of plans for the committee for the next two years. I n the testing program more widely. I n this connection, a list of staexperimental form, the 1942 Test will carry sections designed to tions where these answer sheets may be scored electrically is being measure attainment in the following objectives: Information, compiled. Information concerning the possibility of establishing knowledge of facts, definitions,and properties of theelements and such stations in various parts of the United States will be their compounds; Application of Principles, use of chemical welcomed. The committee is grateful to the University of Chicago for the principles t o solve numerical problems, balance equations, and excellent accommodations and the hospitality afforded them. predict the results of chemical reactions; Understanding of Theories, relationship and distinction between evidence and The conference was so successful that plans are already under theory and the interpretation of phenomena in terms of theory; way to hold another in September,1942.
