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Test Instrument (test + instrument)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	50%

Selected Abstracts

Neuromotor development from 5 to 18 years.

DEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE & CHILD NEUROLOGY, Issue 7 2001
Part 1: timed performance
Timed performance in specific motor tasks is an essential component of a neurological examination applied to children with motor dysfunctions. This article provides centile curves describing normal developmental course and interindividual variation of timed performances of non-disabled children from 5 to 18 years. In a cross-sectional study (n=662) the following motor tasks were investigated: repetitive finger movements, hand and foot movements, alternating hand and foot movements, sequential finger movements, pegboard, and dynamic and static balance. Intraobserver, interobserver, and test-retest reliability for timed measurements were moderate to high. Timed performances improved throughout the entire prepubertal period, but differed among various motor tasks with respect to increase in speed and when the,adolescent plateau' was reached. Centile curves of timed performance displayed large interindividual variation for all motor tasks. At no age were clinically relevant sex differences noted, nor did socioeconomic status significantly correlate with timed performance. Our results demonstrate that timed motor performances between 5 and 18 years are characterized by a long-lasting developmental change and a large interindividual variation. Therefore, a well standardized test instrument, and age-specific standards for motor performances are necessary preconditions for a reliable assessment of motor competence in school-age children. [source]

The quality of a simulation examination using a high-fidelity child manikin

MEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 2003
T-C Tsai
Purpose, Developing quality examinations that measure physicians' clinical performance in simulations is difficult. The goal of this study was to develop a quality simulation examination using a high-fidelity child manikin in evaluating paediatric residents' competence about managing critical cases in a simulated emergency room. Quality was determined by evidence of the reliability, validity and feasibility of the examination. In addition, the participants' responses regarding its realism, effectiveness and value are presented. Method, Scenario scripts and rating instruments were carefully developed in this study. Experts were used to validate the case scenarios and provide evidence of construct validity. Eighteen paediatric residents, ,working' as pairs, participated in a manikin-based simulation pre-test, a training session and a post-test. Three independent raters rated the participants' performance on task-specific technical skills, medications used and behaviours displayed. At the end of the simulation, the participants completed an evaluation questionnaire. Results, The manikin-based simulation examination was found to be a realistic, valid and reliable tool. Validity (i.e. face, content and construct) of the test instrument was evident. The level of inter-rater concordance of participants' clinical performance was good to excellent. The item analysis showed good to excellent internal consistency on all the performance scores except the post-test technical score. Conclusions, With a carefully designed rating instrument and simulation operation, the manikin-based simulation examination was shown to be reliable and valid. However, a further refinement of the test instrument will be required for higher stake examinations. [source]

Effects of defrosting period on mold adhesion force of epoxy molding compound

ASIA-PACIFIC JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 2 2009
Hwe-Zhong Chen
Abstract In integrated circuit (IC) packaging, when epoxy-molding compound (EMC) is filled in the mold cavity and cured in the mold, adhesion occurs in the interface between EMC and the mold surface. Too large an adhesion force can cause many problems. For example, too large an adhesion force may damage an IC during ejection and cause the package to fail and thus lower the yield rate. To resolve mold adhesion problems, improving the mold design and applying suitable surface treatments, such as mold surface coating, are the common approaches. Applying suitable surface coating is a more popular and practical approach. Defrosting is a process to increase the frozen EMC temperature to room temperature, and to retain it at room temperature for some period before molding. It is a common practice to put EMC under required atmospheric environment during defrosting. It has been found by molding engineers that increased defrosting period will increase the frequency of mold cleaning. But there is no quantitative description on how much the adhesion force increases during the defrosting process. This paper describes the use of a semiautomatic EMC adhesion force test instrument to measure the normal adhesion force between the mold surface and EMC. By measuring the adhesion force, one can quantify how much adhesion force exists between EMC and the mold surface under different defrosting periods. The results show that it is best to use the EMC with 24,32 h of defrosting, to prevent excessive amount of mold adhesion force and it has been found that the adhesion force of the 24 h defrosting period will be 24% less than that of the 48 h defrosting period. Decreasing moisture absorption will decrease the increase in adhesion force for prolonged defrosting period cases. Copyright © 2008 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Formative Automated Computer Testing (FACT)

BRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, Issue 5 2002
Nicoll Hunt
This study describes the context for the development of a tool to formatively assess information technology skills of students. The tool provides a reliable and valid assessment of word processing competency, utilizing automation to apply the test instrument via the Microsoft Office package. Tests can be designed directly by tutors, and delivered via a network. Evaluation of the tests suggests that immediate automated testing is preferred by students compared to a traditional written test. There is evidence that the tool improves the IT skills of its users, whereas a traditional written test has no such beneficial effect. [source]