Irwin S Kirsch
Biographic Data
| ID | 2486500 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Irwin S Kirsch |
| GIVEN NAMES | Irwin S |
| FAMILY NAME | Kirsch |
| SIGNATURE | KIRSCH I S |
| AFFILIATIONS | Educational Testing Service |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-2728-8625 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 9 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 29 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 9 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1977 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2016 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
The Dynamics of Opportunity in America
Educational Policy and Politics; Public Policy; Economic Policy; Knowledge - Discourse; Labor Economics
Examining the Relationship Between Computer Familiarity and Performance on Computer-Based Language Tasks
The planned introduction of a computer-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) test raises concerns that language proficiency will be confounded with computer proficiency, introducing construct-irrelevant variance to the measurement of examinees' English-language abilities. We administered a questionnaire focusing on examinees' computer familiarity to 90,000 TOEFL test takers. A group of 1,200 "low-computer-familiar" and "high-compute…
Design and evaluation of a computer-based Toefl tutorial
Toward an explanatory model of document literacy
To date, most models of document processing (e.g., Fisher, 1981; Guthrie, 1988; Kirsch & Guthrie, 1984b) have been “exploratory” that is, explanations of document processing have been largely inferred through analogies with other cognitive models. The variables used to define these models are based on little, if any, empirical validation. In contrast, the model proposed in this article is a “partial explanatory” model because it identifies a set …
Exploring Document Literacy
Designing effective adult literacy programs
Effects of Education, Occupation, and Setting on Reading Practices
Reading activities contribute to individual and societal development, according to qualitative studies. Hypotheses regarding the social contexts of reading activities were tested in two studies. Social context was operationalized in terms of educational environment, occupational category, and the settings of work and leisure. Significant three-way interactions were found between (a) education, setting, and the contents (subject matters) of readin…
Prose Comprehension and Text Search as a Function of Reading Volume
INFORMAL INTERVIEWS and observations were used to obtain information regarding frequently occurring reading tasks among adults in work and leisure settings. Based on these data, two types of reading-text search and prose comprehension-were proposed. A two-stage information processing model for text search was developed and contrasted with prose comprehension models of reading. Background information, performance, and reading volume measures were …
The Concept and Measurement of Functional Literacy
EXAMINES FUNCTIONAL LITERACY literature as it relates to the concept and its measurement. The concept is shown to be used in connection with measures which are assumed to yield information relating to functional reading skills, general cognitive competencies, and affective characteristics. Reviews measures of educational attainment, grade equivalency scores, and specifically designed tests of functional reading and competency; and specific shortc…
Exploring Document Literacy
Effects of Education, Occupation, and Setting on Reading Practices
Reading activities contribute to individual and societal development, according to qualitative studies. Hypotheses regarding the social contexts of reading activities were tested in two studies. Social context was operationalized in terms of educational environment, occupational category, and the settings of work and leisure. Significant three-way interactions were found between (a) education, setting, and the contents (subject matters) of readin…
Toward an explanatory model of document literacy
To date, most models of document processing (e.g., Fisher, 1981; Guthrie, 1988; Kirsch & Guthrie, 1984b) have been “exploratory” that is, explanations of document processing have been largely inferred through analogies with other cognitive models. The variables used to define these models are based on little, if any, empirical validation. In contrast, the model proposed in this article is a “partial explanatory” model because it identifies a set …
Examining the Relationship Between Computer Familiarity and Performance on Computer-Based Language Tasks
The planned introduction of a computer-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) test raises concerns that language proficiency will be confounded with computer proficiency, introducing construct-irrelevant variance to the measurement of examinees' English-language abilities. We administered a questionnaire focusing on examinees' computer familiarity to 90,000 TOEFL test takers. A group of 1,200 "low-computer-familiar" and "high-compute…
The Concept and Measurement of Functional Literacy
EXAMINES FUNCTIONAL LITERACY literature as it relates to the concept and its measurement. The concept is shown to be used in connection with measures which are assumed to yield information relating to functional reading skills, general cognitive competencies, and affective characteristics. Reviews measures of educational attainment, grade equivalency scores, and specifically designed tests of functional reading and competency; and specific shortc…
Designing effective adult literacy programs
Prose Comprehension and Text Search as a Function of Reading Volume
INFORMAL INTERVIEWS and observations were used to obtain information regarding frequently occurring reading tasks among adults in work and leisure settings. Based on these data, two types of reading-text search and prose comprehension-were proposed. A two-stage information processing model for text search was developed and contrasted with prose comprehension models of reading. Background information, performance, and reading volume measures were …
Design and evaluation of a computer-based Toefl tutorial
The Concept and Measurement of Functional Literacy
EXAMINES FUNCTIONAL LITERACY literature as it relates to the concept and its measurement. The concept is shown to be used in connection with measures which are assumed to yield information relating to functional reading skills, general cognitive competencies, and affective characteristics. Reviews measures of educational attainment, grade equivalency scores, and specifically designed tests of functional reading and competency; and specific shortc…
Prose Comprehension and Text Search as a Function of Reading Volume
INFORMAL INTERVIEWS and observations were used to obtain information regarding frequently occurring reading tasks among adults in work and leisure settings. Based on these data, two types of reading-text search and prose comprehension-were proposed. A two-stage information processing model for text search was developed and contrasted with prose comprehension models of reading. Background information, performance, and reading volume measures were …
Effects of Education, Occupation, and Setting on Reading Practices
Reading activities contribute to individual and societal development, according to qualitative studies. Hypotheses regarding the social contexts of reading activities were tested in two studies. Social context was operationalized in terms of educational environment, occupational category, and the settings of work and leisure. Significant three-way interactions were found between (a) education, setting, and the contents (subject matters) of readin…
Designing effective adult literacy programs
Exploring Document Literacy
Toward an explanatory model of document literacy
To date, most models of document processing (e.g., Fisher, 1981; Guthrie, 1988; Kirsch & Guthrie, 1984b) have been “exploratory” that is, explanations of document processing have been largely inferred through analogies with other cognitive models. The variables used to define these models are based on little, if any, empirical validation. In contrast, the model proposed in this article is a “partial explanatory” model because it identifies a set …
Design and evaluation of a computer-based Toefl tutorial
Examining the Relationship Between Computer Familiarity and Performance on Computer-Based Language Tasks
The planned introduction of a computer-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) test raises concerns that language proficiency will be confounded with computer proficiency, introducing construct-irrelevant variance to the measurement of examinees' English-language abilities. We administered a questionnaire focusing on examinees' computer familiarity to 90,000 TOEFL test takers. A group of 1,200 "low-computer-familiar" and "high-compute…
The Dynamics of Opportunity in America
Educational Policy and Politics; Public Policy; Economic Policy; Knowledge - Discourse; Labor Economics
Psychology (8 works) · Computer Science (5 works) · Mathematics education (5 works) · Pedagogy (5 works) · Reading and Literacy Development (5 works) · Linguistics (4 works) · Educational Strategies and Epistemologies (3 works) · Literacy (3 works) · Gender and Technology in Education (2 works) · Geography (2 works)