The It Measurement Compendium

“As projects get more complicated, managers stop learning from their - perience. It is important to understand how that happens and how to change it.... Fallible estimates: In software development, initial estimates for a project shape the trajectory of decisions that a manager makes over its life. For ex- ple, estimates of the productivity of the team members influence decisions about the size of the team, which in turn affect the team’s actual output. The trouble is that initial estimates usually turn out to be wrong. ” (Sengupta, 2008) This book aims directly to increase the awareness among managers and practitioners that estimation is as important as the work to be done in so- ware and systems development. You can manage what you can measure! Readers will find in this book a collection of lessons learned from the worldwide “metrics community,” which we have documented and enhanced with our own experiences in the field of software measurement and estimating. Our goal is to support our readers to harvest the benefits of estimating and - prove their software development processes. We present the 5 ISO/I- acknowledged Functional Sizing Methods with variants, experiences, counting rules, and case studies – and most importantly, illustrate through practical - amples how to use functional size measurement to produce realistic estimates. The book is written in a practical manner, especially for the busy practitioner community. It is aimed to be used as a manual and an assistant for everyday work.

As more postsecondary faculty become engaged in designing online learning environments, research conducted on distance education program quality becomes increasingly important. Measurements in Distance Education is a concise, well-organized guide to some of the many instruments, scales, and methods that have been created to assess distance education environments, learners, and teachers. Entries are organized according to the qualities these measures attempt to gauge—such as engagement and information retention—and provide summaries of each instrument, usage information, the history of its development, and validation, including any reported psychometric properties. Offering more than 50 different surveys, tests, and other metrics, this book is an essential reference for anyone interested in understanding distance education assessment.

This Compendium is a comprehensive reference manual containing an extensive selection of instruments developed to measure signs and symptoms commonly encountered in neurological conditions, both progressive and non-progressive. It provides a repository of established instruments, as well as newly-developed scales, and covers all aspects of the functional consequences of acquired brain impairment. In particular, the text provides a detailed review of approximately 150 specialist instruments for the assessment of people with neurological conditions such as dementia, multiple sclerosis, stroke and traumatic brain injury. Part A presents scales examining body functions, including consciousness and orientation; general and specific cognitive functions; regulation of behaviour, thought, and emotion; and motor-sensory functions. Part B reviews scales of daily living activities and community participation. Part C focuses on contextual factors, specifically environmental issues, and Part D contains multidimensional and quality of life instruments. Each instrument is described in a stand-alone report using a uniform format. A brief history of the instrument's development is provided, along with a description of item content and administration/scoring procedures. Psychometric properties are reviewed and a critical commentary is provided. Key references are cited and in most cases the actual scale is included, giving the reader easy access to the instrument. The structure of the book directly maps onto the taxonomy of the influential International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (World Health Organization, 2001), enabling linkage of clinical concepts across health conditions. The Compendium will be a valuable reference for clinicians, researchers, educators, and graduate students, and a practical resource for those involved in the assessment of people with brain impairment. The book is accompanied by a password protected website. For a one-off payment, purchasers of the book can gain online access to the majority of the tests, scales and questionnaires featured in the book as downloadable PDFs. See inside the book for more details.

The widespread deployment of millions of current and emerging software applications has placed software economic studies among the most critical of any form of business analysis. Unfortunately, a lack of an integrated suite of metrics makes software economic analysis extremely difficult. The International Function Point Users Group (IFPUG), a nonprofit and member-governed organization, has become the recognized leader in promoting the effective management of application software development and maintenance activities. The IFPUG Guide to IT and Software Measurement brings together 52 leading software measurement experts from 13 different countries who share their insights and expertise. Covering measurement programs, function points in measurement, new technologies, and metrics analysis, this volume: Illustrates software measurement's role in new and emerging technologies Addresses the impact of agile development on software measurement Presents measurement as a powerful tool for auditing and accountability Includes metrics for the CIO Edited by IFPUG's Management and Reporting Committee, the text is useful for IT project managers, process improvement specialists, measurement professionals, and business professionals who need to interact with IT professionals and participate in IT decision-making. It includes coverage of cloud computing, agile development, quantitative project management, process improvement, measurement as a tool in accountability, project ROI measurement, metrics for the CIO, value stream mapping, and benchmarking.

"Measurements in Evaluating Science Education is a comprehensive, intuitive guide to many of the key instruments created to assess science education environments, learning, and instruction. Nearly 70 different surveys, tests, scales, and other metrics are organized according to the qualities the measures attempt to gauge, such as attitudes toward science, beliefs and misconceptions, self-efficacy, and content knowledge. Summaries of each instrument, usage information, developmental history and validation, and reported psychometric properties make this an essential reference for anyone interested in understanding science education assessment"--

Building on the extensive coverage of the first volume, Volume 2 focuses on the fundamentals of measurements and computational techniques that will aid researchers in the construction and use of measurement devices.

The fields of performance measurement and management control have changed dramatically in recent years. The contents of this volume represent a collection of leading research in performance measurement and management control and provide a significant contribution to the growing literature in the area. The papers also provide managerial guidance by using a variety of research methods to explain how performance measurement and management control can aid in the implementation of strategy and the evaluation and improvement of organizational performance. The approaches are used in both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations.-- Presents the latest academic research in performance measurement and management control-- Includes managerial guidance as to how the use of various strategies, structures, and systems impact corporate performance-- Represents a significant contribution to the literature in the field-- Contains a selection of the best papers from the latest Performance Measurement and Management Control workshop

Bullying, particularly among school-age children, is a major public health problem both domestically and internationally (Nansel, Craig, Overpeck, Saluja, & Ruan, 2004). Current estimates suggest that nearly 30% of American adolescents reported at least moderate bullying experiences as the bully, the victim, or both. Specifically, of a nationally representative sample of adolescents, 13% reported being a bully, 11% reported being a victim of bullying, and 6% reported being both a bully and a victim (Nansel et al., 2001).