Limiting the search date is a common approach utilised in therapeutic/interventional rapid reviews. Yet the accuracy of pooled estimates is unknown when applied to rapid reviews of diagnostic test accuracy studies. Data from all systematic reviews of diagnostic test accuracy studies published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, until…

Introduction: The present study was undertaken to develop a valid and reliable scale for measuring a feeling of alienation in students with visual impairments (that is, those who are blind or have low vision). Methods: In this study, a pool of 60 items was generated to develop an Alienation Scale for Visually Impaired Students (AL-VI) based on a…

A substantial amount of research has been conducted over the past 40 years on technical aspects of computerized adaptive testing (CAT), such as item selection algorithms, item exposure controls, and termination criteria. However, there is little literature providing practical guidance on the development of a CAT. This paper seeks to collate some…

The paper reviews some recent advances in interior-point methods for linear programming and indicates directions in which future progress can be made. Most of the interior-point methods belong to any of three categories: affine-scaling methods, potential reduction methods and central path methods. These methods are discussed together with…

This paper discusses optimal test construction, which deals with the selection of items from a pool to construct a test that performs optimally with respect to the objective of the test and simultaneously meets all test specifications. Optimal test construction problems can be formulated as mathematical decision models. Algorithms and heuristics…

Provides an overview of computerized adaptive testing (CAT) and introduces contributions to this special issue. CAT elements discussed include item selection, estimation of the latent trait, item exposure, measurement precision, and item-bank development. (SLD)

The central idea in building and maintaining an item bank is to calibrate all the items onto a "common variable." The arithmetic involved in the calibration process is presented. It is recommended that an analysis of fit be done in every application to verify that the estimates of item difficulties are in fact sample-free. These…

Educational item banking presents observers with a considerable paradox. The development of test items from scratch is viewed as wasteful, a luxury in times of declining resources. On the other hand, item banking has failed to become a mature technology despite large amounts of money and the efforts of talented professionals. The question of which…

The purpose of this paper is to examine the assessment procedures initiated and used by most Canadian provinces during the past decade to describe public school reading achievement, to identify commonalities and differences among those procedures, and to comment on the significance of the identified trends. The stated purposes of evaluation…

Three major pragmatic issues in computerized testing are addressed: (1) encouraging teacher use; (2) reporting of information; and (3) test construction. Reference is made to four related articles. Additional areas for research include reporting of test information; item bank standards; validity; and rules for stopping in computerized testing.…

In an adaptive test, the test administrator chooses test items sequentially during the test, in such a way as to adapt test difficulty to examinee ability as shown during testing. An effectively designed adaptive test can resolve the dilemma inherent in conventional test design. By tailoring tests to individuals, the adaptive test can…

This discussion of computer-assisted repeatable tests, which are frequently used to evaluate and monitor students' acquisition of knowledge in mastery learning situations, cites and describes a number of specific examples of systems for creating both online and batch tests. A reference list is provided. (JJD)

Some software packages currently available for item writing and item banking are reviewed. Eleven test-generation and three item-banking packages are listed. Users trained in item response theory can find a great deal of power in a desk-top system. (SLD)

When an examination consists in whole or part of constructed response test items, it is common practice to allow the examinee to choose a subset of the constructed response questions from a larger pool. It is sometimes argued that, if choice were not allowed, the limitations on domain coverage forced by the small number of items might unfairly…

The advent of computers in educational and psychological measurement has lead to the need for algorithms for optimal assembly of tests from item banks. This paper reviews the literature on optimal test assembly and introduces the contributions to this report on the topic. Four different approaches to computerized test assembly are discussed:…