Many organizations utilize some form of automation in the test assembly process; either fully algorithmic or heuristically constructed. However, one issue with heuristic models is that when the test assembly problem changes the entire model may need to be re-conceptualized and recoded. In contrast, mixed-integer programming (MIP) is a mathematical…

Stan is a flexible probabilistic programming language providing full Bayesian inference through Hamiltonian Monte Carlo algorithms. The benefits of Hamiltonian Monte Carlo include improved efficiency and faster inference, when compared to other MCMC software implementations. Users can interface with Stan through a variety of computing…

We review the GIDNA and CDM packages in R for fitting cognitive diagnosis/diagnostic classification models. We first provide a summary of their core capabilities and then use both simulated and real data to compare their functionalities in practice. We found that the most relevant routines in the two packages appear to be more similar than…

This article reviews several software programs designed to conduct item response theory (IRT) scale linking and equating. The programs reviewed include IRTEQ, STUIRT, and POLYEQUATE. Features and functionalities of each program are discussed and an example analysis using the common-item non-equivalent groups design in IRTEQ is provided.

Interfaces with good usability help their users complete more tasks in less time and with less effort, which gives them greater satisfaction. Given the vast array of options available to users today, usability is an important interface feature that may lead to the commercial success or failure of a software system. Despite its importance, few…

This study compared five common multilevel software packages via Monte Carlo simulation: HLM 7, M"plus" 7.4, R (lme4 V1.1-12), Stata 14.1, and SAS 9.4 to determine how the programs differ in estimation accuracy and speed, as well as convergence, when modeling multiple randomly varying slopes of different magnitudes. Simulated data…

Mobile learning or mLearning has become an essential tool in many fields in this digital era, among the ones educational training deserves special attention, that is, applied to both basic and higher education towards active, flexible, effective high-quality and continuous learning. However, despite the advances in Natural Language Processing…

Evidence-based decision-making is predicated on the ability of users to find and comprehend results from systematic review. Evidence producers have an obligation to support evidence users in this process. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) program--a producer of rigorous and comprehensive…

Assessment is prevalent throughout all levels of education in the United States. Even though educators are familiar with the idea of assessing students, familiarity does not necessarily ensure assessment literacy, or data-based decision making (DBDM) knowledge. Assessment literacy and DBDM are critical in education, and early childhood education…

New technological developments, such as 5G networks, smart and interconnected devices, and the development of the Internet of Things (IoT), lead to a new reality in which the secure flow of data is non-negotiable. In this new reality, blockchain technology can play a crucial role, as it has the ability to provide the necessary background for the…

Interactive or Dynamic Geometry System (DGS) is a tool that help to teach and learn geometry using a computer-based interactive environment. Traditionally, the interaction with DGS is based on keyboard and mouse events where the functionalities are accessed using a menu of icons. Nevertheless, recent findings suggest that such a traditional model…

Android platform-based educational software for visually impaired students (VIS) are widely available, but very few of them are in Bangla. Due to the lack of low-cost Bangla Braille-based technologies, VIS depends on the traditional slate and stylus to learn Braille. This study proposes a Braille-based educational software, Bangla Braille Learning…

Over the past decade, mobile news production has had a growing prevalence and has been established as a new type by modern journalism industry. Journalists understand content capturing and sharing as parts of their role in newsrooms. Mobile journalism (mojo) is an evolving form of reporting in which where people use only a smartphone to create and…

Today, digital transformation is changing the educational and social life rapidly. In contrast, organizations and educational institutions, developers, and end users do not benefit from cloud-based mobile technologies to the desired level. Mobile systems are used extensively for educational purposes in the Internet of Things (IoT) environment, and…

The Internet is a critical tool for higher education institutions as they rely upon their web presence for interaction with multiple stakeholders, including current and prospective students, parents, faculty and staff, and the community (Hong & Kiousis, 2007). As colleges count upon their websites to serve as the primary medium for presenting…