This dissertation develops and applies sophisticated Item Response Theory (IRT) methods to address fundamental measurement challenges in cognitive testing, focusing on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY). The first chapter implements a confirmatory multidimensional IRT…

Computer-based assessments allow practitioners to collect rich process data by logging students' interactions with assessment tasks. In addition to providing final responses to test questions, computer-based assessments promise to furnish more evidence to support claims about what a student knows and can do through logging process data in log…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive case study was to understand how online undergraduate math instructors perceive student learning in the online learning environment. With significantly higher attrition rates in online math courses, researchers should seek to identify instructional elements that could potentially lead to increased…

There are two primary challenges for instructors in offering a high-quality course at large scale. The first is scaling educational experiences to such a large audience. The second major challenge encountered is that of enabling adaptivity of the educational experience. This thesis addresses both major challenges in the way of high-quality…

The purpose of this study was to answer the question: Are principals good at identifying effective teachers? Some studies have suggested they are not, but the evidence is not consistent. It is troubling that research results are inconsistent regarding principals' abilities to identify effective teachers. Why is there a disconnect between…

Information technology (IT) certifiers evaluate risk and develop mitigations ensuring IT infrastructures remain protected within acceptable levels of operation, which if not properly maintained can potentially result in loss of life within Department of Defense (DoD) and federal environments. This qualitative phenomenological exploratory study…