Education is expanding to include a stronger focus on the practical application of classroom lessons in an effort to prepare the next generation of scholars for a changing world economy centered on collaborative and problem-solving skills for the digital age. "The Handbook of Research on Technology Tools for Real-World Skill Development"…

Recent changes to federal guidelines for the collection of data on race and ethnicity allow respondents to select multiple race categories. Redefining race subgroups in this manner poses problems for research spanning both sets of definitions. NAEP long-term trends have used the single-race subgroup definitions for over thirty years. Little is…

Computer simulations were employed to investigate sample sizes needed for item analysis when one's primary purpose is to rank order items in terms of indices of quality or to compare indices of quality against a fixed criterion. Necessary sample sizes were much smaller than those indicated by the literature. (Author/JKS)

Examined whether providing item review on a computerized adaptive test could be used by examinees to inflate their scores. Two studies involving 139 undergraduates suggest that examinees are not highly proficient at discriminating item difficulty. A simulation study showed the usefulness of a strategy identified by G. Kingsbury (1996) as a way to…

A study investigated whether the more efficiently graded extended-matching questions were equivalent to short-answer questions in evaluating medical students' (n=98) ability to elicit physical findings and generate diagnoses and treatment plans, using standardized-patient examinations. The differences found in the two question types did not favor…

This paper reviews the existing multidimensional item response theory (IRT) models and demonstrates how one of the models can be applied to estimation of abilities from a test measuring more than one dimension. The purposes of this paper were threefold. First, the fundamental concepts required when considering multidimensional models for the…

Real test data of unknown structure were analyzed using both a unidimensional and a multidimensional latent trait model in an attempt to determine the underlying components of the test. The models used were the three-parameter logistic model and a multidimensional extension of the two-parameter logistic model. The basic design for the analysis of…

Two experiments reproduced in a simulated computerized test-taking situation the effect of two of the main determinants in answering an item in a test: the difficulty of the item and the time available to answer it. A model is proposed for the time to respond or abandon an item and for the probability of abandoning it or answering it correctly. In…

An approach to improve the test-taking abilities of minority students, and especially college students, are discussed. The problem of lower performance of minorities on norm-referenced, standardized test is also considered. One approach to help improve students' scores on standardized tests is test-taking instruction and practice on simulated…

A method is proposed for the detection of item bias with respect to observed or unobserved subgroups, using a loglinear item response theory model assuming a Rasch model for ability and difficulty. A simulation study was performed with 200 sets of data to check the robustness of the method. (SLD)

A study was conducted to develop a test that is able to capture knowledge of an intuitive nature, such as that acquired through discovery learning. The proposed test format is called the "what-if test." Test items in this format consist of the presentation of a situation. A change in the situation is introduced, and learners have to…

Two ways of using videotape recording to test law students are discussed: for development of reflective practice through feedback and self-observation, and to provide a more realistic final exam problem. The author's techniques are described, focusing on goals/objectives, methodology, and grading. It is argued that video, used most often for…

In person-fit analysis, the object is to investigate whether an item score pattern is improbable given the item score patterns of the other persons in the group or given what is expected on the basis of a test model. In this study, several existing group-based statistics to detect such improbable score patterns were investigated, along with the…

The issue of test-item selection in support of decision making in adaptive testing is considered. The number of items needed to make a decision is compared for two approaches: selecting items from an item pool that are most informative at the decision point or selecting items that are most informative at the examinee's ability level. The first…