An odds ratio approach (ORA) under the framework of a nested logit model was proposed for evaluating differential distractor functioning (DDF) in multiple-choice items and was compared with an existing ORA developed under the nominal response model. The performances of the two ORAs for detecting DDF were investigated through an extensive…

This research report presents a summary of research and development efforts devoted to creating scoring models for automatically scoring spoken item responses of a pilot administration of the Test of English-for-Teaching ("TEFT"™) within the "ELTeach"™ framework.The test consists of items for all four language modalities:…

We describe the development and validation of a three-tiered diagnostic test of the water cycle (DTWC) and use it to evaluate the impact of prior learning experiences on undergraduates' misconceptions. While most approaches to instrument validation take a positivist perspective using singular criteria such as reliability and fit with a measurement…

Many educators and researchers have suggested that some students learn more effectively with visual stimuli (e.g., pictures, graphs), whereas others learn more effectively with verbal information (e.g., text) (Felder & Brent, 2005). In two studies, the present research seeks to improve popular self-reported (indirect) learning style measures…

Cultural consensus theory (CCT) is a data aggregation technique with many applications in the social and behavioral sciences. We describe the intuition and theory behind a set of CCT models for continuous type data using maximum likelihood inference methodology. We describe how bias parameters can be incorporated into these models. We introduce…

This paper introduces an empirical study testing three kinds of bias in higher education student assessment. All of them are connected to the repetitive use of the same test questions which may facilitate academic cheating. The "same tests effect" may appear if two or more groups of students are writing the same test one after the other…

This article explores the potential for ethnographic observations to inform the analysis of test item performance. In 2010, a standardized, large-scale adult literacy assessment took place in Mongolia as part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Literacy Assessment and Monitoring Programme (LAMP). In a novel form…

The determination of Pass/Fail decisions over Borderline grades, (i.e., grades which do not clearly distinguish between the competent and incompetent examinees) has been an ongoing challenge for academic institutions. This study utilises the Objective Borderline Method (OBM) to determine examinee ability and item difficulty, and from that…

This article investigates the population heterogeneity of test data for the case of teacher licensure assessments in Saudi Arabia. The results from factor mixture modeling of the data (N = 15,962) on the construct of "promoting learning" revealed the presence of two latent classes of examinees based on their performance profiles across…

This simulation study was prompted by the current increased interest in linking national studies to international large-scale assessments (ILSAs) such as IEA's TIMSS, IEA's PIRLS, and OECD's PISA. Linkage in this scenario is achieved by including items from the international assessments in the national assessments on the premise that the average…

A large body of work has been devoted to reducing assessment biases that distort inferences about students' science understanding, particularly in multiple-choice instruments (MCI). Constructed-response instruments (CRI), however, have invited much less scrutiny, perhaps because of their reputation for avoiding many of the documented biases of…

Children's emergent literacy skills are highly predictive of later reading abilities. To determine which children have weaker emergent literacy skills and are in need of intervention, it is necessary to assess emergent literacy skills accurately and reliably. In this study, 1,351 children were administered the "Revised Get Ready to…

Previous mathematics and science education research indicates that knowledge and beliefs, including teaching efficacy, affect teachers' actions and effectiveness in a classroom. Our middle grades and high school Self-Efficacy to Teach Statistics (SETS) instruments, aligned with the statistical concepts in national and state guidelines such as the…

Although experimentally induced positive mood can generally last for 20 min and the induced mood is conducive to creative performance, it is still unclear whether the facilitation effect is stable during these 20 min. Two studies were conducted to examine this issue while controlling for the impacts of task switching, practice effect, and test…

Responses of 223 students in grades 6 to 11 to questions related to beliefs about getting out of bed on the left side are analysed from two perspectives. On one hand the items explore subjective beliefs about chance. On the other hand the different wording and context of the items provide opportunity to show different levels of understanding of…