The adoption of computerised adaptive testing (CAT) instead of classical testing (FIT) raises questions from both teachers' and students' perspectives. The scientific literature shows that teachers using CAT instead of FIT should experience shorter times to complete the assessment and obtain more precise evaluations. As for the students, adaptive…

In this paper, we analyse a large, opportunistic dataset of responses (N = 219,826) to online, diagnostic multiple-choice mathematics questions, provided by 6-16-year-old UK school mathematics students (N = 7302). For each response, students were invited to indicate on a 5-point Likert-type scale how confident they were that their response was…

Prior research on the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), a computer-adaptive test distributed by the Northwest Evaluation Association, has primarily focused on the Reading MAP for screening/benchmarking in elementary grades. The purpose of this study was to explore the functional form of growth and the extent to which student variability in…

Digital transformations within educational systems are recurrently justified by their promise to enhance learning activities and outcomes. We examine this claim in a study of pupils' perception and experiences with computer-based adaptive tests in higher classes in Danish public primary schools. The study relies on survey and interview data and…

Test-taking behavior is a potential source of construct irrelevant variance for test scores in international large-scale assessments where test-taking effort, motivation, and behaviors in general tend to be confounded with test scores. In an attempt to disentangle this relationship and gain further insight into examinees' test-taking processes,…

When randomized control trials are not possible, quasi-experimental methods often represent the gold standard. One quasi-experimental method is difference-in-difference (DiD), which compares changes in outcomes before and after treatment across groups to estimate a causal effect. DiD researchers often use fairly exhaustive robustness checks to…

The German national educational standards state explicitly that students should be enabled to successfully interact with dynamic geometry software. In a feasibility study on providing a standardized assessment instrument by digital means, in order to assess students' mathematical competencies, the implementation of a task with such a dynamic…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is an integral measure of academic progress across the nation and over time. It is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what our nation's students know and can do in various subjects such as civics, mathematics, reading, and U.S. history. The program also provides…

Online assessments of learning, or online exams, have become increasingly widespread with the rise of distance learning. Online exams are preferred by many students and are perceived as a quick and easy tool to measure knowledge. On the contrary, some students are concerned about the possibility of cheating and technological difficulties in online…

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) are a popular assessment method because they enable automated evaluation, flexible administration and use with huge groups. Despite these benefits, the manual construction of MCQs is challenging, time-consuming and error-prone. This is because each MCQ is comprised of a question called the "stem", a…

Short-Answer Grading (SAG) is a time-consuming task for teachers that automated SAG models have long promised to make easier. However, there are three challenges for their broad-scale adoption: A technical challenge regarding the need for high-quality models, which is exacerbated for languages with fewer resources than English; a usability…

When it is required to estimate item parameters of a large item bank, Multiple Matrix Sampling (MMS) design provides an efficient way while minimizing the test burden on students. The current study exemplifies how to calibrate a large item pool using MMS design for various purposes, such as developing a CAT administration. The purpose of the…

A critical component of modern software development practices, particularly continuous integration (CI), is the halt of development activities in response to test failures which requires further investigation and debugging. As software changes, regression testing becomes vital to verify that new code does not affect existing functionality.…

We extended current knowledge by examining the performance of several Bayesian model fit and comparison indices through a simulation study using the confirmatory factor analysis. Our goal was to determine whether commonly implemented Bayesian indices can detect specification errors. Specifically, we wanted to uncover any differences in detecting…

Numerous studies have revealed an alarming prevalence of test anxiety among Chinese junior high school students. Prevention of test anxiety in this population has become crucial. Brief meditation intervention (BMI) has shown promising results for promoting students' well-being and reducing test anxiety, but its mechanism for reducing test anxiety…