Science concepts, like electromagnetism, involve abstract relations, which are often problematic in students' learning. Electromagnetism concepts are crosscutting concepts across science disciplines. Astandardized Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism, which is a 32-item multiple-choice test, was used to collect data from 117 first-year…

Two-stage collaborative testing is an assessment strategy that involves students initially writing a test individually and then immediately afterward writing the same (or similar) test again in groups. Current evidence shows that two-stage testing improves performance on multiple-choice tests as well as short-term retention of material, but little…

Multiple-choice (MC) exams are common in undergraduate general chemistry courses in the United States and are known for being difficult to construct. With their extensive use in the general chemistry classroom, it is important to ensure that these exams are valid measures of what chemistry students know and can do. One threat to MC exam validity…

Examinees' performances are assessed using a wide variety of different techniques. Multiple-choice (MC) tests are among the most frequently used ones. Nearly, all standardized achievement tests make use of MC test items and there is a variety of ways to score these tests. The study compares number right and liberal scoring (SAC) methods. Mixed…

We examined the effect of two methods of assessment--multiple-choice sentence-picture matching and an animated sentence-verification task--on typically developing children's understanding of relative clauses. A sample of children between the ages of 3 years 6 months and 4 years 11 months took part in the study (N = 103). Results indicated that (a)…

When conducting biological investigations, experts constantly integrate their conceptual and quantitative understanding of variation with the design and analysis of the investigation. This process is difficult for students, because curricula often treat these concepts as separate components. This study describes the effect of a curricular…

HOTS is one part of the skills that need to be developed in the 21st Century . This study aims to determine the characteristics of the Fundamental Physics Higher-order Thinking Skill (FundPhysHOTS) test for prospective physics teachers using Item Response Theory (IRT) analysis. This study uses a quantitative approach. 254 prospective physics…

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to study the use of FIS Response Analysis for Critical Thinking Assessment (FRACTA) method to assess critical thinking in STEM problem solving. The use of FIS (facts, ideas and solutions) chart as a tool to elicit student critical thinking responses and the method of scoring the responses are investigated. Method:…

This quasi-experimental study explored how different online exam types differentiate learners' academic achievement and perceived learning. The participants comprised 95 undergraduate students enrolled in an English course at a Turkish university in three groups, each taking a different type of quiz: with multiple-choice, open-ended, and mixed…

In this study we evaluated the stability of item parameters and student scores, using the pre-equated (pre-pandemic) parameters from Spring 2019 and post-equated (post-pandemic) parameters from Spring 2021 in two calibration and equating designs related to item parameter treatment: re-estimating all anchor parameters (Design 1) and holding the…

Many national science frameworks (e.g., Next Generation Science Standards) argue that developing mathematical modeling competencies is critical for students' deep understanding of science. However, science teachers may be unprepared to assess these competencies. We are addressing this need by developing virtual lab performance assessments that…

This study is an exploratory analysis of examinee behavior in a large-scale language proficiency test. Despite a number-right scoring system with no penalty for guessing, we found that 16% of examinees omitted at least one answer and that women were more likely than men to omit answers. Item-response theory analyses treating the omitted responses…

This paper describes an experience based on the use of an active method in which students of a basic physics course prepare multiple choice questions (MCQs) to prepare for exams in the subject. The objective of the research was to provide the students with a method that would enhance their desire to learn physics, and consequently lead to an…

Researchers frequently evaluate rater judgments in performance assessments for evidence of differential rater functioning (DRF), which occurs when rater severity is systematically related to construct-irrelevant student characteristics after controlling for student achievement levels. However, researchers have observed that methods for detecting…

The use of concurrent data elicitation procedures (e.g. think-alouds, eye-tracking, response time) to investigate learners' cognitive processing and processes is becoming more prominent in research designs as researchers seek to acquire a better understanding of how second language (L2) learners process L2 data (e.g. Martin et al., 2019; Rogers,…