This study was conducted to further research into the impact of student-group item parameter drift (SIPD) --referred to as subpopulation item parameter drift in previous research-- on ability estimates and proficiency classification accuracy when occurring in the discrimination parameter of a 2-PL item response theory (IRT) model. Using Monte…

Completion of a college degree has been highlighted as a prerequisite for opportunity (Obama White House Archives, February 24, 2009); necessary for a strong economy (Koropeckyj, et al., 2017). Yet, the rate of completion in the United States remains lower than desired, directing focus toward efforts to promote student success and degree…

Critical race studies in international higher education remains on the margins. More so are analyses of Black subjects (nations, institutions, people, etc.) and/or knowledge traditions. In particular, there remains a dearth of research centering Black subjects as not only the unit of analysis, but also agents in the internationalization of higher…

Using Jackson and Mazzei's thinking with theory, this paper centers the stories of three researchers who practiced critical self-reflection while engaging in secondary analysis of data from The Pedagogy of Student Success Project, a study intended to learn about graduate students' evolving conceptualizations of student success. In particular, the…

Service-immersion programs are prevalent at many universities, often housed in ministry, mission, or service-learning departments. These experiences vary from domestic to international exploration, often lasting five to twelve days. Unlike study abroad programs that usually last a semester, service immersion "trips" are shorter and often…

We note two possibilities for how our science might capitalize on advances in computing that harness and weave "big data" into the rich tapestry of how human development unfolds. First, we propose that the classic theoretical models that have guided developmental research since the 1970s and the hierarchical analytical models used to…

Holistic assessment is an evaluative approach in which assessors work backwards from an overall appraisal of work to determine the criteria relevant to individual student responses. One of the strongest proponents of this approach in higher education is Royce Sadler, whose theoretical contributions over recent decades provide a strong conceptual…

The article focuses on infrastructures as heterogeneous assemblages. Our claim is that to examine something as elusive as data infrastructure calls for an epistemological and methodological approach consistent with the fluid ontology of the object of study. Moreover, we assert that there is no position of exteriority from which to critique data…

This article introduces formation as an organizing model for lifelong learning and places existing lifelong learning theory into this larger context. Further, in order to demonstrate how this framework might be applied, we suggest a lifelong learning agenda based on formation, which includes intentionality, meta-learning skills, and…

The patterns of ecological devastation that mark the present unexpectedly enable an ancient and many-storied question to resurface with renewed force: the question of the arts of living--that is, of learning how to live and die well with others on a precarious Earth. Modernity has all but forgotten this question, which has long been buried under…

Proper institutional planning requires accurate enrollment forecasts. This is especially true in the community college context given open enrollment policies and reliance on public funds. Despite the importance of this task, enrollment forecasts are relatively disconnected from theoretical advances in the study of retention and enrollment. In this…

This essay focuses on the affective dimension of epistemic injustice -- specifically, the affective harms and burdens of epistemic injustice on individuals and groups -- and examines how pedagogy may help disrupt the "affective injustice" that epistemic injustice entails. This theorization facilitates the ability to recognize that…

This paper, while conceptual in nature, is informed by both research and practice. Exploring the "engagement interface" as the site for student engagement (SE), we offer a conceptual contribution in engaging with the Kahu and Nelson (2018) model by bringing in a fuller understanding of SE grounded in the higher education context rather…

In this digital ITEMS module, Dr. Stella Kim provides an overview of multidimensional item response theory (MIRT) equating. Traditional unidimensional item response theory (IRT) equating methods impose the sometimes untenable restriction on data that only a single ability is assessed. This module discusses potential sources of multidimensionality…

UMass Boston leadership has publicly committed to becoming an antiracist and health-promoting university, and the institutional values and commitments are also intricately tied to an academic freedom that wholly defends the right to teach about race, gender and other equity issues. Currently, more than 30 states have enacted bans or have bans…