An operant conditioning discrimination paradigm was evaluated of relationships between response behavior of young children and two stimulus components of the paradigm, the discriminative stimulus and the reinforcing stimulus. Findings revealed the effects of schedules of reinforcement, novel reinforcement, and age. (Author/CL)

In this study a cumulative-sum (CUSUM) procedure from the theory of Statistical Process Control was modified and applied in the context of person-fit analysis in a computerized adaptive testing (CAT) environment. Six person-fit statistics were proposed using the CUSUM procedure, and three of them could be used to investigate the CAT in online test…

This book provides a general overview of computer based testing (CBT) and aims at an audience of practitioners and graduate students. The book discusses all aspects of BT without going into psychometric detail. This nontechnical and basic book is recommended as a textbook for students or new researchers. (SLD)

Considers the potential of computer adaptive testing (CAT). Discusses the use of CAT instead of traditional paper and pencil tests, identifies decisions that impact the efficacy of CAT, and concludes that CAT is beneficial when used to its full potential on certain types of tests. (LRW)

Compares four methods that map outlier statistics to a familiarity probability scale (a "P" value). Explored these methods in the context of computerized adaptive test data from a 1995 nationally administered computerized examination for professionals in the medical industry. (SLD)

Proposed person-fit statistics that are designed for use in a computerized adaptive test (CAT) and derived critical values for these statistics using cumulative sum (CUSUM) procedures so that item-score patterns can be classified as fitting or misfitting. Compared nominal Type I errors with empirical Type I errors through simulation studies. (SLD)

Examined the use of the generalized graded unfolding model (GGUM) in computerized adaptive testing, using simulation and attempting to minimize the number of items required to produce equiprecise estimates of person locations. Results suggest that adaptive testing with the GGUM is a good method for achieving estimates with an approximately uniform…

In test assembly, a fundamental difference exists between algorithms that select a test sequentially or simultaneously. Sequential assembly allows us to optimize an objective function at the examinee's ability estimate, such as the test information function in computerized adaptive testing. But it leads to the non-trivial problem of how to realize…

Educators are becoming more aware of the limitations of testing that simply measures student achievement at a single point in time, such as benchmark tests, locally constructed formative tests, conventional standardized tests, and state assessments used to determine adequate yearly progress under No Child Left Behind. Not surprisingly, school…

A potential undesirable effect of multistage testing is differential speededness, which happens if some of the test takers run out of time because they receive subtests with items that are more time intensive than others. This article shows how a probabilistic response-time model can be used for estimating differences in time intensities and speed…

Two IRT-based procedures to estimate test reliability for a certification exam that used both adaptive (via a MST model) and non-adaptive design were considered in this study. Both procedures rely on calibrated item parameters to estimate error variance. In terms of score variance, one procedure (Method 1) uses the empirical ability distribution…

In Spring 2006,. the NAEP Validity Studies (NVS) Panel was asked by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to undertake a validity study to examine the quality of the NAEP Mathematics Assessments at grades 4 and 8. Specifically, NCES asked the NVS Panel to address five questions: (1) Does the NAEP framework offer reasonable content…

Person-fit research in the context of paper-and-pencil tests is reviewed, and some specific problems regarding person fit in the context of computerized adaptive testing (CAT) are discussed. Some new methods are proposed to investigate person fit in a CAT environment. These statistics are based on Statistical Process Control (SPC) theory. A…

The purpose of this study was to investigate and to quantify the tolerable error in item parameter estimates for different sets of items used in computer-based testing. The study examined items that were administered repeatedly to different examinee samples over time, examining items that were administered linearly in a fixed order each time they…