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…

One of the issues that hinder the students' learning progress is the inability to construct an epistemological explanation of a scientific phenomenon. Four-tier multiple-choice (hereinafter, 4TMC) instrument and Partial-Credit Model were employed to elaborate on the diagnosis process of the aforementioned problem. This study was to develop and…

The test of understanding graphs in kinematics (TUG-K) has widely been used to assess students' understanding of this subject. The TUG-K poses different objectives to the test takers such as (1) the selection of a graph from a textual description, (2) the selection of corresponding graphs, and (3) the selection of a textual description from a…

Production of high-quality multiple-choice questions (MCQs) for both formative and summative assessments is a time-consuming task requiring great skill, creativity and insight. The transition to online examinations, with the concomitant exposure of previously tried-and-tested MCQs, exacerbates the challenges of question production and highlights…

Student Approaches to Learning (SAL) have been the focus of much research, typically linking different approaches, e.g., surface and deep, to different assessment types. However, much of the previous research has not considered the different conditions under which different types of assessment occur and the different types of feedback they…

This research aims at comparing item characteristics of instruments for assessing the level of mastery in scientific method for elementary students as they were analyzed using Classical Test Theory (CTT) and Item Response Theory (IRT). The two analyses are usually done separately, for difference object, in this moment it was analyzed…

This study explored the impact of homogeneity of answer choices on item difficulty and discrimination. Twenty-two matched pairs of elementary and secondary mathematics items were administered to randomly equivalent samples of students. Each item pair comparison was treated as a separate study with the set of effect sizes analyzed using…

In this study Type I Error and the power rates of omega (?) and GBT (generalized binomial test) indices were investigated for several nominal alpha levels and for 40 and 80-item test lengths with 10,000-examinee sample size under several test level restrictions. As a result, Type I error rates of both indices were found to be below the acceptable…

Purpose: Several studies can be found in the literature that investigate the performance of ? under various conditions. However no study for the effects of item difficulty, item discrimination, and ability restrictions on the performance of ? could be found. The current study aims to investigate the performance of ? for the conditions given below.…

Measurement specialists strive to shorten assessment time without compromising precision of scores. Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) has rapidly gained ground over the past decades to fulfill this goal. However, parameters for implementation of CATs need to be explored in simulations before implementation so that it can be determined whether…

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,…