On the Impact of the Response Options’ Position on Item Difficulty in Multiple-Choice-Items

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Bettina Hagenmüller
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Item Difficulty ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
Test Construction ◽  
Test Model ◽  
Group Setting ◽  
Response Options ◽  
Large Scale Assessment ◽  
Multiple Choice Item ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The multiple-choice item format is widely used in test construction and Large-Scale Assessment. So far, there has been little research on the impact of the position of the solution among the response options and the few existing results are even inconsistent. Since it would be an easy way to create parallel items for group setting by altering the response options, the influence of the response options’ position on item difficulty should be examined. The Linear Logistic Test Model ( Fischer, 1972 ) was used to analyze the data of 829 students aged 8–20 years, who worked on general knowledge items. It was found that the position of the solution among the response options has an influence on item difficulty. Items are easiest when the solution is in first place and more difficult when the solution is placed in a middle position or at the end of the set of response options.

scholarly journals V2Karst V1.0: A parsimonious large-scale integrated vegetation-recharge model to simulate the impact of climate and land cover change in karst regions

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fanny Sarrazin ◽  
Andreas Hartmann ◽  
Francesca Pianosi ◽  
Thorsten Wagener
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Groundwater Recharge ◽  
Land Cover Change ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Synthetic Data ◽  
Temporal Distribution ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Large Scale Assessment ◽  
Karst Areas ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Karst aquifers are an important source of drinking water in many regions of the world. Karst areas are highly permeable and produce large amounts of groundwater recharge, while surface runoff is typically negligible. As a result, recharge in these systems may have a different sensitivity to climate and land cover changes compared to other less permeable systems. However, little effort has been directed toward assessing the impact of climate and land cover change in karst areas at large-scales. In this study, we address this gap by (1) introducing the first large-scale hydrological model including an explicit representation of both karst and land cover properties, and by (2) analysing the model's recharge production behaviour. To achieve these points, we first improve the evapotranspiration estimation of a previous large-scale karst recharge model (VarKarst). The new model (V2Karst V1.0) includes a parsimonious representation of relevant ET processes for climate and land cover change impact studies. We demonstrate the plausibility of V2Karst simulations at carbonate rock FLUXNET sites using soft rules and global sensitivity analysis. Then, we use virtual experiments with synthetic data to assess the sensitivity of simulated recharge to precipitation characteristics and land cover. Results reveal how both vegetation and soil parameters control the model behaviour, and they suggest that simulated recharge is sensitive to both precipitation (overall amount and temporal distribution) and land cover. Large-scale assessment of future karst groundwater recharge should therefore consider the combined impact of changes in land cover and precipitation properties, if it is to produce realistic projections of future change impacts.

scholarly journals Principals as Assessment Leaders in Rural Schools

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Renihan ◽  
Brian Noonan
Keyword(s):  
Rural Schools ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
School Level ◽  
System Level ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Professional Interaction ◽  
Large Scale Assessment ◽  
Small Rural Schools ◽  
Professional Contexts ◽  
The Impact

This article reports a study of rural school principals’ assessment leadership roles and the impact of rural context on their work. The study involved three focus groups of principals serving small rural schools of varied size and grade configuration in three systems. Principals viewed assessment as a matter of teacher accountability and as a focus for the school professional team. They saw themselves as teachers first, stressing their importance as sources of teacher support, serving a ‘buffer role,’ ameliorating external constraints to effective assessment and learning. Bureaucratic environments and trappings of large-scale assessment were seen to be incompatible with the familial nature of rural professional contexts. Other constraints were the logistical challenges of small student populations, higher instances of multi-graded classrooms, and the absence of grade-alike professional interaction. Conversely, smallness enabled professional interaction and transformational leadership. Finally, the quality of system-level support emerged as a critical catalyst for assessment leadership at the school level.  

scholarly journals Teaching with the Test: Experimental Evidence on Diagnostic Feedback and Capacity Building for Public Schools in Argentina

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael de Hoyos ◽  
Alejandro J Ganimian ◽  
Peter A Holland
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Capacity Building ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Feedback Group ◽  
Large Scale Assessment ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Diagnostic Feedback ◽  
Assessment Results

Abstract This article examines the impact of two strategies for using large-scale assessment results to improve school management and classroom instruction in the province of La Rioja, Argentina. In the study, 104 public primary schools were randomly assigned to three groups: a diagnostic-feedback group, in which standardized tests were administered at baseline and two follow-ups and results were made available to schools; a capacity-building group, in which workshops and school visits were conducted; and a control group, in which tests were administered at the second follow-up. After two years, diagnostic-feedback schools outperformed control schools by 0.33 standard deviations (σ) in mathematics and 0.36σ in reading. In fact, feedback schools still performed 0.26σ better in math and 0.22σ better in reading in the national assessment a year after the end of the intervention. Additionally, principals at feedback schools were more likely to use assessment results in making management decisions, and students were more likely to report that their teachers used more instructional strategies and to rate their teachers more favorably. Combining feedback with capacity building does not seem to yield additional improvements, but this could be due to schools assigned to receive both components starting from lower learning levels and participating in fewer workshops and visits than expected.

Teacher Decision Making in Participation of Students with Disabilities in Large-Scale Assessment

2001 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lizanne Destefano ◽  
James G. Shriner ◽  
Claire A. Lloyd
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
High Confidence ◽  
Large Scale Assessment ◽  
Teacher Decision Making ◽  
Scale Assessment ◽  
Instructional Needs ◽  
Teacher's Knowledge ◽  
The Impact

This article reports on the findings of a study to test the effectiveness of an intervention with teachers and administrators to improve decision making regarding participation and accommodation for students with disabilities in large-scale assessments. Using a pretest/posttest, multiple measures design involving more than 80 teachers, the study assessed the impact of training on teacher's knowledge and confidence about participation and accommodation, accommodation decisions for hypothetical students, and actual accommodation decisions the following year. Results indicate that after training, there was a stronger relationship among participation/accommodation, curriculum, and instructional needs. Teachers expressed high confidence in their ability to make accommodation decisions after training.

scholarly journals An Alternative Vision for Large-scale Assessment in Canada

2006 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Louis Volante
Keyword(s):  
Student Achievement ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Achievement Testing ◽  
Large Scale Assessment ◽  
Scale Assessment ◽  
Alternative Vision ◽  
Large Scale Testing ◽  
International Testing ◽  
The Impact

Concern over the quality of education has prompted virtually every Canadian province and territory to develop large-scale assessment programs to measure student achievement. The approach of individual provinces and territories varies according to the grades tested, sample size, test format, and frequency of administration. Many provinces also participate in national and international testing programs. This paper provides a general overview of the various large-scale assessment programs across Canada and outlines central arguments for and against student achievement testing. Research documenting the impact of large-scale testing on students and teachers is also reported. The discussion proposes an alternative vision for large-scale assessment aimed at supporting teachers’ instructional practices and student learning. A set of key considerations within this vision serve as a basis for assessment policy reform.

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