Course Sequence Recommendation with Course Difficulty Index Using Subset Sum Approximation Algorithms

Abstract Choice Based Course Selection (CBCS) allows students to select courses based on their preferred sequence. This preference in selection is normally bounded by constraints set by a university like pre-requisite(s), minimum and maximum number of credits registered per semester. Unplanned course sequence selection affects the performance of the students and may prolong the time to complete the degree. Course Difficulty Index (DI) also contributes to the decline in the performance of the students. To overcome these difficulties, we propose a new Subset Sum Approximation Problem (SSAP) aims to distribute courses to each semester with approximately equal difficulty level using Maximum Prerequisite Weightage (MPW) Algorithm, Difficulty Approximation (DA) algorithm and Adaptive Genetic Algorithm (AGA). The three algorithms have been tested using our university academic dataset and DA algorithm outperforms with 98% accuracy than the MPW and AGA algorithm during course distribution.

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Impact Measurement on Medical Faculty for Adhering to Appropriate Guidelines in Framing Effective Multiple-Choice Questions for Item Analysis

Journal of Medical Education ◽

10.5812/jme.103482 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Surajit Kundu ◽

Jaideo M Ughade ◽

Anil R Sherke ◽

Yogita Kanwar ◽

Samta Tiwari ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Item Analysis ◽

Multiple Choice ◽

Medical Faculty ◽

Discrimination Index ◽

Cognitive Domain ◽

Difficulty Level ◽

Multiple Choice Questions ◽

Impact Measurement ◽

Difficulty Index ◽

The Impact

Background: Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) are the most frequently accepted tool for the evaluation of comprehension, knowledge, and application among medical students. In single best response MCQs (items), a high order of cognition of students can be assessed. It is essential to develop valid and reliable MCQs, as flawed items will interfere with the unbiased assessment. The present paper gives an attempt to discuss the art of framing well-structured items taking kind help from the provided references. This article puts forth a practice for committed medical educators to uplift the skill of forming quality MCQs by enhanced Faculty Development programs (FDPs). Objectives: The objective of the study is also to test the quality of MCQs by item analysis. Methods: In this study, 100 MCQs of set I or set II were distributed to 200 MBBS students of Late Shri Lakhiram Agrawal Memorial Govt. Medical College Raigarh (CG) for item analysis for quality MCQs. Set I and Set II were MCQs which were formed by 60 medical faculty before and after FDP, respectively. All MCQs had a single stem with three wrong and one correct answers. The data were entered in Microsoft excel 2016 software to analyze. The difficulty index (Dif I), discrimination index (DI), and distractor efficiency (DE) were the item analysis parameters used to evaluate the impact on adhering to the guidelines for framing MCQs. Results: The mean calculated difficulty index, discrimination index, and distractor efficiency were 56.54%, 0.26, and 89.93%, respectively. Among 100 items, 14 items were of higher difficulty level (DIF I < 30%), 70 were of moderate category, and 16 items were of easy level (DIF I > 60%). A total of 10 items had very good DI (0.40), 32 had recommended values (0.30 - 0.39), and 25 were acceptable with changes (0.20 - 0.29). Of the 100 MCQs, there were 27 MCQs with DE of 66.66% and 11 MCQs with DE of 33.33%. Conclusions: In this study, higher cognitive-domain MCQs increased after training, recurrent-type MCQ decreased, and MCQ with item writing flaws reduced, therefore making our results much more statistically significant. We had nine MCQs that satisfied all the criteria of item analysis.

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Item and distracter analysis of multiple choice questions (MCQs) from a preliminary examination of undergraduate medical students

International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences ◽

10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20175453 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 (12) ◽

pp. 5351 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Durgesh Prasad Sahoo ◽

Rakesh Singh

Keyword(s):

Multiple Choice ◽

Discrimination Index ◽

Difficulty Level ◽

Validity And Reliability ◽

Multiple Choice Questions ◽

Undergraduate Medical Students ◽

Test Items ◽

Preliminary Examination ◽

High Discrimination ◽

Difficulty Index

Background: Multiple choice questions (MCQs) or Items forms an important part to assess students in different educational streams. It is an objective mode of assessment which requires both the validity and reliability depending on the characteristics of its items i.e. difficulty index, discrimination index and distracter efficiency. To evaluate MCQs or items and build a bank of high-quality test items by assessing with difficulty index, discrimination index and distracter efficiency and also to revise/store or remove errant items based on obtained results.Methods: A preliminary examination of Third MBBS Part-1 was conducted by Department of Community Medicine undertaken for 100 students. Two separate papers with total 30 MCQs or items and 90 distractors each in both papers were analyzed and compared. Descriptive as well as inferential statistics were used to analyze the data.Results: The findings show that most of the items were falling in acceptable range of difficulty level however some items were rejected due to poor discrimination index. Overall paper I was found to be more difficult and more discriminatory, but its distractor efficiency was slightly low as compared to paper II.Conclusions: The analysis helped us in selection of quality MCQs having high discrimination and average difficulty with three functional distractors. This should be incorporated into future evaluations to improve the test score and properly discriminate among the students.

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The Effect of Academic Load on Success for New College Students: Is Lighter Better?

NACADA Journal ◽

10.12930/0271-9517-22.2.26 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 26-38 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Robert F. Szafran

Keyword(s):

Academic Success ◽

Academic Ability ◽

Difficulty Level ◽

First Year ◽

Background Characteristics ◽

First Year Students ◽

College Credit ◽

Regional University ◽

Negative Effect ◽

Course Difficulty

Both students and advisors often assume that a lighter academic load during the first year of college will result in greater student success. This article examines that assumption. Academic load is measured in terms of credit load and course difficulty; success is measured in terms of GPA and retention. The experiences of a sample of first-year students at a comprehensive regional university are examined. While the credit loads for which students register are related to academic ability and prior academic success, the difficulty level of courses for which these students register is not. Variation in student credit loads is reduced because weaker students are required to take developmental courses but do not drop a corresponding number of college-credit courses. Contrary to common assumptions, students who register for more credits tend to earn higher GPAs and have greater retention even after controlling for academic ability, prior academic success, on-campus employment hours, and other background characteristics. Students who register for more difficult courses, however, tend to earn lower GPAs and experience lower retention. Any effect of credit load on retention appears to work through GPA. While much of the effect of course difficulty on retention also works through GPA, course difficulty does have a separate negative effect on 1-year retention. While the possibilities that weaker students might be more successful with lighter credit loads or that stronger students might be more successful with more difficult courses were investigated, no significant interactions between prior academic success, academic load, and success were found.

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Predictability of Discrimination Coefficient and Difficulty Index of Psychiatry Multiple-Choice Questions

Journal of Iranian Medical Council ◽

10.18502/jimc.v4i3.7219 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Shiva Soraya ◽

Amir Shabani ◽

Leila Kamalzadeh ◽

Fatemeh Kashaninasab ◽

Vahid Rashedi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Choice ◽

Significant Negative Correlation ◽

Faculty Members ◽

Difficulty Level ◽

Multiple Choice Questions ◽

Medical Sciences ◽

Psychiatry Department ◽

Multiple Choice Tests ◽

Discrimination Coefficient ◽

Difficulty Index

Background: Multiple-choice questions are among the most common written tests. This study aimed to evaluate the faculty members’ability to determine and predict the level of difficulty and discrimination coefficient of multiple-choice tests at Psychiatry Department. Methods: All faculty members at Psychiatry Department of Iran University of Medical Sciences participated in this study. The difficulty and discrimination coefficient of all questions (150 questions) of the mid-term exam of psychiatric residents were measured with both software program and formulas by hand. Then, from each group of questions with high, medium, and low difficulty coefficient, 10 questions (30 questions in total) were selected and provided to faculty members for ranking each question in terms of difficulty and discrimination coefficient. Finally, the correlation between faculty members’ evaluation and standard results was measured by the Spearman’s correlation. To calculate the discrimination coefficient, the number of people who answered a question correctly in the low-score group was subtracted from the high-score group and then the result was divided by the number of people in a group. Results: Twenty-five faculty members participated in this study. There was a significant negative correlation between difficulty level and discrimination coefficient in the whole group (r=-0.196, p=0.045), but this was not the case in the upper and lower groups (r=-0.063, p=0.733). In addition, the correlation between the discrimination coefficient obtained from the formula and the average discrimination coefficient of faculty members was not significant (r=-0.047, p=0.803). Conclusion: It seems that the ability of faculty members to predict the discrimination coefficient and difficulty level of questions is not sufficient.

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Summative Test Items Analysis Using Classical Test Theory (CTT)/ Analisis Item Kertas Peperiksaan Sumatif Menggunakan Teori Ujian Klasik (TUK)

Sains Humanika ◽

10.11113/sh.v12n2-2.1788 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (2-2) ◽

Author(s):

Nor Aisyah Saat

Keyword(s):

Item Difficulty ◽

Item Analysis ◽

Classical Test Theory ◽

Test Theory ◽

Difficulty Level ◽

Test Items ◽

Classical Test ◽

Difficulty Index ◽

The Given ◽

Examination Question

Item analysis is the process of examining student responses to test items individually in order to get clear picture on the quality of the item and the overall test. Teachers are encouraged to perform item analysis for each administered test in order to determine which items should be retained, modified, or discarded in the given test. This study aims to analyse items in 2 summative examination question papers by using classical test theory (CTT). The instruments used were the SPM Mathematics Trial Examination Questions 1 2019 which involved 50 students in form 5 students and the SPM Mathematics Trial Examination Question 1 2019 which involved 20 students. The SPM Mathematics Trial Examination Question paper 1 contains 40 objective questions while the SPM Mathematics Trial Examination paper 1 contains 25 subjective questions. The data obtained were analysed using Microsoft Excel software based on the formulas of item difficulty index and discrimination index. This analysis can help teachers for better understanding about the difficulty level of the items used. Finally, based on the analysis items obtained, the items were classified as good, good but improved, marginal or weak items.

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VALIDATION OF KPG INDEX “CLASSIFICATION METHOD TO PREDICT ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT DIFFICULTY LEVEL OF IMPACTED CANINES”

Pakistan Armed Forces Medical Journal ◽

10.51253/pafmj.v71i3.5961 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 71 (3) ◽

pp. 880-84

Author(s):

Ayesha Iftikhar ◽

Tayyaba Jehanzeb

Keyword(s):

Classification Method ◽

Difficulty Level ◽

Impacted Tooth ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Impacted Canines ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Impacted Canine ◽

Males And Females ◽

Difficulty Index ◽

The Right

Objective: To determine the position of impacted canine in 3 dimensions and estimate the difficulty of treatment using 3D “KPG index”, a new classification method. Study Design: Cross sectional analytical study. Place and Duration of Study: Orthodontic Department, Rehman College of Dentistry, Peshawar, from Aug to Oct 2020. Methodology: 3D cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans of 43 subjects with 47 impacted canines were obtained. Using KPG index, 6 measurements were taken for each impacted tooth in three planes. The scores were later summed up. Based on the cumulative scores, each impaction was classified into the difficulty categories of Easy (0–7), Moderate (8–14), Difficult (15–19), and Extremely Difficult (20+). Comparison of Gender and position of impacted canine with the KPG treatment difficulty index was also performed. Results: Impacted canines were found to be on the left and palatal side with a female predilection. Canines scored with KPG index were mostly in the moderate category. Highest percentage of the impacted canines were in Sector II, followed by sector III and IV. Comparing KPG treatment difficulty index of impacted maxillary canines found on the right and left sides (p=0.087), buccal or palatal (p=0.545), males and females (p=0.279), in-statistically significant difference was found. Conclusion: 3D imaging has allowed us to precisely locate the impacted canine in 3 sagittal, coronal and axial planes. Hence, KPG index dictated our anticipated difficulty of treatment.

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The Role of Enrollment Choice in Online Education: Course Selection Rationale and Course Difficulty as Factors Affecting Retention

Online Learning ◽

10.24059/olj.v18i3.391 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 18 (3) ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Claire Wladis ◽

Katherine Wladis, c/o Katherine Conway ◽

Alyse C. Hachey

Keyword(s):

Online Education ◽

Past Research ◽

Retention Rates ◽

Difficulty Level ◽

Risk Indicator ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Face To Face ◽

Online Persistence ◽

The Impact ◽

Course Difficulty

There is well-documented evidence that online retention rates are lower than face-to-face retention rates; however, most past research on online retention focuses on student characteristics, with little knowledge existing on the impact of course type. This study uses a matched sample of 2,330 students at a large urban community college to analyze two key course-level factors which may be impacting online retention: the student’s reason for taking the course (as an elective or a requirement) and course difficulty level. The results of this study indicate that the online modality increases dropout risk in courses that are taken as an elective or distributional requirement, particularly for lower-level courses. The findings suggest that in the online environment, the student’s reason for course enrollment may be considered a risk indicator and that focused learner support targeted at particular course types may be needed to increase online persistence and retention.

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Examining the relationships between medical students’ preferred online instructional strategies, course difficulty level, learning performance, and effectiveness

AJP Advances in Physiology Education ◽

10.1152/advan.00234.2020 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 45 (4) ◽

pp. 661-669

Author(s):

Xin Cheng ◽

Xin-Yue Ma ◽

Chaohua Luo ◽

Jian Chen ◽

Wei Wei ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Academic Performance ◽

Medical Students ◽

Instructional Strategies ◽

Learning Strategies ◽

Online Teaching ◽

Difficulty Level ◽

Perceived Effectiveness ◽

Self Directed Learning ◽

Directed Learning ◽

Course Difficulty

Students’ preferences and engagement with online educational resources and activities are crucial for academic success in the context of online medical education. This study investigated the preferences of Chinese medical students regarding the teaching strategies used by instructors and their relationship with course difficulty level, student’s academic performance, and perceived effectiveness. Survey data ( n = 375) were collected from the medical students from one of the largest medical schools in Southern China during the spring semester of 2020. First, exploratory factor analysis demonstrated that there were three latent factors behind online teaching strategies, including teacher-led instructional strategies, supervised and monitored learning strategies, and self-directed learning strategies. Instructional activities under teacher supervision and monitoring received the highest rating while teacher-led strategies received the lowest ratings. Second, the popularity of the three online instructional strategies we have identified was positively associated with students’ perceived effectiveness of online teaching and their self-reported academic performance. Third, analysis of the quantified answers to the open-ended question reported a positive association between the perceived difficulty level of the courses and students’ preference of teacher-led strategies. It also manifested a positive correlation between perceived effectiveness level of the online teaching and the use of self-directed learning strategies before their online lectures. Further implications of the findings are fully discussed.

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Do young children acquire the meaning of to know and to believe simultaneously or not?

International Journal of Behavioral Development ◽

10.1080/01650250244000065 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 27 (2) ◽

pp. 109-115 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Joël Bradmetz ◽

Claire Bonnefoy-Claudet

Keyword(s):

False Belief ◽

Modular System ◽

Difficulty Level ◽

Access To Information ◽

False Belief Task ◽

The Third ◽

Sources Of Variation ◽

The Difference ◽

Conceptual Meaning ◽

Equal Difficulty

The conceptual meaning and linguistic use of to know are usually considered to occur earlier than those of to believe. However, the data supporting this claim do not take into account some sources of variation: The difference in the assessment between comprehension and production and the link established between action and representation in standard tasks like that of Wimmer and Perner(1983). The authors counter this claim and attempt to demonstrate a developmental parallelism between the two epistemic operators to know and to believe. This parallelism would be due to the absence of a link between belief and action in a first phase, both developing in a modular system but linked to implicit or explicit access to information, contrary to the usual conception in the literature. Three experiments are reported. The first and the second showed an equal difficulty level between to know and to believe in comprehension in both a declarative and a procedural false belief task and, to the contrary, a lag between the comprehension of to believe and the prediction of a declaration or an action based on a false belief. The third demonstrated that earlier success in attributing a false belief to the other was not a false positive.

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Post exam item analysis: Implication for intervention

10.1101/510081 ◽

2019 ◽

Keyword(s):

Internal Consistency ◽

Item Analysis ◽

Internal Consistency Reliability ◽

Test Reliability ◽

Difficulty Level ◽

Discrimination Power ◽

Development Interventions ◽

Discrimination Coefficient ◽

Difficulty Index ◽

Future Test

AbstractPost exam item analysis enables teachers to reduce biases on student achievement assessments and improve their way of instruction. Difficulty indices, discrimination power and distracter efficiencies were commonly investigated in item analysis. This research was intended to investigate the difficulty and discrimination indices, distracters efficiency, whole test reliability and construct defects in summative test for freshman common course at Gondar CTE. In this study, 176 exam papers were analyzed in terms of difficulty index, point bi-serial correlation and distracter efficiencies. Internal consistency reliability and construct defects such as meaningless stems, punctuation errors and inconsistencies in option formats were also investigated. Results revealed that the summative test as a whole has moderate difficulty level (0.56 ± 0.20) and good distracter efficiency (85.71% ± 29%). However, the exam was poor in terms of discrimination power (0.16 ± 0.28) and internal consistency reliability (KR-20 = 0.58). Only one item has good discrimination power and one more item excellent in its discrimination. About 41.9% of the items were either too easy or too difficult. Inconsistency in option formats or inappropriate options, punctuation errors and meaningless stems were also observed. Thus, future test development interventions should give due emphasis on item reliability, discrimination coefficient and item construct defects.

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