Item Selection on The Moodle-Based Computerized Adaptive Test

In this industrial era, all areas of life have been entered. There are five central issues that support performance, namely numerical physical devices, production tools, programs, interfaces, and networks. The Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment (Moodle) in order to support Industrial technology has been equipped with adaptive test facilities. Adaptive Moodle can be used to organize a communicative and interactive test process because of the communication features (chat, messaging, or forum). In addition, Adaptive Moodle can be used to administer online tests. Adaptive tests are tests whose quiz presentations will adjust to the user’s abilities. The results of the research that has been carried out regarding the selection of items on the Moodle-based computerized adaptive test (CAT) were obtained: (1) The Moodle adaptive test worked successfully in accordance with the research objectives, (2) Based on user responses, the selection of items on the Moodle adaptive test items had worked well for the exam, (3) The Moodle adaptive test can run according to its function, namely adaptive to the user’s ability.

Music perception and speech intelligibility in noise performance by Italian-speaking cochlear implant users

Objective The goal of this study was to investigate the performance correlations between music perception and speech intelligibility in noise by Italian-speaking cochlear implant (CI) users. Materials and methods Twenty postlingually deafened adults with unilateral CIs (mean age 65 years, range 46–92 years) were tested with a music quality questionnaire using three passages of music from Classical Music, Jazz, and Soul. Speech recognition in noise was assessed using two newly developed adaptive tests in Italian: The Sentence Test with Adaptive Randomized Roving levels (STARR) and Matrix tests. Results Median quality ratings for Classical, Jazz and Soul music were 63%, 58% and 58%, respectively. Median SRTs for the STARR and Matrix tests were 14.3 dB and 7.6 dB, respectively. STARR performance was significantly correlated with Classical music ratings (rs = − 0.49, p = 0.029), whereas Matrix performance was significantly correlated with both Classical (rs = − 0.48, p = 0.031) and Jazz music ratings (rs = − 0.56, p = 0.011). Conclusion Speech with competitive noise and music are naturally present in everyday listening environments. Recent speech perception tests based on an adaptive paradigm and sentence materials in relation with music quality measures might be representative of everyday performance in CI users. The present data contribute to cross-language studies and suggest that improving music perception in CI users may yield everyday benefit in speech perception in noise and may hence enhance the quality of listening for CI users.

Using computerised adaptive tests to screen for perinatal depression in underserved women of colour

BackgroundCompared with traditional screening questionnaires, computerised adaptive tests for severity of depression (CAT-DI) and computerised adaptive diagnostic modules for depression (CAD-MDD) show improved precision in screening for major depressive disorder. CAT measures have been tailored to perinatal women but have not been studied in low-income women of colour despite high rates of perinatal depression (PND).ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine the concordance between CAT and traditional measures of depression in a sample of primarily low-income black and Latina women.MethodsIn total, 373 women (49% black; 29% Latina) completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), CAD-MDD and CAT-DI at 845 visits across pregnancy and postpartum. We examined the concordance between continuous CAT-DI and PHQ-9 scores and between binary measures of PND diagnosis on CAD-MDD and the PHQ-9 (cut-off score >10). We examined cases with a positive PND diagnosis on the CAD-MDD but not on the PHQ-9 (‘missed’ cases) to determine whether clinic notes were consistent with CAD-MDD results.FindingsCAT-DI and PHQ-9 scores were significantly associated (concordance correlation coefficient=0.67; 95% CI 0.58 to 0.74). CAD-MDD detected 5% more case of PND compared with PHQ-9 (p<0.001). The average per-visit rate of PND was 14.4% (14.5% in blacks, 14.9% in Latinas) on the CAD-MDD, and 9.5% (9.8% in blacks, 8.8% in Latinas) on the PHQ-9. Clinical notes were available on 60% of ‘missed’ cases and validated CAD-MDD PND diagnosis in 89% of cases.ConclusionsCAD-MDD detected 5% more cases of PND in women of colour compared with traditional tests, and the majority of these cases were verified by clinician notes.Clinical implicationsUse of CAT in routine clinic care may address health disparities in PND screening.

Brazilian Validation of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Group (QLG) Computerised Adaptive Tests (CAT) Core

Background: This study aimed to validate the Brazilian version of EORTC CAT Core and compare the Brazilian results with those from the original European EORTC CAT Core validation study. Methods: After validated translation, 168 cancer patients from Brazil receiving radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy was assessed. Translated EORTC CAT Core and all QLQ-C30 items were administered to patients using CHES (Computer-Based Health Evaluation System) before (T0) and after (T1) treatment initiation. The association between QLQ-C30 and CAT scores and ceiling/floor effects were estimated. Based on estimates of relative validity (cross-sectional, known-group differences and changes over time), relative sample-size requirements for CAT compared to QLQ-C30 were estimated. Results: Correlation coefficients between CAT and QLQ-C30 domains ranged from 0.63 to 0.93; except for dyspnoea, all coefficients were >0.82 (corresponding figures were 0.81–0.93 in the European study). On average across domains, floor/ceiling was reduced by 10% using CAT (9% in the European study) corresponding to a relative reduction of 32% (37% in the European study). Analyses of known-group validity and responsiveness indicated that, on average across domains, the sample-size requirements may be reduced by 17% using CAT rather than QLQ-C30, without loss of power (28% in the European study). The Brazilian sample had less symptom/quality of life impairment than the European sample, which likely explains the lower sample-size reduction using CAT when comparing with the European sample. Conclusions: The results in the Brazilian cohort were generally similar to those from the European sample and confirm the validity and usefulness of the EORTC CAT Core.

Online Computerized Adaptive Tests (CAT) of Children's Vocabulary Development in English and Mexican Spanish

Purpose: Measuring the growth of young children's vocabulary is important for researchers seeking to understand language learning as well as for clinicians aiming to identify early deficits. The MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (CDI) are parent-report instruments that offer a reliable and valid method for measuring early productive and receptive language across a number of languages. CDI forms typically include hundreds of words, however, and so the burden of completion is significant. We address this limitation by building on previous work using Item Response Theory (IRT) models to create Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) versions of the CDI. We created CDI-CATs for both comprehension and production, for both American English and Mexican Spanish.Method: Using a dataset of 7,633 English-speaking children ages 12-36 months and 1,692 Spanish-speaking children ages 12-30 months, across three CDI forms (Words &amp; Gestures, Words &amp; Sentences, and CDI-III), we found that a 2-parameter logistic IRT model fits well for a majority of the 680 pooled items. We conducted CAT simulations on this dataset, assessing simulated tests of varying length (25-400 items). Results: We found that even very short CATs recovered participant abilities very well with little bias across ages. An empirical validation study with N=204 children ages 15-36 months showed a correlation of r=0.92 between language ability estimated from full CDI vs. CDI-CAT forms. Conclusions: We provide our item bank along with fitted parameters and other details, offer recommendations for how to construct CDI-CATs in new languages, and suggest when this type of assessment may or may not be appropriate.

On the Performance of Semi- and Nonparametric Item Response Functions in Computer Adaptive Tests

Large-scale assessments often use a computer adaptive test (CAT) for selection of items and for scoring respondents. Such tests often assume a parametric form for the relationship between item responses and the underlying construct. Although semi- and nonparametric response functions could be used, there is scant research on their performance in a CAT. In this work, we compare parametric response functions versus those estimated using kernel smoothing and a logistic function of a monotonic polynomial. Monotonic polynomial items can be used with traditional CAT item selection algorithms that use analytical derivatives. We compared these approaches in CAT simulations with a variety of item selection algorithms. Our simulations also varied the features of the calibration and item pool: sample size, the presence of missing data, and the percentage of nonstandard items. In general, the results support the use of semi- and nonparametric item response functions in a CAT.