An International Comparative Study of Students' Scientific Explanation Based on Cognitive Diagnostic Assessment

Scientific explanation is one of the most core concepts in science education, and its mastery level is crucial for a deep understanding of the nature of science. As a new generation of assessment theory, cognitive diagnostic assessment (CDA) can get the knowledge of students' mastery of fine-grained knowledge. Based on the extant research, this research has formed eight attributes of scientific explanation concepts. By coding the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) test items, a CAD tool was formed. Data collected from 574 Grade 4 students in Hangzhou, China, combined with the data of the United States, Singapore, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Russia, were used in our study. The Deterministic Inputs, Noisy “And” gate (DINA) model was used to analyze the results from three aspects: the probability of mastery of attributes, the international comparison of knowledge states, and the analysis of learning paths. This study provided a new perspective from a CDA approach on the assessment of scientific explanation.

Validating a Reading Assessment Within the Cognitive Diagnostic Assessment Framework: Q-Matrix Construction and Model Comparisons for Different Primary Grades

Cognitive diagnostic assessment (CDA) has been developed rapidly to provide fine-grained diagnostic feedback on students’ subskills and to provide insights on remedial instructions in specific domains. To date, most cognitive diagnostic studies on reading tests have focused on retrofitting a single booklet from a large-scale assessment (e.g., PISA and PIRLS). Critical issues in CDA involve the scarcity of research to develop diagnostic tests and the lack of reliability and validity evidence. This study explored the development and validation of the Diagnostic Chinese Reading Comprehension Assessment (DCRCA) for primary students under the CDA framework. Reading attributes were synthesized based on a literature review, the national curriculum criteria, the results of expert panel judgments, and student think-aloud protocols. Then, the tentative attributes were used to construct three booklets of reading comprehension items for 2–6 graders at three key stages. The assessment was administered to a large population of students (N = 21,466) in grades 2–6 from 20 schools in a district of Changchun City, China. Q-matrices were compared and refined using the model-data fit and an empirical validation procedure, and five representative cognitive diagnostic models (CDMs) were compared for optimal performance. The fit indices suggested that a six-attribute structure and the G-DINA model were best fitted for the reading comprehension assessment. In addition, diagnostic reliability, construct, internal and external validity results were provided, supporting CDM classifications as reliable, accurate, and useful. Such diagnostic information could be utilized by students, teachers, and administrators of reading programs and instructions.

On the usefulness of CDA-based score reporting: implications for self-regulated learning

In cognitive diagnostic modeling research, one area that has not had enough research interests is remedial learning or instruction based on the information provided by cognitive diagnostic assessment (CDA). The present study tries to address this research gap by looking into the usefulness of the fine-grained score reports based on CDA in two different ways, i.e., a post-test and a survey inquiring about the perceived effectiveness of the score report that provided the skill profile of individual students. Another significance of the current research is that it attempted to introduce cognitive diagnostic assessment into a regular school exam unlike most previous studies that retrofitted to the existing tests. College students in Korea participated in the study, who were encouraged to do self-regulated learning utilizing the detailed information in the CDA-based score report. The results of the post-test and the survey were positive overall, supporting the utility of CDA-generated performance reports. The article ends with some suggestions for future research based on the limitations of the study.

A Systematic Review of Cognitive Diagnostic Assessment and Modeling through Concept Mapping

Traditional assessments are typically constructed on logical taxonomies and content specifications but lack explicit cognitive models of the processes and problem-solving strategies that underlie student performance. Cognitive Diagnostic Assessment (CDA) fills this gap by combining cognitive science and psychometrics. CDA is in its infancy, but over 1,000 relevant studies have been conducted in this area during the last 20 years. Facing these complicated studies, many beginners struggle to understand the whole picture of CDA. This paper systematically reviews the literature on CDA and relevant cognitive diagnosis models (CDMs) with the application of a concept mapping technology. Concept mapping is graphical representation of concepts and their relationships. Its use in this study allows researchers and students to gain in-depth knowledge about CDA and CDM and identify areas of future research.

Developing individualized feedback for listening assessment: Combining standard setting and cognitive diagnostic assessment approaches

In this study, we present the development of individualized feedback for a large-scale listening assessment by combining standard setting and cognitive diagnostic assessment (CDA) approaches. We used the performance data from 3358 students’ item-level responses to a field test of a national EFL test primarily intended for tertiary-level EFL learners. The results showed that proficiency classifications and subskill mastery classifications were generally of acceptable reliability, and the two kinds of classifications were in alignment with each other at individual and group levels. The outcome of the study is a set of descriptors that describe each test taker’s ability to understand certain level of oral texts and his or her cognitive performance. The current study, by illustrating the feasibility of combining standard setting and CDA approaches to produce individualized feedback, contributes to the enhancement of score reporting and addresses the long-standing criticism that large-scale language assessments fail to provide individualized feedback to link assessment with instruction.