Comparative Judgement for Linking Two Existing Scales

This article describes an efficient way of using comparative judgement to calibrate scores from different educational assessments against one another (a task often referred to as test linking or equating). The context is distinct from other applications of comparative judgement as there is no need to create a new achievement scale using a Bradley-Terry model (or similar). The proposed method takes advantage of this fact to include evidence from the largest possible number of examples of students’ performances on the separate assessments whilst keeping the amount of time required from expert judges as low as possible. The paper describes the method and shows, via simulation, how it achieves greater accuracy than alternative approaches to the use of comparative judgement for test equating or linking.

Accuracy of performance-test linking based on a many-facet Rasch model

Performance assessments, in which human raters assess examinee performance in practical tasks, have attracted much attention in various assessment contexts involving measurement of higher-order abilities. However, difficulty persists in that ability measurement accuracy strongly depends on rater and task characteristics such as rater severity and task difficulty. To resolve this problem, various item response theory (IRT) models incorporating rater and task parameters, including many-facet Rasch models (MFRMs), have been proposed. When applying such IRT models to datasets comprising results of multiple performance tests administered to different examinees, test linking is needed to unify the scale for model parameters estimated from individual test results. In test linking, test administrators generally need to design multiple tests such that raters and tasks partially overlap. The accuracy of linking under this design is highly reliant on the numbers of common raters and tasks. However, the numbers of common raters and tasks required to ensure high accuracy in test linking remain unclear, making it difficult to determine appropriate test designs. We therefore empirically evaluate the accuracy of IRT-based performance-test linking under common rater and task designs. Concretely, we conduct evaluations through simulation experiments that examine linking accuracy based on a MFRM while changing numbers of common raters and tasks with various factors that possibly affect linking accuracy.

Folder autoavaliativo para o empoderamento do enfermeiro na prática pedagógica

Objetivo: relatar sobre as etapas de confecção de um folder autoavaliativo como proposta de empoderamento do enfermeiro na prática pedagógica. Método: trata-se de estudo descritivo, tipo relato de experiência, sobre a elaboração de um produto no mestrado profissional utilizando-se, como referencial teórico metodológico, a Análise Institucional. Resultados: mostra-se, como produto, um folder composto de vinte questões, abordando temas sobre educação, formação e capacitação, elaborado com a finalidade de levar o enfermeiro preceptor a realizar reflexões sobre seu o papel como educador nos serviços de saúde. Conclusão: considera-se que o sucesso do folder está vinculado à sua aceitabilidade junto aos enfermeiros preceptores que se disponibilizarem a realizar o teste vinculando as respostas dos questionamentos às ações que desenvolvem no cotidiano. Suas ações são, em grande parte, educativas e pretende-se que os enfermeiros se sintam empoderados no desenvolvimento da prática pedagógica. Descritores: Enfermeiros; Preceptoria; Educação em Enfermagem; Educação em Saúde; Ensino; Educação.AbstractObjective: to report on the stages of making a self-assessment folder as a proposal for empowering nurses in pedagogical practice. Method: it is a descriptive study, type of experience report, about the elaboration of a product in the professional master's degree using, as a theoretical methodological reference, Institutional Analysis. Results: it shows, as a product, a folder composed of twenty questions, addressing themes on education, training and qualification, elaborated with the purpose of taking the nurse preceptor to reflect on his role as an educator in health services. Conclusion: it is considered that the success of the folder is linked to its acceptability with the nurse preceptors who are available to carry out the test, linking the answers of the questions to the actions they develop in daily life. Their actions are largely educational and it is intended that nurses feel empowered in the development of pedagogical practice. Descriptors: Nurses; Preceptorship; Education, Nursing; Health Education; Teaching; Education.ResumenObjetivo: informar sobre las etapas de confección de un folleto de autoevaluación como una propuesta para empoderar a los enfermeros en la práctica pedagógica. Método: es un estudio descriptivo, tipo de informe de experiencia, sobre la elaboración de un producto en el máster profesional utilizando, como referencia metodológica teórica, el Análisis Institucional. Resultados: se muestra, como producto, un folleto compuesto por veinte preguntas, que abordan temas de educación, capacitación y calificación, elaborada con el propósito de llevar al preceptor de enfermería a reflexionar sobre su papel como educador en los servicios de salud. Conclusión: se considera que el éxito del folleto está vinculado a su aceptabilidad con los preceptores de enfermería que están disponibles para realizar la prueba, vinculando las respuestas de las preguntas con las acciones que desarrollan en la vida diaria. Sus acciones son en gran parte educativas y se pretende que los enfermeros se sientan empoderados en el desarrollo de la práctica pedagógica. Descriptores: Enfermeros; Preceptoría; Educación en Enfermería; Educación en Salud; Enseñanza; Educación.

Borehole-based study of CO2-rich air transport in the vadose zone of a Mediterranean karst system (Malaga, southern Spain)

<p>The characterization of CO<sub>2 </sub>transport, and other C compounds (CH<sub>4</sub>, DIC, organic matter, etc.), in the vadose zone of a karst aquifer is key in order to quantify sources and sinks of carbon. In karst environments, most of the studies are focused on the dynamics of CO<sub>2</sub> in caves, but only a few studies are related to field measurements of the CO<sub>2</sub> content in boreholes, which provides direct insights about the vadose zone. Located at the east of the Nerja Cave (Malaga, Andalusia), one of the most important tourist caves in Spain, the vadose zone was accessed by 9 boreholes drilled into the vadose zone of a Triassic carbonate aquifer, with depths ranging between 15 and 30 m. The karst network in the study area is characterized by a great vertical heterogeneity, with significant cavities and voids at specific intervals. Groundwater levels at different altitudes are a consequence of this heterogeneity. Similarly, CO<sub>2</sub> distribution and transport are clearly determined by the complex karst network.</p><p>Our study aims to identify significant horizontal gradients of CO<sub>2</sub> in the karst vadose air, both spatial and temporally. We present monthly measurements of CO<sub>2</sub> concentration, relative humidity, air temperature and <sup>222</sup>Rn inside boreholes. In addition, we present CO<sub>2</sub> results from an 18 hours-atmospheric air injection test. Linking them to the geophysical knowledge of voids in the study area, the results allow us to identify lateral fluxes of CO<sub>2</sub>-rich air in the vadose zone and how these fluxes are favoured by the incidence of the main karst discontinuity orientations. We observe different ventilation patterns:  in spring the vadose air seems to be stored in specific orientations, while in summer there is a lower convective ventilation. The results contribute to explain the temporal variations of the chemical composition of recharge water in karst systems, as well as to support studies on the global carbon budget.</p>

A Macroeconomic Framework for Quantifying Systemic Risk

Systemic risk arises when shocks lead to states where a disruption in financial intermediation adversely affects the economy and feeds back into further disrupting financial intermediation. We present a macroeconomic model with a financial intermediary sector subject to an equity capital constraint. The novel aspect of our analysis is that the model produces a stochastic steady state distribution for the economy, in which only some of the states correspond to systemic risk states. The model allows us to examine the transition from “normal” states to systemic risk states. We calibrate our model and use it to match the systemic risk apparent during the 2007/2008 financial crisis. We also use the model to compute the conditional probabilities of arriving at a systemic risk state, such as 2007/2008. Finally, we show how the model can be used to conduct a macroeconomic “stress test” linking a stress scenario to the probability of systemic risk states. (JEL E13, E44, E52, G01, G21, G28)