Development of Pictorial-based Two-Tier Multiple Choice Misconception Diagnostic Test on Buffer Solutions

This research aims to develop a Pictorial-based Two-Tier Multiple Choice Misconception Diagnostic Test on Buffer Solutions. This research uses the Development and Validation method. The development steps in this method consist of test development (design); validity and reliability test; development of determination key; use of tests, and analysis of results. Based on the content validity test using the Content Validity Ratio (CVR) method, there are 24 items meet the content validity criteria. Based on the reliability test obtained Cronbach's Alpha value of 0.827 which indicates that the developed test is included in the acceptable category. It can identify high school students' misconceptions about the buffer solutions because the presence of pictures can help students understand the problems about the buffer solutions, and can provide an overview of their mental representations so that misconceptions are revealed more deeply.

Discussion of Validation Issues in Signed and Spoken Assessments for Adult L2 Learners

The use of argument-based validity as a framework for discussion of validity issues in spoken and signed second language (L2) assessment reveals many areas of commonality. Common areas include the role of systematic test development practices in the validity argument, the complexity of rating issues, the need to define and assess a construct of functional communication of meaning, and the centrality of test use in the validity argument. Examining these areas of commonality in this chapter reveals the fundamental similarities in the basic validity issues faced in spoken and signed language assessment. This chapter is a joint discussion of key items related to validation issues related to signed and spoken language assessment that were discussed in Chapters 8.1 and 8.2.

Student needs for developing light waves test based on three-dimensional learning frameworks

Abstrak The Framework for K-12 Science Education and NGSS: For States, By States represent a substantial change in science learning standards in the form of a three-dimensional learning framework as the latest science learning standard. The purpose of this study was to analyze the need for a test development based on a three-dimensional learning framework on the topic of light waves in high school. The research subjects were 140 respondents consisting of 20 teachers and 120 students in the high school of Purwakarta area. The research used a 3DLQP questionnaire as an instrument, which accumulates respondent characteristics, prior knowledge of three-dimensional learning, tests used in school, and criticism and suggestions. Data collection was carried out using interviews, questionnaires, national curriculum documents, and NGSS documents. Data analysis utilized the triangulation of data sources. The study results were to elaborate student needs for developing tests and assessment rubrics from the teacher and student perceptions. This research also produces characteristics of test development that are adapted to the national curriculum.

Global Information for Multidimensional Tests

New measures of test information, termed global information, quantify test information relative to the entire range of the trait being assessed. Estimating global information relative to a non-informative prior distribution results in a measure of how much information could be gained by administering the test to an unspecified examinee. Currently, such measures have been developed only for unidimensional tests. This study introduces measures of multidimensional global test information and validates them in simulated data. Then, the utility of global test information is tested in neuropsychological data collected as part of Rush University’s Memory and Aging Project. These measures allow for direct comparison of complex tests calibrated in different samples, facilitating test development and selection.

Detection of Differential Item Functioning Using Mantel-Haenszel, Standardization Proportion and BILOG-MG Procedures

Differential item functioning (DIF) is a procedure to identify whether an item favours a particular group of respondents once they are matched on respective ability levels. There are numerous procedures reported in the literature to detect DIF, but the Mantel-Haenszel (MH), Standardized Proportion Difference (SPD), and BILOG-MG are frequently used to ensure the fairness of assessments. The aim of the present study was to compare procedural characteristics using empirical data. We found Mantel-Haenszel and standardized proportion difference provide comparable results while BILOG-MG has flagged a large number of items, but the magnitude of DIF was trivial from a test development perspective. The results also showed Mantel-Haenszel and standardized proportion difference index provide the effect size measure of DIF, which facilitates for further necessary actions, especially for item writers and practitioners.

Multi-objective prioritisation of candidate epitopes for diagnostic test development

BackgroundThe development of peptide-based diagnostic tests requires the identification of epitopes that are at the same time highly immunogenic and, ideally, unique to the pathogen of interest, to minimise the chances of cross-reactivity. Existing computational pipelines for the prediction of linear B-cell epitopes tend to focus exclusively on the first objective, leaving considerations of cross-reactivity to later stages of test development.ResultsWe present a multi-objective approach to the prioritisation of candidate epitopes for experimental validation, in the context of diagnostic test development. The dual objectives of uniqueness (measured as dissimilarity from known epitope sequences from other pathogens) and predicted immunogenicity (measured as the probability score returned by the prediction model) are considered simultaneously. Validation was performed using data from three distinct pathogens (namely the nematode Onchocerca volvulus, the Epstein-Barr Virus and the Hepatitis C Virus), with predictions derived using an organism-specific prediction approach. The multi-objective rankings returned sets of non-dominated solutions as potential targets for the development of diagnostic tests with lower probability of false positives due to cross-reactivity.ConclusionsThe application of the proposed approach to three test pathogens led to the identification of 20 new potential epitopes, with both high probability and a high degree of exclusivity to the target organisms. The results indicate the potential of the proposed approach to provide enhanced filtering and ranking of potential candidates, highlighting potential cross-reactivities and including this information into the test development process right from the target identification and prioritisation step.