Specific Preschool Executive Functions Predict Unique Aspects of Mathematics Development: A 3-Year Longitudinal Study

This study assessed the extent to which executive functions (EF), according to their factor structure in 5-year-olds (N = 244), influenced early quantity–number competencies, arithmetic fluency, and mathematics school achievement throughout first and second grades. A confirmatory factor analysis resulted in updating as a first, and inhibition and shifting as a combined second factor. In the structural equation model, updating significantly affected knowledge of the number word sequence, suggesting a facilitatory effect on basic encoding processes in numerical materials that can be learnt purely by rote. Shifting and inhibition significantly influenced quantity to number word linkages, indicating that these processes promote developing a profound understanding of numbers. These results show the supportive role of specific EF for specific aspects of a numerical foundation.     

Diagnostic online assessment of basic IT skills in 1st-year undergraduates in the Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford

Attitude, experience and competence (broadly covered by the European Computer Driving Licence syllabus) in information technology (IT) were assessed in 846 1st-year Medical Sciences Division undergraduates (2003–06) at the start of their first term. Online assessments delivered during induction workshops were presented as an opportunity for self-evaluation and to provide performance-related recommendations for training. Results were consistent over 4 years. There was no difference in attitude between years or programme of study and the majority selected 'competent to use a range of applications'. Nor were there any differences in competence between all students in any year; however, male Medical Science students performed significantly better than females (2006). Students with a recognised IT qualification also did significantly better than those without. There was a discrepancy between measured skill and individual self-evaluation of competence; in particular, weaker students overestimated their competence. In all years, some students showed a fundamental lack of understanding of basic IT skills. Introducing online diagnostic testing raised the profile of the importance of IT skills to both academic staff and students.     

Looking at Eye Gaze Processing and Its Neural Correlates in Infancy—Implications for Social Development and Autism Spectrum Disorder

The importance of eye gaze as a means of communication is indisputable. However, there is debate about whether there is a dedicated neural module, which functions as an eye gaze detector and when infants are able to use eye gaze cues in a referential way. The application of neuroscience methodologies to developmental psychology has provided new insights into early social cognitive development. This review integrates findings on the development of eye gaze processing with research on the neural mechanisms underlying infant and adult social cognition. This research shows how a cognitive neuroscience approach can improve our understanding of social development and autism spectrum disorder.     

Exploring the Impact of Rater Effects on Person Fit in Rater-Mediated Assessments

Researchers have documented the impact of rater effects, or raters’ tendencies to give different ratings than would be expected given examinee achievement levels, in performance assessments. However, the degree to which rater effects influence person fit, or the reasonableness of test-takers’ achievement estimates given their response patterns, has not been investigated. In rater-mediated assessments, person fit reflects the reasonableness of rater judgments of individual test-takers’ achievement over components of the assessment. This study illustrates an approach to visualizing and evaluating person fit in assessments that involve rater judgment using rater-mediated person response functions (rm-PRFs). The rm-PRF approach allows analysts to consider the impact of rater effects on person fit in order to identify individual test-takers for whom the assessment results may not have a straightforward interpretation. A simulation study is used to evaluate the impact of rater effects on person fit. Results indicate that rater effects can compromise the interpretation and use of performance assessment results for individual test-takers. Recommendations are presented that call researchers and practitioners to supplement routine psychometric analyses for performance assessments (e.g., rater reliability checks) with rm-PRFs to identify students whose ratings may have compromised interpretations as a result of rater effects, person misfit, or both.     

Detecting Measurement Disturbances in Rater‐Mediated Assessments

The term measurement disturbance has been used to describe systematic conditions that affect a measurement process, resulting in a compromised interpretation of person or item estimates. Measurement disturbances have been discussed in relation to systematic response patterns associated with items and persons, such as start‐up, plodding, boredom, or fatigue. An understanding of the different types of measurement disturbances can lead to a more complete understanding of persons or items in terms of the construct being measured. Although measurement disturbances have been explored in several contexts, they have not been explicitly considered in the context of performance assessments. The purpose of this study is to illustrate the use of graphical methods to explore measurement disturbances related to raters within the context of a writing assessment. Graphical displays that illustrate the alignment between expected and empirical rater response functions are considered as they relate to indicators of rating quality based on the Rasch model. Results suggest that graphical displays can be used to identify measurement disturbances for raters related to specific ranges of student achievement that suggest potential rater bias. Further, results highlight the added diagnostic value of graphical displays for detecting measurement disturbances that are not captured using Rasch model–data fit statistics.     

Parental Age and Offspring Childhood Mental Health: A Multi-Cohort,Population-Based Investigation

To examine the contributions of maternal and paternal age on offspring externalizing and internalizing problems, this study analyzed problem behaviors at age 10–12 years from four Dutch population-based cohorts (N = 32,892) by a multiple informant design. Bayesian evidence synthesis was used to combine results across cohorts with 50% of the data analyzed for discovery and 50% for confirmation. There was evidence of a robust negative linear relation between parental age and externalizing problems as reported by parents. In teacher-reports, this relation was largely explained by parental socio-economic status. Parental age had limited to no association with internalizing problems. Thus, in this large population-based study, either a beneficial or no effect of advanced parenthood on child problem behavior was observed.     

An Instructional Module on Mokken Scale Analysis

Mokken scale analysis (MSA) is a probabilistic‐nonparametric approach to item response theory (IRT) that can be used to evaluate fundamental measurement properties with less strict assumptions than parametric IRT models. This instructional module provides an introduction to MSA as a probabilistic‐nonparametric framework in which to explore measurement quality, with an emphasis on its application in the context of educational assessment. The module describes both dichotomous and polytomous formulations of the MSA model. Examples of the application of MSA to educational assessment are provided using data from a multiple‐choice physical science assessment and a rater‐mediated writing assessment.     

Student teachers' views on national education: the need for greater alignment between policy and praxis

This study examines student teachers' views on their country and on National Education (NE), with the aim of promoting teachers' understanding of the need for NE. A 40-item survey was administered to 1,650 student teachers, to assess their sense of belonging, protective attitude, perceived right, ethnic tolerance and community and political involvement, as well as their perceptions of the importance and learning outcomes of NE. Significant differences were observed between the genders and between the various programme groups in terms of the student teachers' responses, suggesting the need for a more comprehensive approach to NE in initial teacher education.     

Does the Cognitive Interview Promote the Coherence of Narrative Accounts in Children With and Without an Intellectual Disability?

We examined whether the cognitive interview (CI) procedure enhanced the coherence of narrative accounts provided by children with and without intellectual disabilities (ID), matched on chronological age. Children watched a videotaped magic show; one day later, they were interviewed using the CI or a structured interview (SI). Children interviewed using the CI reported more correct details than those interviewed using the SI. Additionally, children interviewed using the CI reported more contextual background details, more logically ordered sequences, more temporal markers, and fewer inconsistencies in their stories than those interviewed using the SI. However, the CI did not increase the number of story grammar elements compared with the SI. Overall children interviewed with the CI told better stories than those interviewed with the SI. This finding provided further support for the effectiveness of the CI with vulnerable witnesses, particularly children with ID.     

Learning by Doing: Performance Assessment of Information Literacy across the First-Year Curriculum

In the 2011–2012 school year, the instruction librarians at Augustana College, Illinois, changed their assessment approach in the college's required first-year sequence to focus on higher-level information literacy concepts. The librarians replaced a quantitative assessment instrument with performance assessments, which they integrated into their first-year library sessions. Although the sequence is taught by many faculty with diverse assignments, these new assessments could be applied organically across sections yet provide generalizable results. This case study describes that assessment project and its initial findings, analyzes the project's implications, and suggests how other college libraries might adopt similar qualitative assessments.