A psychometric evaluation of the digital logic concept inventory

Concept inventories hold tremendous promise for promoting the rigorous evaluation of teaching methods that might remedy common student misconceptions and promote deep learning. The measurements from concept inventories can be trusted only if the concept inventories are evaluated both by expert feedback and statistical scrutiny (psychometric evaluation). Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theory provide two psychometric frameworks for evaluating the quality of assessment tools. We discuss how these theories can be applied to assessment tools generally and then apply them to the Digital Logic Concept Inventory (DLCI). We demonstrate that the DLCI is sufficiently reliable for research purposes when used in its entirety and as a post-course assessment of students’ conceptual understanding of digital logic. The DLCI can also discriminate between students across a wide range of ability levels, providing the most information about weaker students’ ability levels.     

论《关于费尔巴哈的提纲》第二条的价值意蕴简

《关于费尔巴哈的提纲》第二条,无论是在文本翻译方面还是意义阐释方面,仍存在一些争议与补充.之所以存在差异,主要是由于语言表达的灵活性,以及解读路径的多元化.通常第二条被视为马克思的认识论转向,即提出实践是检验真理的唯一标准,这是毋庸置疑的.然而,任一文本的意义都需要深度发掘与耕犁.因此,对第二条的解读非但不能止步于此,更需要不断前行.可以说,在原有解读的基础上,进一步拓宽对《关于费尔巴哈的提纲》第二条的研究维度,将有利于深化文本的理解与意义的阐释.     

拟合模型在均流池设计中的应用

均流池的设计在生活污水处理过程中非常重要。借助函数拟合的方法将离散数据连续化,建立拟合模型,并利用定积分来计算均流池的出水流速,以此确定输水管和水泵的规格。最后根据进出水流量来确定均流池的容积。计算部分借助Mathematica数学软件来完成。     

110米跨栏跑中的心理技能训练

运用心理技能训练的一般原理和方法,并结合跨栏运动的特点,探讨心理技能训练在跨栏跑中的运用。指出心理技能训练必须与身体训练及战术训练结合,才能收到较好的效果。     

法律图书分类体系完善研究

<中国图书馆分类法>中法律图书分类体系已经不能适应法学的发展对图书分类的需要.应编制一套较为科学合理的、国内通用的法律图书分类体系,取代现有的D9体系,并终止两种体系并存的局面.法律类图书应作为一个大类,以DF为代码单独立类,以反映当代学科体系中法律与政治已经成为两个相对独立的学科这一现实.法律图书分类体系中基本类目的设置和类目详表也严重落后于当代法学的发展,存在较大的完善空间.     

国外企业利用专利联盟运作技术标准的实践及其启示

目前,国外一些著名企业正积极实施技术标准与专利相结合的战略,而其实施主体也已由单个企业发展成为了专利联盟的形式。从企业战略的视角来看,其竞争无疑已经达到了一个较高的层次。在此背景下,我国企业应根据自身实际并充分借鉴国外企业在利用专利联盟运作技术标准方面的成功经验,积极发展我国自主技术标准。本文分析并比较了GSM-Motorola及MPEG-2专利联盟运作的模式及效果,这对我国企业利用专利联盟运作自主技术标准具有重要的借鉴意义。     

Effects of multimedia on psychometric characteristics of cognitive tests: A comparison between technology-based and paper-based modalities

The study aims to investigate the effects of delivery modalities on psychometric characteristics and student performance on cognitive tests. A first study assessed the inductive reasoning ability of 715 students under the supervision of teachers. A second study examined 731 students’ performance on the application of the control-of-variables strategy in basic physics but without teacher supervision due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rasch measurement showed that the online format fitted to the data better in the unidimensional model across two conditions. Under teacher supervision, paper-based testing was better than online testing in terms of reliability and total scores, but contradictory findings were found in turn without teacher supervision. Although measurement invariance was confirmed between two versions at item level, the differential bundle functioning analysis supported the online groups on the item bundles constructed of figure-related materials. Response time was also discussed as an advantage of technology-based assessment for test development.     

The role of linguistic features in science and math comprehension and performance: A systematic review and desiderata for future research

There is a growing body of research on the role of linguistic features (LF) in comprehension and performance in science and math. Of particular interest is which LF facilitate or hinder comprehension. In this systematic review, we provide an overview of findings on LF at the word, sentence and text levels, on comprehension and performance in science and math. Our literature search revealed n = 40 articles included in this review. Overall, the role of LF in comprehension and performance in science and math is complex, with findings varying across the different LF. For each LF, we discuss the findings and uncover remaining questions. In the general discussion, we uncover strengths and weaknesses of previous research and discuss open questions before making eight recommendations and identifying tasks for future research aiming to understand the complex nature of LF.     

Beyond item analysis: Connecting student behaviour and performance using e-assessment logs

Traditional item analyses such as classical test theory (CTT) use exam-taker responses to assessment items to approximate their difficulty and discrimination. The increased adoption by educational institutions of electronic assessment platforms (EAPs) provides new avenues for assessment analytics by capturing detailed logs of an exam-taker's journey through their exam. This paper explores how logs created by EAPs can be employed alongside exam-taker responses and CTT to gain deeper insights into exam items. In particular, we propose an approach for deriving features from exam logs for approximating item difficulty and discrimination based on exam-taker behaviour during an exam. Items for which difficulty and discrimination differ significantly between CTT analysis and our approach are flagged through outlier detection for independent academic review. We demonstrate our approach by analysing de-identified exam logs and responses to assessment items of 463 medical students enrolled in a first-year biomedical sciences course. The analysis shows that the number of times an exam-taker visits an item before selecting a final response is a strong indicator of an item's difficulty and discrimination. Scrutiny by the course instructor of the seven items identified as outliers suggests our log-based analysis can provide insights beyond what is captured by traditional item analyses.

Practitioner notes

What is already known about this topic

• Traditional item analysis is based on exam-taker responses to the items using mathematical and statistical models from classical test theory (CTT). The difficulty and discrimination indices thus calculated can be used to determine the effectiveness of each item and consequently the reliability of the entire exam.

What this paper adds

• Data extracted from exam logs can be used to identify exam-taker behaviours which complement classical test theory in approximating the difficulty and discrimination of an item and identifying items that may require instructor review.

Implications for practice and/or policy

• Identifying the behaviours of successful exam-takers may allow us to develop effective exam-taking strategies and personal recommendations for students.
• Analysing exam logs may also provide an additional tool for identifying struggling students and items in need of revision.