Syllabus

Course Description

Concepts of measurement and evaluation, classroom test construction, creation and use of derived scores, selection and use of published measurement instruments, alternative assessment, and current issues.

Objectives

Students will:

• Describe current and future trends in educational measurement with no error.
• Describe "what to measure and how to measure".
• Described norm-referenced and criterion referenced tests.
• Describe and write educational goals and objectives.
• Use item writing guidelines to construct test items, including all of the following types: true­, false, multiple choice, matching, short answer and completion.
• Use item writing guidelines to construct essay test items, including extended and restricted response items.
• Develop a "test blueprint" for a unit of instruction to include objective, multiple-choice test items and test key.
• Given sample data on test items, students will perform item analysis on test results and describe how to improve a test.*
• Describe and construct a performance test.
• Describe the major strategies for: assigning student academic achievement grades, factors that influence grading, and the influenceof student assessment strategies on student performance.*
• Describe and construct an instrument to measure attitudes and social behavior.
• Given sample statistics with group’s scores, students will calculate and describe the properties of the following measures of central tendency including mean, mode and median.*
• Distinguish between measurements of validity and reliability and strategies for estimating validity and reliability.
• Calculate and describe the properties of the following measures of variability; frequencies and percents, variance, and standard deviation.
• Identify sources of available standardized tests, review technical manuals for reported test development strategies, norming strategies, reported reliability and validity, and locate critiques of tests.
• Interpret the meaning of derived scores from standardized tests and other measures and review test content with respect to intended use.

Curriculum Design

This course will emphasize the connection between the instructional role and student assessment. Participants model appropriate assessment concepts to educational scenarios in each module.

This course is a 45 hour 3 credit graduate course. Modules will be completed one per week.

Time Requirements

This course is offered over a period of 15 weeks. Modules are completed over the 15-week period pending length of assignments per week.

Skill and Hardware Requirements

Students may use either a Macintosh computer or a PC with Windows 2000 or higher. Students should possess basic word processing skills and have Internet access as well as an active email account. Students also are expected to have a basic knowledge of how to use a Web browser, such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, etc.

Course Materials

Test Better, Teach Better by W. James Popham (2003) is the required textbook for this course. Online readings and Web site reviews (including journal articles and best practices from the body of educational research) will be assigned during the course to enhance learning. These readings will be presented as annotated Web sites within the course content.

Course Outline

Module One: How educational measurement affects teaching.

Objective: Students will describe current and future trends in educational measurement and their effect on instruction.
Contents:

• Introduction E-mail Assignment - Getting to Know You!
• Educational Measurement Trends
• No Child Left Behind Act
• Benefits of pre-assessment
• How to use test results

Module Two: The Relationship Between Tests and the Curriculum

Objective: Students will assess the relationship between curriculum, instruction, and test items. Students will analyze state and district content standards to establish appropriate instructional strategies to prepare students for a standardized test.
Contents:

• Describe and write educational goals and objectives
• Describe "what to measure and how to measure".
• Incorporate diverse assessment approaches for an educational objective
• Evaluate and prioritize content standards to determine instructional strategy for testing.
• Describe the major strategies for assigning student academic achievement grades, factors that influence grading, and the influence of student assessment strategies on student performance.

Module Three: Constructing A Test and Understanding The Importance of Validity, Reliability, and Bias

Objective: Students will express the importance of testing an assessment for validity, reliability, and bias.
Contents:

• Distinguish between measurements of validity and reliability and learn strategies for estimating validity and reliability.
• Calculate and describe the properties of the following measures of variability; frequencies and percents, variance, and standard deviation
• Explain the steps to take in test design before creating test items.
• Compare and contrast the types of test items.
• Describe barriers to creating effective test questions and how to avoid the barriers.

Module Four: Designing Selected-Response Test Questions

Objective: Students will correctly illustrate constructed selected response test questions.
Contents:

• Use item writing guidelines to construct test items, including all of the following types: true false, multiple choice, and matching

Module Five: Designing Constructed-Response Test Questions

Objective: Students will illustrate the correctly construct constructed response test questions.
Contents:

• Use item writing guidelines to construct test items, including all of the following types: short answer, completion, and essay test items, including extended and restricted response items

Module Six: Affective Assessment

Objective: Students will construct survey tools assessing attitudes, interests, and values.
Contents:

• Explain the benefits of using Likert inventories
• Describe and construct an instrument to measure attitudes, interests, values, and social behavior.
• Describe and construct multidimensional inventories.
• Describe and construct confidence inventories.

Module Seven: Standardized Tests vs Standards Based Tests

Objective: Students will express the purpose of various factors that influence effects of standardized tests. Students will compose and validate a standards based test
Contents:

• Given sample statistics with group scores, students will calculate and describe the properties of central tendency including mean, mode and median.
• Describe the effects of socioeconomic status and standardized tests
• Compare and contract the effects of quantitative, verbal, and spatial aptitudes
• Identify sources of available standardized tests; review technical manuals for reported test development strategies; norming strategies; reported reliability and validity; and, locate critiques of tests.
• Interpret the meaning of derived scores from standardized tests and other measures and review test content with respect to intended use
• Described norm-referenced and criterion referenced tests.
• Explain attributes of standards based tests.

Module Eight: Alternative Assessment Strategies

Objective: Students will apply the use alternative assessments in grading.
Contents:

• Create a rubric.
• Validate the use of performance based assessment.
• Critique the use of online assessment tools.

Module Nine: Evidence of Instructional Impact

Objective: Students will justify the use of pretests and post tests as evidence of instructional impact.
Contents:

• Effective pre and post testing
• Compare and contrast results from a pretest to determine instruction
• Design a pre and post test to measure affective changes

Module Ten: Communicating With Others about Student Learning

Objective:Students will interpret test results and use feedback to support student learning.
Contents:

• Compare and contrast appropriate and inappropriate uses of assessment information.
• Plan a parent conference or open house.
• Apply classroom assessment knowledge to an IEP.

Course Requirements:

1. Students write and submit weekly reflections. 30 points.
2. Students discuss and evaluate the current use of standardized tests. 10 points
3. Students construct a selected response test with a variety of questions for a specific topic or unit. 20 points.
4. Students construct a constructed response test with a variety of questions for a specific topic or unit. 20 points.
5. Students construct an alternative assessment specific topic or unit. 20 points.
6. Students critique various tests for validity, reliability, and socioeconomic status. 20 points.

Grades
220-205 - A
204-187 - B
186-169 - C
198-152 - D
151-    0 - F

With the course instructor's approval, students may receive an Incomplete grade if additional time is needed to complete course work or a specific assignment at the end of the course. To receive credit for the course, the Incomplete grade must be cleared within 60 calendar days from the conclusion of the semester in which the Incomplete was received. If a student does not clear their grade of Incomplete within the allotted 60 calendar days, the student will receive a letter grade based on completed assignments for that course.

Student Academic Integrity

Participants guarantee that all academic class work is original. Any academic dishonesty or plagiarism (to take ideas, writings, etc. from another and offer them as one's own), is a violation of student academic behavior standards as outlined by the Teacher Education University catalog and is subject to academic disciplinary action.

Bibliography

Online Resources

Practical Assessment, Research and Evaluation

Buros Institute of Mental Measurements

Educational Testing Service

Norm-Referenced Achievement Tests

Using Customized Standardized Tests

Criterion- and Standards- Referenced Tests

Instructional Goals and Objectives

Creating Multiple-Choice Items

Using Item Analysis To Test The Test

Item Analysis

Improving Reliability and Validity

Teacher Education University reserves the right to adjust and adapt this syllabus as necessary.