Assessment Systems Corporation - Blog

April 2012 Newsletter

2012-04-09T18:55:46Z

Here are some brief updates and news for April 2012: new website and updates to Xcalibre 4, CATSim, and FastTest Web!

New ASC Website

To reflect ASC's growing stature in the testing industry, we have released a new website that better reflects our new role as a comprehensive, world-class testing organization. In addition to massively expanding our psychometric software capabilities, we now offer full consulting services, a network of secure testing centers, and software to completely manage the entire assessment process. Check out the new site at www.assess.com! We have also upgraded our new webstore (shopping cart system) and added a sleek, modern layout to be more customer-friendly; visit the store at http://www.assess.com/xcart/home.php. In addition, we are in the process of integrating Google Wallet functionality for enhanced credit card security and convenience.

ASC presents workshop to SADC in Botswana

ASC presented a workshop on item response theory (IRT) and computerized adaptive testing (CAT) to member countries of the Southern African Development Council. The workshop took place March 4-9 in Botswana, and provided five days of background and hands-on instruction regarding the application of these modern methods to solving issues in educational assessment, with a focus on ASC's landmark software, Iteman 4 and Xcalibre 4. Such a combination of ASC's consulting services and leading-edge software can help your organization move to the next level; contact solutions@assess.com to learn more.

FastTEST Web updates

FastTest Web (FTW), our platform for item authoring and internet-based assessment, is being upgraded almost continually to stay at the forefront of testing technology. In March, we released functionality that allows tests to be published as a public link, ideal for low stakes exams or pilot testing, as an alternative to the high-security registration process currently in place. This approach is integrated with new functionality for managing demographic information on examinees; you can request that examinees enter such information before starting the test. Additionally, we rebuilt the item authoring tool to be more user-friendly and WYSIWYG. As always, we've also released a number of small enhancements. The next major release will include an advanced Asset Manager for multimedia and the capability for testlets, groups of items that share a reading passage or other common stimulus.

Xcalibre 4 updated

ASC's cutting-edge software for item response theory has been substantially updated. This is a free update for current license holders, and includes several bug fixes as well as improved functionality:

User can specify bounds for scaled scores
Lz person fit statistic now computed
Test response function (TRF) values are now output
Chi-square item fit statistics enhanced
Subgroup analysis based on DIF group membership
Rebuilt ranking of ability estimates to be much faster
Observed item response function (fit line) now includes multi-key items
Many more small improvements!

Current users can upgrade at our support page; new users can download a free version here. Don't forget that graduate students can obtain free licenses from the APM student grants program!

CATSim updated

CATSim, the software that provides the research necessary for computerized adaptive testing (CAT) has also been upgraded. The update focuses primarily on bug fixes. Current users can upgrade for free at our support page; new users can download a free version here.

ASC to present at 2012 SIOP Conference

ASC will present a mini-workshop on the development of computerized adaptive tests (CATs) at the Society for Industrial-Organizational Psychology (SIOP) conference. The session is scheduled for 1:30 P.M. on Friday, April 27. More information is available at the SIOP website. Please join us and learn about our CAT solutions and assessments!

2012 IACAT Conference Website

2012-03-28T14:35:42Z

An official conference website has been established for the 2012 IACAT Conference: please visit http://www.iacatconference.com/ to register and learn more about this important meeting. Also, we have been working on upgrades to the IACAT website; please visit http://iacat.org/ to see some of what we are working on.

IRT/CAT workshop in Botswana

2012-03-19T16:09:15Z

ASC recently held a 5-day workshop on item response theory (IRT) and computerized adaptive testing (CAT) for the Botswana Examinations Council (http://www.bec.co.bw/). In addition, there were participants from Namibia and Nigeria, expanding the scope of the discussion. Much of the workshop focused on the use of ASC's leading-edge software for IRT analysis, Xcalibre 4 (http://www.assess.com/xcart/product.php?productid=415). Thank you to BEC for organizing the workshop!

ASC News - Feb 13, 2012

2012-02-13T18:37:28Z

ASC Update - February 2012

Here are some brief updates and news for February 2012...

ASC to conduct IRT/CAT Workshop in Botswana - 15 seats open!

ASC will be conducting an applied workshop on item response theory (IRT) and computerized adaptive testing (CAT), March 5-9 at the Grand Palm resort in Gaborone, Botswana. The workshop is hosted by the Botswana Examinations Council for the benefit of countries in the South African Development Community (SADC). Approximately 15 seats remain open for researchers and practitioners from Africa. The cost is approximately $275; participants are responsible for their travel and lodging expenses. If you are interested in attending, please email solutions@assess.com.

CATSim update

CATSim, the essential program for CAT simulation research, is now available as Version 1.0.6. Changes include (1) when the classification termination option is used, a new table reports all examinee classifications in addition to the "high-confidence" classifications, and the examinee report differentiates between the two types of classifications; (2) with variable termination and constraints, a new termination type reports that examinees exhausted the item bank before other termination options were reached; and (3) an error using the graded response model with "reversed" item parameters was fixed. Current license holders can download the no-cost update from http://www.assess.com/xcart/pages.php?pageid=10. If you do not yet have CATSim, a free demo version is available at http://www.assess.com/xcart/product.php?productid=555.

Tech Report: Comparison of Xcalibre 4 and BILOG-MG

A technical report was recently released which provides a comparison of Xcalibre 4 and BILOG-MG, the world's two leading software programs for item response theory (IRT) analysis. The two are compared in terms of parameter recovery, which is an appropriate methodology to evaluate the accuracy of IRT parameter estimates. For the majority of conditions studied, Xcalibre 4 produced more accurate calibrations. A full copy of the report is at http://www.assess.com/research.php.

FastTEST Web implements powerful new lockdown browser

FastTEST Web, the world's most advanced system for internet-based item banking and test delivery, has implemented a new "lockdown" delivery system, WebLock. WebLock is a special browser that greatly enhances test security by 1) preventing the examinee from accessing any internet sites, 2) preventing the examinee from accessing any information/programs on their computer, and 3) checking for specific software that is a security concern, such as screen-capture programs. These advantages make it ideal for high-security tests in fields like education, certification, and employment. Moreover, this is in addition to other important FTW security advantages like role-based access, examinee passwords, and the use of an internal adaptive testing engine. Learn more at http://www.fasttestweb.com/secure-online-testing.php.

Happiness and work

2012-02-03T15:13:35Z

http://www.ted.com/talks/shawn_achor_the_happy_secret_to_better_work.html Interesting talk on psychology and work - with some unintentional commentary on the Rasch model around 4:00. (removing some data points simply because you don't like them, with the excuse of measurement error)

January 2012 Newsletter

2012-02-02T15:56:32Z

Xcalibre 4 updates
Xcalibre 4is the most user-friendly software available for item response theory (IRT) analysis. An update has been recently released, which includes a number of bug fixes and enhancements, including an addition of distractor (quantile) plots into the output. These plots provide an excellent method for evaluating multiple-choice distractors by combining IRT and classical test theory. We have also added a new fit plot with standard errors to the report document and percentiles to the scores spreadsheet. Current license holders can download the no-cost update from http://www.assess.com/xcart/pages.php?pageid=10. If you do not yet have Xcalibre 4, a free demo version is available at http://www.assess.com/xcart/product.php?productid=569.

Iteman 4 updates
We have also released an update for Iteman 4, the leading software for analysis with classical test theory (CTT). This update focuses on bug fixes and maintenance. If you have a current license, you can download the update at http://www.assess.com/xcart/pages.php?pageid=10. If you do not yet have Iteman 4, a free demo version is available at http://www.assess.com/xcart/product.php?productid=541.

Conferences page on ASC website updated for 2012
ASC provides a number of resources to professionals in the field of testing and psychometrics, including a list of major conferences in the field. We have updated that list for 2012 at http://www.assess.com/conferences.php... see where you want to go! ASC has plans to be at the SIOP, IACAT, and ICE conferences.

Connect with ASC on LinkedIn
LinkedIn is an essential social networking site for professionals of all fields. It marks an important advancement in professional connectivity. ASC has had a page on LinkedIn for a number of years; if you aren't already following us, please visit http://www.linkedin.com/company/assessment-systems-corporation. We also update our news at the ASC blog.

Free training videos released
ASC hosts one or two workshops every year (one workshop was just recently held, January 23-25 in Brazil) and presents at a number of conferences, but we realize that not everyone is able to attend. Therefore, ASC is publishing a set of tutorial videos on our software and important issues in psychometrics, like item response theory and computerized adaptive testing. The videos are available for free at http://www.assess.com/tutorials.php. Two have been completed so far: Running Iteman 4 and Interpreting Iteman 4 Output.

ASC to present at 2012 SIOP Conference
ASC will present a mini-workshop on the development of computerized adaptive tests (CATs) at the Society for Industrial-Organizational Psychology (SIOP) conference. The session is scheduled for 1:30 PM on Friday, April 27. More information is available at the SIOP website.

Important links
ASC Website (Home)
ASC blog
ASC LinkedIn
FastTest Web - Secure Online Adaptive Testing
FastTest Web Facebook page
FastTest Web Twitter page
Student grants for free software

Official Announcement: IACAT 2012 in Sydney

2012-01-30T17:57:46Z

The third conference of the International Association for Computerized Adaptive Testing (IACAT) will be held at the Sydney Convention Centre (www.scec.com.au), Australia from Sunday 12 to Tuesday 14 August 2012. This conference follows the successful first conference held in the Netherlands in June 2010 and the second conference held in Monterey in October 2011. It is jointly organized by the Australian Medical Council (AMC) (www.amc.org.au) and Excel Psychological and Educational Consultancy (EPEC) (www.epecat.com).

The theme of the conference is "CAT - the past, present and future" and the program is designed to facilitate the exchange of ideas, research and applications of CAT. Besides invited keynote addresses and symposia by global leaders in the field, there will be pre-conference workshops at the introductory and advanced levels.

The program committee invites you to join us in Sydney. Sydney is a vibrant, multi-cultural and cosmopolitan city which, as the largest city in Australia, has much to offer.

Proposal abstracts can already be submitted to IACATconference2012@amc.org.au Abstracts should be submitted in 12pt Times New Roman MS Word (max of 500 words) and include a title, name and email address of the presenter(s), institutional affiliation and a topic area.

Information about accommodation and registrations will soon be available through a designated conference website. For further information at this stage contact IACATconference2012@amc.org.au or visit www.iacat.org.

Workshop in Brazil, January 23-25

2012-01-27T18:36:46Z

I have just returned from a workshop on item response theory (IRT) and computerized adaptive testing (CAT), held January 23-25 in Brasilia, Brazil. The workshop was a resounding success, with attendees from all across Brazil as well as a few international attendees. I'd like to thank CESPE (http://www.cespe.unb.br/) and INEP (http://www.inep.gov.br/) for making it possible. Muito obrigado!

Fixing "all of the above" items

2012-01-19T22:50:11Z

We've all seen "all of the above" or "none of the above" items in tests we have taken, mostly in low-stakes situations... because these items are frowned upon by psychometricians and testing experts. The item options are no longer independent, and an item of that format will give away the answer more often than standard items, especially because the correct answer usually is AOTA or NOTA. Therefore, these items should be modified to format more in concordance with best practices.

Here are three approaches to rearranging items with "All of the above" or related issues. Consider the following question as an example.

Which of the following is a city in Florida?

A. Miami

B. Tampa

C. Jacksonville

D. All of the above*

1. Make an AOTA into a single answer by setting one of the answers as correct and flipping the rest to incorrect. Example:

Becomes...

Which of the following is a city in Florida?

A. Milwaukee

B. Tampa*

C. Phoenix

D. Chicago

2. Make answers into combinations by actually writing out the terms with more than one in each option. This is similar to the previous suggestion, but usually makes the item more difficult.

Which of the following lists two cities in Florida?

A. Miami and Tampa

B. Tampa and Milwaukee

C. Chicago and Milwaukee

D. Phoenix and Chicago

3. If you can't think of any plausible incorrect answers (sometimes the case), try flipping the stem and options to get something like:

Miami, Tampa, and Jacksonville are cities in__________.

A. Florida

B. Alabama

C. California

D. Georgia

ASC on Social Media

2012-01-18T15:58:45Z

Social Media has become an integral part of life and business over the past 5 years. In fact, one of ASC's clients is a certification agency for social media specialists: http://nismonline.org/. ASC recognizes this important step in world connectivity and has been a part of social media for a few years. In addition to this blog, here are a few important links:

LinkedIn (ASC): http://www.linkedin.com/company/assessment-systems-corporation

Facebook (FastTest Web): http://www.facebook.com/pages/FastTEST-Web/123132391080511

Twitter (FastTest Web): http://twitter.com/FastTESTWeb

We encourage you to connect with ASC via these platforms, especially LinkedIn! Of course, we will continue to send out news and announcements via our email list, www.assess.com, and www.fasttestweb.com.

Free software for students

2011-12-30T18:51:53Z

Did you know that grants are available to purchase ASC software for graduate students? If you are a student, or a faculty member who is supervising graduate students, please visit http://www.assess.com/xcart/pages.php?pageid=5 for more information. We also make our software available free for a semester to students in your classes or graduate students who need our software for their research for up to four months.

Requirements for adaptive testing

2011-12-15T20:50:59Z

"Adaptive testing" has become a buzzphrase in testing circles over the past decade, especially in K-12 assessment. Unfortunately, very few people who hear the phrase, are interested in adaptive tests, or are even using adaptive tests, have any idea what goes into them. ASC gets a number of inquiries regarding the development of adaptive tests from organizations or individuals that are not familiar with the fundamentals of adaptive testing or the basic requirements that must be met to even think about developing adaptive tests. For example, you must have a pilot sample of at least 100 examinees, preferably 500 - and CAT is still often not feasible unless you are testing thousands of examinees. Therefore ASC psychometricians have published two important resources on the topic: a journal article describing the development of adaptive tests (http://pareonline.net/pdf/v16n1.pdf) and a white paper describing the basic requirements for a testing program to even consider adaptive testing (http://www.fasttestweb.com/ftw-docs/CAT_Requirements.pdf). These are essential readings for anyone involved with modern assessments.

FastTest Web as a Custom Enterprise Assessment System

2011-12-15T20:42:07Z

FastTest Web is the industry-leading platform for web-based development and delivery of tests and assessments. Unlike many competitors, it is designed by testing experts for testing experts - with a focus on modern testing methodology like IRT and adaptive testing. While it is primarily available as a public "brand" system via a software-as-a-service model, it is also important to know that it is available as a customized enterprise-style system. That is, we could completely customize system, adding functionality as well as important branding aspects for your organization, then host it on branded URL (yourcompany.fasttestweb.com). Best of all, we can do so affordably. Visit www.fasttestweb.com to learn more!

IACAT 2012 conference

2011-12-14T00:14:33Z

The IACAT 2012 conference has been planned for August 13-15 in Sydney Australia. IACAT 2011 (in October) was an excellent experience; in addition to the wonderful research and networking, many attendees enjoyed a visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, walks on the Pacific Coast, and enjoying all the other things to do in Monterey. Visit www.iacat.org for more information and a Call for Proposals (forthcoming). I'm certainly looking forward to Sydney!

"Person free" measurement

2011-12-09T18:13:17Z

If the Rasch idea of centering a scale on the item distribution produces "person-free measurement," does the centering of the scale on the person distribution produce "item-free measurement?" If so, what does each mean? I suppose that person-free measurement means that the measurement is only with regards to the items - but then you are making the assumption that the original calibration test form used to establish the scale is representative of the content universe. Meanwhile, item-free measurement means that we are placing people on the scale defined by the original calibration sample, which we are assuming is representative of the population. Which interpretation would best fit your needs?