Introduction to Assessment/Measurement in Education
Dr. Dennis RobertsAim of Course:
To provide an overview to the main statistical and measurement tools that are associated with interpretation of data from tests, including standardized educational tests. Participants will learn how to interpret test results. Basic statistical (descriptive) and measurement concepts (reliability and validity) are presented, along with discussions of issues such as specific tests, norms, and test bias.Who Should Take This Course:
Anyone who is involved with or responsible for interpreting test scores.For those enrolled in a Program of Advanced Statistical Studies, this is a required or elective course in the following Programs:
- Statistics for Social Sciences - elective
Course Program:
The course is structured as followsSESSION 1: Descriptive statistics Part 1
- Making tables and graphs out of frequency data
- Techniques for quantifying averages
- Techniques for quantifying variation
- Methods for reporting position/location within distributions
- Z-scores
- The normal distribution
- Linear transformations of scales
- Scatterplots of two variables
- The correlation coefficient
- Brief introduction to prediction
- Reliability
- Standard error of measurement
- Validity
- Basic test construction
- Item analysis
- How norms are constructed and what they mean
- Tests that use the correction for guessing
- Test bias and how it is assessed
- Equating test forms
- What to look out for in statewide testing programs
- Issues raised by students in class (Note: this will vary from course offering to course offering)
The Instructor:
Dr. Dennis Roberts is Emeritus Professor at Penn State and has spent over 35 years teaching in the areas of statistics and measurement/assessment, including courses in basic and intermediate statistics, educational assessment and psychological testing. His professional career was spent (3 years) at The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, (3 years) in Psychology at East Carolina University, and since 1973 (until retirement as Emeritus Professor) in the Educational Psychology program at Penn State University. Over the years, Dr. Roberts published dozens of empirical articles in journals, directed a Correspondence Course in Basic Statistics for 20 years and revised the study guide several times, revised his own introductory statistics book 3 times, and made numerous presentations at conferences of the American Educational Research Association and other professional societies.Organization of the Course:
The course takes place over the internet, at statistics.com. During each course week, you participate at times of your own choosing - there are no set times when you must be online. Course participants will be given access to a private discussion board. In class discussions led by the instructor, you can post questions, seek clarification, and interact with your fellow students and the instructor. The course is scheduled to take place over 4 weeks, and typically requires 15 hours per week. At the beginning of each week, you receive the relevant material, in addition to answers to exercises from the previous session. During the week, you are expected to go over the course materials and work through exercises. Discussion among participants is encouraged. The instructor will provide answers and comments.Certificates and Grades:
You may be interested only in learning the material presented, and not be concerned with grades or certificates. Or you may be enrolled in a statistics.com Program in Advanced Statistical Studies that requires demonstration of proficiency in the subject, in which case your work will be assessed for purposes of issuing a grade. Or you may require only a "Certificate of Course Completion," along with professional development credit in the form of Continuing Education Units (CEU's). As you begin the class, you will be asked to specify your category.Credit:
This course offers continuing education units (CEU's). For those successfully completing the course (generally this means marks of 50% or better on the homework), 5.0 CEU's and a certificate will be issued by statistics.com, upon request.Dates:
Jun. 18 - Jul. 16, 2010Click here to be notified of future course offerings.
Participants gain access to the online materials on the first day of the course, and typically spend about 15 hours per week (at their convenience). You retain full access to course materials, including discussion board, for two weeks after the course closing date.
Level:
Introductory/IntermediatePrerequisite:
No formal statistical or measurement course work background is required.Course Text:
The course material will consist of online chapters (pdf files) from Descriptive and Inferential Statistical Topics by Dennis Roberts (to be made available on the course web site), plus other course notes and internet links provided by the course instructor.Software:
No statistical or measurement software is required, and the emphasis is on interpretation, not calculation. Many of the examples in the main text materials use Minitab, those with a strong interest in statistical calculation can download the FREE 30 day trial of the full package Minitab. Click here for a list of software used in various statistics.com courses, including Minitab.Registration:
Register Online - $469Register Online (academic) - $369 (you must be affiliated with a college, university or high school)
Add $50 service fee if you require a prior invoice, or if you need to submit a purchase order or voucher, pay by wire transfer or EFT, or refund and reprocess a prior payment. Please use this printed registration form, for these and other special orders.
Note: Courses may fill up at any time and registrations are processed in the order in which they are received. Your registration will be confirmed for the first available course date, unless you specify otherwise.
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