Objectives for ED 317 Exam II

Lectures 5-first half of Lecture 9: Correlation, Objective Items, Item analysis, Subjective Items, Essays, Rubrics.

Gronlund Chapters 6, 7,8, 9,and Popham Sections 6, 7, 8, and 14

Reading: Correlational Stats (Lecture 5)

  1. Calculate a percent correct score.
  2. Calculate a weighted mean from several components, e.g. tests, homework, quizzes.
  3. Define correlation, correlation coefficient, positive correlation, negative correlation, spurious correlation, and scattergram.
  4. Plot coordinate points on a scattergram and determine if there is a correlation and, if so, identify the direction of the relationship (+ or -).
  5. Discuss the meaning of various values of the correlation coefficient, (r).
  6. Discuss causality as it relates to correlation.
  7. Describe how correlation may provide evidence of reliability and validity.

Gronlund chapters 6 and 7; Popham Sections 6 and 14 (Lecture 6)

  1. Define objective scoring, subjective scoring, holistic scoring, and analytical scoring.
  2. Explain why selected response items are popular with standardized test writers.
  3. Explain what the terms “subjective” and “objective” refer to.
  4. Describe how to properly write directions for selected response items.
  5. Distinguish between and provide examples of objective and subjective types of items.
  6. Relate the terms “objective” and “subjective” to the terms “selected response” and “constructed response”.
  7. Name and use the five item writing guidelines for true-false items.
  8. Describe the strengths and weaknesses of true-false items.
  9. Name and use the nine item writing guidelines for multiple-choice items.
  10. Define and identify the terms stem, distractor, and alternatives.
  11. Describe the strengths and weaknesses of multiple-choice items.
  12. Name and use the six item writing guidelines for matching items.
  13. Define and identify the terms premise and response.
  14. Describe the strengths and weaknesses of matching items.
  15. Analyze objective items for errors and make suggestions for improving defective ones.
  16. Identify the four things you can do to check the quality of your tests before administering them.
  17. Identify sources of judgmental and empirical analyses of objective items.
  18. Identify the 3 quality characteristics of objective items.

Reading: Item Analysis (Lecture 7)

  1. Define, calculate, and interpret indices of item difficulty.
  2. Define, calculate, and interpret indices of item discrimination.
  3. Identify 4 ways students can determine if an alternative is a distractor.
  4. Interpret data from an objective item distractor analysis.
  5. Discuss the difference between items on norm-referenced and criterion-referenced tests with regard to difficulty and discrimination.
  6. Explain how skill complexity, group characteristics, multiple items per objective, and hierarchically related items may be used to interpret difficulty and discrimination indices.

Gronlund Chapter 8 and Popham Section 7 (Lecture 8)

  1. Name the two types of short answer items.
  2. Name and use the five item writing guidelines for fill-in-the-blank items.
  3. Describe the strengths and weaknesses of fill-in-the-blank items.
  4. Identify issues related to “Swiss-cheese items” and explain what one is.
  5. Identify short answer scoring guidelines.
  6. Recognize lists as a type of short-answer item and discuss the significance of number and order when scoring lists.
  7. Discuss the proper use and scoring of keyed response items.
  8. Name the two types of essay questions.
  9. Identify the 6 essay item writing guidelines.
  10. List and explain the four steps to promoting successful student essay item writing.
  11. Discuss the importance of separating writing skills from content when scoring essays.
  12. Discuss suggestions for writing rubrics and scoring essays.
  13. Analyze subjective items for errors and make suggestions for improving defective ones.
  14. Identify methods that increase scoring consistency for constructed response items.
  15. Define terms associated with scoring bias (central tendency error, generosity error, severity error, halo effect, and horns effect).
  16. Recognize appropriate ways to score spelling, grammar, organization, and documentation of essays.

Gronlund Chapter 9, Popham Section 8 and Rubric Reading (Lecture 9)

  1. Define “rubric” and explain why one is required for scoring subjective items.
  2. Explain and distinguish between the two types of basic rubrics; “item-based” and “descriptive”.
  3. Define checklist and rating scale and relate these terms to item-based and descriptive rubrics.
  4. Define negative and positive scoring and explain why positive scoring is preferred.
  5. Discuss how scores from rubrics may be translated into grades, categories, and actions.
  6. Discuss appropriate ways that journals, oral reports, group work, drawing for content, and portfolios may be used for assessment and instruction.
  7. Distinguish between “showcase” and “working” portfolios.
  8. Apply the use of rubrics to evaluations of your own performance as a teacher.
  9. Identify suggested practices for assessing content using written responses of elementary school students.

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