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RESEARCH LIBRARY

View the latest publications from members of the NBME research team

Showing 1 - 10 of 10 Research Library Publications
Posted: October 30, 2018 | S. Pohl, M. von Davier

Front. Psychol. 9:1988

 

In their 2018 article, (T&B) discuss how to deal with not reached items due to low working speed in ability tests (Tijmstra and Bolsinova, 2018). An important contribution of the paper is focusing on the question of how to define the targeted ability measure. This note aims to add further aspects to this discussion and to propose alternative approaches.

Posted: October 25, 2018 | M.R. Raymond, C. Stevens, S.D. Bucak

Adv in Health Sci Educ 24, 141–150 (2019)

 

Research suggests that the three-option format is optimal for multiple choice questions (MCQs). This conclusion is supported by numerous studies showing that most distractors (i.e., incorrect answers) are selected by so few examinees that they are essentially nonfunctional. However, nearly all studies have defined a distractor as nonfunctional if it is selected by fewer than 5% of examinees.

Posted: October 1, 2018 | Z. Cui, C. Liu, Y. He, H. Chen

Journal of Educational Measurement: Volume 55, Issue 4, Pages 582-594

 

This article proposes and evaluates a new method that implements computerized adaptive testing (CAT) without any restriction on item review. In particular, it evaluates the new method in terms of the accuracy on ability estimates and the robustness against test‐manipulation strategies. This study shows that the newly proposed method is promising in a win‐win situation: examinees have full freedom to review and change answers, and the impacts of test‐manipulation strategies are undermined.

Posted: July 20, 2018 | S. H. Felgoise, R. A. Feinberg, H. B. Stephens, P. Barkhaus, K. Boylan, J. Caress, Z. Simmons

Muscle Nerve, 58: 646-654

 

The Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)‐Specific Quality of Life instrument and its revised version (ALSSQOL and ALSSQOL‐R) have strong psychometric properties, and have demonstrated research and clinical utility. This study aimed to develop a short form (ALSSQOL‐SF) suitable for limited clinic time and patient stamina.

Posted: June 1, 2018 | D. Franzen, M. Cuddy, J. S. Ilgen

Journal of Graduate Medical Education: June 2018, Vol. 10, No. 3, pp. 337-338

 

To create examinations with scores that accurately support their intended interpretation and use in a particular setting, examination writers must clearly define what the test is intended to measure (the construct). Writers must also pay careful attention to how content is sampled, how questions are constructed, and how questions perform in their unique testing contexts.1–3 This Rip Out provides guidance for test developers to ensure that scores from MCQ examinations fit their intended purpose.

Posted: April 24, 2018 | P.J. Hicks, M.J. Margolis, C.L. Carraccio, B.E. Clauser, K. Donnelly, H.B. Fromme, K.A. Gifford, S.E. Poynter, D.J. Schumacher, A. Schwartz & the PMAC Module 1 Study Group

Medical Teacher: Volume 40 - Issue 11 - p 1143-1150

 

This study explores a novel milestone-based workplace assessment system that was implemented in 15 pediatrics residency programs. The system provided: web-based multisource feedback and structured clinical observation instruments that could be completed on any computer or mobile device; and monthly feedback reports that included competency-level scores and recommendations for improvement.

Posted: April 3, 2018 | I. Kirsch, W. Thorn, M. von Davier

Quality Assurance in Education, Vol. 26 No. 2, pp. 150-152

 

An introduction to a special issue of Quality Assurance in Education featuring papers based on presentations at a two-day international seminar on managing the quality of data collection in large-scale assessments.

Posted: April 1, 2018 | R. A. Feinberg, D. P. Jurich, L. M. Foster

Academic Medicine: April 2018 - Volume 93 - Issue 4 - p 636-641

 

Increasing criticism of maintenance of certification (MOC) examinations has prompted certifying boards to explore alternative assessment formats. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of allowing test takers to access reference material while completing their MOC Part III standardized examination.

Posted: March 30, 2018 | M. von Davier

Measurement: Interdisciplinary Research and Perspectives, 16:1, 59-70

 

This article critically reviews how diagnostic models have been conceptualized and how they compare to other approaches used in educational measurement. In particular, certain assumptions that have been taken for granted and used as defining characteristics of diagnostic models are reviewed and it is questioned whether these assumptions are the reason why these models have not had the success in operational analyses and large-scale applications, contrary to what many have hoped.

Posted: January 24, 2018 | J. D. Rubright

Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 37: 40-45

 

This simulation study demonstrates that the strength of item dependencies and the location of an examination systems’ cut‐points both influence the accuracy (i.e., the sensitivity and specificity) of examinee classifications. Practical implications of these results are discussed in terms of false positive and false negative classifications of test takers.