Fundamentals of Test Construction; Psychometrics, Part I
Test Construction: Format Considerations
The lecture segment you just watched reviewed advantages and disadvantages of structured responses. Now consider constructed responses (e.g., essay-type questions, open-ended questions).  
What are two advantages of a constructed response?
What are two disadvantages of a constructed response?
If you were taking a test, what type of response—structured or constructed—would you prefer to complete, and why?
Test Construction: Item Wording

It is certainly not the case that I have never been bothered by feelings of anxiety upon entering a room full of strangers.
Why is this a poorly written item?

Try rewriting the item here to make it clearer.
Types of Variables; Scales of Measurement
Assignment of numbers to members on a baseball team
Intelligence test scores (e.g., WAIS-IV scores)
Place standings in a race
Minutes to complete a task

Chose from this options:
Interval 

Nominal 
Ratio 
Ordinal 

Transcript-
So we’re now going to talk about how tests are constructed, how they’re made. And the first element that we’re going to discuss are formatting considerations when creating a test.
So when we’re deciding how we’re going to format a test, it’s necessary for us to think about, what is the ultimate purpose of this test. What are we trying to get at by using the test. And how are we going to interpret individual scores. So an example might help to illustrate this point.
Dorfman and Hersen give an example of a test that’s designed to identify individuals who are in need of some kind of remedial intervention in a particular academic subject. Let’s just say that it’s math. And so we’re trying to identify individuals who are struggling in math.
On a test like this, having really difficult items– what we would call a high ceiling for the test– really isn’t as critical as having enough items on the lower end of the test– easier items– that can differentiate among different test-takers. Because, remember, the purpose of our measure is to identify individuals who are struggling in math. So this is an example of why we need to consider the purpose of the test in determining how we’re going to construct the test.
Now, one broad distinction that we can make when formatting a test is between multiple choice or other highly structured responses or items and what are known as constructed response items. So this is where the respondent literally constructs an answer, like might write an essay, or answer an open-ended prompt with a few sentences. These are different kinds of test items, and there are benefits and disadvantages of each type.
So if you think for a moment about a highly structured response, like a multiple choice response, one benefit of this kind of response is that it’s relatively easy to develop multiple choice type test items. And we can make tests fairly long by including these kinds of items in our measure.
A disadvantage is that we don’t get as much information from our respondent through a multiple choice item. We might sacrifice some unique information or rich information when we use that kind of format.
In contrast, a constructed response item allows an individual respondent to elaborate on their feelings or views on a particular item. It potentially gives us a lot of rich information.
A drawback is that these are difficult kinds of answers to evaluate. We have to come up with some kind of a scoring system or a rubric and train raters to be able to evaluate those answers, which is time-consuming and sometimes difficult.
Also, think through how difficult it would be to make a long test that’s composed of constructed response items. In other words, it might be fairly easy to make a 50-item multiple choice test, but think if you had a 50-item essay test. That would probably be too long for any respondents to be willing to complete.
So, again, there are benefits and drawbacks of each type of a response. And you can certainly combine these responses. You can have a test that includes both.

Essay #3 Assignment Overview: Lesson and DiscussionNo unread replies.No replies.Read the following information and post a response in the discussion board by hitting reply below. Your response can be a question, a summary of the assignment in your own words or something you noticed/thought.Writing Task: Take a position (for or against) on one of the two topics provided and write an argumentative essay that uses outside research to persuade your audience to understand the issue and your position on it. Instructions: Final draft must be at least 1000-1,500 words (not including the Works Cited page).Essay needs to be written in the 3rd person point of view. You will choose ONE of the two topics provided. Each topic will have five (5) potential sources for you to use. Your final draft must use a minimum of three (3) different resources from the five (5) provided. Drafts must specifically follow MLA guidelines to format the required in-text citations and Works Cited page. All drafts must specifically follow the “Essay Formatting Guidelines” page posted in the Resources module.Final draft must be uploaded and submitted as a .docx or .pdf file format.Topic Selection and Sources: Choose ONE of the following topics. All sources needed have been provided. You must select and cite AT LEAST three (3) sources in your essay. Topic:Should college be free?Topic: Should private citizens be allowed to have exotic animals as pets?Library DatabaseSource: “The Sweet Spot on Free College: Why 14 is the New 12.” downloadSource: “ExNOTic: Should We Be Keeping Exotic Pets?” downloadLibrary DatabaseSource: “Presidential Hopefuls Are Pushing Free College Back Into the Spotlight. But What Does ‘Free’ Mean, Anyway?” downloadSource: “Human Attacks by Large Feline Carnivores in Captivity and in the Wild.” downloadLibrary DatabaseSource: “Unlocking Access: Free Tuition Programs Are Opening Doors for Some Students–but Are They Making the Grade?” downloadSource: “Exotic Animals: Appropriately Owned Pets or Inappropriately Kept Problems?” downloadInternet (Video)Source: “Should College Be Free? (Links to an external site.)” Source: Exotic pets: A Growing American Fad (Links to an external site.)Internet (General)Source: “Free College for All is a Popular Rallying Cry, But is it Realistic?” downloadSource: “Wild Obsession” downloadHere are the Works Cited pages for each topic:Free Tuition Works Cited PageExotic Pets Works Cited PageYou can copy and paste without formatting the work cited page for your topic as the last page of your essay.Then you just need to delete any sources you have not cited in your paper. Essay Organization:Introduction (1 Paragraph)-Has an attention grabber/hook-Briefly describes the topic/problem.-Makes clear how the problem concerns the audience.-Emphasizes why the time to address the problem is now.-States an explicit claim in a thesis statement (Typically the LAST sentence of introduction).Body (Links to an external site.) (4-7 Paragraphs)-Outline the major reasons supporting the position (Topic Sentences).-Connect the reasons to the thesis statement via transition words and topic sentences.-Present illustrations, evidence, and examples in the form of summary and paraphrase with few quotes from provided sources.-Evidence is comprised of facts and figures, direct quotations, brief narratives, statistics, testimony and so on from the sources provided.-Includes a counter argument paragraph that acknowledges, rebuts, or refutes opposing viewpoints.-In other words, establish logos by supplying a well-reasoned, well-supported, well-organized argument via strong body paragraphs.Conclusion (1 Paragraph)-Reinforce for your audience the benefits of responding to your argument in the intended way.-Illustrate the negative situation that will result if your argument is ignored.-Work to connect the your claim with the interests and values of your audience.-Create a call to action by answering the question, “So what?” What should your audience care about your argument?

Business PlanOverviewAt this point in the course, you have completed all the necessary sections of your business plan. Your task in this assignment is to create the final version of your plan. You will include all the previous assignments you have been working on and attach the financials. The key to this assignment is to use the feedback you have received throughout the course to polish your plan to the point that you could confidently show it to investors and potential partners or customers. One new piece you will be including is a 1–2 page executive summary. This assignment consists of two parts:Your final business plan (an MS Word document).Your final business plan financials (using the Business Plan Financials Excel Template).Part 1: Business PlanNotesThe executive summary is a critical aspect of this assignment. Your ability to condense and highlight critical information about your chosen company to investors will determine whether they decide to invest in you and your company or not. Chapter 4, “The Executive Summary,” pages 53–66, provides information about writing the executive summary. You may write either a synopsis or a narrative summary. Pay particular attention to the:Executive Summary Plan Preparation Forms on pages 58–61.Sample Plans on pages 62–66. InstructionsIn MS Word, construct a 10–20 page business plan in which you:Write a 1–2 page executive summary highlighting key aspects of each section of the business plan. Incorporate feedback to produce a comprehensive business plan for the product or business. Specifically, you will be combining all of the previous assignments and revising them to build your business plan:Week 3 Assignment: Company Overview and SWOT Matrix.Be sure to include all the headings from the assignment.Week 5 Assignment: Marketing Plan and Budget.Be sure to include all the headings from the assignment; the budget part of this assignment will be addressed in Section 2.Week 8 Assignment: Operations, Technology, Management, and Social Responsibility Plan (With Financials).Be sure to include all the headings from this assignment; the financials part of this assignment will be addressed in Part 2.The written section of the financials from the Week 8 discussion thread.Be sure to include any financial information that will help to convince the investors.FormattingFormat your assignment according to these requirements: For assistance and information, please refer to the Writing Standards link in the left-hand menu of your course.Typed, double-spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.You must include headings in your paper for each major topic.Include a cover page containing the assignment title, your name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.Include a source list page. All sources used must be listed in the source list page and have a corresponding in-text citation. Citations and references must follow SWS format. The source list page is not included in the required page length. There is no minimum requirement for the number of resources used in this assignmentPart 2: Business Plan FinancialsUsing the Business Plan Financials Excel Template, incorporate feedback from previous submissions to produce a comprehensive set of business plan financials the business’s first two years.Be sure to refer to the appropriate guidelines for valuable information about how to complete the business plan financials section of your assignment:Specifically, you will want review and make sure you’ve thoroughly incorporated feedback you received from:Weeks 7 and 8 discussion threads.Part 2 of the Operations, Technology, Management and Organization, and Social Responsibility Plan (With Financials). Learning OutcomesThe specific course learning outcome associated with this assignment is:Construct a business plan with an executive summary that justifies a clear concept, a management structure, a market need, competitive advantages, and financial projections.

Use 6 references that are Scholarly journal articlesThe librarian will help you.Avoid websites because they are not scholarly or applicable for a good research paper.Please use headings in papers and on discussion posts.A heading helps the professor or reader see that you answered the question. It is follows APA and provides for much better writing skills, organization and development. Term Paper info Term Paper outline Final Paper(5 pages) Can be over the limit Topics (from the text book, any topic you want Make sure to use APA reference page, formatting and in text citing for all papers Use 4 references that are Scholarly journal articles The librarian will help you. Avoid websites because they are not scholarly or applicable for a good research paper. Qualitative or quantitative paper/research required (Use statistics and numbers or facts and figures in your paper) Apply Statistics, numbers, research Primary Sources explained APA Formatting(Do not use the word “I”, do not use opinions in papers do not use “we” or pronouns) APA Sample PaperWrite a 5 page paper (8 in total-cover page and reference page), you can go overRULES: The paper MUST follow APA format or it is unacceptable. (See APA chart I posted or email me for the APA style chart) You can also type in APA formatting on any www/yahoo.com engine) You must do research use journals, articles and these may help: Use http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5000477347 for help www.questia.com or any search engine will find articles and journals in the field http://www.ncjrs.gov/index.html there are many other places in the library to find articles and journals as well as searching on the Internet. http://www.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/cje/html/aboutcje.html http://www.acjs.org/ http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/ncvrw/2005/pg4c.html http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/assist/nvaa/welcome.html\ http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ncfv-cnivf/familyviolence/archives/html/1oldsetbiblio.htm You must use JOURNALS to cite from and utilize in your paper.  You must form a research paper and do not use opinions. Apply the research and how you can improve the current state of affairs.  Define or look up these types of research so you can understand the procedure for the papero QUALITATIVE PAPER: Qualitative research is one of the two major approaches to research methodology in social sciences. Qualitative research involves an in depth understanding of human behavior and the reasons that govern human behavior. Unlike quantitative research, qualitative research relies on reasons behind various aspects of behavior. Simply put, it investigates the why and how of decision making, as compared to what, where, and when of quantitative research. Hence, the need is for smaller but focused samples rather than large random samples. From which, qualitative research categorizes data into patterns as the primary basis for organizing and reporting results. o QUANTITATIVE PAPER: Quantitative research is the systematic scientific investigation of quantitative properties and phenomena and their relationships. Quantitative research is widely used in both the natural and social sciences, from physics and biology to sociology and journalism. The objective of quantitative research is to develop and employ mathematical models, theories and hypotheses pertaining to natural phenomena. The process of measurement is central to quantitative research because it provides the fundamental connection between empirical observation and mathematical expression of quantitative relationships. The term quantitative research is most often used in the social sciences in contrast to qualitative research. Research may be re-used and expanded on in the future to for further progression in the field. The goal of the project is to apply the knowledge. Research objectives and hypotheses will be formed, primary data and secondary data will be collected and applied. Use statistical data if it applies to come to solid conclusion.

Here are four essay prompts (A-D). You must choose one to write for a letter grade. All term papers must be 12-1500 words (4 pages, approx.), typed, double-spaced, 1” margins, 10/12-point type. Put proper identifying information (name, class, date) in the header, and choose a good title that conveys your topic. Due Friday.
B: Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones): Dutchman (1966 film version directed by Anthony Harvey) 
You have two ways to consider this important early piece of “racial justice” theater. In both cases, however, start by writing a clear, concise paragraph summarizing the plot. Then:
EITHER: What do you think Baraka is saying about race relations in America?  Admittedly, the play is 50 years old, but it’s still powerful and every bit as timely, given the increased calls for racial justice that have resulted from the events of this past year. Discuss at least three points you think the play raises and comment on how they might still be relevant today (or not). Watch this interview clip to get a better sense of what the author was trying to do, and make sure to refer to at least one comment of his in your paper.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkhL70D2ZB0 (Links to an external site.)
OR: Alternatively, pick two scenes for each main character, where Clay and Lula make a particularly important speech. It may be her opening monologue or his closing one – it’s up to you. But you must interpret their words to explain their positions on race, class, and /or gender – all of which are issues that the characters raise. Remember, that means you need to discuss four separate scenes, focusing on the dialogue. 
You can review the play here (in 6 segments/scenes):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI6XmBX9-po&list=PLkllO54doZSvlvAvPWrKw3Zzu7lq9OLTD (Links to an external site.) Also, find cast and other practical details here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060358/ (Links to an external site.)
C: Crossroads reflection:  This wonderful adaptation of the Robert Johnson legend uses it to underpin a modern relationship drama that then takes a supernatural twist. Eugene (Ralph Maccio) hopes to become a bluesman with the help of “Blind Boy” Willie Brown (Joe Seneca), who once walked the same path as Robert Johnson, right down to making a similar Faustian pact (a deal with the Devil), and now needs Eugene’s help to undo it.
In your essay, consider both of the following points. You must make at least 3 connections to scenes in the film, using relevant quotes to illustrate your opinions. 

What details in the film parallel or correspond to those from the life and myth of Robert Johnson, and in what ways? How does Willie follow in Johnson’s footsteps?
In what ways does Eugene (Ralph Macchio) become a bluesman? What lessons does he learn from his fellow travelers? In other words, what experiences does he have that would be the stuff of blues lyrics?

See here for cast and other useful details: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090888/ (Links to an external site.)
D: Black Identity, Blues Literature reflection: Choose two (or more) of these pieces that describe or dramatize the Black experience, both socially and economically. Summarize the essays/stories in a good paragraph each and then express your own opinion as to how the ideas expressed there might connect with current issues of equity, inclusion, and racial justice. You must choose at least one story (work of fiction) and one essay (work of non-fiction), and you must make at least two connections back to each essay or story. In a separate paragraph, you must also comment on the music and performances of Nina Simone to show how she aligns (or doesn’t) with the race issues raised in the essay.  Choose at least two pieces from this list: Zora Neale Hurston,Their Eyes Were Watching God excerpt (chapter 18); Ralph Ellison, “Battle Royal;” Alice Walker, “Everyday Use;” Malcolm X, “Learning To Read;” Cornel West & Wynton Marsalis, “Jazz, Hope, and Democracy;” William Darrity, Jr. – “Forty Acres and a Mule in the 21st Century” [the case for reparations].