Funded Research
Below is a sample of completed research that has been awarded funding by the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC).
Using Response Time to Detect Item Preknowledge in Computer-Based Licensure Examinations
This article addresses the issue of how to detect item preknowledge using item response time data in two computer-based large-scale licensure examinations. Item preknowledge is indicated by an unexpected short response time and a correct response. Two samples were used for detecting item preknowledge for each examination. The first sample was from the early stage of the operational test and was used for item calibration. The second sample was from the late stage of the operational test, which may feature item preknowledge. The purpose of this research was to explore whether there was evidence of item preknowledge and compromised items in the second sample using the parameters estimated from the first sample. The results showed that for one nonadaptive operational examination, two items (of 111) were potentially exposed, and two candidates (of 1,172) showed some indications of preknowledge on multiple items. For another licensure examination that featured computerized adaptive testing, there was no indication of item preknowledge or compromised items. Implications for detected aberrant examinees and compromised items are discussed in the article.
2016 | Research Item
Item Pool Design for an Operational Variable-Length Computerized Adaptive Test
Published in Educational and Psychological Measurement
2012 | Research Item
Nursing Clinical Decision-Making: A Literature Review
This literature review is for internal use and has not been published externally.
2012 | Research Item
Comparison Between Dichotomous and Polytomous Scoring of Innovative Items in a Large-scale Computerized Adaptive Test
Published in Educational and Psychological Measurement
2012 | Research Item
Developing Item Variants: An Empirical Study
Presented at GMAC Conference on Computerized Adaptive Testing
2009 | Research Item
Defining Item Compromise
Presented at AERA
2006 | Research Item
Statistical Detection of Cheating
Presented at AERA
2006 | Research Item
Assessing the Unidimensionality of the NCLEX-RN
Presented at AERA
2006 | Research Item
The Impact of Differing Field-testing Procedures on the Accuracy of Item Calibrations in a Computerized Adaptive Test
Presented at AERA
2005 | Research Item
Examining Changes in Item Difficulty Estimates Across Years for a High Stakes Licensure CAT
Presented at AERA
2005 | Research Item
Three Response Types for Broadening the Conception of Mathematical Problem Solving in Computerized Adaptive Tests
Presented at NCME
1998 | Research Item
Stability of Item Calibrations for the NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN Using Computerized Adaptive Testing
Presented at AERA
1996 | Research Item
The Effect of Restricting Ability Distributions in the Estimation of the Item Difficulties: Implications for a CAT Implementation
Presented at NCME
1994 | Research Item
Ability Measure Equivalence of Computerized Adaptive and Paper and Pencil Tests: A Research Synthesis
Presented at AERA
1992 | Research Item
Simulating Adaptive Administration of a Nursing Licensure Examination
Presented at AERA
1987 | Research Item