Validation of scores from self-learning scales for primary students using true-score and Rasch measurement methods

The validation of scores from the Self-learning Scales for primary pupils is presented in this study. The sample for the study comprised 1253 pupils from 20 Year-3 and 20 Year-5 classes from ten primary schools in Hong Kong. The 10-item Usefulness Scale is designed to measure primary pupils' attitudes toward the usefulness of self-learning strategies situated in ten learning contexts. The 10-item Deployment Scale is designed to measure pupils' frequency in using the self-learning strategies. Both scales use 3-point Likert response scale. Construct validity of scores from the scales for use with primary pupils is supported by confirmatory factor analysis and Rasch measurement. Gender and year level differences were identified on the Rasch person measures. Generalizability of the scores from the two scales across gender and year level needs to be undertaken with caution.     

Detecting and measuring rater effects using many-facet Rasch measurement: part I

The purpose of this two-part paper is to introduce researchers to the many-facet Rasch measurement (MFRM) approach for detecting and measuring rater effects. The researcher will learn how to use the Facets (Linacre, 2001) computer program to study five effects: leniency/severity, central tendency, randomness, halo, and differential leniency/severity. Part 1 of the paper provides critical background and context for studying MFRM. We present a catalog of rater effects, introducing effects that researchers have studied over the last three-quarters of a century in order to help readers gain a historical perspective on how those effects have been conceptualized. We define each effect and describe various ways the effect has been portrayed in the research literature. We then explain how researchers theorize that the effect impacts the quality of ratings, pinpoint various indices they have used to measure it, and describe various strategies that have been proposed to try to minimize its impact on the measurement of ratees. The second half of Part 1 provides conceptual and mathematical explanations of many-facet Rasch measurement, focusing on how researchers can use MFRM to study rater effects. First, we present the many-facet version of Andrich's (1978) rating scale model and identify questions about a rating operation that researchers can address using this model. We then introduce three hybrid MFRM models, explain the conceptual distinctions among them, describe how they differ from the rating scale model, and identify questions about a rating operation that researchers can address using these hybrid models.     

Detecting and measuring rater effects using many-facet Rasch measurement: Part II

The purpose of this two-part paper is to introduce researchers to the many-facet Rasch measurement (MFRM) approach for detecting and measuring rater effects. In Part II of the paper, researchers will learn how to use the Facets (Linacre, 2001) computer program to study five effects: leniency/severity, central tendency, randomness, halo, and differential leniency/severity. As we introduce each effect, we operationally define it within the context of a MFRM approach, specify the particular measurement model(s) needed to detect it, identify group- and individual-level statistical indicators of the effect, and show output from a Facets analysis, pinpointing the various indicators and explaining how to interpret each one. At the close of the paper, we describe other statistical procedures that have been used to detect and measure rater effects to help researchers become aware of important and influential literature on the topic and to gain an appreciation for the diversity of psychometric perspectives that researchers bring to bear on their work. Finally, we consider future directions for research in the detection and measurement of rater effects.     

The Rasch model,additive conjoint measurement,and new models of probabilistic measurement theory

This research describes some of the similarities and differences between additive conjoint measurement (a type of fundamental measurement) and the Rasch model. It seems that there are many similarities between the two frameworks, however, their differences are nontrivial. For instance, while conjoint measurement specifies measurement scales using a data-free, non-numerical axiomatic frame of reference, the Rasch model specifies measurement scales using a numerical frame of reference that is, by definition, data dependent. In order to circumvent difficulties that can be realistically imposed by this data dependence, this research formalizes new non-parametric item response models. These models are probabilistic measurement theory models in the sense that they explicitly integrate the axiomatic ideas of measurement theory with the statistical ideas of order-restricted inference and Markov Chain Monte Carlo. The specifications of these models are rather flexible, as they can represent any one of several models used in psychometrics, such as Mokken's (1971) monotone homogeneity model, Scheiblechner's (1995) isotonic ordinal probabilistic model, or the Rasch (1960) model. The proposed non-parametric item response models are applied to analyze both real and simulated data sets.     

Using Rasch measurement to investigate volleyball skills and inform coaching

This paper illustrates some of the ways that Rasch modeling techniques can be used to inform coaching of volleyball. Volleyball game statistics for 11 volleyball players collected over 27 matches on 3 skills were analyzed using a multifaceted Rasch model (Lincare, 1999) incorporating the partial credit model (Masters, 1982). Rating scale analyses and model fit statistics were used to derive interval level scales that provided more objective information regarding player ability and consistency than is usually available to coaches. Detailed results illustrate that Rasch analyses can provide very specific information that coaches might use in drill, practice, and game strategy design.     

Measuring attitudes and behaviors to studying and learning for university students: a Rasch measurement model analysis

A Studying and Learning Scale was created using a model of Motivation (sets of ordered stem-items based on Striving for Excellence, Desire to Learn and Personal Incentives), with each item answered from three self-reported perspectives (an Ideal Self-view, a Capability Self-view, and a Studying and Learning Self-view). The response categories were the number of subjects studied. The stem-item sample was 23, each answered in three aspects, so each stem-item had three 'difficulties', making an effective item sample of 69. The person convenience sample was 372 students in education at an Australian university. The 69 items fit a Rasch measurement model and formed a scale in which the 'difficulties' of the items were ordered from 'easy' to 'hard' and the student measures of Studying and Learning were ordered from 'low' to 'high'. The person separation reliability was high at 0.94. The response categories were answered consistently and logically and the results supported many (but not all) of the conceptually ordered-by-difficulty item patterns. Students found it 'easy' to form a high view of How they would like to be, much 'harder' to form a high view of What they think they are capable of doing and even 'harder' to perform, at a high level, their Studying and Learning behavior for all stem-items, in accordance with the model.     

Test scores,measurement, and the use of analysis of variance: an historical overview

In order to establish a firmer statistical foundation from which to draw inferences from factorial design study data, transformations of raw scores are occasionally employed in order to make their distributions more generally normal or to provide linearity. To date, few studies have been conducted to determine whether or not raw scores transformed or otherwise constitute measures for the purposes of statistical analysis. In this article, the historical development of the understanding of the term "measurement" by researchers in the social sciences is traced, and the development and use of One and Two-way ANOVA by researchers in the social sciences are presented and evaluated.     

A biomechanical investigation of forces applied to the lift truck steering wheel: effects of posture,gender and hand contact on cumulative low back loading

Hand contact forces on a typical lift truck steering wheel were quantified in a laboratory to determine their effects on low back loading. A single muscle equivalent link segment model (3D Match) was used to estimate cumulative loading exposure variables at the L4/L5 intervertebral disc with and without hand contact forces. Hand contact forces significantly decreased cumulative L4/L5 compression in forward bending (FB) for males by 32% and females by 14%. Cumulative L4/L5 compression in males (37,023?±?2183?Ns) was not different from that in females (38,413?±?2224?Ns). When excluding hand contact forces, males had significantly greater cumulative L4/L5 compression (55,165?±?1593?Ns) in FB compared to females (43,255?±?1753?Ns). Hand contact forces on mobile equipment controls might result in decreased cumulative L4/L5 compression, especially in awkward trunk postures. Females may be further predisposed to injury resulting from exposure to cumulative load.     

Evidence for the reliability of measures and validity of measure interpretation: a Rasch measurement perspective

In an era of high stakes testing and evaluation in education, psychology, and health care, there is need for rigorous methods and standards for obtaining evidence of the reliability of measures and validity of inferences. Messick (1989, 1995), the Standard for Educational and Psychological Testing (American Psychological Association, American Educational Research Association, and National Council on Measurement in Education, 1999), and the Medical Outcomes Trust (1995), among others, have described methods that may be used to gather evidence for reliability and validity, but ignored the potential role Rasch measurement may contribute to this process. This article will outline methods in Rasch measurement that are used to gather evidence for reliability and validity and attempt to articulate how these methods may be linked with the current views of reliability and validity.     

Using Rasch measurement to investigate the cross-form equivalence and clinical utility of Spanish and English versions of a diabetes questionnaire: a pilot study

The purpose of this research was to use Rasch measurement to study the psychometric properties of data obtained from a newly developed Diabetes Questionnaire designed to measure diabetes knowledge, attitudes, and self-care. Specifically, a methodology using principles of Rasch measurement for investigating the cross-form equivalence of English and Spanish versions of the Diabetes Questionnaire was employed. A total of fifty diabetes patients responded to the questionnaire, with 26 participants completing the English version. Analyses detected problems with the attitude items. We attributed the scaling problems to the use of negatively worded items with participants having generally low educational backgrounds. Analysis of the knowledge and self-care items yielded unidimensional variables with clinically meaningful item hierarchies that may have relevance to treatment protocols. Furthermore, the knowledge and the self-care items from the two versions of the Diabetes Questionnaire met our criteria for establishing cross-form equivalence and thus allow quantitative comparisons of person measures across versions. Limitations of the study and suggested refinements of the Diabetes Questionnaire are discussed.     

The effects of road-surface conditions, age, and gender on driver-injury severities

Drivers’ adaptation to weather-induced changes in roadway-surface conditions is a complex process that can potentially be influenced by many factors including age and gender. Using a mixed logit analysis, this research assesses the effects that age, gender, and other factors have on crash severities by considering single-vehicle crashes that occurred on dry, wet, and snow/ice-covered roadway surfaces. With an extensive database of single-vehicle crashes from Indiana in 2007 and 2008, estimation results showed that there were substantial differences across age/gender groups under different roadway-surface conditions. For example, for all females and older males, the likelihood of severe injuries increased when crashes occurred on wet or snow/ice surfaces–but for male drivers under 45 years of age, the probability of severe injuries decreased on wet and snow/ice surfaces – relative to dry-surface crashes. This and many other significant differences among age and gender groups suggest that drivers perceive and react to pavement-surface conditions in very different ways, and this has important safety implications. Furthermore, the empirical findings of this study highlight the value of considering subsets of data to unravel the complex relationships within crash-injury severity analysis.     

The effects of gender,age and academic rank on research diversification

In this work we analyze the combined effects of gender, age and academic rank on the propensity of individual scholars to diversify their scientific activity. The aspect of research diversification is measured along three main dimensions, namely its extent and intensity and the cognitive relatedness of the fields of diversification. We apply two regression models to the dataset of scientific output of all Italian professors in the sciences over the period 2004–2008. The aim is to understand how personal and organizational traits can influence individual behaviors in terms of research diversification. Among other considerations, our findings urge caution in identifying research diversification as a co-determinant of the gender productivity gap between males and females.     

Differential effects of COVID-19 lockdowns on well-being: interaction between age,gender and chronotype

The unprecedented restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic altered our daily habits and severely affected our well-being and physiology. The effect of these changes is yet to be fully understood. Here, we analysed highly detailed data on 169 participants for two to six months, before and during the second COVID-19 lockdown in Israel. We extracted 12 well-being indicators from sensory data of smartwatches and from self-reported questionnaires, filled daily using a designated mobile application. We found that, in general, lockdowns resulted in significant changes in mood, sleep duration, sport duration, social encounters, resting heart rate and number of steps. Examining subpopulations, we found that younger participants (aged 20–40 years) suffered from a greater decline in mood and number of steps than older participants (aged 60–80 years). Likewise, women suffered from a higher increase in stress and reduction in social encounters than men. Younger early chronotypes did not increase their sleep duration and exhibited the highest drop in mood. Our findings underscore that while lockdowns severely impacted our well-being and physiology in general, greater damage has been identified in certain subpopulations. Accordingly, special attention should be given to younger people, who are usually not in the focus of social support, and to women.     

Rasch measurement of self-regulated learning in an information and communication technology (ICT)-rich environment

This report describes how a linear scale of self-regulated learning in an ICT-rich environment was created by analysing student data using the Rasch measurement model. A person convenience sample of (N = 409) university students in Western Australia was used. The stem-item sample was initially 41, answered in two perspectives ("I aim for this" and "I actually do this"), and reduced to 16 that fitted the measurement model to form a unidimensional scale. Items for motivation (extrinsic rewards, intrinsic rewards, and social rewards), academic goals (fear of performing poorly) (but not standards), self-learning beliefs (ability and interest), task management (strategies and time management) (but not cooperative learning), Volition (action control (but not environmental control), and self-evaluation (cognitive self-evaluation and metacognition) fitted the measurement model. The proportion of observed variance considered true was 0.90. A new instrument is proposed to handle the conceptually valid but non-fitting items. Characteristics of high self-regulated learners are measured.     

Simultaneous measurement of phonons and ionization using SiCAD s

Our group at Stanford has configured a double-sided Silicon Crystal Acoustic Detector (SiCAD) for simultaneous measurement of both phonons and ionization. This detector operates at 370mK and consists of Ti Transition Edge Sensors (TES), having microsecond resolution times, patterned on both sides of a 300µm thick Si wafer. Distinguishing an electron-recoil event from a nuclear-recoil event is possible due to the different partitioning of energy into phonons vs. ionization for the two types of event. This is a powerful background rejection technique for neutrino physics experiments and dark matter searches where the events of interest are nuclear-recoils. In addition, the phonon sensor is position sensitive. In particular, it determines the depth of an event and can be used to reject events occurring near the surface. This detector also allows us to refine our recent measurement of the fraction of phonon energy propagating ballistically from nuclear-recoil events¹.     

Mathematical formulations for the schlieren detection method applied to the measurement of photodeformation

In a schlieren detection scheme for photodeformation measurements, the divergence of the probe beam that is induced by the axisymmetric but radially inhomogeneous periodic photothermal displacement of the surface of a sample is transformed into an intensity variation by insertion of an iris in front of the detection photodiode. We present three expressions for the intensity profile of a Gaussian laser beam that is reflected by the inhomogeneous photodeformation of a solid. The first expression proceeds from geometrical optics (or photometry), whereas the second one derives from the use of the well-known ABCD law and the third one from diffraction principles. Comparing these formulations of the schlieren signal with their behavior as a function of different geometrical parameters, we obtain the domain of validity of each expression, and we deduce the advantages of the different formalisms.     

Spark-induced breakdown spectroscopy and multivariate analysis applied to the measurement of total carbon in soil

Identifying and implementing techniques for carbon management has become an important endeavor in the mitigation of global climate change. Two important techniques being pursued are geologic and terrestrial carbon sequestration. With regard to terrestrial sequestration, in order to accurately monitor changes in soil carbon potentially induced by sequestration practices, rapid, cost-effective, and accurate measurements must be developed. Spark-induced breakdown spectroscopy (SIBS) has the potential to be used as a field-deployable method to monitor changes in the concentration of carbon in soil. SIBS spectra in the 248 nm region of eight soils were collected, and the neutral carbon line at 247.85 nm was compared to total carbon concentration determined by standard dry combustion techniques. Additionally, Fe and Si emission lines were evaluated in a multivariate statistical model to evaluate their impacts on the model's predictive power for total carbon concentrations. The preliminary results indicate that SIBS is a viable method to quantify total carbon levels in soils, obtaining a correlation of (R(2)=0.972) between measured and predicated carbon in soils. These results show that multivariate analysis can be used to construct a calibration model for SIBS soil spectra.     

Transmission of the size of units of quantities and verification conditions as applied to measurement systems

The meaning of “transmission of the size of units of quantities” and “verification conditions” applied to measurement systems is considered. __________ Translated from Izmeritel’naya Tekhnika, No. 5. pp. 63–65, May, 2007.     

Simultaneous measurement of thermal conductivity and specific heat of short-lived liquid

The thermal conductivity and specific heat of a short-lived liquid are measured simultaneously by a pulsed version of the probe method. The nonuniformity of the temperature in the body of the probe is taken into account. A block diagram of experimental apparatus realizing the method is described.Translated from Inzhenerno-Fizicheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 38, No. 4, pp. 716–720, April, 1980.