Constructing Measures: An Item Response Modeling Approach - Hardcover

Wilson, Mark

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805847855 ISBN 13: 9780805847857

Publisher: Routledge, 2004

Synopsis

Constructing Measures introduces a way to understand the advantages and disadvantages of measurement instruments, how to use such instruments, and how to apply these methods to develop new instruments or adapt old ones. The book is organized around the steps taken while constructing an instrument. It opens with a summary of the constructive steps involved. Each step is then expanded on in the next four chapters. These chapters develop the "building blocks" that make up an instrument--the construct map, the design plan for the items, the outcome space, and the statistical measurement model. The next three chapters focus on quality control. They rely heavily on the calibrated construct map and review how to check if scores are operating consistently and how to evaluate the reliability and validity evidence. The book introduces a variety of item formats, including multiple-choice, open-ended, and performance items; projects; portfolios; Likert and Guttman items; behavioral observations; and interview protocols.

Each chapter includes an overview of the key concepts, related resources for further investigation and exercises and activities. Some chapters feature appendices that describe parts of the instrument development process in more detail, numerical manipulations used in the text, and/or data results. A variety of examples from the behavioral and social sciences and education including achievement and performance testing; attitude measures; health measures, and general sociological scales, demonstrate the application of the material. An accompanying CD features control files, output, and a data set to allow readers to compute the text's exercises and create new analyses and case archives based on the book's examples so the reader can work through the entire development of an instrument.

Constructing Measures is an ideal text or supplement in courses on item, test, or instrument development, measurement, item response theory, or rasch analysis taught in a variety of departments including education and psychology. The book also appeals to those who develop instruments, including industrial/organizational, educational, and school psychologists, health outcomes researchers, program evaluators, and sociological measurers. Knowledge of basic descriptive statistics and elementary regression is recommended.

About this title

Synopsis:

Constructing Measures introduces a way to understand the advantages and disadvantages of measurement instruments, how to use such instruments, and how to apply the methods introduced in the book to develop new instruments and/or adapt old ones. The author believes that the best way to learn is by doing. It is therefore recommended that the reader review the book while in the process of actually constructing an instrument. The book is organized around the steps taken while constructing an instrument. It opens with a summary of the constructive steps involved. Each step is then expanded on in the next 4 chapters. These chapters develop the "building blocks" that make up an instrument - the construct map, the design plan for the items, the outcome space, and the statistical measurement model. The next 3 chapters focus on quality control. They relay heavily on the calibrated construct map and review how to check if scores are operating consistently and how to evaluate the reliability and validity evidence.

The book introduces a variety of item formats including multiple-choice, open-ended, and performance items, projects, portfolios, Likert and Guttman items, behavioral observations, and interview protocols. Each chapter includes several features to help the reader: a chapter overview provides the key concepts; related resources provide details for further investigating certain topics; and exercises and activities provide an opportunity to apply the chapter's concepts. Some chapters feature appendices that describe parts of the instrument development process in more detail, numerical manipulations used in the text, and/or data results of computer analyses. A variety of examples from the behavioral and social sciences and education including achievement and performance testing, attitude measures, health measures such as quality of life, and general sociological scales demonstrate the application of the material. An accompanying CD features: "GradeMap" with control files, output, and a data set to allow readers to compute all of the text's exercises and examples and crete and explore new analyses.

Case archives based on the book's examples so the reader can work through the entire development of an instrument and gain a greater understanding of the ways the approach varies depending on the circumstances. Constructing Measures is intended to serve as an advanced text or supplement in courses on item, test, or instrument development, measurement, item response theory, or rasch analysis taught in a variety of departments including education and psychology. The book will also appeal to those who develop instruments including industrial/organizational, educational, and school psychologists, health outcomes researchers, program evaluators, and sociological measurers. Knowledge of basic descriptive statistics and elementary regression is recommended.

About the Author:

Dr. Mark Wilson is a professor of education at the University of California at Berkeley. He received his Ph.D. in educational measurement and statistics from the University of Chicago. He is an editor of Measurement: Interdisciplinary Research and Perspectives.

About this edition

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0805847855
• ISBN 13: 9780805847857
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 248