Juries are a high-stake practice in higher education to assess complex competencies. However common, research remains behind in detailing the psychometric qualities of juries, especially when using rubrics or rating scales as an assessment tool. In this study, I analyze a case of a jury assessment (N = 191) of product development where both…

Student evaluations of teaching (SETs) are frequently used to assess college teachers. However, education research has shown that there is potential for bias in SETs, especially based on instructor variables. Aside from Amy Dayton's 2015 work on assessment that advises using SETs only in concert with other measures, English studies scholars have…

Chinese higher education is experiencing rapid development and growth. With tremendous resources invested in higher education, policy makers have requested more direct evidence of student learning. However, assessment tools that can be used to measure college-level learning are scarce in China. To mitigate this situation, we translated the…

This study was to apply the mixed Rasch model to investigate person heterogeneity of Beck Depression Inventory-II-Chinese version (BDI-II-C) and its effects on dimensionality and construct validity. Person heterogeneity was reflected by two latent classes that differ qualitatively. Additionally, person heterogeneity adversely affected the…

This paper provides an overview of the issue of student anonymity in the summative assessment of student work in higher education. It considers both theoretical literature pertaining to bias in the evaluation of the work of others and the limited empirical work undertaken on this issue in higher education. It then describes the experience of three…

Three studies investigating the existence of sex bias in the grading of undergraduate students, by examining interrater reliability for blind and non-blind grading, are reported. Negative evidence found in the results and the confusing picture presented by previous research indicate little firm evidence of sex bias in grading. (Author/MSE)

Support claims that the "Defining Issues Test" of cognitive-moral development cannot be faked higher. Finds that instruction about cognitive-moral development affected the scores of the teacher trainees who were tested. (RL)

Compared the "hybrid" Test of Understanding in College Economics (TUCE) with the four original TUCE versions and found that the hybrid version is 1) "broader,""thinner," and less technical in terms of content coverage; 2) more reliable with a generally superior item analysis structure; and 3) slightly "easier" for students who have taken economics…

Responses to various fixed test-response formats were examined for "reliability" due to systematic error; Cronbach's alphas up to .67 were obtained. Of formats tested, four-point Likert Scales were least affected while forms of lines and faces were most problematic. Possible modification in alpha to account for systematic bias is…

Test measurement, reliability, and validity are discussed in relation to methods of physical fitness testing. A successful testing method which involved students testing their peers is described, showing the administration of various test items and the use of test practice procedures. (JN)

In this naturalistic study of essay marking, 15 university lecturers graded an examination paper and completed the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. A significant positive correlation was found between the marks given and the grader's lie score, indicating possible effects of staff-student interactions or social desirability on biases in grading.…

A standard method for exploring item bias is the intergroup comparison of item difficulties. This paper describes a refinement and generalization of this technique. In contrast to prior approaches, the proposed method deletes outlying items from the formulation of a criterion for identifying items as deviant. It also extends the mathematical…

The relationship between students' scores on a verbal meaning test and their degrees of confidence in item responses was investigated. Subjects were black undergraduate students and they were administered a verbal meaning test by following a confidence testing procedure. (Author/BJG)

A "Fundamentals of Speech Communication" course is required of all college students, and upon completion of such a course students should possess those basic speaking and listening skills necessary to complete successfully their college educations. With a view toward developing a new, more effective listening test, a study examined…

Two aspects of rater accuracy in performance assessment were analyzed: rater stringency/leniency, and rater consistency. Data were obtained from three administrations of an oral certification examination in a health profession. The examination consists of clinical cases in four content areas or subspecialities. A total of 364 candidates were…