This article discusses the basics of the "4 scales of measurement" and how they are applicable to research or everyday tools of life. To do this you will be able to list and describe the four types of scales of measurement used in quantitative research; provide examples of uses of the four scales of measurement; and determine the…

Conventional optimal design frameworks consider a narrow range of sampling cost structures that thereby constrict their capacity to identify the most powerful and efficient designs. We relax several constraints of previous optimal design frameworks by allowing for variable sampling costs in cluster-randomized trials. The proposed framework…

Although teachers at many colleges and universities receive regular performance reviews (e.g. annual reviews), there are no absolute standards regarding what teaching performance in terms of teaching evaluation ratings during the review period is satisfactory. To address this issue, in this paper we propose a new two-step approach to construct…

In order to reach valid and reliable test scores, various test theories have been developed, and one of them is nonparametric item response theory (NIRT). Mokken Models are the most widely known NIRT models which are useful for small samples and short tests. Mokken Package is useful for Mokken Scale Analysis. An important issue about validity is…

In analyzing data from attitude surveys, it is common to consider the "don't know" responses as missing values. In this article, we present a statistical model commonly used for the analysis of responses/evaluations expressed on Likert scales and extended to take into account the presence of don't know responses. The main objective is to…

Mixed studies reviews include empirical studies with diverse designs (qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods). To make the process of identifying relevant empirical studies for such reviews more efficient, we developed a mixed filter that included different keywords and subject headings for quantitative (e.g., cohort study), qualitative…

Computer simulation can be used to demonstrate why the unbiased sample variance uses degrees of freedom (n-1). This is first demonstrated for sampling from a normal random variable, and in additional simulations for some selected non-normal random variables, namely, chi-square and binomial.

The Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) is a multicycle survey of adult skills and competencies sponsored by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The survey examines a range of basic skills in the information age and assesses these adult skills consistently across participating…

In regression analysis courses, there are many settings in which the response variable under study is continuous, strictly positive, and right skew. This type of response variable does not adhere to the normality assumptions underlying the traditional linear regression model, and accordingly may be analyzed using a generalized linear model…

Students acquire knowledge as they interact with a variety of learning materials, such as video lectures, problems, and discussions. Modeling student knowledge at each point during their learning period and understanding the contribution of each learning material to student knowledge are essential for detecting students' knowledge gaps and…

In paired experiments, participants are grouped into pairs with similar characteristics, and one observation from each pair is randomly assigned to treatment. The resulting treatment and control groups should be well-balanced; however, there may still be small chance imbalances. Building on work for completely randomized experiments, we propose a…

In this paper is proposed a straightforward model selection approach that indicates the most suitable count regression model based on relevant data characteristics. The proposed selection approach includes four of the most popular count regression models (i.e. Poisson, negative binomial, and respective zero-inflated frameworks). Moreover, it…

The present study proposes a Bayesian approach for estimating and testing the operation-specific learning model, a variant of the linear logistic test model that allows for the measurement of the learning that occurs during a test as a result of the repeated use of the operations involved in the items. The advantages of using a Bayesian framework…

Across the field of education research there has been an increased focus on the development, critique, and evaluation of statistical methods and data usage due to recently created, very large datasets and machine learning techniques. In physics education research (PER), this increased focus has recently been shown through the 2019 Physical Review…

First, we trace the history of second language acquisition (SLA) from early stages in the mid-twentieth century to today. We next consider the status of the field in today's research world with a particular focus on all aspects of methodology and, finally, we take a look at the future and discuss issues related to scientific rigor in light of Open…