The precision of item parameter estimates can be increased by taking advantage of dependencies between the latent proficiency variable and auxiliary examinee variables such as age, courses taken, and years of schooling. Score gains roughly equivalent to two to six additional item responses can be expected in typical educational and psychological…

Diagnostic testing confronts several challenges at once, among which are issues of test interpretation and immediate modification of the test itself in response to the interpretation. Several methods are available for administering and evaluating a test in real-time, towards optimizing the examiner's chances of isolating a persistent pattern of…

False-positive and false-negative dicisions are the fundamental errors committed with a mastery test; yet the estimation of the likelihood of committing these errors has not been investigated. Accordingly, two methods of estimating the likelihood of committing these errors are described and then investigated using Monte Carlo techniques.…

Formulas are presented for decision reliability and for classification validity for mastery/nonmastery decisions based on criterion referenced tests. Two item parameters are used: the probability of a master answering an item correctly, and the probability of a nonmaster answering an item incorrectly. The theory explores the relationships of…

The feasibility of using a distance measure, called the Bayesian distance, for automatic sequential document classification was studied. Results indicate that, by observing the variation of this distance measure as keywords are extracted sequentially from a document, the occurrence of noisy keywords may be detected. This property of the distance…

To facilitate meta-analysis of diverse study findings, a mixed linear model with fixed random effects is presented and illustrated with data from teacher expectancy experiments. The standardized effect size is viewed as random and the variation among effect sizes is modeled as a function of study characteristics. (Author/BS).

Estimating item parameters from a two-parameter normal ogive model is considered using Gibbs sampling to simulate draws from the joint posterior distribution of ability and item parameters. The method gives marginal posterior density estimates for any parameter of interest, as illustrated using data from a 33-item mathematics placement…

The author discusses some approaches to assessing the impact of inaccurate information when the planning system involves formulae of the management accounting type or models of the operational research variety. The most appropriate method for quantifying information value in management information systems is through Bayesian analysis and decision…

The purpose of this paper is to link empirical Bayes methods with two specific topics in item response theory--item/subtest regression, and testing the goodness of fit of the Rasch model--under the assumptions of local independence and sufficiency. It is shown that item/subtest regression results in empirical Bayes estimates only if the Rasch…

A general approach is proposed for modeling the structure of a two-way contingency table, and for drawing inferences about the marginal and interaction effects, cell parameters, and conditional probabilities. The prior distribution expresses uncertainty in a simple reduced model, in particular the independence model. The posterior estimates of the…

A decision-theoretic procedure is outlined which provides a framework within which Bayesian statistical methods can be employed with criterion-referenced tests to improve the quality of decision making in objectives based instructional programs. (Author/DEP)

This study examined the appropriateness of the use of criterion referenced tests as a means of controlling an individual student's advancement to the next level of instruction or retention in the current unit in the PLATO Air Force Base Computer-Based Education project at Chanute. The study was also concerned with program evaluation, which…

A multiparameter, programmable model was developed to examine the interactive influence of certain parameters on the probability of deciding that an examinee had attained a specified degree of mastery. It was applied within the simulated context of performance testing of military trainees. These parameters included: (1) the number of assumed…

A computer simulation of Bayes' Theorem was conducted in order to determine the probability that an examinee was a master conditional upon his test score. The inputs were: number of mastery states assumed, test length, prior expectation of masters in the examinee population, and conditional probability of a master getting a randomly selected test…

In this paper a Bayesian procedure is developed for the simultaneous estimation of the reading ability and difficulty parameters which are assumed to be factors in reading errors by the multiplicative Poisson Model. According to several criteria, the Bayesian estimates are better than comparable maximum likelihood estimates. (Author/JAZ)