ERIC Number: EJ1368382
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0260-2938
EISSN: EISSN-1469-297X
Available Date: N/A
Item Order and Speededness: Implications for Test Fairness in Higher Educational High-Stakes Testing
Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, v47 n7 p1030-1042 2022
A common approach to increase test security in higher educational high-stakes testing is the use of different test forms with identical items but different item orders. The effects of such varied item orders are relatively well studied, but findings have generally been mixed. When multiple test forms with different item orders are used, we argue that the moderating role of speededness on item order effects cannot be neglected as missing responses are commonly scored as incorrect in high-stakes testing. If test-takers run out of time while not giving answers to easy items at the end of the test, they are penalised stronger than if instead they were unable to provide answers to difficult items. Using an illustrative real-data example of a speeded test, we show that the potential consequences of ignoring item order can be substantial with respect to test fairness. Our proposed solution consists of using a fixed item order across forms from the point at which the test may become speeded for some students. In this approach, the most time-intensive items are placed at the end of the test. A simulation based on real data of two university examinations from psychology students illustrates the usefulness of this approach.
Descriptors: Information Security, High Stakes Tests, Computer Security, Test Items, Cheating, Test Format, Scoring, Timed Tests, Difficulty Level, Culture Fair Tests, Ethics, Simulation, Psychology, Undergraduate Students, Prevention, Reaction Time, Programming Languages
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A