Support for Three Validity Inferences for the Motivational-Developmental Assessment for University Students

• In Event: Localized Validity Evidence for Specific Assessment Purposes

Abstract

Motivational and developmental (MD) skills are important student characteristics for academic success and persistence in higher education. Self-report rating scales are the standard method of assessing these skills for this population. Self-report rating scales are efficient but involve serious limitations. Innovative assessments have been proposed to obtain deeper understanding of student postsecondary MD characteristics and trajectories. In this study, we examined a revised writing prompt-based MD assessment for first-year students. The 4-prompt assessment captures theoretically driven domains that should be associated with positive student outcomes. We evaluate evidence for scoring, generalization, and extrapolation inferences through factor analysis, Generalizability Theory, and associations with external measures, respectively. Results support scoring of the MD assessment, score dependability, and theoretically justified relationships with outcomes.

Authors

• David Alpizar, San Diego State University

• Brian F. French, Washington State University

• Thao Thu Vo, Washington State University - Pullman

• Cihan Demir, Washington State University - Pullman

• Avi Kaplan, Temple University