Developing and Validating a Computer-Based Assessment of Foundational Fractions Concepts: A Pilot Analysis

• In Event: Roundtable Session 12
  In Roundtable Session: Development and Validation of School-Based Assessments

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop and pilot assessment items for a computer-based fractions assessment that we intend to use to diagnose students’ knowledge of foundational fractions concepts. By providing teachers with a diagnostic tool that allows them to pinpoint individual students’ areas of weakness, as well as efficiently identify similarities and differences between students in the same class, we hope to enhance teachers’ ability to design effective instruction on fractions. The process of developing an effective diagnostic assessment includes many steps, and in this paper, we report the theoretical framework for the assessment and the necessary steps that have been taken to create an assessment with strong measurement properties for the target population.

Authors

• Maria Angela Mendiburo, Vanderbilt University

• Anne Corinne Huggins, University of Florida

• Ted Stephen Hasselbring, Vanderbilt University

• Gautam Biswas, Vanderbilt University

• John Kinnebrew, Vanderbilt University