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Model Analysis and Model Creation: Capturing the Task-Model Structure of Quantitative Item Domains ECD

Author(s):
Deane, Paul; Graf, Edith Aurora; Higgins, Derrick; Futagi, Yoko; Lawless, Rene
Publication Year:
2006
Report Number:
RR-06-11
Source:
ETS Research Report
Document Type:
Report
Page Count:
63
Subject/Key Words:
Evidence Centered Design (ECD), NAEP 2000 Mathematics Assessment, Model Creator, Item Modeling, Automated Scoring and Natural Language Processing

Abstract

This study focuses on the relationship between item modeling and evidence-centered design (ECD); it considers how an appropriately generalized item modeling software tool can support systematic identification and exploitation of task-model variables, and then examines the feasibility of this goal, using linear-equation items as a test case. The first half of the study examines task-model structures for linear equations and their relevance to item difficulty within ECD. The second half of the study presents prototype software, a Model Creator system for pure math items, designed to partially automate the creation of variant item models reflecting different combinations of task-model variables. The prototype is applied to linear equations but is designed to generalize over a range of pure mathematical content types.

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