NUR 648E Assignment Analyzing Assessment Data
NUR 648E Assignment Analyzing Assessment Data
NUR 648E Assignment Analyzing Assessment Data
Analyzing Assessment Data
Reliability is a measure of consistency and so determines whether a given test is reliable or not. Assessment of the learners’ performance guides the instructors on whether the learners have understood the key course concepts. Different forms of assessments exist including the formative and summative. The reliability of the test methods varies. The instructors must always determine the most reliable. Tests with a high level of reliability will have high predictive and repetitive levels. A good assessment tool should be developed to give the instructors the real picture in terms of the learners’ abilities and weaknesses about the course outcomes. The current study explores the element of reliability based on the sample item analysis test results.
Explanation of Reliability
According to Matheson (2019), reliability is commonly measured using the test-retest, inter-rater, and internal consistency. Reliability defines the fraction of the total variance that is not attributable to the measurement error. Every assessment tool must have some level of error; though, the magnitude of the error should be kept as low as possible. The findings from the sample item analysis. A total of 68 participants took the test with a standard deviation of 4.3. The mean score was 61.06 while the median was 61.0. The range was 19 considering that the highest and least scores were 70 and 51 respectively. The findings indicate that the test has a high-reliability level most of the scores being centrally located (Nieminen, 2020). Furthermore, the standard deviation is relatively small considering the level of scores obtained from the test.
The other important parameters from the test analysis result include the history of performance and the difficulty level. The report indicated that 67 of the participants answered the test correctly with only one participant missing out. The difficulty level was thus 0.99 for question one. On the other hand, the outcomes for question two were significantly different. Only 40 participants out of the 68 were able to answer the question correctly. Also, all the participants attempted the question. The difficulty level for the question was 0.59. Question 4 was the most difficult considering that only 19 of the participants could give the correct answer out of the 68. The difficulty level for the question was 0.28.
The scores for the various test items were consistent with the tests having a low level of difficulty receiving low performances compared to those with a high level of difficulty. Therefore, the tests provide the true analysis of the areas that were well covered in class and areas where the learners and difficulties (Nieminen, 2020). The purpose of the assessment is to help the learners identify the areas of weakness and subsequently develop the improvement plan. The test should cover wider areas of the learner’s performance and provide a balanced approach of analysis on the learners’ capabilities.
Trends in Raw Scores
The raw scores help the instructor to identify the areas that require much attention in the class. The learners’ performances depend on their levels of understanding of the course content and how they would translate them in answering the questions. There are cases where the learners could be having much understanding of the theoretical areas covered in class but fail to apply them in the exam because of the setting. In this case, the learners performed well in question 1 but performed poorly in question 4. Question 4 explored the ability of the nurses to assess the health risks among the populations. Only 19 of the participants could get the correct answer and this means that the instructor should cover more on this.
On the other hand, question 1 focused on infection prevention and this recorded the highest correct score. The second question was on emergency care and a total of 40 students were able to answer the question correctly with only 28 giving a wrong answer. The performance on question 3 was also relatively low and below average considering that only 27 managed to get the answer correct with 41 getting it wrong. The findings suggest that the instructor should focus more on the areas where the students’ performance was below average.
The Sample Range
The range for the sample was 19 which is relatively low. All the participants scored above the average score. The least score was 51 with the highest score being 70. The results indicate that the learning abilities of the students in the class are almost the same. There are no outliers in the data and this makes it easy for the instructor to manage the class. There are cases where a class may consist of extremely bright students with extremely poor-performing ones. In such cases, the instructor finds it difficult to balance between the teaching approaches and ensuring that all of them master the course content. Furthermore, the results suggest that the teaching approach employed by the instructor is appropriate for the learners (Timmermans & Rubie-Davies, 2018).
The Standard Error of Measurement Information
The standard error is a measure of the standard deviation of the data distribution. The value indicates the extent to which the sample mean is likely to differ from the sample mean. It is always recommended to have a small standard error because it indicates that the sample mean is the actual representation of the population error. The standard error for sample tests result was low and this means that the sample was a true representation of the population characteristics. The test has a small standard error and thus this shows the instructor that the teaching approach used in the sample population would be appropriate for the real population. Similarly, it indicates that the score patterns observed in this case would almost be the same for the population.
The Process of Analyzing Individual Items
The students should be ranked based on merit and then their groups identified in ascending order. Subsequently, the difficulty index of the questions is recalculated. Similarly, the discrimination index should be determined. The results are then used to evaluate the questions to determine the ones to reject or retain. Alternatively, some may be revised to fit the required standard.
Eliminating A P-Value of .100
The question would be eliminated because the p-value is greater than the critical alpha value, p=0.05. The p-value is used to test for the level of significance in statistical analysis. Therefore, depending on the hypothesis, the p-value may either be used for accepting or rejecting it. In this case, the question is eliminated because it does not fall within the acceptable scores (Nahm, 2017). The desired range for p-value should be between 0.3 and 0.8.
Positive and Negative PBI
The questions could have been poorly structured because it is expected that correct options have a positive PBI while the distractors have a negative PBI. Therefore, the instructor should re-evaluate the questions and identify their levels of difficulties and the structures of the questions adjusted so that the PBI may match the appropriate scores (Bonett, 2019).
Steps to Improve Learning
Based on the result, it will be important to use both the formative and summative assessment in the learning process. Furthermore, the instructor should apply both the group discussion and class teaching methods. The group discussions will allow the students to learn from each other and equip their skills in the various areas.
Conclusion
The performance pattern in the test results indicates that the instructor employed the right teaching strategy. Furthermore, the sample test was reliable considering that the results had a high level of central tendency. The instructor must always strive to use the best teaching method that will benefit all the participants in the class.
Assessment data is a tool instructors can use to determine if students are meeting course or learning outcomes. Assessments can be utilized in many ways, such as student practice, student self-assessment, determining readiness, determine grades, etc. The purpose of this assignment is to analyze sample test statistics to determine if student learning has taken place.
To address the questions below in this essay assignment, you will need to use sample statistics provided in the textbooks. For Questions 1-4, use the sample test statistics in Chapter 24 of Teaching in Nursing: A Guide for Faculty. For Questions 5-9, use Chapter 11 in The Nurse Educator’s Guide to Assessing Learning Outcomes.
In a 1,000-1,250 word essay, use the sample statistics data from the textbooks to respond on the following questions:
Explain what reliability is. Based on the sample statistics, is this test reliable? What evidence from the statistics supports your answer?
What trends are seen in the raw scores? How would an instructor use this information?
What is the range for this sample? What information does the range provide and why is it important?
What information does the standard error of measurement provide? Based on the data provided, does the test have a small or large standard error of measurement? How would an instructor use this information?
Explain the process of analyzing individual items once an instructor has analyzed basic concepts of measurement.
If one of the questions on the exam had a p value of 0.76, would it be a best practice to eliminate the item? Justify your answer.
If one of the questions on the exam has a negative PBI for the correct option and one or more of the distractors have a positive PBI, what information does this give the instructor? How would you recommend the instructor adjust this item?
Based on the sample statistics, has student learning taken place? Justify your answer with data.
Based on the sample statistics, what steps would you take to improve learning?
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
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