Considerations for Using Mathematical Learning Progressions to Design Diagnostic Assessments

Diagnostic assessments are intended to support teachers' instructional decision making by providing instructionally relevant information. In this article, we propose that using cognitive theories of learning to design diagnostic assessments can provide teachers with two diagnostic outcomes: (a)...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Measurement (Mahwah, N.J.) N.J.), 2019-01, Vol.17 (1), p.1-22
Main Authors: Ketterlin-Geller, Leanne R., Shivraj, Pooja, Basaraba, Deni, Yovanoff, Paul
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alignment (Education)
cognitive model
Diagnostic assessment
Diagnostic Tests
Difficulty Level
Elementary School Students
Grade 5
Grade 6
Grade 7
Learning Processes
learning progression
Learning Theories
mathematics assessment
Mathematics Tests
Middle School Students
Misconceptions
Multiple Choice Tests
Sequential Approach
Test Construction
Test Items
validity
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Summary:Diagnostic assessments are intended to support teachers' instructional decision making by providing instructionally relevant information. In this article, we propose that using cognitive theories of learning to design diagnostic assessments can provide teachers with two diagnostic outcomes: (a) the location of a student's thinking within the learning process, and (b) identification of misconceptions and errors that may underlie student performance. We focus on two test design considerations that may support these diagnostic inferences, specifically (a) sequencing item content to align with learning progressions and (b) constructing multiple-choice items with diagnostically relevant distractors. We provide an illustrative example from middle-school mathematics.
ISSN:1536-6367
1536-6359
DOI:10.1080/15366367.2018.1479087