The key feature problem (KFP) is an innovative assessment format that tests clinical decision making skills by focussing on only the critical steps -- or 'key features' -- of each decision, thereby increasing the number of problems that can be answered in a 3 hour examination. It has been used successfully in The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Examination for Fellowship and i...

In this paper we present a new spell-checking system that utilizes contextual information for automatic correction of non-word misspellings. The system is evaluated with a large corpus of essays written by native and nonnative speakers of English to the writing prompts of high-stakes standardized tests (TOEFL and GRE). We also present comparative evaluations with Aspell and the speller from Mic...

Abstract The current study involved multilevel analysis of high-stakes examination results (i.e., GCSE) in Northern Ireland to investigate gender differentials mathematical achievement, whereas most previous research the area used from low-stakes tests PISA, TIMSS). supported similarities hypothesis with respect both overall and content domain-specific attainment. Similar conclusions were drawn...

Most students in Japan experience a wide range of language tests in their ten-year long language-learning career. These include tests in different situations, starting with classroom tests which range from short vocabulary tests to long end of term tests. Secondly there are university entrance exams, where the stakes are high. Finally there are optional proficiency tests such as the eiken grade...

I review the literature on the impact on student achievement of high-stakes testing. Its popularity as a mechanism for holding educators accountable has triggered studies to examine whether its promise to increase student learning has been fulfilled. The review concludes there is no consistent evidence to suggest high-stakes testing leads to increases in student learning. Some evidence suggests...

Understanding the extent engagement and math attitudes predict performance in statistics courses could inform educational interventions this subject area, which has growing demand. We examined direct indirect associations between course engagement-related constructs, attitudes, learning outcomes. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to validate scores from measures of these constructs with a s...

High-stakes (dangerous, catastrophic) risks take on a wider profile as progress unfolds. What are the impacts of technological and social change on the risk landscape? Due to the complexities and dynamics involved, we can only answer these questions approximately. By using the concept of fuzziness, we can formalize our imprecision about high-stakes risk, and therefore place their management on ...

Automated scoring of written and spoken responses is an NLP application that can significantly impact lives especially when deployed as part of high-stakes tests such as the GRE® and the TOEFL®. Ethical considerations require that automated scoring algorithms treat all testtakers fairly. The educational measurement community has done significant research on fairness in assessments and automated...