Assessing Knowledge Structure: The Development and Try Out of a Mapping Technique

A psychometric instrument that assesses knowledge structure of a school related content domain was developed and tried out. One hundred and thirty-one 8th graders were assigned to either brief or detailed training groups to learn how to take a mapping test. Then, each student received one of the ten experimental treatments which manipulated content instruction, text availability during the test, and student ability factors. The results showed that most students learned how to take mapping test and that the mapping test was sensitive to different levels of content knowledge instruction, memory load, and student ability. When short answer test scores and other school achievement test scores/grades were used as external criteria, the mapping test was found to be concurrently valid. Its content and item validity, interrater reliability, and usability were also examined. Implications of the mapping technique suggested that (a) it can be used to accurately assess content knowledge, (b) it has diagnostic value since it provides a wholistic profile of student's performance, (c) it can be useful when selecting instructional strategies and teaching materials, and (d) it can be used to help students focus their learning or note-taking strategies.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2014

Author dc:creator

• Huang, Shang-Cheng Chiu

Contributors dc:contributor

• Anderson, Thomas H.

• Education, Tests and Measurements
• Education, Special
• Education, Reading

Identifier

(UMI)AAI8908713

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/69213