| This dissertation reports the development and validation of a computerized adaptive test (CAT) of secondary school biology, called the Adaptive Test of Biology (ATB) (NSF grant MDR-8651554). In a study of the ATB's criterion-related validity, the ATB and the conventional paper-and-pencil Biology Test of the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) were administered to 225 students completing their high school biology courses (87% were in introductory high school biology). The Pearson r between scores on the 80-item NABT/NSTA Biology Test and the ATB, which averaged 31.2 items (SD = 7.99), was.80. The r for an ATB subset, which averaged only the first 13.0 items (SD = 3.02) of the full ATB, was.70. This study suggests a high degree of validity for the ATB scores and tends to confirm earlier findings regarding the efficiency of computerized adaptive testing. This study highlights the potential of computerized adaptive testing in science education and stresses the importance of the trade-off between test length and reliability in practical applications. |
