Scheduled for Computerized Adaptive Testing, Friday, March 16, 2007, 10:15 AM - 12:15 PM, Convention Center: 328


Computerized Adaptive Testing for Disability Research and Public Service

Miyoung Lee and Weimo Zhu, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL

Large variability is often a major challenge in assessing persons with disabilities; therefore, traditional linear testing cannot provide adequate local precision due to limited test items at a specific level of ability. Yet, large sample sizes are needed in developing an item pool for computerized adaptive testing (CAT). As a result, application of CAT to disability research and service has been very limited for a long time. Fortunately, some significant efforts and progresses have been made recently in developing CAT to assess injury, illness, mobility and daily functioning, health-related quality of life. Examples of these scales include Headache Impact Test, SF-36, FIM and Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (Dijkers, 2003; Haley, 2005; Riley, 2006; Ware, 2003; Wiener, Marcus, & Mizrahi, 2006). Many of these scales have been applied to persons with disabilities and some major advantages have been reported. For example, CAT was able to reduce scale length from over 50 items to 5 or 10 items and still obtain the same precision level. CAT has also been successfully applied to accessibility by measuring fitness and recreation environments (Rimmer et al., 2004). The AIRFREE scale (www.aimfree.org/index.html) developed by Rimmer and his colleagues serves as a tool not only for improving the accessibility of facilities, but also for raising public awareness of the need for greater access to facilities for persons with disabilities. Along with covering CAT's progresses in disability research and service, remaining challenges will also be examined. Other related topics, such as testing accommodations, small sample size in item calibration, physical activity assessment applications and other presentation media, will also be addressed in the presentation.
Keyword(s): adapted physical activity, assessment, measurement/evaluation

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