A narrative review of adaptive testing and its application to medical education.

Adaptive testing has a long but largely unrecognized history. The advent of computer-based testing has created new opportunities to incorporate adaptive testing into conventional programmes of study. Relatively recently software has been developed that can automate the delivery of summative assessments that adapt by difficulty or content. Both types of adaptive testing require a large item bank that has been suitably quality assured. Adaptive testing by difficulty enables more reliable evaluation of individual candidate performance, although at the expense of transparency in decision making, and requiring unidirectional navigation. Adaptive testing by content enables reduction in compensation and targeted individual support to enable assurance of performance in all the required outcomes, although at the expense of discovery learning. With both types of adaptive testing, candidates are presented a different set of items to each other, and there is the potential for that to be perceived as unfair. However, when candidates of different abilities receive the same items, they may receive too many they can answer with ease, or too many that are too difficult to answer. Both situations may be considered unfair as neither provides the opportunity to demonstrate what they know. Adapting by difficulty addresses this. Similarly, when everyone is presented with the same items, but answer different items incorrectly, not providing individualized support and opportunity to demonstrate performance in all the required outcomes by revisiting content previously answered incorrectly could also be considered unfair; a point addressed when adapting by content. We review the educational rationale behind the evolution of adaptive testing and consider its inherent strengths and limitations. We explore the continuous pursuit of improvement of examination methodology and how software can facilitate personalized assessment. We highlight how this can serve as a catalyst for learning and refinement of curricula; fostering engagement of learner and educator alike

Education spending, economic development, and the size of government

We examine the association between economic development and two measures of public spending on education: the “national effort” (public spending on education as a proportion of GDP) and “budget share” (public spending on education as a proportion of total government spending). Using panel data for a large sample of countries from 1989 to 2015, we compare mean levels of national effort and budget share measures for economically and politically distinct groups of countries. We find that economically more developed (richer) countries are characterised by a higher national effort and a lower budget share than less economically developed countries. This implies that richer countries, on average, have larger public sectors than poorer countries, consistent with Wagner’s law and Baumol’s “cost disease” hypothesis.</p

Adaptation planning for community service organisations and primary care partnerships: policy guidance for state government

This policy brief is for Victorian State Government departments. It aims to inform state-level policy and programs that could support climate change adaptation (CCA) planning by community service organisations (CSOs) and primary care partnerships (PCPs). This brief summarises results of the VCCCAR Implementing Adaptation project, a study that sought to better understand the adaptation planning capacities and needs of CSOs and PCPs (Fünfgeld et al. 2013). That study also facilitated the testing and implementation of adaptation planning approaches. Part I outlines the need for state-level support and coordination for adaptation planning and implementation in CSOs and PCPs. Parts II and III provide specific suggestions for key policy portfolios:  Part II: Health  Part III: Human Services Highlighted in each part are key policy issues that either support or hinder CCA planning by CSOs and PCPs. Emphasis is placed on the need for coordinated efforts and specific portfolio barriers and opportunities