Indicatori di valutazione della qualit\ue0 della ricerca negli atenei: sensibilit\ue0, sostituibilit\ue0 e capacit\ue0 discriminatoria

Nell'articolo si sperimentano alcuni indicatori di qualit\ue0 della ricerca universitaria utilizzati per il primo esercizio valutativo della qualit\ue0 della ricerca ed altri utilizzabili in alternativa a quelli utilizzati. La sperimentazione riguarda sia il modo di calcolare gli indicatori, sia la valutazione statistica della loro sostituibilit\ue0 e sensibilit\ue0

Special Issues on "Election Forecasting Technqiues (Part II)" - Editorial

Short introduction to co-edited special issue

Methods of Item Analysis in Standardized Student Assessment: an Application to an Italian Case Study

The aim of the paper is to outline how different psychometric methods can be used for item analysis in the field of standardized educational assessment, with reference to an Italian case study. The research is stimulated by the increasing relevance acknowledged to standardized tests within the Italian context in the last few years. Further, the authors believe that conducting a rigorous analysis of pretested items represents a fundamental requirement for a fair and effective learning evaluation. In particular, the joint use of indicators derived from classical test theory and item response theory models is discussed. The main results of analysis of pretested items for the 2009 Italian National Test of reading comprehension in the second grade of primary school show that, despite the two methods being consistent, both proved important in highlighting different item properties and in detecting weak items

Understanding the quantitative skill base on introductory statistics: a case study from business statistics

Basic mathematical skills are critical to a student’s ability to successfully undertake an introductory statistics course. Yet in business education this vitally important area of mathematics and statistics education is under-researched. The question therefore arises as to what level of mathematical skill a typical business studies student will possess as they enter the tertiary environment, and whether there are any common deficiencies that we can identify with a view to tackling the problem. This paper will focus on a study designed to measure the level of mathematical ability of first year business students. The results provide timely insight into a growing problem faced by many tertiary educators in this field