Linear Models for Optimal Test Design

Over my nearly forty years of teaching and conducting research in the ?eld of psychometric methods, I have seen a number of major technical advances that respond to pressing educational and psychological measu- mentproblems. Thedevelopmentofcriterion-referencedassessmentwasthe ?rst, beginning in the late 1960s with the important work of Robert Glaser and Jim Popham, in response to the need for assessments that considered candidate performance in relation to a well-de?ned body of knowledge and skills rather than in relation to a norm group. The development of criterion-referenced testing methodology with a focus on decision-theoretic concepts and methods, content validity, standard-setting, and the recog- tionofthemeritsofbothcriterion-norm-referencedandcriterion-referenced assessments has tremendously in?uenced current test theory and testing . The second major advance was the introduction of item response-theory (IRT) and associated models and their applications to replace classical test theory (CTT) and related practices. Beginning slowly in the 1940s and 1950s with the pioneering work of Frederic Lord, Allan Birnbaum, and GeorgRasch,bythe1970sthemeasurementjournalswerefullofimportant research studies describing new IRT models, technical advances in model parameter estimation and model ?t, and research on applications of IRT models to equating, test development, the detection of potentially biased test items, and adaptive testing. The overall goal has been to improve and expand measurement practices by overcoming several shortcomings of cl- sicaltesttheory:dependenceoftest-itemstatisticsandreliabilityestimates on examinee samples, dependence of examinee true score estimates on the particular choices of test items, and the limitation in CTT of modeling ex-viii Foreword aminee performance at the test level rather than at the item level.

From the reviews of the first edition:

"ATA and OTD research-as a principal researcher and theorist, mentor, or consultant. Linear Models for Optimal Test Design represents an exceptional c ompendium of measurement literature that concisely yet thoroughly documents the expansive range of van der Linden's expertise i n ATA and OTD. This book can serve as a graduate-level textbook or as a technical handbook for researchers and practitioners. It certainly deserves a prominent spot on the book shelves of all measurement professionals interested in test design, test delivery models, and test construction. … To summarize, I found Linear Models for Optimal Test Design to be highly readable. More importantly, the book captures both the breadth and depth of 20 years of research on OTD and ATA technologies. There is no other comparable text on these topics, and I believe that van der Linden's book will remain a key resource (handbook and textbook) for many years to come." (Richard M. Luecht, Applied Psychologic Measurement, Vol. 33, Number 3, May 2009)

"‘Test’ in this book refers to educational and psychological testing, a field which has advanced dramatically in recent decades. … The technical level is kept to a minimum, using little beyond ‘high school algebra’ and linear programming. … I would like to think that this superb comprehensive synthesis of the field by one of its leading proponents will serve to broaden awareness of what can nowadays be achieved using such tools." (D.J. Hand, Short Book Reviews, Vol. 26 (1), 2006)

"...Linear Models for Optimal Test Design is a succinctly written and comprehensive book on optimal test assembly that can serve as a reference book and even as a textbook for courses on test construction. It is a book taht focuses on the author's area of research, yet treats the contributions of others. The result is one of the most useful textbooks available in thefield of educational testing fairly." (Jeffery Douglas for the Journal of the American Statistical Assocation, December 2006)

"This book begins with a reflection on the history of test design – the core activity of all educational and psychological testing. It then presents a standard language for modeling test design problems … . This book … has been written to be a helpful resource on the desk of any test specialist. … This book is intended for graduate students, researchers, test specialists, and especially for anyone seriously interested in the psychometric methods field." (Yuehua Wu, Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 1084, 2006)

"Test design is the main activity of all educational and psychological testing. The book by van der Linden discusses the various aspects, logistics, problems and solutions of test designs. … The book has potential as a good reference book and good guide to the researchers in this area. Exercises are provided in every chapter. … The reader of this well written book does not need much mathematical or statistical background, and hence it is reachable to a wider audience." (Atanu Biswas, Sankhya: The Indian Journal of Statistics, Vol. 68 (1), 2006)

"This excellent, comprehensive book on test theory and the automatic design of standardized tests is the latest in Springer’s series under the heading Statistics for Social and Behavioral Sciences. … Psychometricians and other test construction specialists will find this book not only valuable but unique in many aspects. I consider the book to be an important document on the bookshelves of these professionals. I also consider it to be a necessary text that should be in every university or department library … ." (Peter Merenda, PsycCRITIQUES, Vol. 51 (7), 2006)

"As a researcher and teacher in the field for 20 years, I would consider this book one of the most inspirational books in measurement and testing since Lord andNovick published theire's in 1968. Definitely, it will become a helpful reference on the desks of many teachers, test specialists, as well as graduate students." (Hua-Hua Chang, Psychometirka, Vol. 72, No. 2, June 2007)