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  • Textbook
  • © 2015

Bayesian Networks in Educational Assessment

  • Features exercises to make the material concrete
  • ECD portions of the book (Ch. 2, 12 & 13) build on work that was basis for the 2000 NCME award for Outstanding Technical Contribution to Educational Measurement received by the authors
  • Includes basic review of Bayesian probability and statistics and an introduction to Evidence-Centered Design
  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Part of the book series: Statistics for Social and Behavioral Sciences (SSBS)

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Table of contents (16 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages I-XXXIII
  2. Building Blocks for Bayesian Networks

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
    2. Introduction

      • Russell G. Almond, Robert J. Mislevy, Linda S. Steinberg, Duanli Yan, David M. Williamson
      Pages 3-18
    3. An Introduction to Evidence-Centered Design

      • Russell G. Almond, Robert J. Mislevy, Linda S. Steinberg, Duanli Yan, David M. Williamson
      Pages 19-40
    4. Bayesian Probability and Statistics: a Review

      • Russell G. Almond, Robert J. Mislevy, Linda S. Steinberg, Duanli Yan, David M. Williamson
      Pages 41-79
    5. Basic Graph Theory and Graphical Models

      • Russell G. Almond, Robert J. Mislevy, Linda S. Steinberg, Duanli Yan, David M. Williamson
      Pages 81-103
    6. Efficient Calculations

      • Russell G. Almond, Robert J. Mislevy, Linda S. Steinberg, Duanli Yan, David M. Williamson
      Pages 105-155
    7. Some Example Networks

      • Russell G. Almond, Robert J. Mislevy, Linda S. Steinberg, Duanli Yan, David M. Williamson
      Pages 157-195
    8. Explanation and Test Construction

      • Russell G. Almond, Robert J. Mislevy, Linda S. Steinberg, Duanli Yan, David M. Williamson
      Pages 197-237
  3. Learning and Revising Models from Data

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 239-239
    2. Parameters for Bayesian Network Models

      • Russell G. Almond, Robert J. Mislevy, Linda S. Steinberg, Duanli Yan, David M. Williamson
      Pages 241-278
    3. Learning in Models with Fixed Structure

      • Russell G. Almond, Robert J. Mislevy, Linda S. Steinberg, Duanli Yan, David M. Williamson
      Pages 279-330
    4. Critiquing and Learning Model Structure

      • Russell G. Almond, Robert J. Mislevy, Linda S. Steinberg, Duanli Yan, David M. Williamson
      Pages 331-369
    5. An Illustrative Example

      • Russell G. Almond, Robert J. Mislevy, Linda S. Steinberg, Duanli Yan, David M. Williamson
      Pages 371-407
  4. Evidence-Centered Assessment Design

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 409-409
    2. The Conceptual Assessment Framework

      • Russell G. Almond, Robert J. Mislevy, Linda S. Steinberg, Duanli Yan, David M. Williamson
      Pages 411-465
    3. The Evidence Accumulation Process

      • Russell G. Almond, Robert J. Mislevy, Linda S. Steinberg, Duanli Yan, David M. Williamson
      Pages 467-505
    4. Biomass: An Assessment of Science Standards

      • Russell G. Almond, Robert J. Mislevy, Linda S. Steinberg, Duanli Yan, David M. Williamson
      Pages 507-547
    5. The Biomass Measurement Model

      • Russell G. Almond, Robert J. Mislevy, Linda S. Steinberg, Duanli Yan, David M. Williamson
      Pages 549-582
    6. The Future of Bayesian Networks in Educational Assessment

      • Russell G. Almond, Robert J. Mislevy, Linda S. Steinberg, Duanli Yan, David M. Williamson
      Pages 583-599

About this book

Bayesian inference networks, a synthesis of statistics and expert systems, have advanced reasoning under uncertainty in medicine, business, and social sciences. This innovative volume is the first comprehensive treatment exploring how they can be applied to design and analyze innovative educational assessments.

Part I develops Bayes nets’ foundations in assessment, statistics, and graph theory, and works through the real-time updating algorithm. Part II addresses parametric forms for use with assessment, model-checking techniques, and estimation with the EM algorithm and Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC). A unique feature is the volume’s grounding in Evidence-Centered Design (ECD) framework for assessment design. This “design forward” approach enables designers to take full advantage of Bayes nets’ modularity and ability to model complex evidentiary relationships that arise from performance in interactive, technology-rich assessments such as simulations. Part III describes ECD,situates Bayes nets as an integral component of a principled design process, and illustrates the ideas with an in-depth look at the BioMass project: An interactive, standards-based, web-delivered demonstration assessment of science inquiry in genetics.

This book is both a resource for professionals interested in assessment and advanced students.  Its clear exposition, worked-through numerical examples, and demonstrations from real and didactic applications provide invaluable illustrations of how to use Bayes nets in educational assessment. Exercises follow each chapter, and the online companion site provides a glossary, data sets and problem setups, and links to computational resources.

Reviews

“The three parts of the book give an excellent overview of current developments and the status of a still developing and emerging field. In this way, it helps researchers in psychometrics and educational assessment to familiarize themselves with Bayesian networks, and their applications. ... The targeted audience of the book seems to focus on students at the graduate level. In this way, it is written for a large audience, and it suits the needs of many researchers.” (Nikky van Buuren, Sebastiaan de Klerk and Bernard P. Veldkamp, Psychometrika, Vol. 82, 2017)


“This book will provide valuable information on using data-mining along with graphical models in educational assessment. It is one of the initial works that well explain the operative procedures of designing, validating, and implementing the data-driven, competency-oriented diagnostic assessment. The book should be a good reference for both scholars and practitioners in the areas of educational assessment, learning environments and curriculum design, and school improvement.” (Fengfeng Ke, Technology, Knowledge and Learning, Vol. 24, 2019)

Authors and Affiliations

  • Florida State University, Tallahassee, USA

    Russell G. Almond

  • Educational Testing Service, Princeton, USA

    Robert J. Mislevy, Duanli Yan, David M. Williamson

  • Pennington, Pennington, USA

    Linda S. Steinberg

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access