Multidimensional Adaptive Measurement of Competencies

Abstract

Even though multidimensional adaptive testing (MAT) is advantageous in the measurement of complex competencies, operational applications are still rare. In an attempt to change this situation, this chapter presents four recent developments that foster the applicability of MAT. First, in a simulation study, we show that multiple constraints can be accounted for in MAT without a loss of measurement precision, by using the multidimensional maximum priority index method. Second, the results from another simulation study show that the high efficiency of MAT is mainly due to the fact that MAT considers prior information in the final ability estimation, and not to the fact that MAT uses prior information for item selection. Third, the multidimensional adaptive testing environment is presented. This software can be used to assemble, configure, and apply multidimensional adaptive tests. Last, the application of the software is illustrated for unidimensional and multidimensional adaptive tests. The application of MAT is especially recommended for large-scale assessments of student achievement.