Hello, dear friend, you can consult us at any time if you have any questions, add WeChat: daixieit

PSYCH 404: Principles of Measurement

Course Overview

Method of Course Delivery: Asynchronous Online

This is an introductory course about properties of test scores such as reliability and validity. In addition, the course focuses on the construction and evaluation of measurement instruments used in educational and psychological settings and may include topics such as test development, score reporting, and interpretation. Basic statistics are introduced throughout the course to interpret the psychometric properties of scores. (3 credits)

Prerequisite: PSYCH 100 or STAT 200 or PSYCH 200 or EDPSY101 or GRADUATE STATUS

Objectives

Upon completion of this course, you should be able to

Explain the historical, theoretical, and ethical foundations of psychological and educational measurement, including the evolution of testing, major test types, and the social implications of test use.

Apply statistical concepts—including descriptive statistics, standardized scores, and hypothesis testing—to summarize, interpret, and compare psychological test data.

Evaluate the reliability of psychological measures by identifying sources of measurement error and calculating and interpreting reliability coefficients and standard error of measurement.

Assess the validity of psychological measures by examining content, criterion-related, and construct validity evidence and evaluating whether a measure appropriately represents the intended psychological construct.

Design and refine test items and measurement instruments using principles of effective item writing, response format selection, item review, and test development methodology.

Use SPSS to manage data, compute standardized and percentile-based scores, evaluate item performance, and interpret results to support evidence-based decisions about test quality.

For complete information about the alignment of assignments and instructional materials to course objectives, view Course Map (https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2453051/files/185253191?wrap=1) (https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2453051/files/185253191/download?download_frd=1) .

Materials

Required Textbooks

Salkind, N. J. (2006). Tests and measurement for people who think they hate tests and measurement (2nd ed.). SAGE.

Pallant, J. (2007). SPSS survival manual (4th ed.) [electronic resource]. McGraw Hill Open University Press. NOTE: This text is available as an ebook from the Penn State Library.

Required Software

SPSS

SPSS is available on campus (e.g., computer labs) and via WebLabs. WebLabs can be accessed via a desktop or laptop computer that has Internet access. To access WebLabs, you first must connect to Penn States VPN using Global Protect. Once connected, you may access WebLabs at https://weblabs.psu.edu/ (https://weblabs.psu.edu/) If you use WebLabs, please be patient for SPSS to load. Loading will depend upon your Internet speed. More detail on WebLabs is found in the Course Orientation Module.

Course Structure and Course Schedule

The course includes readings and exams in the first half of the semester with a several weeks long class final project in the second half of the semester.

Reading: For each module, there is required reading from the Salkind text. Do the assigned reading before reviewing the Canvas content. The Canvas content is intended to amplify, explain and demonstrate the material in the textbook. Reading the assigned text is the main way to understand the material of this course.

Canvas Content: As noted, the purpose of the lesson content in Canvas is to amplify, explain, and demonstrate the material presented in the text. Naturally, there will be some overlap between the text and the lesson, but there will be a substantial amount of material that is unique to each. Your understanding of each lesson will be best if you have done the reading before you access the lesson. You are responsible for all assigned material in the text as well as the lessons.

The course schedule, located in the Orientation Module, identifies course topics and associated time frames and assignments. Note that assignments are due based on Eastern Time (ET). This standard time frame ensures that all students have the same deadlines regardless of where they live.

Go to Course Schedule (https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2453051/pages/course-schedule)

Course Requirements and Grading

Course Assignments

The material of this course will be presented through assigned readings, discussion boards, and outside class assignments. Because of the unique format of this course, I expect you to actively participate throughout the course and particularly in the final project.

Assignments: There will be three individual measurement projects required in this course. These projects will provide you with the opportunity to use SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). The Getting Started with SPSS assignment is intended to acquaint you with the SPSS interface. In Assignment 1, you will calculate a variety of descriptive statistics central to psychological measurement. In Assignment 2, you will conduct linear transformations (converting raw scores to z-scores) on a set of data. These projects are yoked to specific topics discussed in this course and will illustrate several key concepts.

Discussions: There are two graded discussion boards in the course. The first is an introduction to the class. The other is based on module content.

Class Project: Because one of the course goals is for you to become familiar with measurement issues, you will be required to participate in a final class project. This project will take place over several weeks and has several phases. Some aspects you will do individually other aspects we will work together as a class. We will discuss possible measurement topics later in the course. Completion of the project will account for 25% of your grade and serve as the final examination for the course.

Exams: Your learning of the content in the first half of the course will be measured through exams. I have provided a study guide for each exam. Exams consist primarily of multiple choice questions.

Course Grading

The following table summarizes assignments and their associated values.

Course Grade Distribution

Assignment Category                 Total Points

Assignments/Discussions               157 points

Class Project (all phases)               275 points

Exams                                         202 points

If you have questions about how an assignment or quiz or test was graded, please contact your instructor within 1 week of grades being posted.

The final grade will be determined by the percentage of points earned of total points possible in the course. Letter grades will be based on the following scale:

Grading Scale

Letter Grade      Percent Range

A                        ≥ 93%

A-                       90 – 92.9%

B+                      87 – 89.9%

B                         83 – 86.9%

B-                       80 – 82.9%

C+                      77 – 79.9%

C                         70 – 76.9%

D                         60 – 69.9%

F                          Below 60%