PSYC 308 - SYLLABUS
LABORATORY: RESEARCH METHODS IN TESTS & MEASUREMENTS
FALL 1998
Instructor: Dr. Margaret Condon
Telephone: (773) 794-2582
Office: S303 Hours: T & R 2pm - 5pm
Web Page: www.neiu.edu/~mecondon
E-mail: M-Condon@neiu.edu OR davisnash@aol.com
DESCRIPTION OF COURSE

This course is designed to provide hands-on experiences in the concepts underlying test construction and development. This involves administration, score conversion, and determination of reliability and validity. Students will use skills learned in other courses and become aware of their practical application. They will have the opportunity to develop an original test and a test manual to go with it.

BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
 

  1. Use the SPSS/PC statistical package.
  2. Use e-mail and the World Wide Web for giving and receiving information.
  3. Administer and score an individual ability test, a group ability test, and a personality/interest survey.
  4. Interpret results by means of constructing norms and test profiles.
  5. Ascertain the dimensionality of tests by correlation of subtests.
  6. Determine various measures of reliability and validity.
  7. Analyze the construction of achievement tests.
  8. Construct, norm and determine reliability and validity for an new measure.
  9. Write a test manual for an original measure.
MEANS

To attain these objectives, the class will include the following activities:
 

  1. Textbook Readings
  2. Discussion of conceptual areas
  3. A series of in-class exercises
  4. Homework assignments
  5. Construction & validation of an original measure
  6. Preparation of a Manual to accompany the constructed measure.

MATERIALS NEEDED
 

  1. Text: Friendenberg, L. (1995) Psychological testing: Design, analysis and use. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
  2.  1- 1 1/2" or 2" Loose Leaf Binder with 2 pkgs of 5-Clear tab dividers
  3. 3- PC-formatted 3 1/2" HD computer disks + carrying case for disks
  4. 2- #2 pencils
  5. 1- Hand-held calculator with square root key & 1 memory ( no need for fancy)

EVALUATION

Students will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
 

  1. Tests on conceptual material 20%
  2. Completion of In-Class Exercises 20%
  3. Completion of Homework Assignments 15%
  4. Group project: Original test construction 25%
  5. Group project: Test Manual for original test 20%

GRADES

Grades will be assigned based on a percentage of total points (weighted):

A = 90% to 100%
B = 79% to 89%
C = 66 % to 78%
D = 55% to 65%

CLASS POLICIES

GUIDELINES FOR ALL WRITTEN PAPERS
 

  1. All papers must conform to the guidelines of the APA PUBLICATION MANUAL (4TH Edition).
  2. All papers must be produced on a wordprocessor. The paper must be double spaced with margins of 15 & 70.
  3. Papers that are not done according to these guidelines or not on time will not be accepted and will receive a grade of zero (0).
  4. Pages must be 3-hole punched and paper- clipped together in the upper left hand corner. DO NOT USE PLASTIC COVERS OR ENCLOSURES OF ANY KIND

HOMEWORK:

Homework must be submitted on time for credit. No late homework will be accepted. Homework is to be turned in on the due date at the beginning of the period. There are ways to earn extra credit so that you will not necessarily lose a possible grade if some unforseen reason causes you to miss a homework deadline.

In all instances, you must submit your own work under your own name. If you fail to submit 3 homework assignments on time without having previously discussed this with the instructor, your grade will be reduced one grade level from whatever you achieve by other means. You are encouraged to work together on homework assignments. However, the work you submit for credit must be clearly your own and, not just the work of others. You are particularly encouraged to have someone proof your work as spelling, grammar & style will count in all written work.

ATTENDANCE

Much of the work done in the course will be done in class. Much of it will also require pairs or small groups. Consequently, you owe it both to yourself and your classmates to attend class and to be on time.

MISSED CLASS ASSIGNMENTS, HOMEWORK & TESTS

There are NO make-ups or late acceptances for either classroom assignments or homework. There is sufficient room in the grading system for a person to miss 1 or 2 assignments OR homework assignments and still achieve an A level grade. These extra credit projects will be announced on my web-page at different times throughout the term.

With respect to the tests, students will be allowed to make up one (1) test. This may be either because they missed the test or did poorly on it. ALL MAKE UP EXAMS WILL TAKE PLACE ON DECEMBER 15 FROM 8:00 PM to 9:50 PM.

ELECTRONIC PARTICIPATION

All students are expected to participate in the class Webboard, and to complete the web-based assignments. If you do not have access to a computer off-campus (most public libraries have computers available for public use) there are multiple sites with computers on campus.

CHEATING

Photocopying another's homework, using computer reports or test forms that they have prepared, or copying their answers is not allowed. If I find evidence of this, all parties (including the one generating the work) will be deemed to have cheated and the appropriate sanctions for cheating will apply.

Anyone found cheating on assignments (in-class, or web-based) or homework will receive a grade of "F" for the assignment. Anyone found cheating on a test will receive an 'F" for the course and the appropriate authorities will be informed.
 
 

SOURCES OF INFORMATION ABOUT PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS