Course Description
Students will learn how basic concepts, issues, and tools used in psychological testing and measurement are relevant to the field of education. Students will also learn how tests and measurements are used in educational, clinical, and organizational settings.
Athena Title
Music Assessment and Policy
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Upon completion, the successful student will be able to: • Define types of psychological tests and related assumptions • Classify and distinguish among various types of psychological tests • Develop understanding of why psychological testing is important • Identify uses of psychological testing in educational and psychological contexts • Understand controversial topics in educational and psychological testing • Define ethical standards related to educational and psychological testing • Develop an understanding of ethical responsibilities of test constructors, publishers, takers, and users • Examine advancements in modern testing
Topical Outline
Overview of Psychological Testing 1. What are psychological tests? 2. Why is psychological testing important? 3. Correct and incorrect methods for using psychological tests o How does computerized adaptive testing (CAT) work? Psychometric Principles 1. How do test users interpret test scores? 2. What is test/retest reliability? 3. How do we gather evidence of validity based upon the content of the test? 4. How do we gather evidence of validity based on test-criterion relationships? 5. How do we gather evidence of validity based on a test’s relation to constructs? Developing and Piloting Surveys and Psychological Tests 1. How do we construct and administer surveys and use survey data? o How do we develop a test? 2. How do we assess the psychometric quality of a test? Using Tests in Various Situations 1. How are tests used in educational settings? 2. How are tests used in psychological settings? o How are tests used for accountability?