The Impact of Mathematical Proficiency on the Number-Space Association

in PLoS ONE (2014)

A specific instance of the association between numerical and spatial representations is the SNARC (Spatial Numerical Association of Response Codes) effect. The SNARC effect describes the finding that ... [more ▼]

A specific instance of the association between numerical and spatial representations is the SNARC (Spatial Numerical Association of Response Codes) effect. The SNARC effect describes the finding that during binary classification of numbers participants are faster to respond to small/large numbers with the left/right hand respectively. Even though it has been frequently replicated, important inter-individual variability has also been reported. Mathematical proficiency is an obvious candidate source for inter-individual variability in numerical judgments, but studies investigating its influence on the SNARC effect remain scarce. The present experiment included a total of 95 University students, divided into three groups differing significantly in their mathematical proficiency levels. Using group analyses, it appeared that the three groups differed significantly in the strength of their number-space associations in a parity judgment task. This result was further confirmed on an individual level, with higher levels in arithmetic leading to relatively weaker SNARC effects. To explain this negative relationship we propose accounts based on differences in access to qualitatively different numerical representations and also consider more domain general factors, with a focus on inhibition capacities. [less ▲]

Die Online-Testplattform OASYS

Presentation (2014, January)

Differential relations between facets of complex problem solving and students’ immigration background

in Journal of Educational Psychology (2014), Advance online publication

Whereas the assessment of complex problem solving (CPS) has received increasing attention in the context of international large-scale assessments, its fairness in regard to students’ cultural background ... [more ▼]

Whereas the assessment of complex problem solving (CPS) has received increasing attention in the context of international large-scale assessments, its fairness in regard to students’ cultural background has gone largely unexplored. On the basis of a student sample of ninth-graders (N = 299), including a representative number of immigrant students (N = 127), the present study evaluated (1) whether CPS can be assessed fairly among students with or without immigration background and (2) whether achievement differences between these groups exist. Results showed that fair assessment of CPS is possible using the Genetics Lab, a computer-based microworld that incorporates game-like characteristics and multilingual-friendly features. Immigrant students were generally outperformed by their non-immigrant peers, but performance differences can largely be explained by differential enrollment in lower academic tracks. Interestingly, CPS scales were less affected by students’ educational background than a traditional paper-pencil-based reasoning scale. Moreover, a fine-grained analysis of different facets of CPS showed that irrespective of the academic track, immigrant students demonstrated a more efficient task exploration behavior than their native peers (d = .26). In sum, this might point to the potential of computer-based assessment of CPS to identify otherwise hidden cognitive potential in immigrant students. [less ▲]

ÉpStan Technical Report

Book published by University of Luxembourg (2014)

Forty years on: Childhood intelligence predicts health in middle adulthood.

in Health Psychology (2014), 33(3), 292-296

Computer-based assessment of Complex Problem Solving in educational contexts and how it is influenced by students’ level of Information and Communication Technology literacy

in Journal of Educational Psychology (2014)

Kompetenzmessung im Bildungsbereich

in Steffgen, Georges; Michaux, Gilles; Ferring, Dieter (Eds.) Psychologie in Luxemburg - Ein Handbuch (2014)

HCI Design Methods in CBA: Lessons Learned and Recommendations Based on a Concept Map Use Case

in Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2014 (2014)

This paper focuses on the user-centered design of a computer-based assessment (CBA) instrument for knowledge measurement. We describe relevant design steps in general and illustrate them via the design of ... [more ▼]

This paper focuses on the user-centered design of a computer-based assessment (CBA) instrument for knowledge measurement. We describe relevant design steps in general and illustrate them via the design of our usability improved CBA concept map instrument (ISO 9241-11, 1998; ISO 9241-210, 2010). We discuss design versus evaluation methods from a human-computer interaction (HCI) perspective and emphasize important design steps relevant for constructing usability improved assessment instruments in educational assessment. As these HCI methods are still seldom applied to CBA, this paper helps alleviate the dearth of literature and guidelines in this domain. Our objective is thus to provide the reader with a series of design recommendations for CBA, as derived both from HCI research; and to summarize lessons learned from our specific CBA design use case. [less ▲]

Do test takers with different language backgrounds take the same C-test? The effect of native language on the validity of C-tests.

in Grotjahn, Rüdiger (Ed.) Der C-Test: Aktuelle Tendenzen/The C-Test: current trends. (2014)

Computer-based assessment of cross-curricular skills and processes. Special section.

in Journal of Educational Psychology (2014)