Researcher Development Initiative (RDI), 2005 - 2010

01/01/08 - 30/09/09

 

Psychometric techniques are becoming increasingly important in test/scale development and evaluation. There has been a rapid advancement in techniques for analysis of datasets containing multiple item responses where issues of scoring and latent structure are of particular interest to applied researchers. We addressed the training and development needs of two distinct groups in the UK academic community: university lecturers and applied quantitative researchers. Through the design, delivery, evaluation, and web-documentation of learning materials for five workshops (each two days in duration) we introduced and educated a range of audiences in the discipline of applied psychometrics.

 

The specific objectives were to:

 

1. Develop and deliver workshops and summer schools on the theory behind psychometric techniques and the contexts in which applied psychometric research can add value.
2. Raise the profile of applied and computational aspects of psychometric research, thereby enhancing awareness and extend skills-based training;
3. Produce a web portal devoted to resources for learning psychometrics with particular emphasis on the skills required to apply and interpret these models;
4. Produce web-mounted teaching materials for individual private study and use by lecturers in UK HE institutions;
5. Provide an online library of software scripts that show how to apply psychometrics techniques, based on worked examples linked to current textbooks in this area;
6. Provide an infrastructure and web-presence through which these activities can begin to be linked with existing ESRC initiatives.
7. Provide short, skills-based training events that improve and update the quantitative skills of those teaching multivariate statistics to students in UK higher education institutions.

 

For further information on this projects online resources please see http://www.psychometrics.ppsis.cam.ac.uk/page/151/online-resources.htm

 

Principal Investigator: Professor John Rust, The Psychometrics Centre, University of Cambridge
Co-Investigators: Dr Tim Croudace, University of Cambridge,

Professor Susan Golombok, Centre for Family Research, University of Cambridge

Contact Details

Professor John Rust,
The Psychometrics Centre, University of Cambridge

Email: Jnr24@cam.ac.uk
Tel: 01223 769483