Computerized Adaptive Testing with R: Recent Updates of the Package catR

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to list the recent updates of the R package catR. This package allows for generating response patterns under a computerized adaptive testing (CAT) framework with underlying item response theory (IRT) models. Among the most important updates, well-known polytomous IRT models are now supported by catR; several item selection rules have been added; and it is now possible to perform post-hoc simulations. Some functions were also rewritten or withdrawn to improve the usefulness and performances of the package.

Radiography is less sensitive relative to CT for detecting thoracic radiographic changes in dogs affected by blunt trauma secondary to a motor vehicle accident

“…performed statistical analyses. Quantitative data were described using scatter and box plots created within the ggplot2 package of R . Categorical data were described using proportions and mid‐P exact confidence intervals (CI) determined using freeware (Epi Info, version 6.04, CDC, Atlanta, GA, USA).…”

“…performed statistical analyses. Quantitative data were described using scatter and box plots created within the ggplot2 package of R. 15,16 Categorical data were described using proportions and mid-P exact confidence intervals (CI) determined using freeware (Epi Info, version 6.04, CDC, Atlanta, GA, USA). Interrater agreement (kappa) and 95% CI were calculated for data from the three radiologists using published formulas entered into a commercial spreadsheet program (Excel, Microsoft Office Professional 2010, Redmond, WA, USA).…”

Evaluating Computerized Adaptive Testing Efficiency in Measuring Students’ Performance in Science TIMSS

“…This is because Concerto provides several Item Response Theory testing strategies, offers several item selection methods, and contains three types of test stopping rules. Simple coding in R language using catR-library in Concerto (Magis & Raîche as cited in Magis & Barrada, 2017) makes the test development process become easier, plus the test developer is flexible in designing the test process to meet own's standard (Aybek as cited in Aybek & Demirtasli, 2017). Therefore, Concerto becomes the ideal platform to be used by the CAT test developer (Scalise & Allen, 2015).…”

A computer-adaptive test of productive and contextualized academic vocabulary breadth in English (CAT-PAV): Development and validation

“…Third, the 39 items in Batch 3 (which included 11 anchor items from Batch 2 plus 28 unique items) were administered to 110 ESL learners and analyzed in the CTT and IRT frameworks. Once all three batches of items had been administered and analyzed, an item bank was finally compiled through the catR package (Magis, Raiche, & Barrada, 2017), containing all psychometrically acceptable items (96 in all) from field-tested batches 1, 2, and 3, placed on the same scale.…”

“…Given the large number of possible variations in the parameters of a computeradaptive test (starting point, item selection algorithm, scoring algorithm, and termination criteria), some of these parameters had to be fixed beforehand, while others were implemented with different values during the simulations performed through the catR package in R (Magis et al, 2017). Given the intended use of the test as a possible diagnostic or placement tool, it was important to ensure, for security reasons, that item exposure was controlled to some extent and that not all test takers saw the same items at the beginning of the test.…”