Electronic Proceedings of the Twenty-eighth Annual International Conference on Technology in Collegiate Mathematics

Atlanta, Georgia, March 10-13, 2016

Paper A037

This is an electronic reprint, reproduced by permission of Pearson Education Inc. Originally appeared in the Proceedings of the Twenty-eighth Annual International Conference on Technology in Collegiate Mathematics, ISBN 013480029X, Copyright (C) 2017 by Pearson Education, Inc.


A Graph Theory Approach to Reducing Test Length

Aaron Carl Smith


University of Central Florida


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ABSTRACT

This paper presents a statistical technique based on a graph theory to identify test and quiz questions with less utility. Thus providing educators tools to improve assignments. These techniques are applied in a case study using a prequisite knowledge quiz for precalculus students. The quiz evaluates students' mastery of skills taught in prior math classes. During the first week of classes, the quiz helped faculty identify which students are at risk of not passing the course. Cycle intersection matrices identify which questions to consider removing.

Keyword(s): assessment