Standardized Learning Assessment in higher education: a México case study

Abstract

In recent years the Autonomous University of Baja California has promoted standardized departmental tests development which are intended to contribute to the institution´s goal of applying departmental tests´ achievement to continuously improve student learning levels, a priority in the Institutional Development Plan of this University. This research paper presents the results of the psychometric evaluation carried out on a standardized departmental test of one of the subjects of outmost curricular relevance for the core curricula ​​belonging to the Faculty of Languages, as well as the analysis of said test psychometric evaluation results. The psychometric analysis is based on the conventional procedures of the Item Response Theory measuring features such as discrimination index, discrimination coefficient and difficulty index. The results show that the test achieved a good discriminatory range, as well as medium difficulty, and the above average indexes ​​obtained in the thematic unit of outmost curricular relevance for the studied subject. The obtained values on reliability and validity features allowed to evidence the instrument´s quality, directly contributing to the domain level certainty that students show in relation to the acquired knowledge universe which the test presents.