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Accounting for test reliability in student progression: the reliable change index
Author(s) -
Zahra Daniel,
Hedge Craig,
Pesola Francesca,
Burr Steven
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
medical education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.776
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1365-2923
pISSN - 0308-0110
DOI - 10.1111/medu.13059
Subject(s) - reliability (semiconductor) , test (biology) , index (typography) , psychology , tracking (education) , cohort , population , medical education , mathematics education , applied psychology , computer science , medicine , demography , pedagogy , sociology , paleontology , power (physics) , physics , quantum mechanics , world wide web , biology
Context Developed by Jacobson and Truax, the reliable change index ( RCI ) provides a measure of whether the change in an individual's score over time is within or beyond that which might be accounted for by measurement variability. In combination with measures of whether an individual's final score is closer to those of one population or another, this provides useful individual‐level information that can be used to supplement traditional analyses. Objectives This article aims to highlight the potential of the RCI for use within medical education, particularly as a novel means of monitoring progress at the student level across successive test occasions or academic years. Methods We provide an example of how the RCI can be applied informatively to assessment evaluation, and discuss its wider usage. Conclusions The RCI approach can be used to identify and support failing students, as well as to determine best teaching and learning practices by identifying high‐performing students. Furthermore, the individual‐level nature of the RCI makes it well suited for educational research with small cohorts, as well as for tracking individual profiles within a larger cohort or addressing questions about individual performance that may be unanswerable at group level.