Mathematical Sciences (21) This exploratory project is developing an annotated set of multiple choice questions about statistical concepts for use with personal response systems (PRS) in statistics courses. Individual "distracter" choices represent specific misconceptions, and item response theory and distracter analysis are being used to identify characteristics such as difficulty and variability. These psychometric and educational research methods cross-link conceptual and data intuition items with novice and advanced items. Formative evaluation is guided by the construction of cognitive mental maps for instructors and students; and changes in these maps are being used to assess impact on both student learning and faculty decision-making about the selection of content and pedagogy. Annotations for the questions include typical response distributions, item characteristics curves, concept maps, suggestions for instructional decisions, and other results as appropriate and informative. The project is contributing to the larger body of literature on the use of PRS technology and paving the way for much broader use within the statistics and mathematics education community. Dissemination efforts include the use of CAUSEweb, a major collection within the National Science Digital Library.
