ITEMS Corner Update: High Traffic to the ITEMS Portal on the NCME Website

Abstract

As announced in the previous issue of Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, the ITEMS portal is now hosted on the NCME website. This shift has many benefits. The modules are now easier to access for the NCME membership. Members can navigate to the portal via the link under the resources tab found on the ribbon at the top of each page on the website. Rather than having to go to an external site with a unique log in, all ITEMS modules are now available under the NCME brand directly on the primary site. The modules can be found:

https://www.ncme.org/itemsportal

Being hosted on the NCME website also allows more editorial control of the modules. New modules have an updated form with interactive features built into the browsing experience on the NCME website. Each module begins with a video abstract introducing the objectives learners can expect to achieve by completing the module, as well as an introduction of the authors. The content of the module is broken down into sections, each built around two to four section-specific learning objectives. For each section, authors develop a video of content and interactive learning checks, which are multiple choice items designed to check for understanding. There is an interactive activity for the learner to apply what they have learned in the module. Finally, the slides, sample data sets, example syntax, and other useful resources are available for download.

Since its launch in September 2022, the ITEMS portal has experienced considerable traffic. In the 30 days between September 12 and October 11, the ITEMS portal amassed just under 1,000 unique page views, with Figure 1 showcasing the daily traffic. At the same time, the original ITEMS portal has continued to remain active, amassing many more views. We are planning on shutting down the original ITEMS portal in the near future. It is important that links to ITEMS modules on the original portal be updated to the URL for the NCME website. Linking to new modules is simple. All modules have the same domain name, top-level domain, and path. All digital modules may be linked using the following URL template, replacing ## with the two-digit digital ITEMS module number: https://www.ncme.org/itemsportal/digital-modules/dm##.

I am thrilled to announce the second module of the new format on the NCME website. Jennifer Lewis and Steve Sireci author Digital Module #30 Validity and Educational Testing: Purposes and Uses of Educational Tests. In this five-part module, Lewis and Sireci discuss the purposes and uses of educational tests, the basic concepts of validity theory, the five sources of validity evidence, and how to document a “validity argument.” The module contains content that outlines definitions conceptually and provides concrete examples in K–12 testing but will be of use to anyone involved in testing or measurement.

We have several exciting ITEMS modules in development. There are still opportunities to author a module for anyone interested. Authoring a module has never been easier! I provide step-by-step instructions on how to develop the content in the development process. There is a flexible timeline and templates to work from. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected] if you have interest in authoring a module or if you have a suggestion for a topic that would be helpful to you, your clients and partners, or your students. Any thoughts on how to make the modules more accessible are always welcome.