ITEMS Corner Update: Two Years of Changes to ITEMS

This issue marks the beginning of the final year of my tenure as editor of the Instructional Topics of Educational Measurement Series (ITEMS). Although I will save a comprehensive reflection until the last issue of the year, I will use this issue to provide an update on the two changes to ITEMS that were made over the past two years in addition to introducing the newest entry to the ITEMS digital library.

In 2022, I took over a newly created format and process for ITEMS modules—digital interactive teaching modules as opposed to the traditional PDF format. Modules were hosted on a learning management system (LMS), shifting focus from a journal publication to a modernized teaching-focused platform. While the LMS provided ample opportunity for expansion and learning, its form was challenging to navigate given its unique look and feel as a standalone website, separate from the then recently revitalized modern NCME website. Thus, my first significant change to ITEMS was to migrate the ITEMS portal LMS to the NCME website. Learners now go straight to the NCME website and navigate directly to the ITEMS portal without requiring a unique username and password. This makes the ITEMS module library more accessible and makes the NCME website the go-to destination for professional development in educational measurement.

Prior to 2022, specialized software was necessary to produce digital modules. This software allowed for the inclusion of interactive and nonlinear learning. This process resulted in beautiful, intricate, and pleasing modules for learning, but was complex and costly for development. To continue the process in place would have required producing these modules as a full-time job with a staff—a true testament to the work of the previous editor André Rupp and other volunteers. Fortunately, the ITEMS portal being hosted on the NCME website offered an opportunity to modify the development process while keeping an interactive component with a modernized look and feel.

I developed a new comprehensive system for creating ITEMS modules. Authors now develop content for four to five sections using pre-made PowerPoint templates, a familiar software to many. Once completed, I insert animations to align with timing of the recorded audio and export them as videos. These videos are hosted on the NCME website and can be downloaded for offline viewing (an extra benefit). Learners interact directly with the videos and content on the website, where module sections may be viewed in any order. In addition to video content, interactive activities that exemplify syntax or case studies are developed to assist with learning. Finally, interactive selected response learning checks are made, allowing learners to check their understanding as they traverse through the module. Datasets, syntax, and other files are hosted on the module page for easy download.

The ITEMS development process is not like a traditional publication. Rather, there is significant interaction between me as editor and each author developing the module. The iterative process has many steps, each being well documented with templates to streamline the process (see Leventhal, 2023a, 2023b, 2023c, 2023d). This transformation of ITEMS has been well received by authors; author comments have included, “This is a really great process,” “This was fun!” and “This is well-organized and a great process to follow!” I'd encourage anyone interested in developing a module to reach out to me directly.

Given these new changes, there has been significant traffic to the ITEMS portal on the NCME website. In December 2023, the ITEMS home page was viewed 2,637 times, the ITEMS print modules (PDFs) library (also on the NCME website) was viewed 2,496 times, and the Digital Modules landing page (https://www.ncme.org/itemsportal/digital-modules) was viewed 2,744 times. In addition, the most recent digital modules produced in the new format have been viewed up to nearly 400 times each. I am excited to see that this format has been so well received and continues to grow.

I am thrilled to introduce the newest ITEMS module, Digital Module 35: Through-Year Assessment. In this digital ITEMS module, Nathan Dadey, Brian Gong, Yun-Kyung Kim, and Edynn Sato introduce through-year assessment. They discuss major test design elements and considerations, key challenges that pose a threat to assessment validity and utility, recommended methods to address these challenges, and considerations for implementation. This five-section module provides extensive video examples to illustrate these topics.