Psychometric Analysis Software User Manual

Date: 03/3/01

Authors:

Document Change HistoryThis is our preliminary user manual. All changes coming will be put here.

Table of Contents1. Introduction

1-A. Purpose of the Document1-B. Targeted Reader1-C. Document Conventions1-D. Reader Starting Points

2. Quick Start2-A. Input2-B. Output2-C. Constraints

3. System Overview3-A. Hardware Requirements3-B. Directory Structure3-C. Diagram

4. Tutorial4-A. Getting Started4-B. Program Running4-C. After Data has been Processed

5. Reference5-A. Hierarchical Decomposition

6. Appendices6-A. Quick Reference Card (could additionally cut out and laminate)6-B. System Requirements 6-C. Installation 6-D. Troubleshooting 6-E. Maintenance Procedures and Issues6-F. Contact Information (your names, Client name, current emails, etc.)

1. Introduction1-A. Purpose of the Document

The purpose of this document is to assist the user in understand the features and functionalities of the Psychometric Analysis Software. Included within this document is a tutorial to take the user through the entire process of execution. In addition this document will provide easy reference to certain aspects of the program.

It is assumed that the user is familiar with the data involved with the program and has an understanding of basic statistical terms.

1-B. Targeted Reader

The targeted reader of the document will be one w/ only the most limited knowledge of computers. We will not assume the user knows anything beyond simple word processing, email, and internet skills. The user will only use the GUI and the resultant data. Any conventions used that are at a level that could not be understood by any one with any amount of computer knowledge will be changed.

1-C. Document Conventions

So far, the only conventions being used are to use size 12 Times New Roman font, and put the section headings in bold type. For specific keyboard commands, we will use size 11 Curior New font in italics. Other conventions will be added as necessary.

1-D. Reader Starting Points

The two keep starting points will be either section 2 (Quickstart) and section 6-A, the quick reference pull out card.

2. Quick Start

2-A. Input

A. Indicates if you would like Scaled Scores to be displayed in the output.B. Allows one to fill out the desired values of and for population distribution.C. The scaling allows one to decide the average and standard deviation of possible

scores. For example, to give points for the SAT or the GRE, one would put the numbers 500 and 100.

D. The File Format allows the user to read in 3 different types of file structures. E. Button for users to press when they wish to end the program.F. Allows user to choose which columns represent the corresponding data of a, b,

and c which are Item Parameters.G. The Select Item Parameter button will bring up a selection screen so that the user

can choose which file he would like to read in. H. Textbox included so that the user can see which file he has chosen. I. Allows for choosing between the normal metric data calculation and the Logistic

metric calculation.J. Allows the user if he would like to have the column of percentiles reportedK. The re-scale portion allows for the user to determine what he desires the

average/standard deviation to be and then to evaluate the data from the files accordingly.

L. Allows the user to choose to save the output as which type of file.M. Processes the input file to produce the output file.

N. Preview allows one to check what the input looks like given the columns specification so that one check the input file before processing.

2-B. Output

The output of the program looks like to the following:

Part 1Item Type Ncat Parameters:1 2 2 0.76 1.04 0.302 2 2 0.49 -0.37 0.263 2 2 0.75 1.76 0.16

Part 2Score EAP S.D. Prop. Sscore SE %ile0 -2.34 0.54 0.00000 27 5 11 -2.31 0.54 0.00000 27 5 12 -2.28 0.55 0.00000 27 5 13 -2.25 0.55 0.00000 28 5 1

Part 1 is what is read in as an input file but is outputted here again so that it can be checked. This is not a direct reprint of the input, but a refined input in which the different types of input files are standardized. Ncat represents the number of categories. For most cases, this value is 2, either right or wrong. This is the output one receives after pressing the view button.

Part 2 is the result of the processed data. That is what comes up after the user hits the process button.First column - Represents the summed score, which ranges from the minimum to the maximum score.Second column – EAP stands for expected a posteriori and represents the score that has yet to be scaled.Third column – S.D. is for standard deviation and is calculated based on the data provided.Fourth column – Prop. is the expected proportion for each summed score. Fifth column – Scaled scores. For example, this would be from 200 – 800 on the GRE/SAT.Sixth column – SE stands for standard error of the scaled scores.Seventh column – Only appears if the percentiles are requested on the GUI.

2-C. ConstraintsPlace in here the limits of the column choices… the fact that the program has problems if the user inputs the incorrect column numbers.

System Overview3-A. Hardware Requirements

The requirements for running the software. Also note why doesn’t run on Thissen computer.

3-B. Directory StructurePut the list of where things are in relation to other files. Ex. Where to find the processed data.

3-C. High Level Diagram

For the more advanced user, this diagram and the following prose explain the interior workings of our program.

A MainThis is the centralized manager of the program. It brings everything together through a call-return system. Thus all of the subprograms are run in sequence until the final output has been delivered to the user. Furthermore, it maintains the necessary data structures and passes the pertinent data along to each sub-process.

B User InterfaceThe user indicates which input file type is going to be used, then selects that file in a file chooser window. Also, the user specifies some pertinent information about that file.

C Input File ReaderThis reads in the item parameters from the specified input file. There are three types of files which can be read: columns, bilog, and multilog.

D Recursive AlgorithmThis takes the item parameters, genereates tracelines from them, and then calculates everything needed for the summed score to scale score conversion.

E OutputThis takes the data calculated by the recursive algorithm and outputs it to the screen. It also allows the user to save the data to a file and “copy” it so that it may be “pasted” in another application.

TutorialIncluded within the program sample data and sample instructions to use the program

4-A. Getting Started4-A.1. Download file

The program .exe file can be found at ??? (http://www.cs.unc.edu/~skender/Product/GUI.zip)

4-A.2. Read Quick Start Pullout or Online Documentation4-A.3. UnZip the download file4-A.4. Run the .exe file

4-B. Program Running4-B.1. How to activate the various buttons4-B.2. How to use text boxes (acceptable data)4-B.3. How to read in user data files4-B.4. How to submit and process data

4-C. After Data has been Processed4-C.1. How to access the new data4-C.2. How to copy and paste the data4-C.3. How to submit new data4-C.4. How to Quite the GUI

5. Reference5-A. Hierarchical DecompositionNot much to be done here, since the input and output are both completely described in the quick start section. Probably, that will be pared down and what is currently there will go here.

6. Appendices

6-A. Quick Reference Card (could additionally cut out and laminate)We will include a Quick Reference card that outlines how to enter the data, how to process the data, and how to view/edit the output.

6-B. System Requirements Currently the system requirements are as follows:

Hard Requirements: The system must be running on Windows 95 or greater and the system must have JVM version 1.2.

Soft Requirements: The machine should have a processor speed of 100+ Mhz; currently, there are no other soft requirements.

6-C. Installation There will currently be no instillation. The file will be a .exe file that will be run by the user anytime they wish to process data. Full instillation falls under the “fantasy” goals of the project.

6-D. Troubleshooting Troubleshooting will be handled on an individual basis. Since the program is only designed to work on the Windows platform, and currently with no instillation, the only foreseeable problem would be in a user deleting some necessary files (steps will be taken to prevent this.

6-E. Maintenance Procedures and IssuesA detailed log will be kept of all known bugs and the solution required to fix them. This will be updated as new mistakes/bugs are found, and should give a detailed overview of any problems that might pop up from time to time.

6-F. Contact Information (your names, Client name, current emails, etc.) Current as of 8 March 2001

Director: Chris Schenck Email: cschenck@email.unc.edu

Producer: Ian YuanEmail: ianyuan@email.unc.edu

Administrative Leader: Benjamin Chen Email: bchen@email.unc.edu

Librarian: Charles SkenderEmail: drgnrbrn@email.unc.edu

Quality/Test Leader: Eric Karlsson Email: karlsson@email.unc.edu

Client: Prof. David ThissenEmail: dthissen@email.unc.edu