Towards Designing Optimal Individualized Placement Tests

Authors

Octavio Lerma, The University of Texas at El PasoFollow
Olga Kosheleva, The University of Texas at El PasoFollow
Shahnaz Shahbazova, Azerbaijan Technical UniversityFollow
Vladik Kreinovich, The University of Texas at El PasoFollow

Publication Date

12-2013

Comments

Technical Report: UTEP-CS-13-75

Abstract

To find the current level of a student's knowledge, we use a sequence of problems of increasing complexity; if a student can solve a problem, the system generates a more complex one; if a student cannot solve a problem, the system generates an easier one. To find a proper testing scheme, we must take into account that every time a student cannot solve a problem, he/she gets discouraged. To take this into account, we define an overall effect on a student by combining "positive" and "negative" problems with different weights, and we design a testing scheme which minimizes this effect.