Toward a Stable Diagnostic Representation of Students' Errors in Algebra

Abstract

Diagnoses of students' performance on procedural mathematical tasks need to display a certain level of stability and robustness if they are to be used as the basis for remediation, particularly with computer-delivered instruction. The purpose of this study was to compare two diagnostic approaches for describing students' errors in algebra--a bug analysis and a rule-space analysis--with the goal of investigating the relative stability of the diagnoses derived from these approaches. Consistent with the findings of recent studies, a relatively large number of bugs were unstable; stable bugs tended to be infrequent. In contrast, the results of the rule-space analysis yielded relatively more stable diagnoses. The results were discussed in light of their consequences for designing remediation Cognitive diagnosis, Classification, IRT, Stability of Errors Algebra

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 1992
Accession Number
ADA257319

Entities

People

  • Anthony E. Kelly
  • Kikumi K. Tatsuoka
  • Menucha Birenbaum

Organizations

  • Educational Testing Service

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Algebra
  • Arithmetic
  • Boolean Algebra
  • Classification
  • Cognition
  • Cognitive Science
  • Computer Programs
  • Equations
  • Instructors
  • Law
  • Mathematics
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • Psychology
  • Students
  • United States
  • United States Government

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  • Groundwater Contamination Remediation.

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  • Space