Introduction to Modern Test Theory and Test/Survey Methodology

Third-cycle level | 4.0 credits (HEC) | Course code: H1F2664
VT 2025
Study period: 2025-04-28 - 2025-05-28
LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION: The course is given in English
Application period: 2024-10-15 - 2024-11-05
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Course description

Do you work with surveys or clinical assessments in your research? Are you sometimes questioning the process of assigning numbers to various items/questions, and then summarize these into unidimensional measurements of various traits/abilities/preferences etc? Posing standardized questions to people with very diverse backgrounds and profiles in various contexts, and then assume they can be mathematically compared? Although you have heard from your supervisors that these tools are "valid and reliable" - there is still something that nags you?

During the last decades, models within modern test theory are more and more being used in order to develop and/or evaluate clinical tests and questionnaires within many areas of practice. This course will therefore introduce modern test theory and its applications within areas of broader health care and social sciences. We will also elaborate more in-depth with the current definitions of evidence of validiy and reliability/precision, as well as explore challenges in constructing surveys more hands-on. 

The course will not solve all the challenges that exist with your surveys/clinical assessments, but will make you more aware and prepared to deal with at least some of them in your relation to your research.  

Prerequisites and Selection

Prerequisite courses, or equivalent

No prerequisite courses, or equivalent, demanded for this course. 

Selection

Selection of applicants will be based on : 1) being a PhD student in the research school in health science (FiH) at KI 2) the relevance of the course syllabus for the applicant's doctoral project (according to written motivation) 3) start of the doctoral studies (priority given earlier start date). 

Course director

Anders Kottorp, professor, PhD, OT reg

Course syllabus

H1F2664

Department

Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society

Doctoral programme

Health Care Science (Puf-V)

Type of course

**Other course

Keywords

reliability/precision, rasch measurement, survey construction, validity

CONTACTAnders Kottorp
0046703656701
anders.kottorp@ki.se