Your task this unit is to examine how tests and measurements are reported in the popular media. Using either a newspaper (such as The New York Times (Links to an external site.) or USA Today (Links to an external site.), news website (such as MSNBC News (Links to an external site.), BBC News (Links to an external site.), ABC News, (Links to an external site.) or Fox News (Links to an external site.)) or general audience magazine (such as Time Magazine (Links to an external site.) or The New Yorker (Links to an external site.)), locate an article focusing on tests or measurements. The article might discuss the results of a test, introduce a new use of testing, debate the relevance of testing or any other issue related to testing or measurement. For example, you might find an article discussing the use of achievement testing to assess Common Core State Standards or the use of survey measurement to predict the outcome of political elections. (There are many other topics, these are just two examples.) Once you have located your article of choice, respond to this discussion thread, sharing with the class your critique of the article and the instrument/measurement introduced.
Testing in the Popular Media
Your task is to thoroughly complete all of the following discussion criteria.
- Initial Post:
- Locate an article in the popular media focusing on tests and/or measurements.
- Post a brief analysis of the article.
- Create main entry post:Provide the active link for the article and a brief topic summary
- Analyze article:
- Identify and analyze the type of test or measurement used (individual, group, ability, intelligence, personality, survey)
- Identify and analyze the psychometric evidence provided (i.e., reliability, validity or statistical information)
- Identify questions:
- Address what questions are left unanswered after reading the article.
- List at least one question concerning the test, measurement or related statistics that the article fails to address.