NR537 Week 3: Test Construction
Requirements
Description of the Assignment
For this NR537 Week 3: Test Construction assignment, the MSN student will use the following course titled “Comfort Care of Adults” and the identified course outcomes.
Course Description: Comfort Care of Adults
Emphasis is on delivery of comfort care to adult clients experiencing acute alterations in health. Students will assess client needs, plan appropriate interventions based on evidence, implement interventions according to accepted standards of nursing care, and evaluate effectiveness of care through an evidence-based nursing framework.
Course Objectives
Explains knowledge from the biological and behavioral sciences, and the liberal arts in order to plan nursing care of clients.
Applies knowledge of lifespan development, culture, and economic status to provide holistic care to clients with specific alterations in health.
Utilizes the nursing process as a framework for decision making in caring for adult clients in acute care settings.
Appraises evidence-based practices for incorporation in the plan of care of clients with alterations in health.
Based on the above information, develop a test blueprint for ONE module or unit in the above course. The module or unit can be on a specific disease or process (i.e., respiratory diseases, post-op patients, etc.). As the educator for this module/unit, you will need to select the level of the learner(s) as well as the practice setting. The practice setting can be in either nurse professional development (i.e., mentoring program, continuing education) or a traditional academic setting (i.e., senior-level adult health course; junior-level adult health course).
Criteria for Content
Description of content area for the module/unit: In this section, the MSN student identifies the content area to be the focus of the module/unit and the test. This section includes the following required elements.
Identify the overall content for the module or unit
Explain how the identified content is consistent with the course description
Identify four specific content areas to be used within the test blueprint
Identify the level of the learner who will be completing the module/unit and the test
Explain the importance of the selected content area to the learner
Development of test blueprint: In this section, the MSN student will develop a test blueprint for the module/unit. Please use the Test Blueprint Template located in the Assignment area of NR537. The required sections are noted to be the following.
Identify the name of the module/unit that this test is being designed for
Identify the total points for the test
Identify the points for each test question
Identify the four content areas to be placed in the Test Blueprint Template (See Assignment area for the template.)
Allot testing points for each content area for the appropriate Comfort Care for Adults course outcome verb
Total points for each row and column within the required template
Development of multiple choice items: In this section, the MSN student will develop multiple choice test items consistent with the cognitive levels of the developed test blueprint. The required sections are noted to be the following.
Eight multiple choice items are consistent with the test blueprint cognitive level
At least one multiple choice question is developed for EACH Comfort Care for Adults course outcome
Identify the cognitive level of the multiple choice item using Bloom’s revised taxonomy
Identify the Comfort Care for Adults course outcome and content area that the test item refers to
Wording of the STEM is consistent with item writing best practices
Wording of distractors are consistent with item writing best practices
Development of alternative items: In this section, the MSN student will develop alternative test items consistent with the cognitive levels of the developed test blueprint. The required elements for this section are noted to be the following.
Four alternative test items are constructed
At least two DIFFERENT types of alternative test items are presented
Each alternative item is identified as to its item type
Each alternative item is identified for its cognitive level using Bloom’s revised taxonomy
Identify the course outcome and content area that the test item refers to
Wording of the alternative item is consistent with best practices for item writing
Preparing the Assignment
Criteria for Format and Special Instructions
When allotting points for each content area to the verb (i.e., column heading), decide which Comfort Care for Adults course outcome verb is most important for the content area and then assign more points. For example, if you think that Comfort Care for Adults course outcome verb #2 is more important than Comfort Care for Adults course outcome verb #1, you would allot more points to Comfort Care for Adults course outcome verb #2. Please note: You do NOT have to allot points to each cell, but there must be points for each course outcome.NR537 Week 3: Test Construction
The test blueprint portion of the assignment must use the template that is provided (see the Assignment section of NR537).
Twelve test items must be developed by the MSN student. The items must be consistent with the cognitive level noted in the test blueprint.
Of the twelve test questions, eight must be multiple choice questions, each with a stem and four options/distractors. The remaining four items must be alternative test items (i.e., true/false, fill-in-the-blank, matching, short answer, etc.). Within the four alternative test items, two different types of alternative items must be demonstrated.
A reference list is not needed unless a citation is provided, which is not expected.
Title page, body of paper, and reference page (if needed) must follow APA guidelines as found in the current edition of the manual.NR537 Week 3: Test Construction
Rules of grammar, spelling, word usage, and punctuation are followed and consistent with formal, scientific writing.
NR537 Week 3: Test Construction Answer
Test Development
Evaluation tests are a commonly employed method for assessing and gauging the knowledge and skill acquisition of learners. These tests aid in determining learners’ proficiency in the subject matter. A crucial tool in the test development process is the utilization of a test blueprint, which serves as a guiding framework for determining the number and complexity of questions (Abdellatif & Al-Shahrani, 2019). Nurse educators must possess the ability to formulate a test blueprint as well as construct the actual test for evaluating learners (Oermann & Gaberson, 2017).NR537 Week 3: Test Construction
In the context of this assignment, the application of Bloom’s revised taxonomy is instrumental in crafting a test blueprint and generating test questions for the course “Comfort Care of Adults.” The assignment clearly defines the content area of focus. The test blueprint reflects various cognitive levels as outlined in Bloom’s revised taxonomy and encompasses the development of both multiple-choice questions and alternative format test items.NR537 Week 3: Test Construction
Description of Content Area for the Module/Unit
The chosen module pertains to cardiovascular care for adults, encompassing elements of assessment, diagnosis, and treatment, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological, for adult patients (Piano et al., 2018). The selected content area aligns with the course outcomes, emphasizing the provision of comfort care to adults with cardiovascular diseases. The course and unit place significant emphasis on cardiovascular assessment, disease identification, interpretation of diagnostics and lab test results, integration of evidence-based practice, medication prescription, and administration. The four primary content areas are hypertension, arrhythmias, coronary artery disease, and heart attack, all of which represent common cardiovascular conditions among adult patients.
The target audience for this module comprises 3rd-year BSN students. The chosen content area holds paramount importance for these learners as it equips them with the skills and knowledge required to assess client needs, plan and implement evidence-based interventions, and evaluate the effectiveness of care. This course plays a pivotal role in enhancing nurses’ proficiency in cardiovascular assessment and the delivery of comfort care for adult patients with cardiovascular diseases.NR537 Week 3: Test Construction
Test Blueprint
Module/Unit Name: Cardiovascular Nursing Care for Adults
Total Test Points: 65
Points per Test Question: 5
Content Areas for Module/Unit Adult Comfort Care Course Outcome #1 Verb: Explains Adult Comfort Care Course Outcome #2 Verb: Applies Adult Comfort Care Course Outcome #3 Verb: Utilizes Adult Comfort Care Course Outcome #4 Verb: Appraises Total Points
Content Area #1: Hypertension
Content Area #2: Arrhythmias
Content Area #3: Coronary Artery Disease
Content Area #4: Heart Attack
Total Points 15 20 15 15 65 or 100%
Development of Multiple Choice Questions
Question 1:
Which of the following represents a major modifiable risk factor for a 50-year-old African-American adult diagnosed with hypertension? (Cognitive Level: Apply, CO#2, Content Area: Hypertension)
- a) Physical inactivity
- b) Smoking a pack of cigarettes per day
- c) High sodium consumption
References:
Abdellatif, O., & Al-Shahrani, I. (2019). The impact of using test blueprint and types of test items on achievement in the subject of educational measurement and evaluation. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education, 8(4), 670-676.
Oermann, M. H., & Gaberson, K. B. (2017). Evaluation and testing in nursing education. Springer Publishing Company.
