Implementing a measurement framework to assess and evaluate student readiness for online learning and growth

This chapter was developed out of a study on the effectiveness of an online technology mini-course to prepare students for success in online classes. The work focuses on the methodology used to measure student readiness to engage with technology, and to measure growth in student technical knowledge as a result of the mini-course. The researchers applied Rasch analysis for both of these purposes, creating measurement scales from brief surveys. This chapter describes the results of the study, providing a step-by-step description of how to develop a similar scale for use in the classroom, and how to interpret results of Rasch analysis to gain valuable insight into student understanding of technology.