Patricia Martinkova

Selected reseach projects

Theoretical foundations of computational psychometrics
Theoretical foundations of computational psychometrics (2021–2023) is a grant funded by Czech Science Foundation on theoretical and computational aspects of psychometrics with the aim to propose estimation and detection methods superior to traditional ones. Project focuses on two psychometric topics (estimation of reliability and detection of differential item functioning) and their extensions to more complex designs. Project also provides software implementations as well as simulated and real data examples demonstrating usefulness and superiority of the proposed methods.

Advances in educational assessment (EduTest)
Advances in educational assessment: Analytical support for educational test development (EduTest) (2021—2023) is a grant funded by Technology Agency of the Czech Republic. The grant involves collaboration of the Computational psychometrics group with the Center for Educational Measurement and Psychometrics at Faculty of Education, Charles University. The aim of this multidisciplinary project is to create a set of procedures and tools for a complex analysis of educational tests and to promote the implementation of proposed procedures and tools in school admission tests, school leaving examinations, and other educational assessments.

Center for Educational Measurement and Psychometrics (CEMP)
The the Center for Educational Measurement and Psychometrics (CEMP) was initiated by the PRIMUS project (2018–2021) funded by the Charles University and the Faculty of Education. The project focused on modern psychometric methods to analyze group differences in educational measurement, caused by gender, region, type of school, ethnicity, or first language. Project applied psychometric models to real data from educational assessment.

Estimation of psychometric measures as part of admission test development
Junior researcher project (years 2015–2017) funded by Czech Science Foundation which initiated the Computational Psychometrics Group. Project explored statistical and psychometric tools for analysis and improvement of admission process. More details see here.

Applicants at the Doorstep
This IES project of Center for Education and Data Research analyzed the relationship between measures of teacher applicants (both subjective and objective) and subsequent teacher performance, teacher absences, and teacher attrition in Spokane Public Schools. In this project, I focused on estimation of inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of ratings of applicants (used in the hiring process for selection of candidates invited to interviews) and on its impact on predictive power of the ratings. Results were presented in PLOS ONE, also see older working paper here.

Defining and Assessing the Core Principles for Undergaduate Physiology
In this NSF project of Edmonds Community College I analyzed properties of newly designed homeostasis inventory and its items across different groups of undergraduate students (see CBE-LSE). I have also published related paper on why DIF analysis should be a routine in validation of conceptual assessments, see CBE-LSE. Also see related paper using the HCI dataset as an example for routinizing validation studies, published in The R journal.

Admission Tests to School of Medicine at Charles University
Many Czech colleges and universities run their own admission tests. Increased interest in educational testing has led to new analyses of the tests' psychometric properties, the development of more sophisticated item banks and the publishing of books on test development methodology.
In this project I analyze data from admission tests and study outcomes of students at the School of Medicine, Charles University in Prague. I co-authored 5 reports, and eventually also an automation of IRT analysis and item calibration with online tool and R library ShinyItemAnalysis, see also manuscript presented at FedCSIS conference. I also co-authored a book on Student Assessment in Medical Education and delivered presentations on Test Development and Analysis as part of workshops for faculties at Schools of Medicine.

Reliability of Measurements
This study was motivated by a debate in the Czech Republic on the requirement to report Cronbach's alpha, a measure of reliability, for all higher education admissions tests. The study first aimed to explain the statistical groundings for Cronbach's alpha, to stress its assumptions and to research alternative reliability estimates in more complicated designs.
As a secondary outcome, a new estimate of reliability, logistic alpha, was proposed for binary items. The simulation study was performed to compare the logistic alpha with existing estimators of reliability in IRT models. The results were published in papers (here and here) and presented at IMPS and ISCB conferences.

Psychometric Properties of a Set of Clinical Tests Used for MS Patients
The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a battery of clinical tests that can be used to systematically evaluate clinical features of multiple sclerosis treatable by physiotherapy. In this project, I analyzed psychometric properties of the proposed set of clinical tests, co-authored a paper and presentations.

European Survey on Methods Used in Physiotherapy in MS Patients
The aim of this study is to document organizational and non-clinical aspects of physical therapy in multiple sclerosis across Europe. The survey has involved centers from many countries, and it revealed large differences between European countries in the provision and practice of physical therapy in Multiple Sclerosis. In this project, I co-designed complex questionnaire on Physical rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis and I lead the data analysis. See also papers in journal Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, in journal BMC Health Services Research, and in Journal of International Medical Research.