Life

I am basically pretty healthy but I think that’s because when it’s time to have a physical, see the dentist, or take a medical test I am a good doobie. So yesterday I started my day by going off to get a blood test for my upcoming doctor’s appointment. As I drove down a local winding road, I went around a bend and I saw three very large birds enjoying breakfast on the side of the road. I wasn’t sure what kind of birds they were. I was pretty sure they weren’t wild turkeys, which are the only large birds I had seen in and around Massachusetts. A little research after the fact told me that they were probably Canada Geese. I was just really glad that the geese and my car didn’t interact.

As I sat waiting for my name to be called, I heard a women across from me telling the man with her that she was upset because she had forgotten to bring in her social security card. At that point a gentleman across the room approached her. He said he’d heard her mention that she had grown up on a lake. He then asked her which lake she had grown up near. She appeared to be dubious but responded to his question. He then asked so do you recognize me? It took her a minute and she then said that yes she remembered him from their childhood. They hugged and started talking about how great it was to see each other after all the years that had passed. They were very much engaged in getting caught up as my name was called. It made me feel good. They clearly were enjoying seeing each other again.

After my appointment I visited a friend who had recently learned that she had terminal cancer. She was told that she only had a few more weeks to live. I had last seen her at the beginning of the summer when we did a two-mile walk together. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I got to her house but I knew I really wanted to see her. As I got close to her house I pulled over for two fire trucks and an ambulance. As I got to the turn for her house the road was blocked by one of the fire trucks. The other truck was parked across the road and the ambulance was right in front of the house. I realized it wasn’t a fire but that someone had called 911 for a person in some sort of distress. I hoped that my friend and her family didn’t hear the sirens. My friend lives on a cul-de-sac so I just sat and waited until they unblocked the road.

When I got to her house there were several family members from out of state at her house helping her and her husband with whatever they needed. My friend was sitting in an easy chair and she looked good. I, of course, knew that while she looked good she was very sick. We visited for a while about every day things.

At one point I mentioned that I had recently was in a town that it turned out that she and her husband had often visited when her family was younger. She was happy to hear that I had visited the town and that there was a lot of new construction going on. After an hour I knew it was time to leave. We compared calendars and planned for my next visit after her next chemo treatment six weeks from now. Today I sent her an email with a few jokes. She responded almost immediately telling me that she enjoyed receiving my message. I plan to continue sending her more humorous messages.

Next, I headed out to attend a course that meets in the early afternoon. As I drove through the back roads I noticed the changing foliage and realized that nature and life moves on regardless of what is happening in any one individual life.

My course is film class. We view a film and then gather around a large table and discuss the messages in the film. All of the films in this class were made to deliver a message. Some of the films are very heavy handed while others deliver their messages very subtly. I find it interesting that members of the class have a wide range of opinions on the effectiveness of the film and the effectiveness of the message delivery.

I am learning quite a bit about how different people can see the same film and come away with different opinions on what was being conveyed and how effectively the message was delivered. I find that I am learning a lot not only about the films but also about how messages delivered in films can be consumed differently by viewers with different viewpoints on what is being presented.

As I look back on the day I realize that my friend is able to take her cancer in stride and enjoy the time she has with all of us who come to visit her. I also realize just like the film course, different people can react to the situation she is in a number of different ways. I believe my friend is doing an outstanding job of continuing to live her life and enjoy the people around her. I am very glad that she is a friend of mine.

Developing Certification Exams

There are many factors to consider when implementing a certification exam program. The benefits of a well-developed and implemented program are many, ranging from well-prepared employees to increased profits due to a knowledgeable team. The tests themselves are most often a revenue generating process as many different populations can seek to be certified. But getting there requires multiple steps to ensure a quality exam.

It is critical to ensure that each step in the development process is well planned and executed. Below is an overview of steps that need to be taken to ensure a quality outcome. There are other steps that are followed by different development programs. However these are the major steps and processes.

• Begin by identifying the end results needed. What do the people who receive the certification need to be able to do.
• Once the end results have been identified, the steps needed to produce the end results have to be documented. For example, if the test covers driving different types of vehicles (perhaps cars, trucks, motorcycles, golf carts or others) include all the steps needed to drive each type of vehicle. This is known as a task analysis.
• Next a blueprint is developed. A team of experts most often develops the blueprint. The experts who develop the blueprint generally include practitioners and others who have expertise in the area. The blueprint describes each component of the task analysis. The blueprint identifies each area that will be tested by the exam. Most blueprints include the number of items for each objective that will be included on an exam. They also usually assign a weight to each topic area. Multiple examples of templates are available on line. Here is just one example.

https://www.nursingworld.org/~4acd24/globalassets/certification/certification-specialty-pages/resources/test-content-outlines/familynp-tco.pdf

• Once the blueprint is developed it needs to be validated by other subject matter experts (SMEs). Note that it is not expected that one person will have expertise in all areas covered by a full exam.
• At this point the item writing process begins. The very first step is to agree on the blueprint. Most often there are changes. Additions and some deletions can also happen, as topics may not be appropriate for the specific exam, may be covered on another exam, or might make the exam too long. Also there may be changes to the percentages and other edits before the team agrees on who will develop which items and the number of items each person will write.
• Handouts for the types of items to be included on the exam (for example multiple-choice, matching), how to write items, and what should and should not be included in an item are generally passed out and reviewed before participants begin writing the items. There are often handouts to explain how to input questions into the item development program used for item input.
• Here is an excellent set of guidelines for exam writing

http://www.cedma.org/blog/certification-exam-item-writing-best-practices

• It is important to let item writers develop just a few items (about three) and stop so that their items can be reviewed for feedback. Generally letting them write for no more than 30 minutes works well. It is also a good idea to review with the full team so that everyone hears the feedback. For a large group, the exam facilitator may want to just review one item written by each developer. Have them post their items in a way that allows for only the facilitator to see them. The exam facilitator should choose items to review so that different areas that need attention can be discussed.
• Once the first review is completed it is time to let the writers write more items. The exam facilitator needs to continue to review the developers’ items so that if they are making errors the facilitator can let them know what needs to be fixed. Usually a recommended rewrite helps. If the facilitator doesn’t know the subject area, they can use a gibberish word that will allow for the needed concept to be explained.
• After a period of time (usually two hours works) take a break and then begin to review the items. The facilitator can provide feedback on test development techniques and the developers need to provide feedback on the content of the questions. If there is agreement that the question is good, then it can be approved. If there isn’t agreement, the team can try to repair it. But in some cases it is better to delete the question, as time is often a factor in getting the number of questions that are needed and approved completed in the allotted timeframe.

Once the development workshop is completed the questions are sent out for review. Each question needs to be reviewed by multiple reviewers. Also each reviewer should only review a limited number of items to ensure the confidentiality of the exam.

That’s all for now. A future blog will cover additional information about certification exam development. Please let me know if you have comments or questions.