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domain theory - ongoing research

"
Extensive research is often
needed to understand the nature of the substantive process constructs that explain the ordering
from lesser to increasingly able learners. This research may start with qualitative probes to get an
initial idea of the domain constructs, followed by the discovery of qualitative order relationships,
eventually leading to a qualitative model of the domain. The construction of many tasks – items,
testlets, performance rubrics – is necessary, as it provides confirming evidence of theoretical
6
propositions about how many essentially unidimensional scales are needed to span the domain.


An increasingly mature domain theory identifies a set of unidimensional scales that approximate
equal interval scales, each giving a precise parameterization of the expertise space of a specific
knowledge domain. It has a pool of real and possible tasks calibrated on the scales that can be
used to measure accurately learner progress within the domain. When a domain theory is
achieved, measurement instruments and theory have gone hand in hand the whole way." (Bunderson, 2003, p. 5)

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