The Role of Item Models in Automatic Item Generation

Automatic item generation represents a relatively new but rapidly evolving research area where cognitive and psychometric theories are used to produce tests that include items generated using computer technology. Automatic item generation requires two steps. First, test development specialists create item models, which are comparable to templates or prototypes, that highlight the features or elements in the assessment task that must be manipulated. Second, these item model elements are manipulated to generate new items with the aid of computer-based algorithms. With this two-step process, hundreds or even thousands of new items can be created from a single item model. The purpose of our article is to describe seven different but related topics that are central to the development and use of item models for automatic item generation. We start by defining item model and highlighting some related concepts; we describe how item models are developed; we present an item model taxonomy; we illustrate how item models can be used for automatic item generation; we outline some benefits of using item models; we introduce the idea of an item model bank; and finally, we demonstrate how statistical procedures can be used to estimate the parameters of the generated items without the need for extensive field or pilot testing.