Instrument Development Process Research Articles

Exploratory factor analysis-instrument for self-assessment of computation thinking skills and collaboration skills

This study focuses on developing and validating instruments to assess the computational thinking skills (CTS) and collaboration skills (CS) of undergraduate students in Indonesia. Employing a quantitative research approach with the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) technique, the research process unfolded in three validation steps. First, face validity was established through expert judgment. Second, discriminant validity was examined using product-moment correlations and Cronbach’s alpha. Finally, EFA were employed to assess the factorial structure. The instrument development process followed five phases: drafting the instrument, face validity assessment by experts, data collection involving 242 undergraduate students as samples, discriminant validity analysis (product moment and Cronbach’s alpha), and EFA analysis to group items and construct dimensions. This study identified six dimensions for CTS (algorithmic thinking, cooperative thinking, problem reformulation, creativity, critical thinking, and systematic testing) and three dimensions for CS (knowledge sharing, planning, and responsibility). These findings support validating the CTS and CS self-assessment scale, making it a valuable tool for evaluating undergraduate student learning and researching computational thinking and CS in Indonesia. Researchers and educators are encouraged to utilize the CTS and CS instrument for self-assessment purposes and further exploration of these competencies among undergraduate students.

Development and validation of the Gastrointestinal Symptom Severity Scale in Spanish children and adolescents.

Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are characterized by chronic or recurrent gastrointestinal symptoms (GS) that are not explained by structural or biochemical abnormalities. FGIDs are related to lower quality of life, increased demands on medical resources, and greater somatization and emotional instability. Furthermore, GS appears to be an indicator of dysbiosis in gut-microbiota, affecting the gut-microbiota-brain relationship. To develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a new instrument called the Gastrointestinal Symptom Severity Scale (GSSS) using a web-based survey in a sample of neurotypical children and adolescents from Spain. Instrument development and validation processes were applied to the GSSS following its administration as part of an online survey. The sample included 1242 neurotypical children and adolescents. The mean age of participants was 13.95years, with a standard deviation of 1.37years. Overall, 13.8% suffered infectious diarrhea, 12.6% suffered abdominal pain, 5% suffered dyspepsia and 2.6% suffered gastro-esophageal reflux. A single-factor model produced good fit indices. Furthermore, internal consistency and test-retest reliability outcomes were acceptable. The GSSS was found to have acceptable metric measurement invariance. Significant correlations with other instruments were produced and were of expected direction and magnitude, confirming scale validity for hypothesis testing. Conclusions: The GSSS shows promising psychometric properties for assessing GS in neurotypical Spanish adolescents and children. What is Known: • To the best of our knowledge, instruments assessing the severity of gastrointestinal symptoms in children and adolescents are still too few. What is New: • The GSSS shows promising psychometric properties for assessing GS in neurotypical adolescents and children. The GSSS may help improve understanding of GS involvement in the gut-brain microbiota axis in children and adolescents.

Service quality in cloud gaming: instrument development and validation

PurposeThe global market for cloud gaming is growing rapidly. How gamers evaluate the service quality of this emerging form of cloud service has become a critical issue for both researchers and practitioners. Building on the literature on service quality and software as a service, this study develops and validates a gamer-centric measurement instrument for cloud gaming service quality.Design/methodology/approachA three-step measurement instrument development process, including item generation, scale development and instrument testing, was adopted to conceptualize and operationalize cloud gaming service quality.FindingsCloud gaming service quality consists of two second-order constructs of support service quality and technical service quality with seven first-order dimensions, namely rapport, responsiveness, reliability, compatibility, ubiquity, smoothness and comprehensiveness. The instrument exhibits desirable psychometric properties.Practical implicationsPractitioners can use this new measurement instrument to evaluate gamers' perceptions toward their service and to identify areas for improvement.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the service quality literature by utilizing qualitative and quantitative approaches to develop and validate a new measurement instrument of service quality in the context of cloud gaming and by identifying new dimensions (compatibility, ubiquity, smoothness and comprehensiveness) specific to it.

Teachers’ made writing assessment instrument: Pedagogical insight from process to product

Despite the urgency of assessment instruments in teaching foreign language writing, evidence regarding how teachers develop assessment instruments and maintain their quality, particularly for comparison and contrast essay writing based on a genre-based approach to teachers’ classroom practices, is scantily reported. To address this empirical need, this article showcases how a set of teacher-made assessment instruments for a comparison and contrast essay based on a genre-based approach in a writing essay course at a public university in East Java was carefully and deliberately developed. To attain the research objective, this research enacted design-based research (DBR) inspired by Cavallaro and Sembiante (2021). In addition to content validity, face validity and inter-rater reliability were ensured by involving ten students, three fellow writing teachers, and two trained raters. This assessment instrument development project produces a set of valid formative assessment instruments, comprising a writing prompt and scoring rubric. The inter-rater reliability shows a high degree of positive correlation with a reliability coefficient of 0.862 from a correlational analysis based on Pearson correlation coefficient. This in-practice assessment instrument development can be used as a reference, contributing to the teachers’ assessment literacy development. It also serves as a valuable model for future researchers to develop and expand nested classroom assessment scholarship. A well-structured validity and reliability process of assessment instrument development will practically enhance the teaching practices in the essay writing course in particular and EFL teaching in general.

DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING OF THE PC-MET (PERSON-CENTERED MEASURE EVALUATION TOOL)

Abstract Despite the importance of person-centered measurement -- and that numerous research instruments are now available to measure person-centeredness -- there are no tools to evaluate the extent to which existing research instruments themselves are developed consistent with principles of person-centeredness. The PC-MET (Person-Centered Measure Evaluation Tool) was developed to fill that gap. Based on literature and theory, the PC-MET assesses the process of instrument development and the content of the instrument itself based on six overarching criteria of person-centeredness: co-creation, accommodation, incorporation, biopsychosocial-cultural components, pragmatism, and systemic focus. The inter-rater reliability of the PC-MET was evaluated based on instruments recommended for use in relation to the Alzheimer’s Association 2018 Dementia Care Practice Recommendations (DCPR). Independent raters evaluated two measures within each DCPR area using the PC-MET. Agreement was excellent (kappas>0.81) across all PC-MET criteria with the exception of the criteria assessing biopsychosocial-cultural components (where agreement was moderate; kappa=0.42) and pragmatism (where agreement was substantial; kappa=0.68). Raters provided feedback on the PC-MET and agreed or strongly agreed that the tool is easy to understand and score; the six PC-MET criteria are relevant and complete; and the PC-MET could improve the person-centeredness of dementia measurement instruments. The PC-MET has broad potential use, including to critique the extent to which existing instruments are person-centered, to promote efforts to make existing measures more person-centered, and to inform the development of new person-centered measures. This work was supported by the NIA through a grant to the Alzheimer’s Association and by the LINC-AD Research Steering Committee.

Enhancing Learning Outcomes: A Study on the Development of Higher Order Thinking Skills based Evaluation Instruments for Work and Energy in High School Physics

This study aimed to enhance student learning outcomes in the field of work and energy within senior high schools through the development of evaluation instruments based on higher-order thinking skills (HOTS). Higher-order thinking encompasses advanced cognitive abilities such as analysis, evaluation, and creative problem-solving. The evaluation instrument created was meticulously designed to encourage students to think critically, solve intricate problems, and apply physics principles to real-world scenarios. The research methodology employed the development research approach. The instrument development process comprised several stages, including needs analysis, instrument design, validation, and revision. To ensure the instrument's precision and validity, experts in physics education and educational evaluation actively participated in the validation process. The resulting evaluation instrument included a combination of multiple-choice questions and open-ended responses. Students underwent assessment using this instrument following their study of work and energy. Evaluation data were subsequently analyzed through both quantitative and qualitative methods. The outcomes demonstrated a significant improvement in student learning achievements concerning work and energy when using evaluation instruments founded on higher-order thinking. Students who utilized this instrument exhibited superior critical thinking skills, enhanced problem-solving abilities, and an improved capacity to apply physics concepts in real-life situations. This study provides invaluable recommendations for educators and curriculum developers, advocating for the adoption of higher-order thinking-based evaluation instruments in high school physics education. Such an approach has the potential to bolster students' higher-order thinking capabilities and augment their learning outcomes in the context of work and energy. In summary, the successful development and validation of the HOTS based evaluation instrument for 10th-grade high school physics students studying work and energy attest to its viability. Rigorous evaluations from both subject matter experts and media specialists consistently affirmed its suitability across diverse aspects, encompassing appearance, content, and language. Educators, who play a pivotal role in instrument implementation, lauded its effectiveness in teaching work and energy concepts. Positive feedback from students, the primary beneficiaries of this evaluation instrument, underscores its widespread acceptance and appropriateness. In sum, this research underscores the instrument's strong validity and practicality for evaluating students' grasp and application of work and energy principles in high school physics, endorsing its capacity to augment learning outcomes.

Verbalizer-visualizer preferences of engineering students: Validity and reliability

Learning content has several forms of presentation, both visual and verbal, but students have different characteristics in processing information depending on their learning preferences. Some students have difficulty processing information without knowing what to do. This happens because students do not yet understand the characteristics of their learning styles. This research aims to study the VVQ instrument used by engineering students by measuring the validity and reliability of the VVQ instrument used. This research uses a statistical quantitative method approach to measure the validity and reliability of the instrument. The instrument development process goes through three stages: analysis and formulation of a literature review, development of the VVQ instrument, and measurement of the validity and reliability of the VVQ instrument. Development of question items based on pre-arranged and customized content categories. The development of VVQ in this study shows the validity value of rcount > rtable, rcount > 0.1966 for each item, and the Person Moment (rxy) correlation is moderate (0.40 < rxy < 0.60) and high (0.60 < rxy < 0.80 ). This research instrument is reliable because the data shows Cronbach's Alpha value rcount > rtable; 0.817 > 0.6319, and the difficulty level is proportional (medium and high). The VVQ instrument achieves validity and reliability based on the analysis items that have been measured. The implications of this research have a significant impact on adjusting learning content to be more personalized based on student learning preferences.

Development and Validation of Questionnaire to Measure Parents' Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice on Self-Medication of Children with Antibiotics in Bandung, Indonesia.

This study aimed to develop and validate a questionnaire to measure the knowledge, attitude, and practice of parents regarding antibiotic use in Indonesian children using structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis. The instrument development process was conducted from January 5 to 19, 2023, using the following steps: 1) literature review and item development, 2) internal review and refinement, 3) structural model analysis, and 4) measurement models' reliability and validity. A convenience sample was used to recruit parents as participants from Arcamanik District, Bandung, Indonesia. A total of 83 respondents completed the on-site interview questionnaire. Furthermore, statistical analyses were performed using SPSS Version 21.0 and Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) Version 26.0. The content validity for the scales was over 50%, and the reliabilities for the 38 items of the questionnaire were above 0.6, respectively. The suitability of the model was assessed, and the findings showed parameters for indicators: chi-square = 0.0004, CFI = 0.977, RMSEA = 0.044, CMIN/DF = 1.162, AGFI = 0.651, TLI = 0.973, and NFI = 0.860. The GFI parameter did not fit with the output value of 0.718, while the convergent and divergent validity of scores provided evidence in the expected direction. This psychometric development study provides preliminary evidence that the 38-item scales were reliable and valid for assessing knowledge, attitude, and practice toward parents in the self-medication of antibiotics in children.

Construction and Validation of Self-Assessment Instrument for Students’ Mathematics Classroom Learning Behaviour

A self-assessment instrument helps mathematics teachers to identify students' learning behaviour and intervene with appropriate instructional design for engaged and meaningful learning in a mathematics class. This study, thus, aims to design, develop, and validate a self-assessment instrument in mathematics classroom learning behaviour for secondary-level students. This study comprises four systematic levels of instrument development and validation processes. Firstly, it begins with a review of different theories and related literature for formulating the relevant assessment domains of the instrument. Secondly, it continues with tool design and item development processes based on the pre-determined domains. The third level involves the draft reviewing process by experts and pre-testing of the draft with a sample of 540 secondary level students. The last stage includes testing and verification of the draft using different statistical tools. Thus, this study establishes a verified students' mathematics classroom learning behaviour self-assessment instrument by completing a systematic process of tool construction.

Development of a Visuoperceptual Measure for Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (V-FEES) in Adults with Oropharyngeal Dysphagia: An International Delphi Study.

Visuoperceptual evaluation of fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) is a commonly used assessment in dysphagia or swallowing disorders. Currently, no international consensus exists regarding which visuoperceptual measures to use for the analysis of FEES recordings. Moreover, existing visuoperceptual FEES measures are limited by poor and incomplete psychometric data, identifying an urgent need for developing a visuoperceptual measure to interpret FEES recordings. Following the COSMIN group's (COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments) psychometric taxonomy and guidelines, this study aimed to establish the content validity of a new visuoperceptual FEES (V-FEES) measure in adults with oropharyngeal dysphagia. Using the Delphi technique, international consensus was achieved among dysphagia experts across 21 countries, resulting in a new prototype measure for V-FEES, comprising 30 items, 8 function testing items (i.e., specific tasks performed by patients while observing and rating items), and 36 unique operationalisations (i.e., defining items into measurable factors that could be measured empirically using visuoperceptual observation). This study supports good content validity for V-FEES, including participants' feedback on the relevance, comprehensiveness, and comprehensibility of the included items. Future studies will continue the instrument development process and determine the remaining psychometric properties using both the classic test theory (CTT) and item response theory (IRT) models.

DEVELOPMENT OF SPIRITUALITY ASSESSMENT OF NURSING INSTRUMENTS IN NURSES AT LABUANG BAJI HOSPITAL MAKASSAR

Spiritual care is carried out by nurses for patients, to prevent more severe health effects and warn of their illness, besides fulfilling spiritual needs that are holistic care to improve patient rehabilitation and quality of life when patients are treated. The aim of the study was to find out the development of an instrument for assessing the spiritual aspects of patients. This research is a qualitative research, the researcher synthesizes and constructs an instrument for assessing the patient's spiritual aspects, while the informants are five expert nurses, nursing practitioners and experts in the field of nursing science specifying spiritual aspects. The stages of the instrument development process are the construction stage, the preparation of the grid, the development of variable dimensions and indicators, theoretical and empirical validation, expert panels and review revisions based on input from the expert panel.
 The results show that after carrying out the instrument development process, this research has found five dimensions of spiritual aspects assessment, namely: the dimensions of spiritual experience, positive emotions, the meaning of life, rituals (for non-Muslims) and rituals (for Muslims). While discussing spiritual experience is a manifestation of spirituality within a person in the form of specific and unique experiences related to his relationship with God at various levels, one's spirituality is related to the purpose and meaning of life as a whole as a manifestation of his relationship with God, spirituality has four dimensions, namely the meaning of life, positive emotions, spiritual experiences, and rituals

Measuring Meaningful English Learning Through Video Production: An Instrument Development Report

Students’ low motivation in learning English as a foreign language is an age-old problem for English teachers. To overcome this problem teacher must design and present the learning process in such way which minimize students’ fear and anxiety. One of the more interesting ways to teach English is to use videos in class. The present study aims at developing an instrument to measure students’ perception of the meaningfulness of English learning using video production. This instrument is developed to facilitate the measurement of students’ perception of the meaningfulness of English learning using video. The construct used as the basis of the instrument development is the Meaningful Learning using digital media and video proposed by Paivi Karppinen. The instrument is developed using Borg’s seven steps instrument development process which includes defining the construct to be measured, defining the target population, reviewing related test, developing prototypes (blueprint and test items), evaluating the prototype, revising the instrument, and collecting data on the validity and reliability of the instrument. The final product consists of 23 items, measuring the 6 sub-constructs with Cronbach’s Alpha Value and the Cronbach’s Alpha Based on Standardized items values of .0903 and 0.932 respectively.

Healthcare professionals’ digital health competence and its core factors; development and psychometric testing of two instruments

BackgroundHealthcare professionals’ digital health competence is an important phenomenon to study as healthcare practices are changing globally. Recent research aimed to define this complex phenomenon and identify the current state of healthcare professionals’ competence in digitalisation but did not include an overarching outlook when measuring digital health competence of healthcare professionals. ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to develop and psychometrically validate two self-assessed instruments measuring digital health competence and factors associating with it. MethodsThe study followed three phases of instrument development and validation: 1) conceptualisation and item pool generation; 2) content validity testing and pilot study; and 3) construct validity and reliability testing. The conceptual background of the instruments was based on individual interviews conducted with healthcare professionals (n = 20) and previous systematic reviews. A total of 17 experts assessed the instrument’s content validity. Face validity was evaluated by a group of healthcare professionals (n = 20). Data collection from 817 professionals took place in spring-summer 2022 in nine organisations. Construct validity was confirmed with exploratory factor analysis. Cronbach’s alpha was used to assess the internal consistency of the instruments. ResultsThe instrument development and validation process resulted in two instruments: DigiHealthCom and DigiComInf. DigiHealthCom included 42 items in 5 factors related to digital health competence, and DigiComInf included 15 items in 3 factors related to educational and organisational factors associated with digital health competence. The DigiHealthCom instrument explained 68.9 % of the total variance and the factors’ Cronbach alpha values varied between 0.91 and 0.97. The DigiComInf instrument explained 59.6 % of the total variance and the factors’ Cronbach alpha values varied between 0.76 and 0.88. ConclusionsThe two instruments gave valid and reliable results in psychometric testing. The instruments could be used to evaluate healthcare professionals’ digital health competence and associated factors.

Developing and validating an integrated instrument for nursing assessments in adult hospitalization units: Study protocol.

To develop and validate an instrument that integrates functional capacity, risk of pressure ulcers and risk of falling with a more parsimonious approach towards nursing assessments in hospitalization units. Cross-sectional validation multicentre study. Socio-demographic variables and assessments of Barthel Index, Braden Index and Downton Scale are included via electronic health records. Instrument's development process will include: (i) conceptual assessments; (ii) content validity; (iii) construct validity; (iv) internal consistency and (v) interobserver reliability. The analysis will consider possible differences in medical and surgical hospitalization units, hospitalization type or being a COVID-19 patient. This study was accepted for funding in November 2020 and approved by the Ethics and Research Committee in January 2021. An integrated instrument that lowers the administrative load of nursing assessments and allows at-risk patients to be detected with at least the same validity and reliability as the original instruments is expected to be obtained.

Math Instrument Development for Examining the Relationship between Spatial and Mathematical Problem-Solving Skills

Spatial cognition involves the ability to acquire, organize, and use spatial information in the “mind’s eye.” Numerous correlational studies have demonstrated the strong relationship between spatial cognition and skill in problem-solving in mathematics. Educational researchers across the globe aim to improve students’ mathematics problem-solving ability since these skills are often viewed as the gateway to further study in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers of the future. As a result, causal studies showing that spatial cognition interventions can improve mathematics problem-solving skills have begun to appear with increasing frequency. In order to determine if a spatial intervention is effective in improving mathematics problem-solving skills, it is important to identify the type of problem that is likely to respond to improvements in spatial cognition. A large study was conducted in the United States, where a spatial skills intervention was implemented in 7th grade classrooms across the country to determine its impact on mathematics problem-solving skills through four waves of testing. Mathematics instruments for 7th to 9th grades were developed with items compared to the spatial scores of the individual students. In this paper, the instrument development process along with lessons learned are presented. Data are provided showing each item’s correlation with spatial skills test scores, difficulty level, and discrimination index, along with overall instrument reliability. Complete final instruments for each wave of testing are included in an Appendix. General guidelines are also presented discussing the type of math problems likely to be correlated with spatial ability.

Development of a competency-based clinical assessment instrument for exit level Oral Hygiene students at the University of Western Cape

Seminal to the process of a health sciences curriculum evaluation is the periodic review of clinical assessment instruments that measure competency. An assessment of quality is facilitated by using a well-structured, authentic and reliable instrument. This process rests on designing and measuring the instrument against a sound framework and validating it for scientific merit. This paper documents the pedagogy and the process taken in developing an improved formative competency-based assessment instrument for the final year students of the Bachelor of Oral Health program (BOH) at the University of the Western Cape (UWC).Methods: A qualitative research study design employing the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) was used as a method for gaining small group consensus on the clinical assessment instrument for exit level Oral Hygiene (BOH3) students within the parameters of assessment principles. The key contributors to the instrument development process were the academic staff of the Department of Oral Hygiene, involved in clinical teaching and assessment of student competency.Results: The domains of ethics and professionalism, patient assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning and implementation was identified as the core elements in the assessment. The principles of assessment, which include, alignment with outcomes, feedback, transparency and validity, were used to guide the instrument development. The assessment criteria were cross examined for alignment to the learning outcomes of the module and the program whilst formative feedback was foregrounded as a central feature to support student learning and progress monitoring. Transparency was obtained by providing students access to the instrument before and after the assessment including the written feedback on their performance. The instrument embodied a range of criteria to be assessed rather than on the awarding of a cumulative score. This allowed for the identification of the criteria or domain within which a student is struggling or excelling. Consensus on the instrument design was achieved using the NGT phases throughout the instrument development process including the weighting of the domains and grading. This level of engagement together with the application of scientifically sound assessment principles contributed to the validation of the instrument.Conclusion: The development of a competency-based assessment instrument was the result of a structured, collaborative and scientifically engaged process framed around specific assessment principles. The process culminated in the development of a formative competency-based clinical assessment instrument that was fit for purpose in the Bachelor of Oral Health program.The Nominal Group Technique served to be a valuable approach for small group consensus in developing the instrument. It served to promote individual perspectives and to generate debate and group discussion between academics that were proficient in clinical teaching and, finally to facilitate group consensus on the instrument structure and system for administration.

CONTENT VALIDITY OF RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS: ASSESSING DOMESTIC ECOTOURISM IN PROTECTED AREAS

The assessment of content validity is a critical and complex step in the instrument development process, frequently used to measure complex constructs in social science research. Nevertheless, there is scarce documentation in the field of tourism and hospitality on how content validity should be analysed. This study aimed to present the assessment of content validity of an instrument developed to assess domestic ecotourism in protected areas. A 54-items survey was designed based on previous literature. Content validity assessment was conducted by recruiting a panel of experts to evaluate the instrument’s elements and rate them based on their relevance to provide a content validity index for each item.

Online three-tier diagnostic test to identify misconception about virus and COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, various misinformation circulating among the public has the potential to be a source of misconceptions. This study aimed to validate the online three-tier diagnostic instrument test for Virus and COVID-19 as well as analyze the level of misconceptions experienced by students. The Treagust model is used as a reference for the instrument development process. Three public high schools providing 187 second grade students who had previously studied Virus content were involved as research respondents, The data analysis techniques used were descriptive statistics. Construct and content validity obtained from expert validation reached 89.88% and 97.12%, respectively. The results of data analysis also inform that each item was valid and the instrument was reliable. The average percentage of students who experience misconceptions was 39.96%. The average percentage of students who understand the topic correctly was 32.10%. The percentage of lucky guess reached 14.83% and students with low level of knowledge reached 13.10%. The diagnostic test as overall, was successful in detecting students’ misconceptions. To overcome misconceptions and improve the quality of learning during a pandemic, biology learning must apply creative learning models, methodologies, and teaching materials.

Psychometrics of the Multiple Sclerosis and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Knowledge Patient Questionnaire: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: In the last few decades, the revised diagnostic criteria for multiple sclerosis (MS) and the development of numerous new MS therapies have created the possibility of early diagnosis and opportune MS management. However, these changes, and the mounting emphasis on patient choice and shared decision making, have not been accompanied by improvements in information provided to patients with MS (PwMS). Information provision for PwMS increases disease-related knowledge that may assist them in decision making and quality of life. The purpose of this study was to validate the Multiple Sclerosis and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Knowledge Questionnaire (MSMRIKQ) to improve patients' shared decision-making capabilities. METHODS: In this methodological study, the instrument development process was completed in 4 stages using principles of measurement theory: (1) establishing a pool of items after patient and clinician panels' review, (2) evaluating the validity of the scale-both face and content validity, (3) pilot testing the scale, and (4) post-pilot testing statistical analysis of items and scale reliability and validity. RESULTS: The 20-item instrument was finalized based on a panel of MS experts' and patients' comments. The final version of the MSMRIKQ was pilot tested with a sample of 46 PwMS. Face validity was established on all MSMRIKQ items. Individual item-level and scale-level content validity indices for universal agreement estimates were acceptable at item-level content validity index = 1 and scale-level content validity index = 1 for the 20 items. The Kuder-Richardson 20 reliability estimate for the entire scale was 0.58; the Kuder-Richardson 20 estimates for the subscales of MS and magnetic resonance imaging knowledge were 0.35 and 0.51, respectively. The split-half reliability with Spearman-Brown correction for the total scale was 0.60. The Poisson regression model was significant for predicting MS knowledge within this population. CONCLUSION: The MSMRIKQ is a basic knowledge instrument for clinical and research use.

Design of an Aerospace Langmuir Probe Volt-ampere Characteristic Load Simulator

The development process of space Langmuir probe needs to complete a large number of tests and calibration tests on the ground. Due to the long calibration period, complexity and high cost of plasma environment calibration, calibration tests are usually carried out after the instrument has been developed, in order to conduct preliminary tests on Langmuir probe during the instrument development process to verify the performance, as well as to save the cost of calibration tests and increase the reliability of the instrument, An advanced spatial Langmuir probe volt-ampere(I-V) load simulator was designed in this paper. Based on the positive and negative polarity of the external bias voltage, the I-V characteristic curve of the Langmuir probe was divided into positive and negative characteristic curves, which were realized by the combination of the output characteristic curves of NPN and PNP transistors, and the diode switching selectivity. The laboratory test results were consistent with the theoretical curve, verifying the validity and compliance of the design, which can play an important role in supporting the development of the space Langmuir probe and the calibration of the plasma environment.