Blueprinting: deciding what to measure, Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences Teaching and Learning Workshop, July 3, 2014, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

1. Blueprinting
Liz Norman
Massey University

2. Blueprinting: planning the sample
Breadth or scope
Depth or level
Controlling difficulty and demand

3. What is a blueprint?
"blueprint, n.". Something which acts as a plan,
model, or template
OED Online http://www.oed.com
Railway and harbour report, Vancouver, B.C.
by City of Vancouver Archives, Attribution License

4. What is a blueprint?
Specifies what’s going to be in the exam
– Content/topics – breadth of the exam
– Level - depth of the exam
Railway and harbour report, Vancouver, B.C.
by City of Vancouver Archives, Attribution License

5. Why we need to blueprint
• Its important that we sample representatively
from the content domain (all that it is possible to
examine)
• This is so we can extrapolate performance to the
whole content domain

6. Purpose of blueprinting
To document the
sampling.
To show that a
particular examination
is representative of
all that could be
examined and is
sufficient.

7. Breadth by learning outcome
Lit review
assignment
Group
presentation
Written
examination
Practical
examination
LO1 X X X
LO2 X X
LO3 X X X
LO4 X

8. Breadth by topic
Pathophysiology
Investigation and
diagnosis
Treatment and
management
Gastrointestinal P1Q1 P1Q1, P2Q4
Cardiovascular P1Q4 P2Q2 P2Q2
Nervous P1Q3, P2Q1
Endocrine P1Q3 P2Q3
Musculoskeletal P2Q5

9. Breadth across species
species number of Qs percent
small animal 15 52%
farm 5 17%
horse 4 14%
exotic 3 10%
lab 1 3%
all 1 3%

10. Level - depth
• Surface – deep
• Fact recall – applied
• Blooms taxonomy
• SOLO taxonomy

11. Fact recall vs applied
Fact recall:
Questions capable of being answered by reference to one
paragraph in a text or notes (or several paragraphs for
questions requiring recall of several facts)
Applied (higher order)
Questions that require the use of facts or concepts, the
solution of a diagnostic or physiologic problem, the
perception of a relationship, or other process beyond
recalling discrete fact
From: Peitzman et al. (1990). Academic Medicine, 65(9), S59-60.

12. create
evaluate
analyse
apply
understand
remember
Recall
Application
Blooms taxonomy

13. Blooms instructional verbs
• Create: compose, plan, propose, design, formulate, arrange, assemble,
collect, construct, create, set-up, organise, manage, prepare.
• Evaluate: judge, appraise, evaluate, rate, compare, revise, assess,
estimate
• Analyse: distinguish, analyse, differentiate, appraise, calculate,
experiment, test, compare, contrast, criticise, diagram, inspect, debate,
question, relate, solve, examine, categorise.
• Apply: interpret, apply, employ, use, demonstrate, dramatise, practice,
illustrate, operate, schedule, sketch.
• Understand: translate, restate, discuss, describe, recognise, explain,
express, identify, locate, report, review, tell
• Remember: define, repeat, record, list, recall, name, relate, underline.

14. SOLO taxonomy
http://pamhook.com/2012/01/20/creating-solo-taxonomy-symbols-in-many-colours/

15. Prestructural Question may be rephrased as the answer; almost completely
misses the point of the question.
Unistructural Able to identify, list, name, enumerate but does not describe,
explain, relate or elaborate multiple aspects of a response
Multistructural Able to list as well as describe distinct aspects of a response (such
as being able to describe aetiology, clinical features, management
of thrombotic stroke) but unable to explicitly explain causes for
observations; unable to present cause-effect relationships.
Relational Able to describe multiple aspects of a process and additionally
explain or elaborate observations into cause-effect relationships;
able to compare similarities and differences between apparently
distinct phenomena. This level is taken as suggesting that the
learner has understood.
Extended
abstract
Highly developed; able to explain mechanisms of phenomena and
apply this information to a novel context — able to develop novel
hypotheses, theories, and deduce principles; creative thinking.
Prakash et al. (2010) Adv Physiol Educ, 34(3):145-149

16. Prestructural
Unistructural Able to identify, list, name, enumerate but does not describe,
explain, relate or elaborate multiple aspects of a response
Multistructural
Relational
Extended
abstract
Quantitative change
Qualitative change

17. Prestructural
Unistructural Able to identify, list, name, enumerate but does not describe,
explain, relate or elaborate multiple aspects of a response
Multistructural
Relational
Extended
abstract
surface
deep

18. Prestructural
Unistructural Able to identify, list, name, enumerate but does not describe,
explain, relate or elaborate multiple aspects of a response
Multistructural
Relational
Extended
abstract
recall
application

19. Prestructural
Unistructural Paraphrase, define, identify, count, name, recite, follow simple
instructions, calculate, reproduce, arrange, recognise, find, note,
seek, sketch, pick
Multistructural Combine, classify, structure, describe, enumerate, list, do
algorithm, apply method, account for execute, formulate, solve,
conduct, prove, complete, illustrate, express, characterise
Relational Analyse, compare, contrast, integrate, relate, explain causes,
apply theory (to its own domain), argue, implement, plan,
summarize, construct, design, interpret (some senses), structure,
conclude, substantiate, exemplify, derive, adapt
Extended
abstract
Theorise, generalise, hypothesise, predict, judge, transfer theory
(to new domain), assess, evaluate, interpret (some senses),
critically reflect, predict, criticise, reason
Potter & Kustra (2012). http://www1.uwindsor.ca/ctl/system/files/PRIMER-on-Learning-Outcomes.pdf

20. Topic 1
30%
Topic 2
30%
Topic 3
40%
total
Knowledge of terms 2 5 5 12
Comprehension of principles 4 3 4 11
Application of principles 3 3 3 9
Analysis of situations 3 2 5 10
Evaluation of solutions 3 2 3 8
Total questions 15 15 20 50
In this example
• Topic 1 represents 30% of the whole curriculum being assessed
so 15 of 50 questions are to address it.
• Four questions are to address comprehension of the principles
of Topic 1.
Scoring office, Michigan State University, Writing Test Items, http://scoring.msu.edu/writitem.html

21. Blueprints that include depth
Pathophysiology
Investigation and
diagnosis
Treatment and
management
recall
higher
order
recall
higher
order
recall
higher
order
Gastrointestinal P1Q1
P1Q1,
P2Q4
Cardiovascular P1Q4 P2Q2 P2Q2
Nervous
P1Q2,
P2Q1
Endocrine P1Q3 P2Q3
Musculoskeletal P2Q5

22. Blueprint
Enables you to plan and check that an exam, or
set of exams, covers the content it is meant to
cover, at an appropriate level.
Without this you can’t extrapolate performance on
this exam to performance in the whole domain
= one component of validity

23. Controlling difficulty and demand

24. Should questions be difficult?
Norm-referenced vs
standards-based
grading

25. Should questions be difficult?
Appropriate demand
vs irrelevant difficulty

26. What makes questions difficult?
• Familiarity – novelty
• Complexity – components, links
• Scale – components, links
• Resources utilised – provided, generated
• Abstraction – concrete experience, concepts, ideas,
principles, projection in time
• Task strategy – simple, stepwise, integrated
• Response strategy – simple, stepwise, integrated
• Guidance
Adapted from Hughes, Pollitt, & Ahmed (1998) The development of a tool for gauging the
demands of GCSE and A level exam questions. British Educational Research Association
conference, Aug 27-30 1998, Belfast.

27. Question 1
List 4 clinical signs of diabetes mellitus in dogs.
Question 2
List 4 clinical signs of feline hypersomatotropism.
Question 3
Compare and contrast the clinical signs of
diabetes mellitus with those of
hyperadrenocorticism, in dogs and in cats.

28. What makes questions difficult?
• Familiarity – novelty
• Complexity – components, links
• Scale – components, links
• Resources utilised – provided, generated
• Abstraction – concrete experience, concepts, ideas,
principles, projection in time
• Task strategy – simple, stepwise, integrated
• Response strategy – simple, stepwise, integrated
• Guidance
Adapted from Hughes, Pollitt, & Ahmed (1998) The development of a tool for gauging the
demands of GCSE and A level exam questions. British Educational Research Association
conference, Aug 27-30 1998, Belfast.

29. Describe the skull. (30 marks)

30. What makes questions difficult?
• Familiarity – novelty
• Complexity – components, links
• Scale – components, links
• Resources utilised – provided, generated
• Abstraction – concrete experience, concepts, ideas,
principles, projection in time
• Task strategy – simple, stepwise, integrated
• Response strategy – simple, stepwise, integrated
• Guidance
Adapted from Hughes, Pollitt, & Ahmed (1998) The development of a tool for gauging the
demands of GCSE and A level exam questions. British Educational Research Association
conference, Aug 27-30 1998, Belfast.

31. Question 1
Discuss the use of insulin for the treatment of diabetes
mellitus in cats (25 marks)
Question 2
a) Describe the advantages and disadvantages of insulin
therapy for diabetes mellitus in cats (10 marks)
b) Indicate the dose and frequency of administration of
insulin you would prescribe to a newly diagnosed cat
with diabetes mellitus. (5 marks)
c) Describe the recommendations you would make for the
frequency and timing of feeding in relation to insulin
dosing in cats with diabetes mellitus (10 marks).

32. What makes questions difficult?
• Familiarity – novelty
• Complexity – components, links
• Scale – components, links
• Resources utilised – provided, generated
• Abstraction – concrete experience, concepts, ideas,
principles, projection in time
• Task strategy – simple, stepwise, integrated
• Response strategy – simple, stepwise, integrated
• Guidance
Adapted from Hughes, Pollitt, & Ahmed (1998) The development of a tool for gauging the
demands of GCSE and A level exam questions. British Educational Research Association
conference, Aug 27-30 1998, Belfast.

33. You have been contacted by a farmer producing
Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) intertidally, in a bay
containing a number of oyster farms. The farmer is
concerned with the amount of dead shell they are
seeing during the current grading. Explain how you
would approach this scenario. (20 marks)
Include in your answer how the information you could
gather might influence your assessment, what
differential diagnoses you consider and detail how you
might further investigate potential causes and what
advice you would provide.

34. What makes questions difficult?
• Familiarity – novelty
• Complexity – components, links
• Scale – components, links
• Resources utilised – provided, generated
• Abstraction – concrete experience, concepts, ideas,
principles, projection in time
• Task strategy – simple, stepwise, integrated
• Response strategy – simple, stepwise, integrated
• Guidance
Adapted from Hughes, Pollitt, & Ahmed (1998) The development of a tool for gauging the
demands of GCSE and A level exam questions. British Educational Research Association
conference, Aug 27-30 1998, Belfast.

35. Question 1
A 10 kg diabetic dog is being treated with 5 units of
Caninsulin at 8 am each morning. It is fed Purina Dog
Chow at the same time as the insulin and again at 4pm.
A glucose curve is performed.
a) Examine the curve and determine the blood glucose
nadir and the duration of action of the insulin.
b) Comment on whether you would expect glycosuria to
be present in this dog and explain why.
(5 marks)

36. Question 2
Illustrate the general shape of an ideal blood glucose
curve for a stable diabetic dog being treated with
insulin. Indicate on the curve each of the following:
a) The ideal highest and lowest points of the curve
b) The time of feeding
c) The time of insulin injection
d) The duration of action of the insulin
e) The value above which glucose would be present
in the urine
(5 marks)

37. What makes questions difficult?
• Familiarity – novelty
• Complexity – components, links
• Scale – components, links
• Resources utilised – provided, generated
• Abstraction – concrete experience, concepts, ideas,
principles, projection in time
• Task strategy – simple, stepwise, integrated
• Response strategy – simple, stepwise, integrated
• Guidance
Adapted from Hughes, Pollitt, & Ahmed (1998) The development of a tool for gauging the
demands of GCSE and A level exam questions. British Educational Research Association
conference, Aug 27-30 1998, Belfast.

38. What makes questions difficult?
• Familiarity – novelty
• Complexity – components, links
• Scale – components, links
• Resources utilised – provided, generated
• Abstraction – concrete experience, concepts, ideas,
principles, projection in time
• Task strategy – simple, stepwise, integrated
• Response strategy – simple, stepwise, integrated
• Guidance
Adapted from Hughes, Pollitt, & Ahmed (1998) The development of a tool for gauging the
demands of GCSE and A level exam questions. British Educational Research Association
conference, Aug 27-30 1998, Belfast.

39. http://www.slideshare.net/liznorman