Attribute hierarchy method

The attribute hierarchy method (AHM), is a cognitively based psychometric procedure developed by Jacqueline Leighton, Mark Gierl, and Steve Hunka at the Centre for Research in Applied Measurement and Evaluation (CRAME) at the University of Alberta. The AHM is one form of cognitive diagnostic assessment that aims to integrate cognitive psychology with educational measurement for the purposes of enhancing instruction and student learning. A cognitive diagnostic assessment (CDA), is designed to measure specific knowledge states and cognitive processing skills in a given domain. The results of a CDA yield a profile of scores with detailed information about a student’s cognitive strengths and weaknesses. This cognitive diagnostic feedback has the potential to guide instructors, parents and students in their teaching and learning processes. To generate a diagnostic skill profile, examinees’ test item responses are classified into a set of structured attribute patterns that are derived from components of a cognitive model of task performance. The cognitive model contains attributes, which are defined as a description of the procedural or declarative knowledge needed by an examinee to answer a given test item correctly. The inter-relationships among the attributes are represented using a hierarchical structure so the ordering of the cognitive skills is specified. This model provides a framework for designing diagnostic items based on attributes, which links examinees' test performance to specific inferences about examinees' knowledge and skills.