journal article·2022-02-03Open access

Using Technology for the Efficient and Precise Assessment of Cognitive Skills in Countries with Limited Standardized Assessment Instruments: A Report on the Case of Saudi Arabia

Mei Tan, Nan Li, Catalina Mourgues, Lesley Hart, Abdullah Qataee, Mark Grossnickle, Chris Errato, Elena Grigorenko

Applied Sciences· Volume 12· Issue 3

Abstract

In Saudi Arabia, the country’s progress toward appropriate and inclusive education programs for children with disabilities is still evolving. A crucial aspect of this evolution has been the development of a comprehensive assessment battery that covers a broad range of cognitive factors for the diagnosis of neurodevelopment disorders and other types of intellectual atypicalities, including giftedness. The Alif–Ya Assessment Battery consists of 47 subtests based on various theories of intelligence. Alif–Ya capitalizes on advanced technologies to enable its delivery either in person or remotely. Moreover, over half of Alif–Ya’s subtests are adaptive; items are selected for the test takers based on their previous responses. In this paper, we provide an overview of the Alif–Ya Assessment Battery, describe how it was designed to make the best use of the latest and best features of technology for the appropriate and accurate assessment of children and adolescents in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia via remote or in-person administration, and present initial data collected with the battery.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Cognitive Abilities and Testing · Cognitive and developmental aspects of mathematical skills · Reading and Literacy Development

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Texas Institute of Measurement, Evaluation and Statistics, University of Houston, 4349 Martin Luther King Boulevard, Houston, TX 77204-60220, USA

Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Yale University, 300 George Street, New Haven, CT 06511, USA

National Center for Assessment in Higher Education, King Khaled Road, Riyadh 11537, Saudi Arabia

MindTrust, Inc., 470 James Street, #11, New Haven, CT 06513, USA

Center for Cognitive Sciences, Sirius University, 354340 Sirius, Russia

Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, 230 S Frontage Road, New Haven, CT 06520, USA

Funding

Ministry of Higher Education of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

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