MESA grad credits online program for stats and psychometrics confidence

Driven by her interest in psychometrics and the flexibility of online learning, Andrea Reubens decided to pursue her graduate certificate from University of Illinois Chicago’s (UIC) online Measurement, Evaluation, Statistics, and Assessment (MESA) program.

Her passion for research and evaluation was ignited during her work at a research institute in North Carolina. After earning her Master of Science in Global and International Education, Andrea worked as a Research Associate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and as the Assistant Director of Program Evaluation for GEARUP at Appalachian State University.

Andrea’s professional journey is currently transitioning from higher education to science and cognitive development. She attributes much of her confidence during this transition to her experiences in the online MESA program, particularly her knowledge in Rasch measurement and proficiency with analytical software like Winsteps. As Andrea navigates this career evolution, her journey serves as inspiration for professionals aspiring to acquire skills in MESA and pursue new opportunities.

Learn more about Andrea’s experience in the online certificate program in MESA.

What specific factors led you to choose the online MESA program at UIC?

The online MESA program at UIC caught my attention over ten years ago. I had just finished my MS degree in Global and International Education when I learned of this program. I had the opportunity to attend the program in the fall of 2022. A couple of reasons I chose this program were 1) the courses offered, especially with my interest in Psychometrics, and 2) being able to complete the coursework online.

In addition, this online program has been around for a while. I felt like this was very important. Unlike online courses in history or social science, my interest was to learn advanced statistical concepts and psychometrics online. The program exceeded my expectations. I hope to return for additional coursework I am interested in.

How have you applied your MESA knowledge into your career?

I am right now working on transitioning from my work in higher education to exercise science and cognitive development. This program has been helpful in my doing this. I have gained confidence in my skills and have added new skills that have helped me excel in this career change. A few years back, I had an opportunity to develop an early-grade mathematics assessment. With the data collected on this assessment, the Psychometrician who worked on my project used Rasch measurement to review each of the math assessment subscales so we could see how easy or difficult items were for the respondents. This is where I became interested in Psychometrics.

Through the online MESA program, I had an opportunity to learn Rasch measurement and the software (Winsteps) to run/analyze data. I also have graduate-level coursework in survey development and experience working with a survey methodologist. With surveys, the one item I have always questioned and wanted to learn is how to ensure the reliability and validity of survey questions. I know how to use techniques such as cognitive interviewing, but I wanted to know statistically. I can now analyze these questions and confidently report the outcomes of these surveys. The knowledge gained from the MESA program has also helped me with my grant writing.

Were there any real-world applications or projects in your MESA courses that you found useful or valuable?

Thinking about real-world applications makes me think about my Educational Measurement and Rating Scale and Questionnaire Design and Analysis courses. While working through a weekly module, I would complete the reading assignments, work through the weekly materials, and then complete the weekly homework assignments. While completing the homework assignments, I would relate the new information/skills to how I could use it in real-world situations and my work.

For example, both courses discussed Messick’s Unified Framework of Construct Validity (content, responsiveness, structural validation, etc.) which has helped me with my review of questionnaire pilot data to ensure that the items are representing what they are intended to and that any problematic items can be further looked at using Winsteps (which I also learned in this program). I am also planning to use Winsteps to update the math assessment I worked on a few years ago. Overall, these courses have been very valuable.

What advice do you have for prospective students? Why would you recommend the online MESA program at UIC?

The materials and readings are very important in the learning process. My advice to be successful in this program is to complete all the weekly assignments. Each assignment builds on the previous assignments. The materials are also a great reference to continue using once you finish the program. As I mentioned earlier, this program has been around for a while, which speaks volumes about its credibility and effectiveness.