The design, development, and validation of a multimedia-based performance assessment for credentialing confined space guards

Abstract

In this article, we present a study on the design, development, and validation of a multimedia-based performance assessment (MBPA) for measuring the skills of confined space guards in Dutch vocational education. An MBPA is a computer-based assessment that incorporates multimedia to simulate tasks. It is designed to measure performance-based skills. A confined space guard (CSG) supervises operations that are carried out in a confined space (e.g., a tank or silo). In the Netherlands, individuals who want to become certified CSGs must participate in a one-day training program, and pass both a multiple-choice knowledge test and a performance-based assessment. In the first part of this article, we focus on the design and development of the MBPA, using a specific framework for design and development. In the second part of the article, we present a validation study. We use the argument-based approach to validation to validate the MBPA (Kane in Educational measurement.