Hua-Hua Chang, Purdue University
From Asymptotic Posterior Normality to Computerized Adaptive Testing and Beyond: Innovations in Adaptive Testing and Personalized Learning Pathways
Lifetime Career Award
In 1990, as a graduate student, I was inspired by a paper by Paul Holland on empirical Bayes modeling approaches to Item Response Theory (IRT). In the paper, Holland noted: “At present, I know of no thorough discussion of the asymptotic posterior normality of latent variable distributions, and this would appear to be an interesting area for further research.” (Holland,1990). Motivated by this paper, I dedicated my PhD thesis to addressing this gap. Under general and non-restrictive nonparametric assumptions, we rigorously established the asymptotic posterior normality of latent variable distributions for a broad class of latent models (Chang & Stout, 1993). It is truly fascinating that my thesis work has led to several by-products and later shaped my work on item selection in computerized adaptive testing (CAT). Through the collective efforts of colleagues, students, and collaborators over the past three decades, innovative CAT algorithms have advanced, transforming CAT from a testing tool into a means of enhancing personalized learning. This presentation will also explore the potential role of adaptive testing in the era of generative artificial intelligence.
About the Speaker
Dr. Hua-Hua Chang earned his Ph.D. in Statistics in 1992 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and currently holds the Charles R. Hicks Chair Professorship in Education at Purdue University. His research spans both theoretical and applied domains, including Computerized Adaptive Testing, Cognitive Diagnosis, and Differential Item Functioning. Dr. Chang is also at the forefront of developing innovative web-based assessment tools to enhance personalized learning. Dr. Chang served as President of the Psychometric Society (2012–2013) and is a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the American Statistical Association (ASA). His distinguished career has been honored with numerous prestigious awards, including the 2017 E. F. Lindquist Award (AERA and ACT), the 2021 NCME Career Contribution Award, and the 2024 Samuel J. Messick Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions (APA Division 5). Dr. Chang has also twice served as a Fulbright Specialist, in Australia (2005) and Colombia (2019). Dr. Chang has guided more than thirty doctoral dissertations and participated in many doctoral committees.