Construct maps
A core principle of construct modeling is that assessment design should begin not with item
creation, but with the development of a construct map. Construct maps are representations
of models of cognition by which the results of the assessment can be interpreted. Without
construct maps in place from the beginning, assessment designers are handicapped with a
largely implicit model of cognition and no clear guidance for item developers on how to
create assessments with construct validity. A key insight here is that the content experts to
whom we turn are often not construct experts. Cognitive research has shown that experts
are expert in part because they see past the surface features of their domain that are most
salient for novices (Chase and Simon 1973; Chi et al. 1981). Consequently, while
possessing content knowledge, experts often lack sufficient pedagogical content knowledge
about how their domain is understood and best learned by novices (Shulman 1986, 1987).
This makes it difficult for them to design easier items that more effectively measure the
proficiency of beginning students. As such, a construct map developed with the help of
teachers, educational psychologists, professionals in related areas, and measurement
experts, in addition to content experts, is a key means for establishing the construct
validity of the assessment