Youden
The Youden software is a Java application for the construction and evaluation of Youden square designs. Youden square designs (YSDs) are a special case of balanced incomplete block designs (BIBDs). BIBDs are frequently used as booklet designs in large-scale assessments of student achievement and other studies. Due to their complexity, the construction of YSDs is a mathematically demanding and combinatorially complex task. The Youden program makes it possible to find, examine, and store suitable YSDs in designs comprising up to 500 booklets. The program can be obtained at no cost from the first author for noncommercial use in research and teaching. If you are interested in this program, please write us an email with a brief explanation of how you intend to use the program. If the program is used to construct a booklet design in a study which results in a written manuscript of any kind (paper or online), or a conference presentation, this should be indicated by providing the following reference:
Frey, A. & Annageldyev, M. (2015). Youden. A program for the construction of booklet designs (Version 1.0) [Computer software]. Jena: Friedrich Schiller University, Germany.
MATE
The acronym MATE stands for “Multidimensional Adaptive Testing Environment”. MATE was developed in the DFG project “Multidimensional Adaptive Competency Diagnostics”. The development work was carried out at the Centre for Technology-Based Assessment (TBA) at the German Institute for International Educational Research (DIPF) in Frankfurt, in cooperation with the Department of Research Methods in Education in Jena. With MATE, uni- or multidimensional adaptive tests can be assembled, specified, administered, and scored. Furthermore, MATE includes functionalities to carry out Monte-Carlo simulations.
The program has an easy-to-use interface. No programming knowledge is required to use the software.
MATE can be provided upon request for research and teaching free of charge. Further information on how to apply for the use of MATE and regarding the program itself can be found on the corresponding DIPF website.
