QJF-RCCAL QJF-RCCAL P List of publications S

Magdalena Les, M.Sc. has graduated from Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland. During her scientific carrier in Poland and next in Australia, she conducted research in the areas of mathematical education, mathematical modeling and statistical analysis. Pioneering in the application of computers in the higher education process in Poland, she continued research in this area in Australia. She was involved in the research on software application in problem solving (System of Integrated Packages). Working at Monash University, she continued research in mathematical modeling (Kolgomorov model, Markov model, information theory model) and statistical analysis, including risk factor assessment using logistic regression models. For this work she won the award for the best paper at the ISATA international conference in Barcelona. Member of the Statistical Society of Australia Inc. (SSAI), the Australian Computer Society (ACM) and the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). In Poland, Magdalena started her PhD, and although the research toward her PhD was at very advanced stage, she did not have the opportunity to continue her works in Australia by being involved in many different projects at Monash University. She has been working as a statistician and psychometrician for many years. Her interests are specifically focused on all aspects of learning and understanding of preliminary mathematical and statistical concepts. Currently, as a senior statistician and psychometrician at the Ministry of Education and Training, she is involved in elaboration of the new method of educational measurement as well as application of the statistical models and Item Response Theory (IRT) models in educational measurement and assessment. Magdalena participated in many national and international projects collaborating with the researches from Australia, USA, Asia and Europe. She carried out data analyses for a number of large-scale assessment projects (e.g. PISA, AIM, ISA, NAPLAN) applying advanced statistical models (factor analysis, multilevel models, logistic regression models) using statistical and psychometric software (e.g. MLwiN, SPSS, Quest, ConQuest), and working as a consultant she provided advice to data analysts. She is also well known for her work in mathematics and statistics, in particular for elaborating a new method of ‘like schools’ grouping, applied for comparing schools’ performance, which involved modeling a cluster size and application of advanced statistical methods such as factor analysis, multilevel modelling or complex sample analysis and Rasch modeling. Other works include risk factor assessment using logistic regression models, designing the software for household projection based on Kolgomorov differential equation, and developing, as a co-author, the shape understanding system used, among others, to generate test items of similar level of difficulty. Findings have been presented at the international scientific conferences and/or published as journal papers. Most recently, she has been a member of a national board of state representatives for a large-scale assessment project NAPLAN in Australia. Magdalena is also involved in research on a shape understanding system, implementation of the educational system “Lumen”, designing the IQ and educational tests based on the machine understanding method and application of computers in education. She published more than 50 journal and conference papers (peer reviewed) and reports, and four scientific books with Springer-Verlag. Magdalena is a co-founder of the Queen Jadwiga Foundation and St. Queen Jadwiga Research Institute of Understanding and machine understanding, the new research area the aim of which is to built the understanding machine. She is director of the Research Centre for Computer Aided Learning (RCCAL) and main author of the new educational program for St. Queen Jadwiga’s Family of schools. Last updated: 20 July 2019 Copyright the Queen Jadwiga Foundation

List of QJF-RCCAL Projects: New epistemologically oriented educational software design in the context of the visual thinking capabilities of the Shape Understanding System Visual understanding in designing explanatory process of the educational software Psychometric analysis of educational and intelligence tests with Rasch model Designing IQ Tests System LUMEN Statistical Visualization System System of Integrated Packages