Fundamentals of Item Response Theory

Undergraduate / Graduate

This course offers a deep dive into the theoretical underpinnings and practical applications of contemporary psychometric theory - item response theory (IRT). It will explore how IRT extends classical test theory (CTT) to enhance scaling precision and instrument quality through latent trait modeling. Through a combination of theoretical lectures, hands-on exercises, and software application sessions using R, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of IRT principles and their real-world implications. Major topics include basic theory, models for handling both dichotomous and polytomous response data, estimation of model parameters, information function and standard error of estimation, model-data fit, test construction, differential item functioning, and test equating.