Introduction to Item Response Theory

3 credits · Graduate School

In this course, students are introduced to the basic concepts of educational and psychological measurement, classical test theory (CTT), and item response theory (IRT). These concepts will be taught with the practice by illustrating the construction of instruments using the 'Four Building Blocks' approach (Wilson, 2005) and investigating their measurement properties (e.g., validity and reliability). This class will present both the 'how to' and the 'why' of IRT. The primary objective of the course is to sharpen the skill, sophistication, and intuition of the student in the interpretation of educational and psychological test data, and in the construction and use of tests as instruments of educational and psychological theory and as tools in the practical problems of selection, evaluation, and guidance in the light of IRT. [3]