External Study/Online Unit, 25 July - 31 October 2005

Introduction To Rasch Measurement And Traditional Classical Test Theory (CTT)

Unit Coordinators: Professor David Andrich and Dr. Ida Marais

The Unit Of Study - Background

In the Australian Semester 2, 2005 (July 26 to November 26), a graduate unit of study introducing Rasch measurement is available in the external study mode. This mode of study means that the unit can be studied from anywhere in the world. A discussion group will operate for online interaction as part of the unit of study. Students enrolled obtain (i) a set of lecture materials, which includes hard copy of all of the lectures, (ii) details of the assignments you will be required to submit, (iii) the necessary reading materials, and (iv) the Study Guide setting out the steps you will need to follow to successfully complete the unit. This unit has been presented in the same period every year from 2000. In each of 2002, 2003, and 2004, over 50 people from many parts of the world took the opportunity to enroll. Because of the success of the previous presentations, the course is being offered again this year.

Examples of positive responses to the Unit in the past:

Features Of The Unit

1. it begins from first principles,
   
2. exercises at the end of each lecture consolidate the ideas,
   
3. it introduces the Guttman structure as a lead into both traditional test theory and Rasch measurement,
4. it reviews elementary traditional test theory in a way that it relates to the Rasch models,
5. it reviews the necessary elementary statistics,
6. it studies the dichotomous model and the model for ordered response categories,
7. it studies model fit, including differential item functioning,
8. it involves discussion group which permits you to interact with other students in the class, and it provides a full version of the interactive, Windows program RUMM2020 for analyzing data. (The use of the program is available throughout the unit)

The RUMM program is a very easy to use interactive program that permits learning many features of the Rasch measurement model by working around the program's menus - for example the effects of rescoring any item, deleting items, studying alternatives in distracters, assessing differential item functioning, automatic linking of different sets of items, effects of deleting samples or individuals, taking account of missing data, and so on. To enhance understanding all of the information is available both graphically and statistically, including item characteristic curves, person item maps, etc

Who Should Enroll

The unit is suitable for people from many social research backgrounds, but four in particular have been seen to gain most benefit from their enrolment.

(i) Professionals engaged in assessment and measurement of performance and attitude, who know traditional test theory and are interested in learning the principles of modern test theory and Rasch measurement in particular;

(ii) People in education, psychology, health care, health sciences who are concerned with outcome measurement;

(iii) People who have become familiar with Rasch measurement and item response theory through professional exposure, but would like to consolidate their understanding of its first principles;

(iv) Students, including graduate students in doctoral programs who are involved in higher degree studies and require knowledge and evidence of studying educational and psychological measurement, in particular introduction to traditional and modern test theory.

Topics Covered

1 Review of measurement and statistics in education and social science
2 Reliability and validity
3 Formalization of traditional reliability
4 Calculation of reliability
5 The Rasch model for dichotomous responses: The simplest latent trait model
6 Separation of person and item parameters
7 The significance of total scores
8 Estimating person ability and item difficulty
9 Fit of the data to the model (1)
10 The Rasch model for ordered response categories: Analysis of partial credit or rated items
11 Fit of the data to the model (2). Differential Item Functioning (DIF)
12(a) A relationship between the reliability of traditional test theory and Rasch latent trait theory
12(b) Linking and equating using the Rasch model

David Andrich

Online Course: Introduction To Rasch Measurement And Traditional Test Theory: Online course, Andrich D.A. … Rasch Measurement Transactions, 2005, 19:1 p. 1007

Rasch Books and Publications
Invariant Measurement: Using Rasch Models in the Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences, 2nd Edn. George Engelhard, Jr. & Jue Wang	Applying the Rasch Model (Winsteps, Facets) 4th Ed., Bond, Yan, Heene	Advances in Rasch Analyses in the Human Sciences (Winsteps, Facets) 1st Ed., Boone, Staver	Advances in Applications of Rasch Measurement in Science Education, X. Liu & W. J. Boone	Rasch Analysis in the Human Sciences (Winsteps) Boone, Staver, Yale
Introduction to Many-Facet Rasch Measurement (Facets), Thomas Eckes	Statistical Analyses for Language Testers (Facets), Rita Green	Invariant Measurement with Raters and Rating Scales: Rasch Models for Rater-Mediated Assessments (Facets), George Engelhard, Jr. & Stefanie Wind	Aplicação do Modelo de Rasch (Português), de Bond, Trevor G., Fox, Christine M	Appliquer le modèle de Rasch: Défis et pistes de solution (Winsteps) E. Dionne, S. Béland
Exploring Rating Scale Functioning for Survey Research (R, Facets), Stefanie Wind	Rasch Measurement: Applications, Khine	Winsteps Tutorials - free Facets Tutorials - free	Many-Facet Rasch Measurement (Facets) - free, J.M. Linacre	Fairness, Justice and Language Assessment (Winsteps, Facets), McNamara, Knoch, Fan
Other Rasch-Related Resources: Rasch Measurement YouTube Channel
Rasch Measurement Transactions & Rasch Measurement research papers - free	An Introduction to the Rasch Model with Examples in R (eRm, etc.), Debelak, Strobl, Zeigenfuse	Rasch Measurement Theory Analysis in R, Wind, Hua	Applying the Rasch Model in Social Sciences Using R, Lamprianou	El modelo métrico de Rasch: Fundamentación, implementación e interpretación de la medida en ciencias sociales (Spanish Edition), Manuel González-Montesinos M.
Rasch Models: Foundations, Recent Developments, and Applications, Fischer & Molenaar	Probabilistic Models for Some Intelligence and Attainment Tests, Georg Rasch	Rasch Models for Measurement, David Andrich	Constructing Measures, Mark Wilson	Best Test Design - free, Wright & Stone Rating Scale Analysis - free, Wright & Masters
Virtual Standard Setting: Setting Cut Scores, Charalambos Kollias	Diseño de Mejores Pruebas - free, Spanish Best Test Design	A Course in Rasch Measurement Theory, Andrich, Marais	Rasch Models in Health, Christensen, Kreiner, Mesba	Multivariate and Mixture Distribution Rasch Models, von Davier, Carstensen

Forum

Rasch Measurement Forum to discuss any Rasch-related topic

Go to Top of Page
Go to index of all Rasch Measurement Transactions
AERA members: Join the Rasch Measurement SIG and receive the printed version of RMT
Some back issues of RMT are available as bound volumes
Subscribe to Journal of Applied Measurement

Go to Institute for Objective Measurement Home Page. The Rasch Measurement SIG (AERA) thanks the Institute for Objective Measurement for inviting the publication of Rasch Measurement Transactions on the Institute's website, www.rasch.org.

The URL of this page is www.rasch.org/rmt/rmt191b.htm

Website: www.rasch.org/rmt/contents.htm