This graduate-level textbook is a tutorial for item response theory that
covers both the basics of item response theory and the use of R for
preparing graphical presentation in writings about the theory. Item
response theory has become one of the most powerful tools used in test
construction, yet one of the barriers to learning and applying it is the
considerable amount of sophisticated computational effort required to
illustrate even the simplest concepts. This text provides the reader
access to the basic concepts of item response theory freed of the
tedious underlying calculations. It is intended for those who possess
limited knowledge of educational measurement and psychometrics.
Rather than presenting the full scope of item response theory, this
textbook is concise and practical and presents basic concepts without
becoming enmeshed in underlying mathematical and computational
complexities. Clearly written text and succinct R code allow anyone
familiar with statistical concepts to explore and apply item response
theory in a practical way. In addition to students of educational
measurement, this text will be valuable to measurement specialists
working in testing programs at any level and who need an understanding
of item response theory in order to evaluate its potential in their
settings.