The Second Workshop on Statistical Methods in Cognitive Assessments

Title: Multidimensional Item Response Theory: Applications and BMIRT, LinkMIRT, and SimuMIRT Software

Speaker: Lihua Yao

Abstract: BMIRT (Yao, 2003) is a computer program that uses the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method to estimate item and ability parameters in the multidimensional multi-group IRT framework; exploratory and confirmatory approaches are supported. LinkMIRT (Yao, 2004) is a linking software that links two sets of item parameters onto the same scale in the MIRT frame work. SimuMIRT is software that simulates data for various MIRT models.

Data requirements and formats, and sample data and input files will be provided to participants prior to the workshop; participants are recommended to go to www.BMIRT.com to download software into the laptop computers that they are required to bring to the workshop. Java run time environment (JRE), which can be downloaded on the internet, is required to be installed into the computer, and the computer path need to be set up following the directions in “1.5.1 Java Run Time Environment” in the document BMIRT2013.pdf.