Instructor:	Dr. Brian Habing, Associate Professor office: 203 LeConte e-mail: habing@stat.sc.edu MSN messenger: brian@habing.com AOL or Yahoo messenger: DrStatpsy FAX: (803)777-4048 office phone: (803)777-3578 home phone: (803)739-2686 (9am to 10pm only) Office Hours: whenever the door is open, by appointment, and Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday 9:00-11:00 Website: http://www.stat.sc.edu/~habing/courses/778S06.html
Bulletin Description:	STAT 778—Item Response Theory. [=EDRM 828](3) (Prereq: EDRM 711 or PSYC 710 or STAT 701 or STAT 704) Statistical models for item response theory, Rasch and other models for binary and polytomous data, and applications. Use of statistical software.
Note:	The deadline for dropping the course without failing is Monday, February 20th
Purpose of Course:	Upon completion of the course the students will be familiar with the major concepts and theoretical issues in item response theory. They will possess the needed technical knowledge to directly consult the more applied research journals in the field at the level expected of a practitioner. They will have the background to continue their studies in a reading course preparing them to utilize the more theoretical journals in the field and to conduct research.
Expectations:	All students are expected to: Attend class regularly, asking questions when clarification is needed and participating in any discussions Read the assigned materials (in a timely manner) Attempt all of the assigned homework problems and turn them in at the start of the class in which they are due Use the resource of their fellow students and their instructor to seek answers to questions that arise in class, in the readings, and on the homework
Required Text:	Hambleton, R.K., Swaminathan, H., & Rogers, H.J. (1991). Fundamentals of item response theory. Newbury Park: Sage. Additional readings will also be assigned.
Computers:	We will use the specialized computer packages BILOG, PARSCALE, and NOHARM as well as the statistical package R. No previous knowledge of these will be assumed.
Assignments:	There will be three types of graded work for the course. Quizzes: Seven short (10-minute) quizzes will be given during the semester. Each will be worth 5 points with the lowest being dropped. They will be given at the start of class on the Thursdays - January 26, February 9, February 23, March 16, March 30, April 13, and April 20th. Homework: Ten homework assignments will be assigned during the semester (due on most Tuesdays). Each will be worth 10 points with the lowest being dropped. Homework will be assigned one week in advance in class, and will also be posted on the class website. The homework must be legible, the work used to obtain the answers must be shown and correct, and the final answers must be clearly indicated in order to receive full credit. Deductions may be made for violating any of the following: Write on one side of the paper only. Multiple pages must be stapled together. No clips. Copies of the computer code or menu options used must be included. Extraneous pages of output should not be turned in. Your name should be on the first page of the assignment. You MAY consult with other students on the homework assignments (e.g. you can ask each other for advice and suggestions and may work on the big picture together, but you should run any code and write up the details yourself). Exams = Extended Homework Assignments: Three exams (a.k.a. extended homework assignments) will be given during the semester. Each will count for 25 points. You may not consult or receive help from any other students or faculty on the take home exams. You may ask me for clarification on the questions or for some help with the computers. The first will be posted on Thursday, February 2nd and due at the start of class on Tuesday, February 14th. The second will be posted on Thursday, March 2nd and due at the start of class on Tuesday, March 21st. The third will be posted on Tuesday, April 18th and due at 5:30pm on Thursday, April 27th.
Grades:	The grade is determined by the scores on the assignments listed above: Quizzes 30 points Homework 90 points Exam 1 25 points Exam 2 25 points Exam 3 25 points with the letter grade determined by the percentage of points obtained out of the maximum possible 195. Letter Minimum Grade Percent A 90 B+ 85 B 80 C+ 75 C 70 D+ 65 D 60 F 0 Any questions involving the grading of a homework assignment or exam must be raised by the class period following the one in which it was returned. There is no "extra credit". Any deviations from the above grading scheme will be to the benefit of the students.
Complaints and Comments:	While there are end of semester evaluation forms, they come far too late to resolve any difficulties experienced in the class. All complaints should be raised by either speaking with me directly, or by anonymously leaving a message in my mailbox in 216 LeConte.