Cognitive Assessment Applying with Item Response Theory

Abstract

Using item response theory (IRT) in computer adaptive test (CAT) is critical to assess learners’ readiness for further learning. This theory has assumptions concerning the mathematical relationship between learner’s abilities and item responses. A numerical value from the theory has potential to decide who the best learner is. The IRT score only provides the learner’s result and lack of the assessment of learner’s ability level in cognitive skills. This paper proposes an approach of using Bloom’s cognitive skills for evaluating learned ability level by considering achieved the level of difficulty and the IRT score. Our starting point in the adaptive test is at a question of learners’ knowledge level difficulty that we got from their pre-test scores instead of starting with a question of a medium difficulty. This approach provides the effectiveness of CAT to test cognitive skills and offers some theoretical considerations on linking learning outcomes and assessments.