Rasch Computer Program Review

This section lists some of the Rasch measurement computer programs that are available for mainframe and personal computers.

BICAL is the oldest, widely distributed Rasch calibration program. There are about 400 copies of BICAL in service. The program provides a variety of calibration information for dichotomously scored data. Since BICAL does not use a missing data estimation algorithm, missing responses are treated as incorrect. The program can recalibrate with misfitting persons removed and can exclude very low and very high scoring persons from the calibration process. BICAL is one of the few programs that provides between person-score-group item fit statistics. The program is available from MESA Press for $200. FORTRAN source code for IBM and CDC computers, as well as a users' manual are included.

MSCALE and MSTEPS are Rasch programs which can be used to analyze tests, questionnaires, self-concept scales, morale inventories, ratings of competence or performance, and graded scores on achievement tests. These programs estimate parameters for and test the fit of data to the Dichotomous, Rating Scale, and Partial Credit models. Two estimation algorithms are used -- the normal approximation procedure, PROX, and the corrected unconditional maximum likelihood procedure, JMLE (UCON).

MSCALE is for dichotomies and rating scales. MSTEPS is for dichotomies and partial credit scoring. Both programs provide a single difficulty for each item and a single measure for each person. The difference is that MSCALE estimates a single set of step difficulties on the entire set of items as is intended in the usual rating scale design, while MSTEPS estimates a separate set of steps for each item as is implied in partial credit scoring.

In addition to estimates of difficulty and ability and tests of item and person fit, output includes a variety of graphical displays. The programs also contain editing features which edit out perfect person and item scores, adjust for missing responses, and recode input data into successive integers.

MSCALE and MSTEPS are provided in FORTRAN 77. Compilations are available for most micro, mini, and mainframe computers. The program, manual, and sample data are available for either program for $400 or for both programs for $600 from MESA Press.

MFORMS, a version of MSCALE developed to expedite one-step (concurrent) item banking was described in detail in RMT 1:2.

DICOT is a computer program for the analysis of classroom tests. The program is available in both Microsoft FORTRAN and GW-BASIC. The output is designed to be interpretable by classroom teachers. Person ability and item difficulty estimates are automatically transformed from logits to a metric like the ones with which teachers are already familiar. More details are available in Educational and Psychological Measurement, 1984, p. 145-150. The program is available for a nominal fee from Geoff Masters, University of Melbourne.

IPARM is an item and person analysis program designed to provide a full range of information about the fit of items and persons to the measurement model. The information is very detailed and usually provides insight into the causes of misfit. This program requires calibrated item difficulties and is designed to supplement calibration programs like BICAL or MSCALE. It is dimensioned for 100 items and an unlimited number of persons, but these dimensions can be altered. The program is written in BASIC and will run on 64K IBM compatible personal computers. The program, documentation, and dichotomous and rating scale examples are available free from Richard M. Smith.

MSCALE and MSTEPS are also available for IBM and Apple microcomputers. (See description under mainframe programs.)

PC-CREDIT is a Microsoft FORTRAN program for implementing partial credit analysis. The program can be run on IBM compatible personal computers. PC-CREDIT uses the unconditional maximum likelihood procedure to estimate person and item parameters for the partial credit model. The program includes several different person and item fit statistics and graphical displays capable of assisting in the diagnosis of misfit. For details of the availability of this program contact Mark Wilson or Geoff Masters.

Richard M. Smith

Smith R.M. (1988) Computer program review. Rasch Measurement Transactions 2:1 p. 15.

Computer program review. Smith R.M. … Rasch Measurement Transactions, 1988, 2:1 p. 15.

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
Rasch Books and Publications: Winsteps and Facets
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	Appliquer le modèle de Rasch: Défis et pistes de solution (Winsteps) E. Dionne, S. Béland
Introduction to Many-Facet Rasch Measurement (Facets), Thomas Eckes	Rasch Models for Solving Measurement Problems (Facets), George Engelhard, Jr. & Jue Wang	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
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

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