Rasch Computing Analysis of Two Tier Concept Inventory to Assess Engineering Students’ Conceptual Knowledge

Assessment for learning is an essential component of the education system to gauge students’ learning progress. Usually, a student has learned the concept up to what extent, it is measured with his score in an assessment in spite of whether all the questions in the test was of high difficulty level or easy. The Basic Electronics Concept Inventory (BECI) was developed as an assessment instrument under this study to measure the conceptual knowledge of freshmen engineering students who studied introductory electronics. Rasch computing is one of the probability models to optimize the quality of assessment instrument. This paper presents the analysis of an assessment instrument Basic Electronics Concept Inventory (BECI) using Rasch Model computing to verify the intention behind the development of it i.e. whether its test items measures conceptual knowledge or not. This analysis is based on parameters such as item fit statistics, wright map and bubble chart. The majority of the test items for the BECI Instrument fit the Rasch dichotomous model well; according to the item fit statistics. Wright map constructed for BECI post-test score versus student’s ability using Winsteps software indicates the moderate level of mapping of item difficulty level with the student’s ability. This study addresses the need for enhanced assessment of conceptual knowledge in engineering education. Through the development and validation of a two-tier Basic Electronics Concept Inventory (BECI), it offers a novel approach to evaluating students' conceptual understanding and problem-solving abilities. The findings underscore the importance of aligning assessment methods with learning objectives to effectively measure and enhance conceptual learning outcomes.