GPIRT uses Gaussian processes to estimate latent traits and IRFs from binary responses.
problem Nonparametric IRT models struggle to estimate flexible IRFs and latent traits simultaneously.
method GPIRT employs Gaussian process priors to relax IRF assumptions while estimating latent traits.
result GPIRT provides a flexible solution to IRT challenges, including active learning.
Proposes β4-IRT, a new IRT model with enhanced discrimination estimation.
problem Symmetry problem in β3-IRT causing incorrect discrimination values. method Gradient descent method, link functions, and new parameters for discrimination.
result Improved parameter recovery in experiments compared to β3-IRT. A new algorithm estimates item parameters in item response theory models.
problem Estimating item parameters in item response theory models.
method Computation of the stationary distribution of a Markov chain defined on an item-item graph.
result Our algorithm is consistent and enjoys favorable optimality properties.
Archetypal analysis helps understand binary data sets.
problem Explaining binary questionnaire data.
method Using archetypal analysis for binary observations.
result The approach contributes to understanding binary data sets.
Researchers study how teachers' advising relationships influence their perceptions of satisfaction and students, not policy influence.
problem Understanding the relationship between teachers' advising relationships and their perceptions of satisfaction and students.
method Proposed a novel joint model of network and item responses (JNIRM) with correlated latent variables.
result Teachers' advising relationships contribute more to satisfaction and students than to influence over educational policies.
New estimators improve Rasch model item parameter estimation for sparse data.
problem Estimating item parameters in sparse Rasch model data.
method Random pairing maximum likelihood estimator (RP-MLE) and its bootstrapped variant (MRP-MLE).
result RP-MLE and MRP-MLE are minimax optimal and provide precise item parameter estimates.
Faster, more accurate IRT model for large datasets.
problem Speed and accuracy challenges in fitting IRT models to large datasets.
method Variational Bayesian inference for IRT models.
result Higher log likelihoods and improved missing data imputation.
New algorithm speeds up IRT model fitting for large datasets.
problem Inefficient algorithms for fitting Item Response Theory models to large datasets.
method Stochastic Variational Inference for IRT models.
result Higher log likelihoods and accuracy in imputing missing data.
FedIRT enables privacy-preserving psychometric estimation without centralizing data.
problem Privacy and data governance concerns in centralized IRT estimation.
method Federated Item Response Theory (FedIRT) and FedIRT-DP for differentially private estimation.
result FedIRT matches accuracy of centralized estimators while preserving privacy.
New Bayesian method for sparse multidimensional item response theory.
problem Sparse interpretable explanations for questionnaire data.
method Bayesian EM algorithm for sparse factor loadings.
result Reliable recovery of factor dimensionality and latent structure.
Item Response Theory (IRT) aims to assess latent abilities of respondents based on the correctness of their answers in aptitude test items with different difficulty levels. In this paper, we propose the β3-IRT model, which models continuous responses and can generate a much enriched family of Item Characteristic Cur…
A new dataset tracks user interactions and click responses in online marketplaces.
problem Lack of exposure data in recommender systems datasets.
method Proposes a novel dataset including slates and click responses, allowing more accurate likelihood models.
result Models using exposure data show more natural likelihood, reducing bias towards previously exposed items.
ESRLCM clusters similar responses, more broadly than traditional models.
problem Clustering multivariate categorical data with common response patterns.
method Bayesian Equivalence Set Restricted Latent Class Model (ESRLCM).
result ESRLCM identifies clusters with similar item response probabilities.
The paper presents a machine learning approach to multidimensional item response theory.
problem Modeling and predicting student performance from assessment data.
method Inspired by collaborative filtering, the paper defines a general class of models using penalized joint maximum likelihood (JML) for estimation and cross-validation for model selection.
result The high-dimensional model fit to large and sparse data does not lend itself well to traditional factor interpretation.
Study presents MMC model for better fitting multiple choice data.
problem Improving accuracy of latent trait estimates in IRT models.
method Fit autoencoders to MMC model, demonstrating better fit than nominal response model.
result MMC model outperforms traditional IRT models in fit.
New method for scalable learning of IRT models from large datasets.
problem Efficiently learning latent variables in IRT models from large numbers of examinees and items.
method Leveraging logistic regression and coresets for scalable IRT training.
result Scalable learning of IRT models from large data is achieved.
Framework for fast CAT calibration and administration using AutoML and IRT.
problem Calibrating and administering large-scale CAT tests with limited data.
method AutoIRT (AutoML + IRT) for calibration, BanditCAT for administration.
result Framework successfully launched new item types on DET practice test.
Item response theory (IRT) models for categorical response data are widely used in the analysis of educational data, computerized adaptive testing, and psychological surveys. However, most IRT models rely on both the assumption that categories are strictly ordered and the assumption that this ordering is known a priori…
Deep learning based knowledge tracing model has been shown to outperform traditional knowledge tracing model without the need for human-engineered features, yet its parameters and representations have long been criticized for not being explainable. In this paper, we propose Deep-IRT which is a synthesis of the item res…
Ensemble unsupervised anomaly detection using IRT for hidden ground truth.
problem Challenges in constructing an ensemble from unsupervised anomaly detection methods.
method Use Item Response Theory to compute latent traits and construct an ensemble that downplays noisy methods.
result Demonstrated effectiveness of IRT ensemble on extensive data repository.
VTIRT speeds up IRT inference for dynamic learner proficiency.
problem Expensive and slow inference algorithms for dynamic IRT models.
method Variational Temporal IRT (VTIRT) for fast, accurate inference.
result Orders of magnitude speedup in inference runtime with accurate results.
Bayesian method improves adaptive testing item selection, ensuring full item exposure.
problem Adaptive testing selects items to estimate ability, but must also ensure diverse item exposure.
method Formulated as Bayesian model averaging, deriving optimal item sampling probabilities.
result Stochastic method achieves full item bank exposure without sacrificing accuracy.
Model learns metrics and preferences from user comparisons.
problem Simultaneous metric and preference learning from user comparisons.
method Jointly learns a metric and latent ideal points for each user.
result Model captures individual preferences and learns metrics efficiently.
LaRT models LLMs' response accuracy and CoT length to evaluate reasoning ability and speed.
problem Valid evaluation of Large Language Models (LLMs) via response accuracy and chain-of-thought length.
method Introduces Latency-Response Theory (LaRT) to jointly model response accuracy and CoT length using latent ability and latent speed.
result LaRT yields higher estimation accuracy and shorter confidence intervals for latent traits compared to IRT.
Paper uses NLP and IRT to score ESG factors from news articles.
problem Lack of precise ESG metrics in finance.
method Combines NLP and IRT models on ESG-related news data.
result Method offers more precise ESG metrics with temporal dynamics.
A new framework evaluates large language models efficiently and accurately.
problem Evaluation of large language models is challenging due to stochasticity and heterogeneity of benchmarks.
method Interpretable and scalable framework based on Item Response Theory (IRT) and majorization-minimization principle.
result Our method achieves superior scalability and interpretability compared to existing approaches.
IRT improves algorithm evaluation across datasets.
problem Evaluating the performance of algorithm portfolios.
method Modified IRT framework for evaluating algorithm portfolios across datasets.
result Richer characteristics of algorithm performance are revealed.
Suppose that we wish to estimate a user's preference vector w from paired comparisons of the form "does user w prefer item p or item q?," where both the user and items are embedded in a low-dimensional Euclidean space with distances that reflect user and item similarities. Such observations arise in numerous se…
Item response theory (IRT) models are widely used in psychometrics and educational measurement, being deployed in many high stakes tests such as the GRE aptitude test. IRT has largely focused on estimation of a single latent trait (e.g. ability) that remains static through the collection of item responses. However, in …
Computer simulations have become a popular tool of assessing complex skills such as problem-solving skills. Log files of computer-based items record the entire human-computer interactive processes for each respondent. The response processes are very diverse, noisy, and of nonstandard formats. Few generic methods have b…
Adaptive querying learns user psychometrics with AI personas.
problem Learning user psychometrics within query budgets.
method Persona-induced latent variable model with AI personas and large language model response distributions.
result Persona-based posteriors deliver accurate probabilistic predictions.
Binary feedback outperforms ordinal comparisons in ranking recovery.
problem Challenges the conventional wisdom that ordinal comparisons offer richer information.
method Proposes a parametric framework for modeling ordinal paired comparisons, binarizing ordinal data, and proving faster convergence rates for binary comparisons.
result Binarizing ordinal data significantly improves ranking recovery accuracy and exhibits a substantial performance gap.
An efficient algorithm selects the correct number of latent dimensions in multidimensional probit models.
problem Determining the correct number of latent dimensions in multidimensional probit graded response models.
method Adaptive Bayesian dimension selection framework using cumulative ordered spike-and-slab (COSS) prior and Albert--Chib latent response augmentation.
result The proposed method accurately recovers latent structures and avoids repeated model fitting.
This paper introduces our solution to the 2018 Duolingo Shared Task on Second Language Acquisition Modeling (SLAM). We used deep factorization machines, a wide and deep learning model of pairwise relationships between users, items, skills, and other entities considered. Our solution (AUC 0.815) hopefully managed to bea…
Item response theory (IRT) is a non-linear generative probabilistic paradigm for using exams to identify, quantify, and compare latent traits of individuals, relative to their peers, within a population of interest. In pre-existing multidimensional IRT methods, one requires a factorization of the test items. For this t…
Previous work on recommender systems mainly focus on fitting the ratings provided by users. However, the response patterns, i.e., some items are rated while others not, are generally ignored. We argue that failing to observe such response patterns can lead to biased parameter estimation and sub-optimal model performanc…
In this article, we propose a novel probabilistic framework to improve the accuracy of a weighted majority voting algorithm. In order to assign higher weights to the classifiers which can correctly classify hard-to-classify instances, we introduce the Item Response Theory (IRT) framework to evaluate the samples' diffic…
The Rasch model is widely used for item response analysis in applications ranging from recommender systems to psychology, education, and finance. While a number of estimators have been proposed for the Rasch model over the last decades, the available analytical performance guarantees are mostly asymptotic. This paper p…
IRTCI uses IRT for categorical imputation, outperforming other methods in various datasets.
problem Missing data in datasets limits model testing and statistical inference.
method Item Response Theory for Categorical Imputation (IRTCI) based on IRT.
result IRTCI outperformed kNN, MICE, and Datawig in various datasets.
Debias recommender systems by accounting for hidden confounders using network information.
problem Debiased recommender systems to reduce bias caused by hidden confounders.
method Leverage network information to disentangle user conformity and item popularity, modeling exposure and ratings while controlling hidden confounders.
result The proposed method effectively debiases recommender systems, improving recommendation accuracy.
Recommender systems widely use implicit feedback such as click data because of its general availability. Although the presence of clicks signals the users' preference to some extent, the lack of such clicks does not necessarily indicate a negative response from the users, as it is possible that the users were not expos…
The paper addresses privacy in rank aggregation using randomized responses.
problem Preserving privacy while aggregating pairwise rankings.
method Adaptive debiasing method for randomized response rankings.
result Established minimax rates for estimation errors and optimal privacy guarantees.
Non-negative matrix factorization models based on a hierarchical Gamma-Poisson structure capture user and item behavior effectively in extremely sparse data sets, making them the ideal choice for collaborative filtering applications. Hierarchical Poisson factorization (HPF) in particular has proved successful for scala…
We propose RecSim, a configurable platform for authoring simulation environments for recommender systems (RSs) that naturally supports sequential interaction with users. RecSim allows the creation of new environments that reflect particular aspects of user behavior and item structure at a level of abstraction well-suit…
We propose a novel learning framework to answer questions such as "if a user is purchasing a shirt, what other items will (s)he need with the shirt?" Our framework learns distributed representations for items from available textual data, with the learned representations representing items in a latent space expressing f…
The paper examines skill estimation and variance under model misspecification in IRT.
problem Underestimation and overestimation of skills when non-compensatory model is misspecified as compensatory.
method Theoretical approach to analyze underestimation and overestimation of skills and variance.
result Overestimation of skills occurs around the origin and asymptotic variance differs under model misspecification.
Adaptive cascade submodular maximization tackles sequential selection under uncertainty.
problem Maximizing expected utility from a set of items with unknown states and continuation probabilities.
method Proposed adaptive cascade submodular functions and a 0.12 approximation algorithm.
result Identified a class of functions (adaptive cascade submodular) that many practical applications satisfy.
Knowledge tracing is a sequence prediction problem where the goal is to predict the outcomes of students over questions as they are interacting with a learning platform. By tracking the evolution of the knowledge of some student, one can optimize instruction. Existing methods are either based on temporal latent variabl…