Winsteps: history and "steps"

What is the origin of Winsteps and to what does "steps" refer?

 

Winsteps is an outcome of this process of development:

 

In 1983, Benjamin D. "Ben" Wright of the University of Chicago and John "Mike" Linacre released the first Rasch analysis program for personal computers (IBM PCs). It was also the first Rasch program to allow missing data. It was called Microscale, "Rasch scaling by microcomputer". Since MS-DOS was limited to 8-character program names, the actual execution name was "MSCALE".

 

1987: Mscale (dichotomies and Andrich rating scales) + Msteps (for partial credit "steps"). Ben implemented the Microscale algorithm on a Unix minicomputer using his own staff, but kept the PC execution name, "Mscale".

 

1989: Bigscale (back to PCs). Again under MS-DOS but with much larger datasets. Mike takes over software development again.

 

1991: Bigsteps (the functionality of Msteps was included in Bigscale). Ben interpreted this to mean "big steps forward in social science measurement"

 

1998: Winsteps (Windows-native Bigsteps). Ben interpreted this to mean "winning steps forward in social science measurement".

 

1999: The University of Chicago ejected Winsteps from its computers for "encouraging gambling". They seemed to be unaware that probability theory originated in gambling. Winsteps.com was launched as a separate endeavor under the direction of Mike Linacre.

 

2001: Ben Wright was incapacitated. Winsteps became an independent activity of Mike Linacre.

 

For developments since 2001, see www.winsteps.com/wingood.htm

 

When talking about Rasch measurement, Ben Wright used "step" to mean:

 

(a) the category number counting up from 0 at the bottom. The bottom step, for dichotomies or polytomies, was the lowest category, always numbered 0. Ben would talk about going up and down the steps as one moved up and down the latent variable.

 

(b) the location of the transition from one category to the next higher category on the latent variable. Now called the Rasch-Andrich threshold for polytomies and the item difficulty for dichotomies.

 

(c) the process of moving from one category to the next as one's amount of the latent variable changes. A low negative threshold below a category indicates that the category is easy to step into as one moves up the latent variable. A high positive threshold below a category indicates a category that is hard to step into. So "disordered" thresholds around a category (high below, low above) indicate a category that is "hard to step into and easy to step out of" as one moves up the latent variable, i.e., a narrow category. The extreme of this is an infinitely-narrow, i.e., unobserved, category. It is infinitely hard to step into and infinitely easy to step out of.


Help for Winsteps Rasch Measurement and Rasch Analysis Software: www.winsteps.com. Author: John Michael Linacre

Facets Rasch measurement software. Buy for $149. & site licenses. Freeware student/evaluation Minifac download
Winsteps Rasch measurement software. Buy for $149. & site licenses. Freeware student/evaluation Ministep download

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
Other 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 Journal of Applied Measurement
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
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Questions, Suggestions? Want to update Winsteps or Facets? Please email Mike Linacre, author of Winsteps mike@winsteps.com


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Coming Rasch-related Events
May 17 - June 21, 2024, Fri.-Fri. On-line workshop: Rasch Measurement - Core Topics (E. Smith, Winsteps), www.statistics.com
June 12 - 14, 2024, Wed.-Fri. 1st Scandinavian Applied Measurement Conference, Kristianstad University, Kristianstad, Sweden http://www.hkr.se/samc2024
June 21 - July 19, 2024, Fri.-Fri. On-line workshop: Rasch Measurement - Further Topics (E. Smith, Winsteps), www.statistics.com
Aug. 5 - Aug. 6, 2024, Fri.-Fri. 2024 Inaugural Conference of the Society for the Study of Measurement (Berkeley, CA), Call for Proposals
Aug. 9 - Sept. 6, 2024, Fri.-Fri. On-line workshop: Many-Facet Rasch Measurement (E. Smith, Facets), www.statistics.com
Oct. 4 - Nov. 8, 2024, Fri.-Fri. On-line workshop: Rasch Measurement - Core Topics (E. Smith, Winsteps), www.statistics.com
Jan. 17 - Feb. 21, 2025, Fri.-Fri. On-line workshop: Rasch Measurement - Core Topics (E. Smith, Winsteps), www.statistics.com
May 16 - June 20, 2025, Fri.-Fri. On-line workshop: Rasch Measurement - Core Topics (E. Smith, Winsteps), www.statistics.com
June 20 - July 18, 2025, Fri.-Fri. On-line workshop: Rasch Measurement - Further Topics (E. Smith, Facets), www.statistics.com
Oct. 3 - Nov. 7, 2025, Fri.-Fri. On-line workshop: Rasch Measurement - Core Topics (E. Smith, Winsteps), www.statistics.com

 

 

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