Evaluation of Ingressants in Distance Education Courses through the Item Response Theory
Arcângelo dos Santos Safanelli, Dalton Francisco de Andrade, Jeovani Schimitt, Roberto Moraes Cruz, Luiz Salgado Klaes

Abstract
The use of Item Response Theory (IRT) in the evaluation of freshmen students undertaking long distance learning in order to allow linking the profile of the student with its features, their performance and retention. The scale created based on the IRT, with the addition of items and respondents, broadens the benefit of bringing the measure to the profile entrant and the interpretation of its knowledge, combining them. The objective is to develop an assessment scale of measurement of the student profile in Distance Education (DE) courses. As for its development, we sought qualitative methods, predominantly, being components of an exploratory research. It carried out a review of the pertinent literature, collection of research data and the authors' experience on the subject. It is noteworthy that there are those who use distance learning courses, hastily, as understood as "simple" by overlook planning studies. Thus, they cause evasions, and the consequent waste of time and money not only for students but also the institutions themselves. The purpose of this article is to present this measure evaluation as an aid to the entities in the selection and improvement of freshmen in distance education courses.

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