Analysis of Competitive Learning at University Level in Mexico via Item Response Theory

Abstract

This paper presents a study of the multiple choice test from the eleventh knowledge tournament for Statistics I, in order to determine whether it instills competitive learning in university students. This research uses Item Response Theory (IRT). The results obtained show that only 27 students (13.43% of the total number of participants) have an acceptable level of ability (1.03 to 2.58), while the level of ability of the rest of the students is not satisfactory (-1.68 to 0.76). The participants are not a group of students seeking to test their knowledge of the subject or looking for an academic challenge. Better strategies for motivating students in terms of competitive learning must be found.