Pearson TMRS Newsletter Bob Dolan Senior Research Scientist in Assessment and Information at Pearson Thursday, March 12, 2009 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Fuller Labs 320 ABSTRACT: The purpose of this chapter is to identify and discuss several psychometric challenges and opportunities that we see related to formative assessment now and into the future. We begin by sharing examples of technology-based systems that combine instruction and assessment in ways that promote formative uses of test data. We then relate these examples to the current Standards and ask the questions, “How does one assess the technical quality of assessments used for formative purposes?” and “which new psychometric techniques will help improve the technical quality of assessments to be used for formative purposes?” In addressing these questions, we rely primarily on the fundamental concepts of reliability and validity, which provide ample stimulation for considering the role of psychometrics within a formative assessment system. ______ Bob Dolan is a Senior Research Scientist in Assessment and Information at Pearson. His work focuses on technology-based summative and formative assessment with emphases on cognition, accessibility, and usability. Prior to joining Pearson in 2007, Bob was a Senior Research Scientist at CAST, where his research focused on designing, implementing, and evaluating advanced technology-based learning environments that support diverse learners. Bob has served as principal investigator on research projects funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, and private foundations. Over the past 25 years, Bob has pursued parallel tracks in research and development in systems and cognitive neuroscience, and the development and engineering of technology-based tools for educational, scientific, and medical research. He received a B.S. in Biology at Cornell in 1986 and a Ph.D. in Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT in 1992. Psychometric Challenges and Opportunities in Implementing Formative Assessment Denny Way, Paul Nichols and I just finished a book chapter on the psychometric challenges and opportunities in implementing formative assessment. I could talk about, and we could discuss,the applicability of summative assessment-based psychometric concepts to formative assessment, vis-a-vis validity and reliability. Host: Neil Heffernan Refreshments will be served. Maintained by webmaster@cs.wpi.edu Last modified: March 6, 2009

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