Research
Collaborative scholarship in assessment, evaluation, and knowledge mobilization
It Starts with Research
The AEG uses a collaborative model of scholarship to conduct innovative research with the goal of contributing to and disseminating new knowledge in assessment, evaluation, and knowledge mobilization. Our research is directed at promoting learning and improving educational systems through rigours inquiries and contemporary knowledge translation.
Areas of Work
The AEG conducts and supports scholarship in the following areas
Assessment
From student learning to system performance, effective assessments promote and monitor growth. The AEG conducts cutting-edge research into innovative approaches to assessment across educational contexts with an emphasis on building assessment capacity across educators, learners and other key stakeholders.
Program Evaluation
Understanding the impact of an educational program is key to promoting success. Through developmental and collaborative approaches to program evaluation, the AEG both researches effective program evaluation processes as well as conducts program evaluations for clients across sectors.
Knowledge Mobilization
Disseminating and translating knowledge to diverse audiences is essential for productive uptake of research and evidence-informed decision-making. The AEG purposefully explores the latest knowledge mobilization (KMb) strategies to help develop effective KMb plans and platforms.
Measurement
Testing remains central to measuring learning and performance. Drawing on sound psychometric principles, the AEG works to research, develop, and validate measures for various learning outcomes across a variety of contexts (e.g., education, health care, language testing, certification, licensure).
Recent Projects
Examining Assessment and Evaluation Education
This research agenda investigates how educators and evaluators cultivate their practices in assessment and evaluation.
Evaluation Capacity Network: Collaborating for Community-Driven and Culturally Relevant Early Childhood Practices, Programs, and Policies
The goal of the Evaluation Capacity Network (ECN) is to collaboratively develop community-driven and culturally relevant approaches for producing and using evidence to improve early childhood practice, programs, and policy towards system effectiveness.
Research into a Collaborative Approaches to Evaluation as a Mechanism for Supporting System Level Thinking and Data-Informed Decision Making in Education
This multi-year project involves an ongoing collaboration between university-based evaluator-researchers with school district leaders, educators, and community partners in the pursuit of continuous improvement and ongoing data-informed decision making in education.
Measurement of Large-scale Educational Change
A series of projects focussed on measurement of change in developing countries. These projects have been conduced in the Caribbean Region, Middle East, and Asia, and funded by the Interamerican Development Bank, Caribbean Development Bank, Department for International Development, and the British Council.
Assessment of Competence in the Professions
The purpose of this research is to understand individual and group processing in developing accurate approximations of competence.
Use of Big Data to Model Performance and Change
Working with colleagues in admissions, undergraduate medicine, post-graduate medicine, and dentistry we have developed a comprehensive data system that tracks students from time of application to graduation, and for some, to post-graduate training.
