Mark Wilson: Discussion: The Past, Present, and Future of Educational Measurement

January 30, 2024

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

2:00 - 4:00 PM (PDT) at Berkeley Way West 1212 and via Zoom

Open to GSE faculty, students, and community.

Request a zoom link from convenors@bear.berkeley.edu

About the discussion:

Educational Measurement: Issues & Practice (EM:IP) is planning a special issue on The Past, Present, and Future of Educational Measurement. We invite you, as a participant in the field, to contribute your ideas to this discussion, and (hopefully) contribute to the special issue.

From the Editor's invitation:


The field of educational measurement is evolving rapidly, particularly in recent years. With the advancements in technology, including the widespread use of artificial intelligence, colleagues in our field may question whether technology is leading our way. A related concern might be, “Are we moving too fast, losing sight of our origins?” Additionally, one might ponder the question, “Do the fundamentals still matter?”

These are just a few exemplary questions, and we are confident that you may have many more similar ones. We do not want to prescribe a list of topics, providing you the freedom to choose your subject matter. Whether it is a research study or a commentary, you have the flexibility to comment on the field as a whole or focus on a specific yet important subject area. The only common theme is the past, present, and future of educational measurement. ... We encourage you to share your personal story or anecdotes about colleagues who played a major role on a particular topic when discussing the past. If you identify misconceptions or pitfalls persisting in the field, this is an opportune moment to share your message.

About the facilitator:

Mark Wilson is a Distinguished Professor of Education at the University of California, Berkeley.  He received his PhD degree from the University of Chicago in 1984.  His interests focus on measurement and applied statistics, and he has published 167 refereed articles in those areas, 74 invited chapters in edited books, and 15 books.  He was elected President of the Psychometric Society, and, more recently, President of the National Council for Measurement in Education (NCME); he is a Member of the US National Academy of Education, a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association, and the American Psychological Association, and also is a National Associate of the US National Research Council.   He is Director of the Berkeley Evaluation and Assessment Research (BEAR) Center.  His research interests focus on the development and application of sound approaches for measurement in education and the social sciences, the development of statistical models suitable for measurement contexts, the creation of instruments to measure new constructs, and scholarship on the philosophy of measurement.