History

2022 - Changes in co-convenors

In 2022, ECER was held in two parts, in person in Yerevan, and online. Trude Nilsen and Tobias C. Stubbe were proposed and accepted as new co-convenors in the online network meeting.

 

2021 – Changes in co-convenors

In 2021, Martin Goy concluded his term as co-convenor of Network 9 after having served the network for many years (ECER 2014–2021 as co-convenor, ECER 2008–2014 as Link Convenor’s assistant to Wilfried Bos). Elena Papanastasiou (University of Nicosia, Cyprus) was proposed and accepted as a new co-convenor. Monica Rosén also informed the network that Erika Majoros (University of Gothenburg) started serving as Link Convenor’s assistant.

2020 – Online meeting and keynote during #ReconnectingEERA week

As ECER 2020 was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, two online sessions were organized in Network 9: the network meeting and the annual network keynote. These two events were held as part of the “Reconnecting EERA” week of events in late August. Peter Tymms (Durham University, United Kingdom) presented the 2020 network keynote, followed by a live session for questions and discussion.

2020 – Change in Link Convenor

In the online network meeting 2020, Monica Rosén (University of Gothenburg, Sweden), who had served as interim acting Link Convenor since September 2019, was proposed and accepted as the new Link Convenor of Network 9. She succeeded Heike Wendt in this position.

2018 – Award of honorary membership

In 2018, Wilfried Bos was awarded the third Honorary Membership of Network 9 for steering the network as Link Convenor from 2008 to 2017 and for his longstanding work in the fields of Assessment, Evaluation, Testing and Measurement.

2017 - Change in Link Convenor

In 2017, Wilfried Bos stepped down as Link Convenor after having served the network in this position since 2008. Heike Wendt (TU Dortmund University, Germany) was proposed and accepted as the new Link Convenor of Network 9.

2014 – Award of honorary membership

Sandra Johnson was awarded the second Honorary Membership of Network 9 for her longstanding commitment as one of the founding convenors and first Link Convenor of this network, as well as for her lifetime of work in the fields of educational assessment and evaluation.

2014 – Annual network keynote established

Beginning with ECER 2014 a new format of Network Keynotes has been established as opportunities to invite distinguished researchers in the field to address cutting-edge theories, methods and findings as well as historical research developments as highlights and inspirations in the network programme. For an overview of the speakers and themes, see the section on “Network Keynotes”.

2014 – Changes in co-convenors

In 2014, Pekka Kupari retired from his active duties as co-convenor and became an emeritus convenor after long years of service for Network 9. Eugenio Gonzalez (IEA-ETS Research Center, Hamburg/Princeton, Germany/United States), Martin Goy (Institute for School Development Research, TU Dortmund University, Germany), Sarah Howie (formerly of University of Pretoria, and now Stellenbosch University, South Africa) and Jana Strakova (Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic) were proposed and accepted as new co-convenors.

2011 – Award of honorary membership

Tjeerd Plomp, one of the founding fathers of the European Conferences on Educational Research and the European Educational Research Association, and longstanding Link Convenor and co-convenor of Network 9, was awarded the first Honorary Membership of Network 9 for his longstanding and continued work for the Network and within the field of Assessment, Evaluation, Testing and Measurement.

2011 – Changes in co-convenors

In 2011, Monica Rosén (University of Gothenburg, Sweden) was announced and accepted as a new co-convenor of Network 9. She replaced Tjeerd Plomp in this position when he stepped down and became an emeritus convenor after serving the network for many years as Link Convenor and co-convenor.

2011 – 2016 Spring schools

In 2011, the first EERA Spring School on Advanced Methods in Educational Research was organized-at TU Dortmund University, Germany. In the years from 2012 till 2016, five further Spring Schools followed in Dortmund, Gothenburg, and Oslo. The Spring Schools are a joint project of the Universities of Cyprus, Dortmund, Gothenburg, Oslo and Oxford. For an overview of topics and faculty of the Spring Schools see the section on “Network Activities”.

2010 - Interview with Link Convenor

At ECER 2010 "Education and Cultural Change” in Helsinki, Graham Attwell and his colleagues from Pontysysgu interviewed Wilfried Bos (link convenor) and Martin Goy.

2008 - Change in Link Convenor

In the network meeting at ECER 2008, Wilfried Bos (Institute for School Development Research, TU Dortmund University, Germany) was announced and accepted as the new Link Convenor of Network 9, succeeding Tjeerd Plomp. Tjeerd Plomp and Pekka Kupari agreed to continue serving as network co-convenors.

2008 - Change in name and scope: Assessment, Evaluation, Testing, and Measurement

In 2007 and 2008, network members discussed changing the name of the network and rephrasing its scope. Reason for this was that that many papers presented in Network 9 are on the domain of assessment, but not necessarily just assessment of student learning. Besides, the network also includes papers in the area of programme evaluation and monitoring. This discussion resulted in a proposal for a new name (Assessment, Evaluation, Testing and Measurement) and mission statement, which were accepted at the EERA convenors meeting at ECER 2008. For the new mission statement, see the section on "Network Objectives".

2006 - Change in Link Convenor

In 2006, Sandra Johnson stepped down after many years as Link Convenor. Marja Kankaanranta and Jouni Välijärvi retired as co-convenors. Tjeerd Plomp and Pekka Kupari (University of Jyväskylä, Finland) agreed to continue as network convenors.

2004 – Change in co-convenors

Marja Kankaanranta and Jouni Välijärvi (both University of Jyväskylä, Finland) were proposed and accepted as new co-convenors.

2000 - Change in Link Convenor

Sandra Johnson, one of the co-convenors, served as the Link Convenor for Network 9 from 2000.

1999 – Change in co-convenors

In 1999, Tjeerd Plomp (University of Twente, Netherlands) and Carol Fitz-Gibbon (University of Durham, England) joined Sandra Johnson as network co-convenors.

1997 - Network Founded

The EERA Network 9 was launched as a network on the topic of Student Assessment in early 1997, convened by Wynne Harlen (Scottish Council for Research in Education, Scotland) and Sandra Johnson (Consultant, France). The network’s initial interest embraced research into the validity, reliability and usefulness of new forms of student assessment and of established techniques applied in new contexts, where the students might range from pre-school children to distance learning adults, the qualities assessed could be intellectual abilities, work-related skills, attitudes or personality traits, and the assessment purposes might range from individual diagnosis to system evaluation.

NW 09 runs a mailing list and invites researchers to join. To join the mailing list, send a blank message to nw09-subscribe(at)lists.eera-ecer.de .

Subthemes

  • Theory of Assessment, Evaluation, Testing and Measurement
  • Methodology and Instrumentation of Assessments, Evaluations, Tests and Measurements
  • Assessments in the Domains of School Subjects
  • Relating Achievement Results to Variables on Individual Level
  • Relating Achievement Results to Variables on Class, School/Institution or System Level
  • Evaluation of Educational Research
  • Educational Assessment Policies and System Monitoring