9. Assessment, Evaluation, Testing and Measurement

The network aims to promote information exchange and active collaboration among European researchers in the field of assessment and evaluation in all levels and all sectors of education and training, to further develop assessment techniques and approaches, and to encourage the intelligent interpretation of assessment results. In doing so, the network wants to cover not only research on the development and utilization of assessments and evaluations, and the secondary analyses of data of (international) assessment studies, but explicitly also research aimed at fundamental issues and theoretical developments in assessment, evaluation, testing and measurement.

Assessment and evaluation are increasingly widespreadactivities in education, at every level throughout the world. The results of assessment are used by learners and teachers to guide teaching and learning in the classroom, by employers and academics to help select employees or students, and by local, national and international policy makers to evaluate the efficiency of their educational systems.

Given the impact of assessment results on individuals and societies, it is important to try to ensure quality in assessment and wisdom in interpretation and consequent evaluation. This network focuses on research into the quality of assessment in education and the uses made of assessment results in teaching, learning, evaluation and policy making.