Assessment and Evaluation
Key Developments
Event
iCafe Meeting (on-going)
Collaborations with overseas Centres on policy analysis of Artificial Intelligence (AI) used in higher education in Singapore and its impact in higher education for assessment and evaluation. Three papers on policy, meta-analysis and AI competencies will be presented at the American Educational Research Association (AREA) 2025 symposium or National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME).
Rapid Cycle Evaluation (RCE) Research (2024-2027) - Evaluation
The RCE team is collaborating with NIE Departments, Ministry Of Education (MOE), primary and secondary schools and other external organizations to trial and further enhance the application of RCE. The team aims to develop a cohesive framework that can be a viable evaluation model of applicability across Singapore schools and organisations.
WERA Visiting Researcher Award 2024 (September 2024)
The WERA Visiting Researcher Award 2024 is a collaborative initiative by the World Education Research Association (WERA), the Educational Research Association Singapore (ERAS) and the Centre for Assessment and Evaluation (CAE) at the NIE NTU, Singapore. It offered a unique opportunity for researchers at early stage of their careers to advance their projects with the guidance of leading experts at CAE, NIE NTU, Singapore. Submission was open to current WERA members, as well as those from WERA-affiliated associations and institutions.
Appointment of Professor David Robert Carless as Visiting Scholar (1 September - 11 September 2024)
Professor David Carless, Professor and Head of the Academic Unit SCAPE (Social Contexts and Policies in Education), Faulty of Education at the University of Hong Kong was invited as the CAE's Visiting Scholar (Assessment). A seminar, online consultation sessions and meetings were organised during his visit.
CAE seminar on “Assessment re-designs for GenAI: Principles and practices” (4 September 2024)
Prof Carless shared with faculty some key principles and practices to inform assessment design in the age of GenAI.
Visit by delegates from Cambridge and Singapore Examination and Assessment Board (SEAB) (25 June 2024)
The Cambridge Consultative Meeting (CCM) event provided an opportunity for the Centre for Assessment & Evaluation (CAE) to introduce its aims to advance expertise in assessment and evaluation through research, teaching and outreach. Additionally, CAE shared on research in improving teaching practices in Singapore.
Redesigning Pedagogy International Conference (RPIC) 2024 (28 May - 30 May 2024)
The Rapid Cycle Evaluation (RCE) team conducted two symposia on RCE: 'Advancing Educational Practice: Insights and Applications of RCE' and 'Change, faster: RCE, a framework for programme evaluation in schools' to provide awareness, engagement and discussion regarding the state of work on RCE.
Redesigning Pedagogy International Conference (RPIC) 2024 (28 May - 30 May 2024)
Dr Tay Hui Yong, was a discussant in the symposium 'Engaging Primary Students in Feedback in Mathematics Using the Feedback Pedagogy' to offer insights and strategies for effectively engaging students in acting on feedback.
Appointment of Research Associate Professor Jeanne Century as Visiting Consultant (26 Feb – 1 Mar 2024)
Associate Professor Jeanne Century, Director of Outlier Research & Evaluation and Research Associate
Professor at the University of Chicago was invited as the CAE’s Visiting Consultant (Evaluation). A webinar series, online consultation sessions and meetings were organised during her visit.
Meeting with Associate Professor Jeanne Century on Rapid Cycle Evaluation (RCE) (1 Mar 2024)
The meeting provided an opportunity for the RCE team at CAE to tap on Associate Professor Century’s expertise
and experience. Associate Professor Century provided her expertise and valuable input relevant evaluation models as well as advised on RCE’s potential development.
CAE Webinar on ‘Issues relating to implementation in educational settings’ (27 Feb 2024)
The Webinar Series with Associate Professor Century was opened for registration to both local and international
audiences. The first part of the webinar series introduced what implementation research was, its importance and difference between measuring 'fidelity' and measuring 'implementation'. Participants had the opportunity to learn about
some strategies and measurement approaches that have been used in implementation research as well as their implications for the future.
CAE Webinar on ‘Introduction to component-based research’ (29 Feb 2024)
The second part of the Webinar Series with Associate Professor Century delved into what component-based research (CBR) is, how
it is defined and how it has been used in a range of disciplines. Audiences learned about how CBR may help address some persistent problems education researchers and practitioners are aiming to solve.
Workshop on Bibliometric Reviews of Research – The Science of Mapping (23 Jan, 6 Feb, 13 Feb, 20 Feb 2024)
Prof Philip Hallinger was invited to conduct a four-session workshop on the science of mapping.
Over 20 participants including Research Assistants attended the workshop. Prof Hallinger will continue to provide consultation to the participants post-workshop.
CAE will continue seeking opportunities to
share with the wider community on how to conduct the review. This will provide a robust and evidence-based method to do a review that would be useful to the NIE community.
Study Trip Follow-up Discussion with Assessment and Evaluation Research Centre (AERC), Melbourne Graduate School of Education (MGSE) (10 Oct 2023) - Assessment
A meeting was organised with Dr Pam
Robertson and Dr Therese Hopfenbeck of AERC, MGSE to advance discussions and collaborations in the research area of assessment and resilience/wellbeing. Both assessment teams from Singapore and Melbourne exchanged assessment
research trajectories and ideas to expand them into a longer-term cross-comparative study.
Study Trip Follow-up Discussion with AERC, MGSE (22 Jan 2024) - Evaluation
A meeting was organised with Prof Janet Clinton and Dr Ruth Aston, in collaboration with CRPP, to discuss potential collaborations
in Evaluation.
Rapid Cycle Evaluation (RCE) Research (2024-2027) – Evaluation
A grant for an RA to support this developmental project has been approved. A team has been formed for initial work to trial the framework
in various NIE programmes and schools.
Soft Launch of CAE physical office (16 Feb 2024)
The CAE unveiled its newly renovated office, marking a significant step in creating a distinct identity for the Centre. The Office serves as a hub for discussions
and a gallery for CAE visitors, amplifying its presence and fostering collaboration with international counterparts.
ERAS-WERA Conference: Evaluation Symposium
A series of papers (in collaboration with MOE) curated by the evaluation team was accepted for presentation at the Educational Research Association of Singapore and the
World Education Research Association (ERAS-WERA) Conference from 22 to 24 November 2023. This provided a platform for awareness, engagement and discussion on the state of educational evaluation in Singapore.
Roundtable Session (Evaluation)
Between March and May 2023, three roundtable sessions were organised to provide NIE faculty members with networking opportunities and to learn more about what other NIE faculty members
teach about Educational Evaluation. This platform opened up possibilities for collaboration across NIE academic groups to develop a practitioner-friendly school-based educational evaluation.
CAE Discussion on Generative AI with EVASS-SIG members
The discussion at the Centre for Assessment & Evaluation (CAE) held on 13 April 2023 with Evaluation & Assessment Special Interest Group (EVASS-SIG) members
was to enable a fruitful exchange of ideas among participants on Generative AI (GAI) and its application in assessment.
Discussion with OTE ExCo on CAE stand on Assessment Principles with regards to Generative AI
CAE held a discussion on 14 April 2023 with the Office of Teacher Education (OTE) to inform them of CAE’s position
on the use of GAI in assessment.
Appointment of Prof Anastasiya Lipnevich as Visiting Scholar
Prof Lipnevich was invited to return as a visiting academic for CAE from 1 August 2023 to 29 August 2023 to lend her expertise to the centre’s programmatic
research. She has been playing a crucial role in solidifying the trajectories of the centre’s research projects and programmes. As part of her visit, a series of activities were organised such as visits to schools, a faculty
seminar, workshops with the CAE research assistants as well as sessions to ideate on assessment programmatic research.
In-conversation with Prof Anastasiya Lipnevich (EVASS-SIG members)
The session on 11 August 2023 provided an opportunity for EVASS-SIG members to discuss ideas and perspectives on GAI in assessment with Prof Lipnevich.
CAE Webinar in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UWM)
A public webinar titled ‘Game On! Innovating Assessment with Gamification’ was held on 4 September 2023 to present how game-based
assessment can be a compelling and effective tool in advancing the evolving technological landscape of education.
CAE Webinar in collaboration with the University of Jyväskylä (JYU)
Another public webinar titled ‘Navigating Authenticity: Humanising Curriculum & Assessment in the Age of Generative
AI’ was organised on 5 September 2023 to present the opportunities, risks and considerations of AI in education. Attendees gained insights into how they can shape educational landscapes to influence learners’ futures.
EVASS-SIG Sharing
The session, titled ‘What is Educational Evaluation about and how do we teach this in NIE?’, was held on 13 September 2023 and presented preliminary findings of the synthesis on educational
evaluation teaching in NIE to create awareness about what educational evaluation entailed.
Workshop on ‘Writing BOS Paper’
On 11 October 2023, CAE conducted a segment on writing assessment rubrics for the Academic Groups (AGs), with suggestions on how best to craft rubrics, including with the
help of GAI.
Research Projects & Publications
APJE accepted the proposal for a special issue titled ‘Educational evaluation research and practices: Perspectives from Singapore’. The issue comprises eight research/theoretical papers and is expected to be published in the September 2024 issue. Prof Chen Huey-tsyh, 2023 Evaluation Visiting Consultant contributed two papers including a commentary on the 8 papers.
With the completion of the planning grant, two papers will be published on two different platforms. An international English Language and Literature (ELL) Webinar was held on 7 December 2023 and findings from the study will be weaved into the curriculum studies (CS) courses.
SRF Projects (ongoing)
CAE undertook two SRF Projects: (1) 'Epistemological Differences between Assessment and Evaluation' which was completing its 2nd phase; and (2) 'Examining the Emotional Regulation for Feedback Receptivity in Singapore Secondary Schools: An Instrument Development and Validation Study' which had its grant proposal approved. Another project on meta-synthesis on teacher readiness is in the midst of an SRF grant.
Others
The CAE team participated in a study trip to Australia from 18 September 2023 to 19 September 2023. The team learned more about models, approaches and challenges in developing a centre for A&E. The CAE team explored and identified potential research focus areas for A&E education and research. Following meetings with various institutions – the Assessment and Evaluation Research Centre (AERC) under the Melbourne Graduate School of Education (MGSE), Monash University, and the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) – the CAE team were able to connect and establish rapport with scholars and institutions for possible research collaborations and advancements.
Three officers from the Ministry of Education (MOE), Singapore are on TWA with the CAE this semester.
Review of Courses in A&E
Assessment Colloquium 2022 and Soft Launch of Centre for Assessment & Evaluation at NIE
The CAE is a one-stop resource centre and had its soft launch on the second day of the event.
Prof Lipnevich, an expert in educational psychology and assessments delivered the keynote at the colloquium, where they also launched an internationally-validated instrument to measure students’ receptivity to instructional feedback. She also conducted two in-person workshops on this topic.
Additionally, the Colloquium highlighted the expertise of NIE faculty through various workshops and panel discussions and featured the ‘unconference’, an innovative event to generate dialogue among a community of practitioners.
Appointment of Prof Anastasiya Lipnevich as Visiting Scholar
Evaluation Teaching Roundtable Discussion in consultation with Professor Chen Huey-tsyh
CAE conducted an Evaluation Teaching Roundtable Discussion in consultation with visiting consultant Professor Chen Huey-tsyh on 7 March 2023 to review the state of evaluation teaching at NIE. Prof Chen is the Director of the Center for Evaluation and Applied Research at Mercer University.
Programmatic Research Proposal Planning Day
The Centre for Assessment and Evaluation (CAE) held a Programmatic Research Proposal Planning Day on 7 November 2022. The CAE team shared the state of research, identified literature gap and other relevant information for the grounding of research ideation. Visiting consultant Professor Anastasiya Lipnevich gave a talk on 21CC psychosocial skills and provided consultation for the session.
Review of NIE Programmes and Courses Related to A&E
The NIE-wide review included a mapping of teacher training, in-service and post-graduate courses related to Assessment and Evaluation (A&E) across programmes. Key faculty members specialising in A&E were identified. A possible signature Masters in Educational Assessment programme was also explored.