Network 1: Educational measurement and assessment

Educational measurement and assessment is a very broadly scoped topic with relevance for all aspects of educational research. Although most assessments would specifically relate to a substantial dimension in education (e.g. early childhood, special needs education, policy issues in education, higher education, etc.) it is a field in itself, with a distinctive theoretical and scholarly tradition. Internationally this is witnessed by the large number of academic organisations, conferences and journals specifically addressing issues in assessment and/or measurement. Initially, the field was dominated by US and British scholars. However, over the last decades this is an academic field with increasing interest and scientific production across the globe, including the Nordic countries, probably fuelled by a range of global movements or policy changes, e.g. international large-scale studies, national assessment systems, assessment for learning, evidence-informed practice, etc. 

Although many similarities exist across the Nordic countries regarding how we both think about and organise education, it is interesting to observe for instance the rather different approaches to nationwide, systematic assessments chosen in the Nordic countries. This provides a very interesting diversity of policies, theoretical backgrounds and normative foundations affecting how educational assessment is conceptualised and practiced across our countries. A tentative conclusion could therefore be that there is no such thing as a Nordic model of educational assessment. The network was  therefore  established as an arena for researchers in this field to facilitate mutual exchange of ideas with specific relevance for the Nordic countries. 

A common understanding 

In educational research, measurement and assessment are closely related but not the same. The distinction is subtle but important, especially in methodology sections. Measurement refers to the process of assigning numbers or scores to attributes, behaviours, or performances according to explicit rules. Assessment is a broader process that uses measurements (often multiple) to interpret, evaluate, and make judgments about learning, teaching, or educational outcomes. 

Please join us 

The network is open for researchers working with all aspects of issues related to measurement and assessment across all sectors in the educational domain. We welcome submissions on topics including (but not limited to): 

• The link between theories of assessment and learning
• Technological development in assessment 
• Innovative assessment formats
• Comparisons of assessments across the Nordic countries 
• Use of assessment data for accountability and/or school development
• Policy issues by using data from large-scale assessments 
• Legislation and assessment 
• Assessment as an integral part of instruction 
• History and policy of assessment 
• Issues of validity, fairness and equity in assessment 
• Psychometric theory and practice 
• Assessment and measurement of new types of constructs 

We welcome a broad range of study types including: 

• Analysis of international large-scale data
• Analysis of national registry data
• Small scale experimental or quasi-experimental studies 
• Mixed-method studies including a quantitative component.