Assessment, Testing and Applied Measurement is the new specialty section in Frontiers in Education, led by Professor Gavin Brown

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new specialty section in Frontiers in Education: “Assessment, Testing and Applied Measurement” led by Gavin Brown, professor at the University of Auckland. As methods of evaluating learning, achievement and performance are the linchpin of education systems, this section is a fundamental and exciting addition to the journal’s scope.

Professor Brown is Director of the Quantitative Data Analysis and Research Unit in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Auckland. Throughout his professional and academic life, he has developed and used tests, assessments, and examinations to understand student learning needs, to design appropriate pedagogical responses, and to advise on programmatic responses. Prof. Brown has a prolific publication record (a total of >140 books, journal papers, and book chapters) and has been recognized with Honorary Professor status at the Education University of Hong Kong and Affiliated Professor status at the University of Umea, Sweden.

Specialty Chief Editor Gavin Brown

In opening this section, Professor Brown hopes to address the complex fields of assessment, testing, and applied measurement. With this in mind, the section will welcome work on a wide range of assessment methods and processing techniques, and also pedagogical pieces that explain and exemplify the enactment of functions in the field, from the most basic to the more advanced.

Professor Brown highlights the central role of validity and reliability in this field in his mission statement, stating that

“Unless assessments can be demonstrated to produce fair, valid, appropriate, and reasonably accurate interpretations and decisions about the domain or participants for which they have been created, then we are reduced to the age-old axiom ‘garbage in, garbage out’.”

To that end, the section has a particular focus on studies that demonstrate the degree of validity of an assessment event or process and that can demonstrate the accuracy and reliability of scores, marks, and grades.

Additionally, Professor Brown points out the imperative need to investigate the influence of social and cultural factors on testing application and results. Therefore, critical consideration of how certain belief systems impact assessment, testing, or measurement are also very relevant for this section.

The Editorial Board is comprised of education researchers, policy-makers and educational psychologists. The flexibility and rigor provided by the Frontiers Open-Access model is emphasized by Professor Brown:

“Free from the restrictions created by print-based page limits, studies in this section need only demonstrate robustness in theory, method, and analysis to be accepted. The significance or importance of a paper will be decided by open-access readership who will hopefully cite and draw on the work.”

The section is now open for submissions:

http://journal.frontiersin.org/journal/education/section/assessment-testing-and-applied-measurement

If you would like to join the editorial board, propose a thematic collection of articles, or submit a manuscript, please direct all inquiries to the Editorial Office at education@frontiersin.org.

We look forward to hearing from you!