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National Symposium: INNOVATIONS IN TESTING TECHNOLOGY FOR CANADIAN SCHOOLS October 6 & 7, 2005, Victoria BC Vancouver Island Technology Park, 4464 Markham Street, Victoria, BC Harbour Towers Hotel, 345 Quebec Street, Victoria, BC This symposium brought together experts in the field of Testing Technology to discuss the findings of Dr. Alan Taylor's new study, A Future in the Process of Arrival, and to advance Canadian knowledge of student assessment technology. Attendees included officials from Education Assessment Branches across Canada, school district leaders, researchers, and companies specializing in online assessment. BACKGROUND Assessment technology is the next educational frontier. Rapidly emerging innovations have the power to make fundamental changes in teaching processes, the skills and understandings measured, and the decisions made about student learning. In 2004 SAEE, a non-profit Canadian education research agency, commissioned its new assessment research arm, TASA Institute, to undertake an environmental scan of the state of the art in assessment technology. The resulting report documents the most advanced models, significant field trials and their results, benefits, problems, issues, best practices, implications for policy and areas for future research. Innovations with considerable promise for the enhancement of assessment at both formative and summative stages were found. Computer scored essays, electronic scoring of handwritten responses, formative assessment applications, item enhancement, wireless classrooms, and e-portfolios were among the developments examined. Despite the potential of these advances, there remain significant challenges and risks in the transition from conventional to virtual testing. The time is right to bring together leading experts in the field with policymakers and system administrators to consider options and next steps in implementation. The findings and recommendations from A Future in the Process of Arrival: Using Computer Technologies for the Assessment of Student Learning (Taylor, 2005) will form the foundation for this dialogue. All registrants will receive a complimentary copy of this recently released report which may be previewed at http://www.tasainstitute.com/publications. CONFERENCE SPONSORS E-Traffic Solutions Max Bell Foundation Donner Canadian Foundation Pearson Education Fujitsu Canada aal » Return to Top