NERA Webinar Series 2024 The Northeastern Educational Research Association (NERA; https://www.nera-education.org/) will be hosting a series of FREE webinars in the coming months. Registration for this event is not limited to NERA members only. Non-members can register for the webinar as well. Those wishing to become a NERA member or renew their memberships can do so here: https://www.nera-education.org/membership.php.
Past Webinars
NERA Webinar Series 2024
Tips and Tricks to Assist with Preparing NERA Presentations
This webinar is designed for all NERA members, particularly NERA student members. The guest speaker is Dr. Joseph Rios, who is a long time NERA member, the Head of Research at the Center for Measurement Justice, and the Founder of the Graduate Student Academy. In this 60-minute webinar, Dr. Rios will be covering the following two topics:
Paper presentations vs. poster presentations: How to best prepare for each?
Socio-emotional aspects of preparing and delivering presentations.
There will also be time for Q&A regarding these two topics, or anything related to general conference presentation preparation.
Presenter bios: Joseph A. Rios is the Head of Research at the Center for Measurement Justice. He holds a Ph.D. in educational measurement and psychometrics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Prior to joining CMJ, he was an assistant professor of quantitative methodology at the University of Minnesota and a research scientist at the Educational Testing Service. To date, he has published over 40 peer-reviewed articles in prestigious journals such as Educational Researcher, Educational and Psychological Measurement, Applied Psychological Measurement, and Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice. His work has been cited over 2,400 times in academic journals, popular media outlets (e.g., Fast Company), and reports by the World Bank. He received the Jason Millman Promising Measurement Scholar Award from the National Council on Measurement in Education for recognition of his research contributions. He is also the founder of Grad Student Academy, an organization that helps PhD students and postdocs learn how to write and publish their research.
QuantCrit: A Burgeoning Methodology for Our Ever-Evolving Times
Quantitative methods are sometimes overlooked by methodologists who recognize the inequities in society, and understandably so. Statistical analysis and quantitative methods have historically been used against historically marginalized groups. The weaponization of numbers has caused some researchers to approach quantitative methods with caution. Further, to some researchers, the situation of quantitative methodology in a positivist or post-positivist positionality leaves the methodology vulnerable to centering Western ways of knowing. The advent of QuantCrit, and successors like QuantQueer, give researchers the framework to explore statistics in a new way that infuses critical theories, and considers the larger societal structure when collecting, analyzing, and interpreting quantitative data.
The purpose of this virtual workshop is to orient researchers to this growing methodology, and to inspire them to add it to their methodological toolbox. A brief history and the tenets of QuantCrit will be provided and the way these tenants might deviate from the traditional ways of approaching quantitative research. Finally, participants will be offered some scenarios in which QuantCrit might be an excellent framework for educational and assessment research. This workshop will be accessible to education practitioners and researchers with varying levels of experience in quantitative methods.
Presenter bios: Turea M. Hutson, PhD (she/her) is a graduate of the Drexel University School of Education. She is also a graduate of Arcadia University, where she received her BA in Elementary Education and her MEd in Literacy Studies and TESOL. Social justice and equity were a primary focus of Dr. Hutson’s undergraduate and graduate studies, and she spent much of her time researching ways to make schools a more equitable space for minoritized students to learn. This led to research-based diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging consulting work that has served clients from national parks to higher education institutions. Dr. Hutson’s interest in education policy led her to run for the school board in her hometown. She served for seven years and served as president of the board for three years. Dr. Hutson’s expertise and experience in policy led her to be tapped for the Pennsylvania Governor’s and Lt. Governor’s Transition Committee in 2023. Dr. Hutson aids the committee crafting the Equity Action Plan for her local school district. She is also currently the Secretary of the Montgomery County Youth Center Board of Managers. Dr. Hutson’s current research explores the use of QuantCrit and infusing critical theories in measurement to explore the impacts of identity-based rejection on students and their learning.
2024 NERA Conference Overview and Call for Proposals
As you continue to come down from the high of spring conference season, it’s time to start thinking about the 55th Annual NERA Conference this October. This webinar, led by the 2024 NERA Conference Co-Chairs, will provide a brief update on our planning process, an overview of proposed conference content areas, describe the process for submitting a proposal, and discuss some of the other things planned to help enrich your conference experience.
To Co-Creation as Social Responsibility
Date/Time: Thursday, April 18th, 4:00 – 5:00pm EDT
Presenters: Dr. Jane R. Shore and Sydnie Schwarz, Revolution School
Working in education requires a socially responsible lens - which means in conceptualizing, designing, implementing and sense making of learning - together with diverse voices, experiences and perspectives. To design and engage in real learning and real discovery, that is useful to the people in schools and to those who conduct research, we need to practice co-creation. That is, co-creation of school programming with young people, co-creation of learning experiences with community partners and co-creation of research.
This session will detail the design and development of the school through this lens, a model used for the building of a larger community of change, including those supporting school partnerships, and will end with a perspective on moving from a ‘research to practice’ mindset to that of ‘practice as research’.
Being socially responsible in research and in practice is not just listening to one another, or remembering who research is for, but to work with one another to co-create useful, iterative learning and to authentically recognize the roles that all play. We invite you to join us to hear about the way we view socially responsible and evidence-based practice and community building. For more, check out the School of Thought blog at https://schoolofthought.substack.com/
Presenter Bios: Dr. Jane R. Shore is a school co-founder and the founder of School of Thought, a cross-school, cross-sector learning organization. Sydnie Schwarz is a DEI leader, an English and Spanish teacher and a founding educator. Both have played various roles in the founding of a new high school in Philadelphia, Revolution School. Co-creation is one of the school’s guiding principles - co-creation of the curriculum with young people, co-creation of opportunities with community partners, and the co-creation and iteration of projects and pilots with the people involved.
Reference: https://researchmethodscommunity.sagepub.com/blog/privileges-must-be-shared-stop-tokenizing-the-wisdom-of-practice
NERA Experience: The Reflections from First-Time Conference Attendees
Date/Time: Thursday, January 11th, 4:00-5:00 pm EST
Are you interested in attending or learning more about the NERA conference experience, but aren’t quite sure what to expect? Then this is the webinar for you! Past attendees, from high school students to professors, will share their experience attending the conference for the first time. There will be ample opportunities for questions and an open discussion.
Presenters: Hannah Smith, Assumption College; Nellie Rushton, Stanford University
NERA Webinar Series 2023
Building Trust in Assessment Design and Score Reporting
Date/Time: Wednesday, December 6th, 12:00 – 1:00 pm ET
How can you foster trust in assessments among educators, learners, and institutions? Join us for this one-hour webinar to gain insights into best practices that instill confidence in stakeholders, illustrated by exploring two contexts: assessment design and subscore reporting.
Presenters:
Linette P. Ross, PhD, is a senior psychometrician at NBME. She has over 20 years of experience leading, designing, and directing psychometric analyses and score reporting for numerous medical education assessment programs, including subject examinations, customized assessments, self-assessments, in-training, licensure, and certification programs. She has worked with medical schools, specialty boards, and test committees, providing psychometric expertise in test design, scoring, equating, and standard setting. Her research interests include equity in measurement and assessment, test validity, competency-based education, and test security. Ross received her doctorate in educational measurement, statistics, and evaluation from the University of Delaware and a masters in educational research methodology from the University of Pittsburgh. She is an active member of NCME and the AERA Division I (Education in the Professions) 2024 Program Co-chair and Vice President-Elect (2024-2027).
Richard A. Feinberg, PhD, is a principal psychometrician at NBME and teaches a course on research methods at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Feinberg has received several awards and recognitions, including the National Council on Measurement in Education Jason Millman Promising Measurement Scholar Award (2018), the American Educational Research Association Division I Established Researcher Award (2017) and Outstanding Research Publication Award (2022), and is a six-time winner of the Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice Cover Graphic/Data Visualization Competition. He has co-edited one published volume and authored numerous articles across a broad range of statistical applications in the educational and psychological literature. He is also a co-author of the upcoming book, Subscores: A Practical Guide to Their Production and Consumption, due to appear in 2024.Presentation Slides: https://www.nera-education.org/docs/NERA_2023_Building_Trust_In_Assessment_Slides_Final.pdf
NERA 2023 Proposal Development Workshop
Date/Time: May 24, 2023, Wednesday, 12:00 – 1:00 pm EDT
The 2023 NERA Conference Co-Chairs, in collaboration with the GSIC chair, are hosting a workshop on developing a NERA proposal for this year’s conference. Whether you are new to NERA, submitting a conference proposal on your own for the first time, or just want a refresher on academic writing tips, we invite you to join us and get a head start on your 2023 proposal submission! Attendees will hear from the NERA 2023 conference team and GSIC on how to best prepare a NERA proposal, what reviewers are looking for, and how to align with the conference theme this year, as well as time for Q&A.
NERA Webinar Series 2021
Building a Culture of Efficacy with Habits of Mind
Date/Time: September 28 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. (EDT US)
Habits of Mind are grounded in neuroscientific, cognitive, and social/ emotional research that impacts how people think, work, and connect with one another in any learning organization. As we continue to anticipate a world of greater volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity, Habits of Mind are both timely and timeless.
Presenters: Art Costa, Bena Kallick, and Allison Gwyn Zmuda
For a copy of the slides from the conference webinar, please click here.
Biographies:
Arthur L. Costa is an Emeritus Professor of Education at California State University, Sacramento and cofounder of the Institute for Habits of Mind in Westport, Connecticut. He has served as a classroom teacher, a curriculum consultant, an assistant superintendent for instruction and as the director of Educational Programs for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. He has made presentations and conducted workshops in all 50 states as well as Mexico, Central and South America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Islands of the South Pacific. Costa has devoted his career to improving education through more thoughtful instruction and assessment. Through his writings, courses, and workshops, he has been a leader in thinking, mindful instruction, and coaching for teachers and administrators. Active in many professional organizations, Costa served as President of the California Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and was the National President of Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development from 1988 to 1989. He was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Urban Alliance in 2010. Bena Kallick is the co-director of the Institute for Habits of Mind and program director for Eduplanet21, a company dedicated to online professional learning and curriculum development based on the Understanding by Design® framework. She is a consultant providing services to school districts, state departments of education, professional organizations, and public agencies throughout the United States and abroad. Kallick received her doctorate in educational evaluation from Union Graduate School. Her areas of focus include group dynamics, creative and critical thinking, and alternative assessment strategies in the classroom. Formerly a teachers' center director, Kallick also created a children's museum based on problem solving and invention. She was the coordinator of a high school alternative designed for at-risk students. Kallick has taught at Yale University School of Organization and Management, University of Massachusetts Center for Creative and Critical Thinking, and Union Graduate School. She served on the board of Jobs for the Future and was a cofounder of Performance Pathways. Allison Zmuda has worked in education for close to 30 years — 9 years as a public high school teacher and 19 as an education consultant. She works with clients to imagine learning experiences that are worthy of the pursuit for both students and educators, designing work that is relevant, meaningful, challenging, and appropriate. She also spends much of her time creating and curating —co-authored 11 books to date, curate www.learningpersonalized.com, and developed a series of online personalized learning courses and toolkits with Bena Kallick, author of Habits of Mind.
Demystifying Peer Review Processes: A How-To Conversation for Proposals and Manuscripts
Date/Time: Tuesday, July 6th from 3:00 to 4:00 PM EDT
As an author, what happens when you send your manuscript or a conference proposal to a journal or conference that conducts peer review? As a reviewer for a journal or conference, what is expected of you? A panel of NERA members who serve as editors, associate editors, and reviewers will answer these questions. More specifically, via an interactive question-and-answer format, the panel will discuss the following for authors:
an overview of the peer review process,
what editors and reviewers are looking for when reviewing manuscripts and conference proposals
advice for authors on how to constructively address comments from editors and reviewers,
guidance on what to do when you disagree with the editor or reviewer recommendations
how to process rejection of a paper for publication/presentation
For those new to reviewing, the panel will discuss:
how to become a reviewer
what is expected of a reviewer, including examples of rating scales and the types of text feedback reviewers provide
how to best support the work of the editor /conference chairs
when to decline a review
Panelists:
Debbi Bandalos, James Madison University
Sara Finney, James Madison University
Kurt Geisinger, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Haifa Matos, NERA 2021 Conference Co-chair
Stephen Sireci, University of Massachusetts
April Zenisky, University of Massachusetts
Date/Time: Tuesday, June 22 from 3:00 to 4:00 PM EDT
The purpose of this webinar is to provide an overview of data sources and tools used in qualitative research projects, supported by examples that match these data and tools with qualitative research designs. It is intended for novice qualitative researchers, doctoral candidates conducting qualitative dissertation projects, and researchers who would like to know more about how to integrate qualitative data sources and tools into their studies.
At the conclusion of this webinar, attendees will be able to: 1) distinguish between different types of qualitative data and their sources, 2) develop qualitative data collection tools for each qualitative data source, and 3) understand how to match qualitative data and corresponding tools with each of the most commonly used qualitative research designs. The webinar is projected to last for one hour; 45 minutes is designated for the presentation and the remaining 15 minutes will allow for a question and answer period.
BIO: Felice D. Billups is a Professor in the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program at Johnson & Wales University, where she teaches courses in educational research and organizational behavior, specializing in qualitative and mixed methods research applications, and organizational culture studies. Billups earned her Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration from George Peabody College at Vanderbilt University; her M.A. in Higher Education Administration from RI College; and her B.A. in Fine Arts History from Tufts University. Dr. Billups is the author of Qualitative Data Collection Tools: Design, Development, and Applications, released by Sage Publications in January 2020.
For a copy of the slides from the conference webinar, please click here. Leadership Panel: Managing Your Career
Webinar Date/Time: Friday, May 14, 2021 from 12:00-1:30 pm ET
Join us for a webinar targeted to graduate students and early- and mid-career professionals interested in advancing their career in education. Our two distinguished panelists will speak candidly about their work, mentoring, and leadership experiences, with a focus on how they have continued to work toward their career goals while excelling in their various positions.
Panelists:Dana Kelly, Director of Development and Reporting for the TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center at Boston College
Dr. Dana Kelly is the Director of Development and Reporting at the TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center at Boston College. Dr. Kelly was previously branch chief for international assessments at the National Center for Education Statistics, where she oversaw United States participation in TIMSS, PIRLS, PISA, and other international studies and represented the United States at the IEA General Assembly.
Lissette Colon-Collins, Assistant Superintendent at Yonkers Public Schools
Lissette Colon-Collins is currently the Assistant Superintendent of Language Acquisition, Funded Programs, School Counseling and The Arts at Yonkers Public Schools. She was formerly the Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages at New York State Department of Education. She has also worked at the New York City Department of Education in various leadership roles and was formerly a Bilingual teacher.
Presenters: NERA2021 Conference Co-Chairs
Webinar Date/Time: Thursday, April 15, 2021 from 2:00-3:00 PM EDT
Spring has arrived which means it’s time to start thinking about the 52nd Annual NERA Conference this October. This webinar, led by the 2021 NERA Conference Co-Chairs, will provide a brief update on our planning process, an overview of proposed conference content areas, describe the process for submitting a proposal, and discuss scenarios related to possible last-minute changes due to any shifts in guidelines.
We welcome current and prospective members of NERA to join for this exciting kick-off event for our 2021 conference season!
Please Note: While we are still hoping to hold a hybrid conference whereby attendees can choose to participate in person in Trumbull, CT or remotely, the conference team is closely monitoring the latest developments in public health and safety guidelines and will decide in early June the format of this year’s conference.
For a copy of the slides from the conference webinar, please click here. Webinar Date/Time: Wednesday, March 3, 2021 from 1:00 to 2:30pm EST
During the process of completing a dissertation, you might have a supportive network in your dissertation committee, cohort colleagues, and family members. However, similar to a sports coach who helps a player become their best possible self, a dissertation coach can provide another line of defense to help a doctoral candidate produce the best possible dissertation. And, this coaching relationship can extend beyond dissertation work into preparing for post-doctoral life.
The coaching relationship focuses on what you need to get the dissertation done while bringing targeted awareness to logistics (e.g., timeline, writing processes). A dissertation coach will keep in mind the big-picture needs in your life while offering support when and where needed. Creating your best possible dissertation is a marathon of sorts, and having a coach with you in the process offers perspectives and tools to manage the workflow and get to the finish line and ready for whatever is next.
Please join Certified Coach Nancy Lubin, CPCC and Doctoral candidate Matthew Speno for an interactive webinar on nuances of whole person coaching for the dissertation journey.
Boston University COVID-19 Modeling: Insight on the Relative Impact of Interventions for Re-Opening a Large University in an Urban Environment
WEBINAR DATE/TIME: Thursday, November 19th from 4:00 to 5:00 PM EST
In the spirit of the NERA 2021 theme, “Using Data to Solve Education’s Challenges”, the first NERA webinar for the 2020-2021 year will be presented by Eric Kolaczyk of Boston University, entitled, “Boston University COVID-19 Modeling: Insight on the Relative Impact of Interventions for Re-Opening a Large University in an Urban Environment”. He will present how the use of data helped higher education institutions take on the monumental challenge presented by COVID-19 this year.
ABSTRACT: In support of Boston University's reopening for the Fall 2020 semester, we used agent-based network modeling to simulate possible outcomes under various proposed intervention strategies. Results support the decision that it is possible, under full compliance, to reopen in a manner that keeps the university's infection rates on par with those of the surrounding community. In this talk, I will aim to provide an appropriate sense of the structure, data, and interventions incorporated into a university-level model for COVID-19 transmission and control, as well as communicate what the results have to say regarding the relative impact of the various proposed interventions, particularly the cumulative impact of multiple interventions.
BIO: Eric Kolaczyk is a Professor of Statistics, in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, a founding member of the Faculty of Computing and Data Sciences, and Director of the Hariri Institute for Computing at Boston University. He is also affiliated with the Division of Systems Engineering, the Programs in Bioinformatics and in Computational Neuroscience, and the BU URBAN program. His research is focused at the point where statistical theory and methods support human endeavors enabled by computing and engineered systems, frequently from a network-based perspective of systems science. He develops novel methodologies for design, representation, modeling, inference, prediction, and uncertainty quantification foundational to new paradigms for data measurement and analysis. He has published nearly 100 articles, including several books on the topic of network analysis. As an associate editor, he has served on the boards of the Journal of the American Statistical Association and the Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series B in statistics, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers IP and Transactions on Network Science and Engineering in engineering, and the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics Journal on Mathematics of Data Science in mathematics. He formerly served as co-chair of the National Academy of Sciences Roundtable on Data Science Education. He is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Statistical Association, and the Institute for Mathematical Statistics, an elected senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and an elected member of the International Statistical Institute.
Intentional Online Learning: Shirking Assumptions of the Traditional Classroom
Webinar Date/Time: June 18, 2-3pm EDT, 2020
Description: As many have shifted to virtual learning environments during the Covid-19 pandemic, there have been myriad challenges to face. As we look to a future where online instruction will at least be more prevalent – if not the de facto model – how do we maximize student learning? What might teaching and learning look like, if virtual learning was the assumption, rather than a proxy for traditional classroom settings?
This is the modus operandi at Thomas Edison State University (TESU), where they’ve been developing innovative curricula since 1972. Currently a fully online university specializing in adult education, their model challenges assumptions about the classroom and can provide insights into how others might build learning environments in the future.
This webinar will discuss their model of instruction, including aspects such as course design, technology, assessment, and proctoring in virtual environments. Additionally, as part of a round-table discussion, the team from TESU will discuss strengths and challenges of the virtual learning environment, and what lessons might be most helpful for those making this transition—regardless of their level of education.
Presenters:
Heather Russino, Instructional Designer, TESU
Mark Snyder, Assessment Developer, TESU
Mike Fagioli, Technology Specialist, TESU
Jacqui Rossetter, Associate Director of Test Administration, TESU
Ross Markle, NERA President (Moderator)
NERA Webinar Series 2019
On Tuesday, October 8th at 12:30 pm, NERA hosted a third and final pre-conference webinar, Getting the Most out of the NERA Meeting. This webinar highlighted the various events at NERA's 50th Annual Meeting at the Trumbull Marriott in Trumbull, CT (October 16-18, 2019), and offered attendees tips for scheduling their time, networking with colleagues, and having the most rewarding conference experience possible.
OTHER WEBINARS:
On Wednesday, September 18th at 12:30pm (EDT), the Northeastern Educational Research Association (NERA) hosted a webinar entitled Presenting at NERA: Key Suggestions for Different Presentation Types. This webinar highlighted each of the ways NERA members may be presenting their research at NERA's 50th Annual Meeting at the Trumbull Marriott in Trumbull, CT (October 16-18, 2019), and offered presenters tips for providing the most engaging and effective presentation of their research. The webinar also discussed overall goals and best practices for paper presentations, posters, and roundtables, as well as the specific requirements for each at NERA.
Presented by: Bridget Thomas, 2019 NERA Conference Co-chair
On Wednesday, May 1st at 12:30pm (EDT), the Northeastern Educational Research Association (NERA) hosted a webinar on the 3-Minute Thesis Competition and a comparable competition for Professionals, which will be held during NERA’s 50th Annual Meeting at the Trumbull Marriott in Trumbull, CT (October 16-18, 2019). The competitions will challenge participants to present their research in just 180 seconds, in an engaging form that can be understood by an intelligent audience with no background in the research area. As we consider this year’s conference theme, “Transformation by Design,” this will be another way that we can improve how we share our research with a broader audience.
Presented by: Bridget Thomas, 2019 NERA Conference Co-chair
NERA Webinar Series 2017
Cultivating Sociocultural Consciousness in Students: Using Town Hall Meetings in the Urban Classroom
Monday, May 22nd from 6:00 to 7:00 PM EST
Presented by Melissa Soto, John F. Kennedy High School
Moderated by Darlene Russell, Teacher-as-Researcher Committee Chair
Bio: Ms. Soto is a William Patterson University alumna with a degree in Secondary Education and History. She has taught for three years at the JFK Campus High School as a Global Studies teacher. Currently, Melissa is the Social Studies Department Chaire, and has led professional development workshops in culturally responsive teaching.
NERA Webinar Series 2015
Date and Time: Tuesday, February 24, 2015 from 3PM-4PM EDT
Presented by Ou Lydia Liu, Educational Testing Service and Katrina Roohr, Educational Testing Service & NERA conference co-chair
Influences and pressures from statewide governing boards, state mandates, regional and program accreditors, and a greater drive for accountability have resulted in an increase in the measurement of student learning outcomes (SLOs), or competencies, across United States colleges and universities (Kuh, Jankowski, Ikenberry, & Kinzie, 2014; Toiv, 2013; Richman & Ariovich, 2013). Institutions use a variety of tools to assess SLOs such as national and locally developed surveys, rubrics, performance assessment, e-portfolios, and standardized measures. Despite the increased use of these measures across higher education institutions, there are still a number of challenges that exist in SLO assessment such as insufficient predictive evidence, design and methodological issues with value-added research, and concerns with the effect of student motivation on test performance (Liu, 2011). The purpose of this presentation is to provide an introduction to SLO assessment, discussing the current state of assessment, and challenges in both implementation and use. We focus our discussion on research that has been conducted on student motivation. Additionally, we also discuss the importance of developing next-generation SLO assessments, and provide a working example of a next-generation assessment in quantitative literacy.
A 2013-2014 Presidential Initiative by NERA President John Young
Coordinated and Hosted by NERA Presidential Advisor on Special Projects Steven Holtzman
Date and Time: Wednesday, August 13, 2014 from 4PM-5PM EST
Presented by Dena Pastor, James Madison University
There are a wide variety of latent variable models, both old and new, appropriate for modeling the relationships among observed variables. More traditional models include those using only latent continuous variables (e.g., factor models, item response theory models) or latent categorical variables (e.g., latent class analysis). More recently introduced models, known as latent variable hybrid models (Muthén, 2008), incorporate both latent continuous and latent categorical variables (e.g., factor mixture models or mixture factor models). To enhance the understanding of the hybrid models, Muthén (2008) provided a framework which highlights how the hybrid models are both similar and different to one another and to their traditional counterparts. This presentation will use Muthén’s framework to illustrate the model-implied item response profiles (IRPs) that correspond to these latent variable models used with dichotomous item response data. The IRPs associated with the more traditional latent class and factor models are presented along with the IRPs of the newer hybrid models. A graphical representation of item response profiles is first described, followed by a discussion of the ways in which IRPs can vary across examinees and the latent variable models best utilized to capture certain forms of variation. To illustrate the use of these models in practice, an exploratory model selection approach is used to determine which of the various model best represents college students’ responses to items assessing their knowledge of ethics and generalizability in psychosocial research.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014 from 4PM-5PM EST
Presented by NERA Secretary Jennifer Kobrin, Pearson
In recent years, learning progressions have captured the interest of educators and policy makers. As defined by the National Research Council (NRC, 2001), learning progressions are “descriptions of the successively more sophisticated ways of thinking about a topic that can follow one another as children learn about and investigate a topic over a broad span of time” (pp. 165-166). In this webinar, I will define and provide examples of learning progressions, and discuss the process for collecting validity evidence to support them. Then, I will describe how learning progressions can be used in formative assessment and to provide feedback to teachers. I will end by talking about current challenges and future research directions to realize the promise of learning progressions for identifying pathways for student success.
National Research Council [NRC] (2001). Knowing what students know: The science and design of educational assessment. (Pelligrino, J., Chudowsky, N., and Glaser, R., Eds). Committee on the Foundations of Assessment, Board on Testing and Assessment, Center for Education. Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
To learn more about Pearson's learning progression research, please visit Jennifer's blog.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014 from 4PM-5PM EST
Presented by Felice Billups, Johnson and Wales University
Have you decided to conduct a qualitative study involving interviews, focus groups, observations, artifact/document reviews - or some combination of these data collection strategies? Or have you already collected your qualitative data and are unsure about how to analyze pages and pages of transcriptions or notes - or where to begin? Just as there are numerous statistical tests to run for quantitative data, there are a variety of options for qualitative data analysis. This overview is designed to provide beginning qualitative researchers with the tools to apply the appropriate data analysis strategies to match one of the various qualitative research designs.
Friday, February 28, 2014 from 3PM-4PM EST
Presented by NERA 2014 Conference Co-chair Ross Markle, Educational Testing Service
Over the past two decades, a great deal of educational research and practice has expanded our notions of what students should learn and our understanding of the factors that influence learning. This expanded set of skills, behaviors, and attitudes goes by many names (e.g., psychosocial skills, noncognitive factors, 21st century skills) and contains many constructs (e.g., motivation, time management, interpersonal skills, self-regulation). This webinar will provide an overview of several key issues in the research and assessment of noncognitive skills. First, we will discuss research into the role of these factors, focusing on their relevance to other important student outcomes. Second, we will examine several innovations in the assessment of these skills that can improve or move beyond self-report methods. Finally, we will look at various ways that noncognitive factors have impacted educational practice, including effective student intervention and models of student learning outcomes.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013 from 5PM-6PM EST
Presdented by NERA President John Young, Educational Testing Service
The first-ever NERA webinar took place on Wednesday, December 4th from 5:00 to 6:00 PM EST and focused on applying for 2014 summer internships. It was led by NERA’s President, Dr. John Young of Educational Testing Service (ETS). He has been involved in the intern selection process at ETS for the past several years. Information was provided on the summer internship programs for ETS and other organizations and there was time for Q&A.
