Measurement, Evaluation, and Cognition

Course Overview

The graduate program of Measurement, Evaluation, and Cognition (MEC) in association with the Centre for Research in Applied Measurement and Evaluation (CRAME) provide students with a solid core foundation in the following areas of educational psychology: (a) psychometrics (including measurement, evaluation, statistics and research design) , and (b) cognition (including learning, reasoning, and problem solving as related to measurement and evaluation). MEC emphasizes the following instructional objectives, which all graduate students are expected to meet: Develop a solid knowledge base, encompassing both theoretical and empirical principles and methods, in psychometrics and cognition as applied to educational assessment research questions. Think critically, analytically, and practically about educational assessment research and practice using this knowledge. Conduct sound, high quality research to help answer educational assessment questions, and inform the construction, interpretation and validation of educational assessments, and classroom instruction and learning. Communicate and disseminate research findings by means of research papers and reports, and scholarly presentations. Beyond the core requirements, students in MEC are encouraged to design a program of study and research, in consultation with a thesis advisor, that meets their professional and personal goals. If relevant to their designed program of study and research, students are encouraged to choose course electives from other program areas in the Department of Educational Psychology and other Departments at the university (e. g. , Dept. of Psychology, Dept. of Sociology, Dept. of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences). MEC graduates have many employment opportunities. Our graduates are employed as professors and research associates in publicly funded universities and government testing agencies (e. g. , University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George, British Columbia; University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario; Student Evaluation Branch, Alberta Learning in Edmonton, Alberta; Statistics Canada; University of Tanzania; Student Evaluation, Government of South Africa). Our graduates are also employed at privately funded testing companies in the U. S. (e. g. , CTB/McGraw-Hill in Monterey, California; Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey and in Monterey, California).