ACER Research Conference Proceedings (2015)

It is indeed timely that Research Conference 2015 addresses the theme Learning Assessments: Designing the future. It is six years since our Research Conference considered issues in assessment, and the landscape is being significantly transformed. Not only is Australia’s school curriculum changing, but related issues of teaching quality and assessment practice are hot topics here and in many other countries. This transforming landscape includes changes in thinking about the fundamental purposes of assessment; growing demands for the assessment of a broader range of student skills and capabilities; and new technologies that allow us to gather and visualise information about student learning more efficiently and thoroughly than ever before. Whether we are teachers, researchers, leaders of schools or systems, we must not forget that improving learning is at the heart of assessment. As Dr Rukmini Banerji — a keynote speaker at this conference — says, assessment must be followed by action. Papers at Research Conference 2015 indicate that as we understand more about learning and pursue solutions to the issues we face, new challenges are emerging. ACER has listened to many educators through our Rolling Summit on Assessment Reform and Innovation. We recognise that schools and nations are looking for sound evidence to inform their actions, and trust that this conference will provide you with both information and inspiration to contribute to designing the future of assessment.