RESEARCH
Measurement in education
The study and application of the Rasch class of psychometric models
The GSE Psychometric Laboratory is based at the Graduate School of Education, at the University of Western Australia and provides a range of support services, including teaching, consultancy and contract work to aid in the design and delivery of large-scale educational assessment systems. The GSE Psychometric Laboratory is internationally recognised for its expertise in psychometrics.
Since 2007, the GSE Psychometric Laboratory (formerly known as the Pearson Psychometric Laboratory) has specialised in the study and application of the Rasch class of psychometric models of measurement in education. This is based on Professor David Andrich’s seminal theoretical and empirical work in developing and elaborating the Polytomous Rasch Model.
The GSE Psychometric Laboratory brings together researchers from the Graduate School of Education to excel in the area of measurement in education.
This has proven to be a key resource in supporting UWA researchers, both in publishing their work in high-impact academic journals, and in attracting significant competitive research grants.
One example of this work is the analysis of high profile NAPLAN data for the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). A second example of this is the work of UWA lecturer Dr Stephen Humphry and colleagues in developing the Brightpath online assessment system, which is now used by approximately 500 schools across Australia.
The GSE Psychometric Laboratory also impacts education measurement practices internationally, backed by international conferences. This attracts close to 100 delegates from across the globe as well as nationally
The GSE Psychometric Laboratory also offers two Rasch measurement units (EDUC5638 and EDUC5606) units for professional development and face to face condensed workshops. If you are interested in this area of work, you may like to apply the following units and workshops:
Projects
2014 – 2017
Australian Research Council Linkage Grant
- Innovative Measurement Approaches to Optimise the Comparability of Large Scale & High Stakes Performance Assessment
- Humphry, S.M & Andrich, D
2011 – 2013
Australian Research Council Linkage Grant
- Controlling empirical factors to measure educational achievement in invariant units
- Humphry, S.M & Andrich, D
2008 – 2010
Australian Research Council Linkage Grant
- Maintaining a precise, invariant unit in state, national and international educational assessment
- Andrich, D and Humphry, S
Support us in continuing our work
The work of The University of Western Australia’s GSE Psychometric Laboratory, has positively impacted the quality of measurements used in state and national testing systems across Australia and internationally.
We invite new collaborators to support the continuation of this important work. If you’d like to get involved, contact Professor David Andrich using the details at the end of this page.
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