Title: Information Technology: Implications for Assessment of Learning

This session will deal with some of the pressing issues facing researchers and practitioners concerning the assessment and evaluation of the impact of educational technology on teaching activities and student learning. NCLB, the What Works Clearinghouse, and the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute for Education Sciences’ focus on scientifically-based research all have major impact on how researchers and school personnel can effectively assess the impact of the emerging technologies on student learning. The session will touch upon the intersection of technology, instruction, and assessment. It will also draw upon a recent paper commissioned for the National Education Technology Plan that traces twenty years of educational technology policy documents and recommendations. Particular attention will be paid to how researchers and practitioners can work together to meet the challenges of NCLB, without compromising school infrastructure and ethics. The session will be informal, consisting of interactive exchanges of ideas among the attendees.