AEA – Europe 2024

The 25th Annual Meeting of the Association for Educational Assessment – Europe (AEA-Europe) was held from November 6 to 9, 2024, at the Coral Beach Hotel and Resort in Paphos, Cyprus. Located on the beautiful Mediterranean coast, this five-star resort offered attendees modern facilities with stunning sea views, creating an ideal setting for participants to focus on advancing educational assessment practices in the 21st century.

The conference theme, “Advances in Educational Assessment Practices: Considering the Use of Technology, Artificial Intelligence, and Process Data for Assessment in the 21st Century,” reflected the rapid evolution in educational assessment. Technology and AI have been reshaping traditional assessment approaches, moving beyond paper-based tests to innovative methods that harness computer-based testing and data-driven insights, and attendees engaged deeply with these critical advancements.

Over 300 participants from 26 countries, including Chile, Australia, and Kazakhstan, joined the conference, which was chaired by Professor Therese Hopfenbeck. Professor Stuart Shaw oversaw the scientific program committee, while Professor Elena Papanastasiou from the University of Nicosia led the local organizing efforts.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, AEA-Europe continues to be a leading platform, bringing together assessment agencies, ministry departments, research institutes, universities, and other key stakeholders to exchange expertise and foster innovation in educational assessment.

The conference opened on November 6 with seven parallel workshops, including sessions on “Optimizing the Construct Validity of Test Items,” “Breaking Barriers for All Test-Takers,” and “Assess Your Assessment,” offering attendees diverse opportunities for hands-on learning.

Distinguished keynote speakers showcased their influential work, including Prof. Christopher DeLuca of Queen’s University, who spoke on the future of AI in assessment; Dr. Yiasemina Karagiorgi from the Cyprus Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth, who discussed assessment programs in Cyprus; Heather Kayton of the University of Oxford, who evaluated the comparability of PIRLS in South Africa; and Prof. Joshua McGrane from the University of Melbourne, who emphasized the need for evidence-based approaches in AI-driven educational assessment.

In addition to four keynote speeches, the conference featured 39 poster sessions, where participants had 90 seconds to present a broad array of topics, from “Leveraging Process Data in Assessment” to “Ethical and Practical Considerations.”

Among the conference awards, Hannah Rowe of AlphaPlus Consultancy won the Poster Award, Heather Kayton (University of Oxford) received the Kathleen Tattersall New Assessment Research Award, and Per-Erik Lyren (Umeå University) and Lesley Wiseman-Orr (University of Glasgow) were named Fellows of the Association.

Furthermore, social events provide enriching opportunities to foster connections, beginning with a welcome reception at the Coral Beach Hotel, set against the beautiful Mediterranean backdrop. The conference dinner, held at the Thalassa Boutique Hotel, offered local delicacies, and traditional dancing and celebrated the Association’s 25-year legacy of advancing educational assessment across Europe.

Under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Sports, and Youth, the conference was supported by prominent sponsors, including IEA, AQA, Pearson, Cito, Cambridge University Press Assessment, GA Partnership, and Love Cyprus. This annual meeting was made seamless with the coordination from EasyConferences, which managed online registration, abstract submissions, and event logistics.

With another successful meeting behind it,  the annual meeting of AEA-Europe will continue its legacy next year in Hague.

Finally, attendees of this annual meeting are invited to share their conference experiences on social media, capturing and reflecting on moments from Paphos as a milestone in advancing educational assessment globally.