Testwise - by Nora Odendahl Paperback

About the Book

Articles and books on educational testing written for specialists in the field are often inaccessible to non-specialists, whereas those written for the layperson may oversimplify or omit key concepts and issues. Testwise fills this gap by explaining these ideas at a level that...

Book Synopsis

Articles and books on educational testing written for specialists in the field are often inaccessible to non-specialists, whereas those written for the layperson may oversimplify or omit key concepts and issues. Testwise fills this gap by explaining these ideas at a level that is sophisticated but requires no prior knowledge of the subject. Testwise goes beyond the technical aspects of testing to explore historical and cultural themes, the roles that different stakeholders play, and possibilities for innovation.

Review Quotes

In a time when the nation is facing the complexities of participatory democracy at every turn, Testwise: Understanding Educational Assessment is a most welcome touchstone. In her focus on historical and cultural contexts as they reveal the origin and development of assessment principles, Nora Vivian Odendahl has given us a stunning volume. Operating with an insider's knowledge of test development, Dr. Odendahl takes us from civil service examinations used during the Han dynasty in China to contemporary theories of cognition used to map the mind. Always and everywhere, she keeping readers firmly grounded in enduring educational questions: tensions between enforcing accountability and promoting opportunity; the requirements of large-scale testing versus the needs of individual students; and the demands of learning as they intersect with promise of educational equality. A more timely and valuable book cannot be imagined, and we are fortunate that Dr. Odendahl has given us a way to think critically about the roles of testing in our society.

About the Author

Nora Vivian Odendahl received a Ph.D. in English from Princeton University and worked as a test developer at Educational Testing Service for sixteen years. She specialized in writing assessment, including test design, essay scoring, and applications of technology.