The Test Community.Network

Tim Burnett

Welcome to the Test Community Network, your go-to weekly update on everything about assessment and testing. Tim Burnett and special guests will help you find the latest chances to explore and connect in the diverse world of assessment and testing. Discover new events, webinars, and podcasts, plus get inspiration from the Test Community Network marketplace. For more information visit: https://www.testcommunity.network

  1. Sep 23

    24th Sept: Forget the Maths Gene: Ovidiu Bagdasar's Mission to Help Everyone Enjoy Maths

    In this week's episode, Tim Burnett chats with Professor Ovidiu Bagdasar, Professor of Mathematics at the University of Derby and founder of the Numeracy Without Borders initiative. They discuss: How well-designed, randomised e-assessment with instant feedback helped Ovidiu tackle maths anxiety and lift pass rates on his module from 85% to 90%, and to 97% for students who completed the full programmeWhy falling maths performance in PISA may be driven not only by COVID disruption but by teaching to the test and an over-reliance on AI shortcutsHow Numeracy Without Borders is bringing free, self-study numeracy courses to classrooms from India and Nepal to Ecuador and EthiopiaOvidiu shares how a year spent writing 800 questions for his students, and a chance meeting with the late Graham Orpwood, led to Elevate My Maths 2.0, a platform built with equality, diversity and inclusion by design and real-time dashboards for teachers and institutions. He explains why maths anxiety isn't a failure of ability, why the "maths gene" is a myth, and why the value of AI depends entirely on how you use it: ask it to show you another way, not just to give you the answer. Tim and Ovidiu also unpick a times-tables puzzle to show why understanding patterns beats memorisation. Ovidiu will be running a problem-solving workshop at the IAEA 2026 conference in Toronto. Find out more about the IAEA 2026 conference: https://iaea2026.org/ Connect with Ovidiu Bagdasar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ovidiu-bagdasar-3541a46b/ Connect with Tim Burnett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tburnett/ If you would like to join Tim on a future episode or sponsor the Test Community Network then get in touch with Tim to schedule a call: https://calendly.com/educationtech/15min-teams-chat Events: https://www.testcommunity.network/upcoming-events Podcasts: https://www.testcommunity.network/podcasts Marketplace: https://www.testcommunity.network/marketplace Subscribe to the Test Community Network here: https://www.testcommunity.network

  2. Sep 23

    24th Sept - Global Assessment News Update

    Visit the full collection: https://testcommunity.network/collections/23rd-september-weekly-global-update This week's collection is dominated by one question: how should assessment respond to AI? Maxinity argues that medical exams must shift from recall to clinical reasoning, while Al Jazeera explores evidence that faster, AI-assisted homework may be linked to poorer exam results. In England, two reports led by Sir Anthony Seldon, covered by BBC News and Schools Week, call for a national AI framework, teacher training and a "rapid response unit" to bring order to AI use in schools. Alongside this, the oral exam is making a comeback, with The Chronicle of Higher Education charting its resurgence and Viva Vocina offering AI-led oral assessments that question learners on their submitted work. AI is also reshaping how assessments are built. Cirrus Assessment has partnered with Examplary to bring EU-hosted, AI-assisted exam authoring into its platform, and Examplary itself is positioning its toolset as a way to reduce teacher workload. Data rights are becoming a sharper concern too, with the University of Southampton announcing it will phase out Turnitin by 2027 over licence terms permitting the use of student submissions for AI training. Test security remains firmly in the headlines. ATI and Elsevier have secured a preliminary injunction against Naxlex over nursing assessment piracy, Finland plans to check candidates' ears for hidden earpieces, Tanzania is introducing bans and prosecution for procurement exam cheats, and exam cheating tops university disciplinary cases in Kenya. Education Times adds a thoughtful counterpoint, arguing that remote proctoring needs context rather than simply more cameras, and the Philippines' Professional Regulation Commission reminds candidates of its strict rules on allowable calculators. On the market side, Pearson has acquired Baltimore-based assessment technology provider ITS, and RM sets out the core requirements for scaling digital assessment. Rounding off the collection, Scanning Pens highlights how assistive technology can improve exam equity, MDPI publishes new research on computer vision, and the Tried and Tested Podcast speaks to NBCOT's Angela Macauley about workforce demand and the value of credentialing. Disclaimer The Test Community Network curates links to third-party content for information purposes only. We do not own, control or endorse the content, products, services or opinions of any external website, and inclusion in this collection should not be taken as a recommendation. While we make reasonable efforts to share relevant and reputable sources, we cannot guarantee the accuracy, completeness, availability or timeliness of third-party material, which may change or be removed without notice. Any views expressed belong to the original authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Test Community Network. Accessing external links is at your own risk, and your use of those sites is subject to their own terms and privacy policies. The Test Community Network accepts no liability for any loss or damage arising from reliance on, or use of, third-party content.

  3. Sep 16

    17th Sept: From High-Stakes to Formative: Malaysia's Assessment Balancing Act

    In this week's episode, Tim Burnett chats with Dr Shafiza Mohamed, Exams Officer and Head of Assessment Innovations at the Malaysian Examinations Council (MEC). They discuss: Why Malaysia is shifting from high-stakes summative examinations towards more formative, teacher-led assessment — and how parents and society are responding to that changeHow AI and digital literacy skills need to be woven into assessment itself, and whether chatbots could one day feature in high-stakes examsThe challenges of moving school-level exams from paper to digital across Malaysia's urban and rural communities — and why human proctors still matter even as AI enters the pictureDr Shafiza shares her passion for assessment innovation and explains how Malaysia is navigating the tension between a culture that values high-stakes examinations and a global shift towards formative assessment. She draws an analogy between AI and the calculator — a tool that cannot be avoided and must instead be used meaningfully and ethically. The conversation also explores assessment security, data privacy, the importance of fair access to technology, and what delegates can look forward to at the Asia ATP Annual Conference 2026 in Kuala Lumpur. Asia ATP Annual Conference 2026 (1–3 November, Kuala Lumpur): https://a-atp.eventlinx.hk/2026/ IAEA 2026 Conference: https://iaea2026.org/ Connect with Dr Shafiza Mohamed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shafiza-mohamed-70084738/ Connect with Tim Burnett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tburnett/ If you would like to join Tim on a future episode or sponsor the Test Community Network then get in touch with Tim to schedule a call: https://calendly.com/educationtech/15min-teams-chat Events: https://www.testcommunity.network/upcoming-events Podcasts: https://www.testcommunity.network/podcasts Marketplace: https://www.testcommunity.network/marketplace Subscribe to the Test Community Network here: https://www.testcommunity.network

  4. Sep 9

    10th Sept: Can Telemetry Replace the Exam? Jim Henderson on Assessing IT Skills in the Flow of Work

    In this week's episode, Tim Burnett chats with Jim Henderson, owner of Validify Consulting and a Seattle-based specialist who helps IT companies build high-stakes certification programmes. With around twenty years in assessment — and a career in IT before that — Jim makes the case for assessing competence in the flow of work. They discuss: Why a knowledge test can only tell you so much about an IT professional, and how reading the telemetry people generate as they work proves they can actually do the job — not just recall itWhat certification can borrow from the video game industry, including an 11-tier progression system with 15–20 objectives per rank and a seasonal "recertify" reset that keeps skills currentHow to design telemetry-based assessment that resists gaming — spreading objectives across months rather than a single scripted task — and whether it's really more secure than proctoring (Jim's answer: "it depends") From the Novell practicum of the mid-2000s to a working prototype he's built today, Jim traces how cloud software and event-driven telemetry have finally made real-time, performance-based assessment feasible. The conversation gets into the practical hurdles too: short data-retention windows, chain-of-custody and auditability, the relentless pace of SaaS change, and why assessment telemetry may need to become a first-class feature protected by unit tests. It's a genuinely forward-looking listen for anyone rethinking how we validate skills in an AI-shaped world — with a nod to the parallel work of Microsoft's Liberty Munson. Watch Jim's prototype demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbQzvBz--KQ&feature=youtu.be Referenced in this episode: Validify Consulting at the ITCC 2026 Vendor Showcase Connect with Jim Henderson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jhenderson/ Connect with Tim Burnett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tburnett/ If you would like to join Tim on a future episode or sponsor the Test Community Network then get in touch with Tim to schedule a call: https://calendly.com/educationtech/15min-teams-chat Events: https://www.testcommunity.network/upcoming-events Podcasts: https://www.testcommunity.network/podcasts Marketplace: https://www.testcommunity.network/marketplace Subscribe to the Test Community Network here: https://www.testcommunity.network

  5. Sep 9

    10th Sept - Global Assessment News Update

    This week's global assessment news spans AI regulation in schools, exam security crackdowns, and the future of digital credentialing. From New York City's ban on AI use through middle school to NSW's new limits on take-home assessments, education systems worldwide are grappling with how to respond to generative AI. Meanwhile, mass cheating arrests and a deepening crisis of trust at India's NTA highlight the ongoing battle for exam integrity. On the innovation front, ETS outlines its multi-year AI transformation, Second Mesh secures funding for AI-powered ESOL assessment, and new research examines whether digital assessments genuinely improve learning outcomes. The OECD's PISA 2025 results land alongside fresh debate on GCSE and A-level grade reliability, and the global conversation around micro-credentials, workforce readiness, and hybrid exam models continues to gain momentum. See the collection in full: https://testcommunity.network/collections/10th-september-weekly-global-news-update Disclaimer The Test Community Network curates and summarises publicly available news, research, and content from third-party sources for informational purposes only. Inclusion in this collection does not imply endorsement, affiliation, or verification of accuracy by the Test Community Network. All intellectual property rights remain with the original authors and publishers. Readers are encouraged to consult the original sources for full context. The Test Community Network accepts no liability for any actions taken based on the content summarised herein.

About

Welcome to the Test Community Network, your go-to weekly update on everything about assessment and testing. Tim Burnett and special guests will help you find the latest chances to explore and connect in the diverse world of assessment and testing. Discover new events, webinars, and podcasts, plus get inspiration from the Test Community Network marketplace. For more information visit: https://www.testcommunity.network

You Might Also Like