
Collaborative Scholarship in Assessment, Evaluation, and Knowledge Mobilization

Our Commitment to Education
Established in 2002, the Assessment and Evaluation Group (AEG) leverages a collaborative approach to scholarship to engage in innovative research with the goal of contributing to new knowledge in assessment, evaluation, and knowledge mobilization. Our research, services, and educational programming are all directed at promoting learning and improving educational systems through rigours research and effective community engagement. Situated at Queen’s University’s Faculty of Education, the AEG supports leading undergraduate and graduate education in assessment, evaluation, measurement, and knowledge translation. The AEG operates from the premise that high quality assessment and evaluation are the foundation for meaningful educational change.
Our Directors
Associate Members
Founding & Former Directors
We Value Diversity & Inclusivity
We acknowledge that educational assessment has been a historical and current source of systemic discrimination, exclusion and a barrier to social progression for many. We also recognize that, when used appropriately and sensitively, assessment has the power to support equitable access to education and propel learning forward for diverse students. The AEG recognizes that equity is at the heart of educational assessment. Our work strives to promote fairness and equity in assessment, measurement, program evaluation, and knowledge mobilization. We are committed to creating a welcoming, safe and inclusive environment that supports learning, teaching, and research for all. Our commitment to equity and inclusivity is embodied through the following actions:
- Investigate, publish, and disseminate new conceptions of assessment theory and practice that support diverse representations of knowledge and experiences of learning.
- Support students in pursuing personally driven inquiries related to assessment, evaluation, measurement, and knowledge mobilization.
- Ensure that our research reflects and represents experiences of diverse students and teachers.
- Support educational opportunities for students and visiting researchers from diverse backgrounds.
- Ground research and educational inquiries in reimagining assessment and evaluation to empower student learning and agency.
- Engage in international collaborations to broaden perspectives and connect experiences of assessment from diverse backgrounds.
- Maintain diverse representation across faculty and students.
Who We Are
AEG faculty members and graduate students work together to advance scholarship in assessment, evaluation, and knowledge mobilization. Operating across educational contexts and with a wide array of partners, we use multiple and mixed methods of inquiry to respond to today’s most pressing assessment and evaluation challenges. Combined, we have expertise in measurement, evaluation, assessment, language testing, and knowledge mobilization.


Liying Cheng, PhD
Liying is Professor and and Graduate Faculty in Language Education and Assessment. Her research on washback focuses on the global impact of large-scale testing and the relationships between assessment and instruction.

Christopher DeLuca, PhD
Chris is an Associate Dean in the School of Graduate Studies and Associate Professor of Educational Assessment at the Faculty of Education, Queen’s University. Chris leads the Classroom Assessment Research Team.

Michelle Searle, PhD
Michelle holds a PhD in curriculum with a focus on assessment and evaluation. She has received the Credentialed Evaluator (CE) designation from the Canadian Evaluation Society and she is also a member of the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT).

Saad Chahine, PhD
Saad is an Assistant Professor of Measurement and Assessment at the Faculty of Education, Queen’s University and is a member of the Queen’s Assessment and Evaluation Group.

Amanda Cooper, PhD
Amanda is a former secondary school teacher (Biology and English) and currently an Associate Professor in Educational Policy and Leadership at Queen’s University. She specializes in Knowledge Mobilization (KMb), efforts to address research-practice-policy gaps across the education sector.

Kristy Timmons, PhD
Kristy is an Assistant Professor and Graduate Faculty Member in Early Childhood Education at the Faculty of Education, Queen’s University. She is the Founder and Lab Director of the ECE LAB.

Don Klinger, PhD
Dr. Don Klinger was a former member of the Queen’s Assessment and Evaluation Group. He is currently a Professor and Pro Vice-Chancellor, Division of Education at the University of Waikato, New Zealand.

Lyn Shulha, PhD
Dr. Lyn Shulha was a founding member of the Queen’s Assessment and Evaluation Group. She is a Professor Emerita, Queen’s University. Her research advanced theories and practices in program evaluation.

Bob Wilson, PhD
Dr. Robert (Bob) Wilson was a founding member of the Queen’s Assessment and Evaluation Group. He is now a Professor Emeritus, Queen’s University. His research centred on classroom assessment the influences of large-scale assessments on teaching and learning.
Our History at a Glance
AEG Approaching 20 years of Excellence

2001
Assessment and Evaluation Group (AEG) formed under the leadership of Dr. Robert Wilson and Dr. Lyn Shulha
2002
Dr. Liying Cheng joined the Queen’s Faculty of Education and the AEG as a Language Testing specialist
2003
Dr. Don Klinger joined the Queen’s Faculty of Education and the AEG as a Measurement specialist
2004
Dr. Robert Wilson retires from Queen’s
2004
The R. J. Wilson Award create to honour graduate student work in assessment and evaluation
2011
Marks a decade of AEG
2012
Dr. Christopher DeLuca joined the Queen’s Faculty of Education and the AEG as a Classroom Assessment specialist
2016
15-year AEG Celebration
2016
Dr. Lyn Shulha retired from Queen’s
2018
Dr. Don Klinger left Queen’s to serve as Dean at the University of Waikato
2018
Dr. Michelle Searle joined the Queen’s Faculty of Education and the AEG as a Program Evaluation specialist
2019
Dr. Saad Chahine joined the Queen’s Faculty of Education and the AEG as a Measurement specialist
2019
Drs. Amanda Cooper and Kristy Timmons joined the AEG as Associate Members with expertise in Knowledge Mobilization and Early Learning Assessments
2020
2020: Onwards!
2001
Assessment and Evaluation Group (AEG) formed under the leadership of Dr. Robert Wilson and Dr. Lyn Shulha
2002
Dr. Liying Cheng joined the Queen’s Faculty of Education and the AEG as a Language Testing specialist
2003
Dr. Don Klinger joined the Queen’s Faculty of Education and the AEG as a Measurement specialist
2004
The R. J. Wilson Award create to honour graduate student work in assessment and evaluation
2018
Dr. Michelle Searle joined the Queen’s Faculty of Education and the AEG as a Program Evaluation specialist
2019
Dr. Saad Chahine joined the Queen’s Faculty of Education and the AEG as a Measurement specialist
2019
Drs. Amanda Cooper and Kristy Timmons joined the AEG as Associate Members with expertise in Knowledge Mobilization and Early Learning Assessments
2020
2020: Onwards!