Dr. James Burns Olsen, Ph.D.

Dr. James Burns Olsen is a Senior Psychometrician with professional expertise in computerized adaptive testing, technology-enhanced testing and assessment, item response theory, psychometrics, testing design and development, technology implementation, educational testing and evaluation, certification, accreditation, and licensure testing.

• Doctor of Philosophy, 1978, from Brigham Young University, Instructional Psychology, Psychometrics, and Statistics
• Bachelor of Science, 1974, from the University of Utah with Majors in Psychology, Sociology, Zoology, and Math

• Demonstration in 1982-83 of a fully functional computerized adaptive testing system for the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery in the Pentagon for the Assistant Secretary of Defense and All Armed forces.
• The adaptive testing system included ruggedized microcomputer workstations with a Motorola 68000 CPU, 2.4 megabytes of RAM, a 20-megabyte storage drive, a flat-panel display screen similar to current laptops, and a Microcomputer that could drive up to 8 portable testing systems and 30 testing stations in centralized testing centers. The individual testing stations were linked on an Ethernet local network and used customised 10-inch CRT screens and thin-film electroluminescent keypads as response keypads. The system included a thermal printer for examiner reports and administrative reports, as well as a Motorola 1200 baud modem to transfer results to centralized management locations.
• Co-author in 1989, 1995, Chapters entitled The Four Generations of Computerized Educational Measurement for the Fourth Edition of Educational Measurement published by the American Council on Education.
• Co-author for technical Report 1992 Computers in Educational Assessment: An opportunity to Restructure Educational Practice included the U.S Congress Office of Technology Assessment Testing in American Schools: Asking the Right Questions, OY-SETT-519, (Washington, D.C., S Printing Office), February 1992.
• Served psychometric profession as national faculty for the Center for Research, on Evaluation, Standards and Student Testing,  member of International Testing Council, board member (two terms for the Association of Test publishers, consultant for the national Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) a member of the Professional Tasting and Development Committee for the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME).
• Member of the Technical Board for the Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System Committee (TAC) for the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC), the General Educational Development Testing Service (GEDTS), the Utah State Office of Education (USOE), and a board member for the Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS).
• Developed, implemented, and published reports for a prototype computerized assessment system for K-12 schools in California. The research report serves as a key reference article for comparing paper-administered, computer-administered, and computerized adaptive tests.

Dr. James Burns Olsen is a Senior Psychometrician with Northwestern University's Department of Medical Social Sciences. He managed the development of a comprehensive computerized adaptive testing system for the US Armed Forces, specifically for the Armed Service Vocational Aptitude Test (ASVAB), from 1982 to 1985. This CAT system was demonstrated in the Pentagon for the US Armed Forces and the Assistant Secretary of Defense.

He has extensive experience in education, certification, and licensure assessment, utilizing computerized adaptive testing and technology-based performance assessment. He served on numerous technical advisory committees for the U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Education, National Assessment Governing Board, National Assessment of Educational Progress, Graduate Management Admission Council, General Educational Testing Service, Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS), and the Utah State Office of Education (USOE).

He served as PI or Co-PI for several National Science Foundation grants for videodisc technology, intelligent videodisc technology, mathematical errors, computerized adaptive testing for middle school biology, and for an award-winning US Department of Education Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) for teaching middle school geometry and measurement with dynamic 3-D and 2-D representations that students build.

He was an invited scholar for the American College Testing program in 1985 and 2005, presenting on computerised adaptive instruction and assessment. In 2001, he was an invited keynote speaker at the International Test Commission's meeting on Guidelines for Computer-Based Testing. In 2007, he spoke at the Graduate Management Admissions Council on Validity and Decision Issues in Selecting a CAT Measurement Model.