On July 21, 2022, the e-Assessment Association presented the prestigious 2022 Lifetime Contribution Award to Dr. Graham Orpwood for his unwavering contribution and commitment to transforming the educational assessment landscape in numerous jurisdictions across the world.

The Lifetime Contribution Award acknowledges the contribution made by an individual who, in the opinion of the independent panel of judges selected by the e-Assessment Association, deserves to be honoured for their contribution and sustained commitment to e-assessment over the duration of their career. The individual may have had influence on the design, development, promotion, execution or support of e-assessment at a local, regional, national or international level.

Dr. Graham Orpwood is a name synonymous with “Assessment for Learning” in Canada. He has committed decades of his life towards supporting the transformation of the assessment landscape that has impacted (and continues to impact) the lives of millions of students across the world. He has been an educator, policy researcher, curriculum and assessment specialist, and advisor for over 50 years. His fundamental belief is that the primary purpose of assessment is to support and enhance learning. This belief underpinned his leadership in assessment projects with ministries of education, academic institutions, examination bodies, and training institutions across the world.

Graham’s contribution to the assessment community commenced with the Science Council of Canada where he directed the national study of science education, which advocated the innovative use of assessment. He was then responsible for the development of the science assessment for the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). While at York University, he led a consortium of over 20 school districts for the Assessment of Science and Technology Achievement Project resulting in improvements in educational curricula. He was instrumental for designing the Ontario Colleges Mathematics Test (OCMT) that was the outcome of ten years of research, which he co-led, to improve student retention and success in their post-secondary education.

In the United Kingdom, Graham led the design and development of the formative e-assessment solution, called Elevate My Maths, for the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT) to support the success of teachers across England. He was also instrumental in the transformation of educational practices through the design and development of large-scale formative and summative e-assessment solutions implemented in numerous jurisdictions across Europe.

Graham shared his assessment expertise through his participation in advisory boards, committees, conferences, radio shows, and TV interviews. His work has received numerous international accolades, and his publications have become go-to repositories for assessment specialists who seek guidance on designing assessment solutions that are impacting the lives of students around the world.

About the e-Assessment Association

Founded in 2008, the e-Assessment Association (eAA) is an international not-for-profit membership organisation representing all industry sectors with an interest in e-Assessment including schools, FE and HE, through to qualification providers, regulators, technology providers and industry consultants. 

With over 2,900 members worldwide, the eAA has three main goals:

• to promote better assessment of knowledge, skills, and capabilities of people through technology.

• to build awareness of the benefits that technology brings to assessment, particularly around delivering better learning and assessment, rather than just greater efficiency.

• to ensure we have a strong voice and influence in the key policy debates involving the assessment of learning, training, and competency.