CARPE annual report - 2025
The year 2025 marked a period of consolidation and strategic growth for the Centre for Assessment Research, Policy and Practice in Education (CARPE). The centre continued to strengthen its identity as a hub for high-quality research on assessment, with a particular focus on formative assessment, feedback, self-regulated learning, and the responsible integration of artificial intelligence in educational assessment.
One of the key developments this year was the further expansion and diversification of CARPE’s membership. The incorporation of new research associates and doctoral and research staff has enhanced the centre’s interdisciplinary profile and reinforced its capacity to address assessment from multiple perspectives, including policy, classroom practice, psychometrics, technology, and learner experience.
Research activity in 2025 was particularly strong. Ongoing projects, most notably the Microsoft-funded FACTaL project, exemplify CARPE’s commitment to conducting empirically grounded research that engages directly with current challenges in educational assessment practice. The centre has continued to position itself at the forefront of research on generative AI in assessment, balancing innovation with critical examination of ethical, pedagogical, and policy implications.
CARPE’s visibility at national and international level also increased substantially during the year. Members of the centre contributed actively to major international conferences, invited symposia, and seminars, reflecting the centre’s growing recognition within the global assessment research community. The breadth and quality of publications produced in 2025 further attest to CARPE’s strong research output and its sustained contribution to leading journals in educational psychology, assessment, and learning sciences.
In addition to research and dissemination, CARPE played an important convening role in 2025. The symposium marking 100 Years of the Leaving Certificate represented a significant milestone for the centre, bringing together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to reflect critically on the past, present, and future of assessment in Ireland. The positive reception of this event confirmed CARPE’s capacity to act as a bridge between research, policy, and practice.
Looking ahead, CARPE is well positioned to build on the progress made in 2025. Key priorities for the coming year include further development of international collaborations, continued pursuit of competitive external funding, and sustained leadership in research on assessment in the context of digitalisation and AI. The centre remains committed to producing rigorous, impactful research that informs policy and practice and contributes meaningfully to debates on the future of assessment.
The full PDF document reporting on CARPE's activity in 2025 can be found at carpe-annual-report-2025_0.pdf