The Association of State Boards of Geology (ASBOG) is currently seeking licensed attendees to assist with the review and development of licensing examinations at the fall Council of Examiners (COE) Workshop in Portland, Oregon, on Friday and Saturday, November 3 and 4, 2017.
2017 National Association of State Boards of Geology
Council of Examiners Workshops
Portland, Oregon
The National Association of State Boards of Geologists (ASBOG) Needs You!
ASBOG will hold its fall Council of Examiners (COE) Workshop in Portland, Oregon, on Friday and Saturday, November 3 and 4, 2017. The purpose is to review the fall 2017 ASBOG examinations just given and review the subsequent examinations proposed for spring 2018. Licensed geologists are needed to participate. While these subject matter experts (SMEs) typically are drawn from among members of various state geology boards, additional volunteers are sought from the COE host state and its adjacent ASBOG-member states that use passing of the ASBOG examinations as licensing requirements. Over the long term, ASBOG has developed applicable and fair examinations used to lead to geologist licensing.
The COE Workshop process is a key component of expanding and maintaining relevant and defensible examinations for applicants seeking geologist licensing. Geologist SMEs play a critical role in providing sufficient professional experience to the COE Workshop, which gives fair weight to all geologist task areas. ASBOG conducts a Task Analysis every 5 years to support the COE’s strict examination review process. Analysis results maintain the relevancy and currency of the examinations.
The COE Workshop is a 2-stage process with parallel sessions for both the fundamental and professional examinations. The SMEs receive instruction from ASBOG’s psychometrician on the Workshop process. On the first day, each SME unofficially takes the most recently given ASBOG fundamental or professional examination. Then, the psychometrician guides a comparative discussion of the groups’ collective examination results with those of the recent, fall examinees. Each item is either accepted as given, double-keyed, or removed from the item pool. Individual examinee comments are considered and discussed. Generally, seldom-used, new, or unclear items are reviewed by the COE group, especially if performance results are of concern. If time permits, SMEs are encouraged to write new items for the item pool.
This process is repeated on the second day to review and test items to be included in the spring examinations. The groups then evaluate the historic performance of items, and improve items that need improving.
ASBOG needs your participation as a COE Workshop SME. Please email a statement of interest, and your credentials and contact information to Ms. Deana Sneyd, ASBOG Executive Director, at dsneyd@asbog.org.
To qualify, each SME must have:
- A current license in good standing as a geologist in an ASBOG-member state.
- Passed previously given fundamental and professional ASBOG examinations.
- Worked as a professional geologist in industry, academia, or government.
- Served the COE, with no ASBOG reimbursement of any travel expenses.
- Agreed to ASBOG terms and conditions, provided under separate cover, to participate.
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