When Can Psychological Science Be Useful in Educational Policy and Practice? The Case of COVID-19 and College Admissions Processes

July 21, 2022
2:00 – 3:30 PM ET (18:00 – 19:30 UTC)

The APS Global Collaboration on COVID-19 convenes psychological scientists and other behavioral science experts to assess how our field has contributed to combating the COVID-19 pandemic and identify gaps in our understanding that should be addressed through new research.

For this collaboration, APS has established working groups focusing on different areas of psychological science and how they pertain to COVID-19. These groups are comprised of leading experts in the field who are making recommendations to the science community, policymakers, and the public.

This panel explores when psychological science can be useful in educational policy and practice—and when it perhaps cannot. It focuses on the intersection between college admissions processes and COVID-19, given that the pandemic appears to have fundamentally altered the way that college admissions are being conducted. Topics include test-optional policies and increased emphasis on nonquantitative or holistic evidence. Speakers come from multiple disciplines and areas of research and practice.

Speakers:
Fred Oswald, Professor and Herbert S. Autrey Chair in Social Sciences, Rice University
Jesse Rothstein, Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy and Economics, University of California, Berkeley
Frank C. Worrell, Professor and American Psychological Association President, University of California, Berkeley
Rebecca J. Zwick, Professor Emeritus, University of California, Santa Barbara

Discussion Panel:
Jonathan Wai, University of Arkansas (Lead Moderator)
Kathryn Asbury, The University of York
Drew H. Bailey, University of California, Irvine
Joni M. Lakin, University of Alabama
Heiner Rindermann, Chemnitz University of Technology