A Preview of the 2021 I.C.E. Exchange with Dr. Isabelle Gonthier

Continuing our conversation with PSI’s new Senior Vice President of Assessment Services, Dr. Isabelle Gonthier, we turn our attention to the upcoming Institute for Credentialing Excellence (I.C.E.) Exchange. With one of the first in-person events scheduled in almost two years, we preview what sessions she will be presenting as well as those she’s planning to attend in her free time. 

What are you most looking forward to at this year’s conference?

I am looking forward to connecting with my industry friends and colleagues – it has been so long! We have adapted really well to the virtual conferences, but there is nothing like an actual in-person interaction. This leads to more fluid and impromptu conversations and the opportunity to connect with new people more easily. Being able to step away from the computer for a bit and engage with the conference attendees will be very rewarding. I can’t wait!

What sessions are you presenting at this year's I.C.E. Exchange?

I am very excited to be involved with four different sessions: a debate, a panel discussion, an audience engagement session, and a solution showcase.

• The debate is actually a second edition of a debate we did at the last in person I.C.E conference: Getting Beyond “It Depends” – Psychometricians Debate Hot Topics in Credentialing. It will be fun! The debate will be facilitated by our own Danny Breidenbach, Director of Psychometrics at PSI, and includes psychometrician friends and colleagues that I admire and respect so much: Sarah Carroll from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Tim Muckle from NBCRNA, and Andy Dwyer from the American Board of Pediatrics. It’s on Wednesday, November 17 at 10:00 a.m. CT. Don’t miss it, it will be a hoot!

• The panel discussion is on New Measurement Considerations in the Era of Online High Stakes Testing, with John Weiner, our CSO at PSI, and Tim Muckle from NBCRNA. This will be a hybrid session, presented both live in person and broadcasted for the virtual audience which I am very excited about. We are looking to engage the audience on key questions related to online testing and psychometric considerations. See you both in person and virtually on Wednesday, November 17 at 2:00 p.m. CT!

• The audience interactive session is about the work done by I.C.E Membership Structure TaskForce that I have the pleasure and privilege of co-chairing with Janice Moore from SeaCrest. We will discuss a proposed model for I.C.E membership, present outcomes from industry consultation, and gather more feedback from the audience. It’s a great initiative and I am looking forward to further discussing it with the I.C.E community. Join us on Tuesday, November 16 at 3:30 p.m. CT.

• We will start the conference bright and early with the PSI Solution Showcase on Tuesday, November 16 at 7:00 a.m. CT where Nicole Tucker and I will discuss solutions and options to increase testing security via psychometrics, test delivery, and data forensics. Bring your coffee and come see us!

Read more: Data Forensics for Test Integrity

What are some of the sessions that you plan on attending at the conference?

There are so many great sessions this year at the I.C.E Exchange, and some are competing with when I am presenting so I won’t have the chance to sit in on as many as I would like! It is hard to pick only a few but I can tell you I am definitely looking forward to attending the following:

• Debating and Discussing Five Controversial Credentialing Topics, touching on great topics like remote proctoring, micro-credentials, accreditation, training and certification, and saving or sunsetting struggling programs.

• One session that sounds really interesting is a poster session on how to utilize chameleon clones to strengthen exam security. I am interested in hearing more on that and engaging in insightful discussions on innovative ways to enhance item banks and maintain security.

• Another one that I can’t wait to attend is the one titled Going the Way of Blockbuster: Will Test Centers Become Extinct? There are certainly a lot of different opinions on this topic!

• A very important topic is diversity, inclusion and equity, and I am looking forward to hearing more from this panel discussion: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: What Does That Mean for Credentialing Bodies?

Related: Can Online Proctoring and Test Center Proctoring Live in Harmony?

How can people get in touch with you?

Don’t be shy! Let’s take full advantage of this first in-person conference since the beginning of the pandemic. Come see me at our PSI Booth 400 or chat with me after one of the sessions where I will be presenting or participating. I can’t wait to reconnect with old colleagues and meet new faces as well!