Cynthia G. Parshall, Ph.D.

Dr. Cynthia Parshall is the Principal Consultant at Touchstone Consulting, focusing on the intersection of technology with assessment. She specializes in projects related to innovative item types, usability, and action design.

Dr. Parshall has authored approximately 40 publications and presentations on the topic of innovative item types and she is the lead author on the book Practical Considerations in Computer-Based Testing. Her professional work experience includes service as a psychometrician, researcher, and professor, with organizations including ACT and the University of South Florida. Her consulting clients have included Professional Testing, Inc., Pearson VUE, CLARB, ANCC, and ABIM. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Measurement and Research and an M.Ed. in Instructional Computing.

Examples of Dr. Parshall’s work incorporating principles from the human-computer interface field into the CBT field include the development of screen design criteria, CBT-specific usability methods, and software evaluation guidelines for CBTs. Dr. Parshall incorporates a software design perspective in the design of innovative item types and in usability testing of assessments. For action design projects, she utilizes behavioral science principles in the development of applications that help end users make behavioral changes they want to make. Dr. Parshall is currently writing a new book tentatively titled, Handbook for the Design of Innovative Item Types.