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About Jo Cockerill

Jo has lived in southwest England (mainly Devon and Cornwall) for most of her life. She especially enjoys the surrounding landscape and local nature reserves, with Dartmoor just a short drive away. When she’s not working, her whippet and two young grandchildren keep her busy.

In her free time, Jo loves crafting and upcycling - she only buys new items if she has to!

Experience 

Jo joined Kaplan at the start of 2022. Her journey so far has seen her getting to know more about the details of the SQE assessments, applying her skills to the vast amount of data generated from high-stakes assessments, and getting to know and work with the many different teams within Kaplan Assessments. 

As a psychometrician, Jo provides rigorous and evidence-informed psychometrics/statistical analysis, along with supporting the evaluation and quality assurance of the SQE assessments. She also provides clients with comprehensive assessment data analyses and produces reports and presentations for audiences with variable levels of statistical knowledge.

Before joining Kaplan, Jo worked within the Higher Education (HE) sector for 18 years, predominantly in medical and dental education. This provided opportunities to work with a diverse range of people across many assessment types. 

One of the most valuable parts of her time in this sector was her contribution to several initiatives, taking them from just an idea to successful completion. Jo now has considerable knowledge, understanding and experience in assessment processes, data analysis, and presentation, especially linked to the regulated professions. 

During her later years in the HE sector, Jo moved to assessment psychometrics. This gave her the opportunity to further develop her statistical skills and knowledge, along with learning programming skills.

Qualifications

Jo studied Decision Sciences (Quantitative Methods for Business) at the University of Hertfordshire, which sparked an early passion for statistics.

In 2020, Jo completed a PgCert Clinical Education qualification at the University of Plymouth. This course enhanced her understanding of educational theories, methodologies, and leadership within the clinical education context, equipping her with transferable knowledge and skills.

Specialisms within the sector

Over recent years, Jo has presented and provided workshops at numerous education conferences. These include the European Board of Medical Assessors (EBMA) and the Association for the Study of Medical Education (ASME). 

The topics presented range from post-test processes and patients as assessors to assessment blueprints and item statistics.

Jo Cockerill’s recent publications:

• Ali, K., Hanks, S., Cockerill, J. (2021) What is the value of simulated patient assessment in structured clinical examinations of undergraduate students, and how should it be used? European Journal of Dental Education.
• Qazi, H., Ali, K., Cockerill, J., Zahra, D. (2021) Self-Perceived Competence of New Dental Graduates in Pakistan – A Multi-institution Study. Pakistan Medical and Dental 71, (3) 739-743.
• Ali, K., Cockerill, J., Bennett, J.H., Belfield, L., & Tredwin, C. (2020) Transfer of Basic Sciences Knowledge in a Problem‐Based Learning Curriculum. European Journal of Dental Education.

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