Sample records for assessing student work

  1. What Students Produce from the Net: Assessing Their Work.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    1996

    Two papers that examine how to assess students' work in this age of electronic information sources include: "Students on the Net: Enhancing Learning through Authentic Assessment" (James Henri); and "Assessing Students' Work from the Net: An Impossible Dream?" (Paul Lupton) The first paper notes the problem of parents doing…

  2. Students' Perceptions about Peer Assessment for Writing: Their Origin and Impact on Revision Work

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaufman, Julia H.; Schunn, Christian D.

    2011-01-01

    We investigate students' negative perceptions about an online peer assessment system for undergraduate writing across the disciplines. Specifically, we consider the nature of students' resistance to peer assessment; what factors influence that resistance; and how students' perceptions impact their revision work. We do this work by first examining…

  3. The Financial Literacy of Social Work Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kindle, Peter A.

    2013-01-01

    The financial literacy of social work students has become the focus of curriculum development and research, but no study to date has attempted to assess the financial knowledge possessed by social work students. This study addressed that gap by assessing the level of objective financial knowledge reported by social work student respondents…

  4. Engaging Students with Self-Assessment and Tutor Feedback to Improve Performance and Support Assessment Capacity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McKevitt, Conor Thomas

    2016-01-01

    Assessment is one of the most important elements of student life and significantly shapes their learning. Consequently, tutors need to ensure that student awareness regarding assessment is promoted. Students should get the opportunity to practise assessing work and receive tutor feedback so that they might improve on both the work and their…

  5. The attitudes of dental students towards socially acceptable and unacceptable group working practices.

    PubMed

    Sisson, K; Newton, J

    2007-08-01

    To explore the attitudes of undergraduate dental students towards academically unacceptable behaviour. Three sets of vignettes were designed exploring; attitudes towards sharing essays which students present as their own work (set 1), attitudes towards purchasing an essay from a commercial website (set 2), and attitudes towards working in a group (set 3). Eighty-nine dental students read the vignettes, then indicated whether they felt the student depicted should engage in the behaviour, and whether any assessment of the work would be a fair assessment of the student's ability. In addition for the group working vignette, respondents were asked to indicate whether in that situation they would speak to the tutor about their own contribution to the group product. Twenty-one respondents (24%) reported that students should share essays, 11 (12%) felt that the essay would be a fair assessment; 13 (15%) felt that students should buy commercially produced essays, five (6%) felt it would be a fair assessment. For the vignettes involving group work, 31 (35%) respondents felt that group-based assessments were fair, 65 (73%) of respondents felt it unlikely that they would speak to the tutor about their individual contribution. A disturbing proportion of dental students report that cheating is acceptable, the majority feel that unacceptable academic practices are not a fair indication of students' ability. The respondents reported that they were unlikely to report the unacceptable working practices of fellow students.

  6. What Story Does the Work Tell? A Resource of Curricular Units, Student Work and Commentary by Philadelphia Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cantrill, Christina, Comp.; Glass, Don, Comp.; Sparks, Andrew, Comp.

    This document is a tool to help teachers look at student work as a means to assess individual student progress. It contains work samples, accompanying commentaries, and assessment tools which originate from students and teachers in Philadelphia public schools who participated in the Philadelphia Education Fund's Small Learning Community…

  7. Wiki as a tool for microbiology teaching, learning and assessment.

    PubMed

    Sampaio-Maia, B; Maia, J S; Leitão, S; Amaral, M; Vieira-Marques, P

    2014-05-01

    Evidence suggests that cooperative learning and peer-assessment fosters students' ability to work with others and may lead to better cognitive outcomes and higher achievement. This work aimed to assess the use of an online collaborative tool for the teaching/learning and assessment of Microbiology. A total of 144 students were grouped and assigned to create wiki entries as well as to peer review wikis created by colleagues (peer-assessment process) using the Wiki module from Moodle Virtual Learning Environment (MVLE). MVLE actions log was used for tracking students' activity. The number of student's actions within wiki did not present a strong correlation with wiki scores, so it should not be used as a heavy evaluation parameter. The amount of work developed between members of the same group differed significantly, suggesting that final scores should be attributed individually. When peer-assessment process was implemented, the number of editing actions increased, suggesting that the peer-assessment strategy encourages the development of a better work. The vast majority of students execute the work in the last 10% of the period assigned for task development, which can be counter-productive for a truly collaborative work. Wiki revealed to be a useful tool for Microbiology teaching/learning and assessment, promoting collaborative work, promoting virtual mobility and facilitating the real-time monitoring of the students' work. This pedagogical project promoted also the involvement of students in their assessment process, encouraging their critical sense and quest for Excellency. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Evidence-Centered Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morrow-Leong, Kimberly

    2016-01-01

    Assessing student understanding is a critical part of a teacher's routine. Most assessments are reviewed with a quick eye, but the evidence-centered assessment strategy encourages us to slow down and look more carefully at student work samples. In this article, the author proposes guidelines for the close examination of student work. These…

  9. Assessing Students with Disabilities and Limited English Proficiency. Working Paper Series. Working Paper No. 95-13.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Houser, James

    In recent assessments, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has permitted schools to exclude some students with disabilities or limited English proficiency because it believed that its assessments would not accurately measure the ability and achievement levels of these students. The exclusion of a portion of students from…

  10. Assessing Self-Efficacy of Cultural Competence with Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Clients: A Comparison of Training Methods with Graduate Social Work Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Steven D.

    2013-01-01

    Graduate social work students are mandated to be cultural competent to work with lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) clients. This exploratory study examined how best to teach graduate social work students to be culturally competent in working with LGB clients by assessing their perceived competence of attitudes, knowledge and skills as well as their…

  11. Assessing the Development of Cultural Proficiency among Upper-Level Social Work Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rahill, Guitele J.; Joshi, Manisha; Lucio, Robert; Bristol, Brittany; Dionne, Ariele; Hamilton, Alexis

    2016-01-01

    Graduate social work pedagogy is challenging to diverse faculty and students who work with diverse clients, often in international practice. We discuss the development, outcomes, and assessment of an assignment designed to stimulate students' research on proverbs as cultural resources for practice and to promote attainment of six competencies…

  12. Visibly Learning: Teachers' Assessment Practices for Students with High and Very High Needs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bourke, Roseanna; Mentis, Mandia; Todd, Liz

    2011-01-01

    This paper examines the assessment practices of teachers working with students with special educational needs in New Zealand primary and secondary regular and special schools. A national survey was used to identify current assessment practices used by teachers working with students designated, through a resourcing policy, as having high and very…

  13. Minimizing Bias When Assessing Student Work

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Steinke, Pamela; Fitch, Peggy

    2017-01-01

    Bias is part of the human condition and becoming aware of how to avoid bias will help to ensure greater accuracy in the work of assessment. In this paper the authors discuss three different theoretical frameworks that can be applied when assessing student work for cognitive skills such as critical thinking and problem solving. Each of the…

  14. Adapting Objective Structured Clinical Examinations to Assess Social Work Students' Performance and Reflections

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bogo, Marion; Regehr, Cheryl; Logie, Carmen; Katz, Ellen; Mylopoulos, Maria; Regehr, Glenn

    2011-01-01

    The development of standardized, valid, and reliable methods for assessment of students' practice competence continues to be a challenge for social work educators. In this study, the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), originally used in medicine to assess performance through simulated interviews, was adapted for social work to…

  15. How Might the Use of Technology in Formative Assessment Support Changes in Mathematics Teaching?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olsher, Shai; Yerushalmy, Michal; Chazan, Daniel

    2016-01-01

    Technological developments make it feasible to assess students' mathematics work automatically when students are working in rich digital environments and thus offer important affordances for assessment in the service of instruction. In this article, we illustrate how these technological advances might be harnessed to support the work of teachers…

  16. Assessing Student Work at Disciplinary Crossroads

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mansilla, Veronica Boix

    2005-01-01

    Undergraduate programs across the nation are increasingly offering interdisciplinary study programs as markers of their commitment to educate individuals for the demands of contemporary life. Yet, as students engage in interdisciplinary learning projects, an unaddressed question looms large: how to adequately assess student interdisciplinary work.…

  17. The Impact of Students' Working Status on Academic Progress: Assessing the Implications of Policy Change in Greece

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Katsikas, Elias

    2013-01-01

    The study examines whether the reduction in the timeframe for the completion of university studies in Greece will affect students of different socio-economic background disproportionally. To this intent, it assesses the influence of the status of students, defined as working and non-working, on the duration of studies but the relevance of other…

  18. Connecting Assessment and Instruction to Help Students Become More Critical Producers of Multimedia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ostenson, Jonathan William

    2012-01-01

    Classroom teachers have been encouraged to incorporate more multimedia production in the classroom as a means of helping students develop critical media literacy skills. However, they have not always been well trained in how to evaluate the work students create; many teachers struggle to know which criteria to use in assessing student work. This…

  19. Students' Reception of Peer Assessment of Group-Work Contributions: Problematics in Terms of Race and Gender Emerging from a South African Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thondhlana, Gladman; Belluigi, Dina Zoe

    2017-01-01

    Participatory assessment is increasingly employed in higher education worldwide as a formative mechanism to support students' active learning. But do students in an increasingly relationally diverse environment perceive that peer assessment of individuals' contributions to group-work tasks enhances their learning? Recognising the impact of…

  20. Successful Student Writing through Formative Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tuttle, Harry Grover

    2010-01-01

    Use formative assessment to dramatically improve your students' writing. In "Successful Student Writing Through Formative Assessment", educator and international speaker Harry G. Tuttle shows you how to guide middle and high school students through the prewriting, writing, and revision processes using formative assessment techniques that work.…

  1. Do dental students have a neutral working posture?

    PubMed

    Movahhed, Taraneh; Dehghani, Mahboobe; Arghami, Shirazeh; Arghami, Afarin

    2016-11-21

    Dentists are susceptible to Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) due to prolonged static postures. To prevent MSDs, working postures of dental students should be assessed and corrected in early career life. This study estimated the risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders in dental students using Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) tool. A number of 103 undergraduate dental students from fourth and fifth academic years participated. Postures of these students were assessed using RULA tool while working in the dental clinic. They also answered a questionnaire regarding their knowledge about postural dental ergonomic principles. The majority of the students (66%) were at intermediate and high risk levels to develop MSDs and their postures needed to be corrected. There was no significant correlation between RULA score and gender, academic year and different wards of dental clinics. There was no significant correlation between knowledge and RULA scores. Dental students did not have favorable working postures. They were at an intermediate to high risk for developing MSDs which calls for a change in their working postures. Therefore students should be trained with ergonomic principles and to achieve the best results, ergonomic lessons should be accompanied by practice and periodical evaluations.

  2. Technology-Mediated Advising and Student Support: An Institutional Self-Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University, 2017

    2017-01-01

    The rubric aims to help community colleges and broad-access four-year colleges assess their work on technology-mediated advising and student support, sometimes referred to as Integrated Planning and Advising for Student Success (iPASS). This work involves moving from a model of advising focused on information provision or course registration to…

  3. The Use of Technology in Group-Work: A Situational Analysis of Students' Reflective Writing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McKinney, Pamela; Sen, Barbara

    2016-01-01

    Group work is a powerful constructivist pedagogy for facilitating students' personal and professional development, but it can be difficult for students to work together in an academic context. The assessed reflective writings of undergraduate students studying Information Management are used as data in this exploration of the group work situation…

  4. Drafting Work Sample.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shawsheen Valley Regional Vocational-Technical High School, Billerica, MA.

    This manual contains a work sample intended to assess a handicapped student's interest in and to screen interested students into a training program in basic mechanical drawing. (The course is based on the entry level of an assistant drafter.) Section 1 describes the assessment, correlates the work performed and worker traits required for…

  5. Drill Press Work Sample.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shawsheen Valley Regional Vocational-Technical High School, Billerica, MA.

    This manual contains a work sample intended to assess a handicapped student's interest in and to screen interested students into a training program in basic machine shop I. (The course is based on the entry level of the drill press operator.) Section 1 describes the assessment, correlates the work performed and worker traits required for…

  6. Use of Authentic Assessment with ABE Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gall, Mary Louise; And Others

    This report describes a project that developed a formal process and the accompanying instruments for authentic assessment of the academic and life skills of adult basic education (ABE) students. The assessment was used to assess the skills of 50 ABE students. The students and teacher evaluated the work that was done, the results were compiled, a…

  7. Instruction and Learning through Formative Assessments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bossé, Michael J.; Lynch-Davis, Kathleen; Adu-Gyamfi, Kwaku; Chandler, Kayla

    2016-01-01

    Assessment and instruction are interwoven in mathematically rich formative assessment tasks, so employing these tasks in the classrooms is an exciting and time-efficient opportunity. To provide a window into how these tasks work in the classroom, this article analyzes summaries of student work on such a task and considers several students'…

  8. Work shadowing in dental teaching practices: evaluation results of a collaborative study between university and general dental practices.

    PubMed

    Heitkamp, Stefan J; Rüttermann, Stefan; Gerhardt-Szép, Susanne

    2018-05-08

    The aim of this study was to investigate the acceptance and assessment of work shadowing carried out by students and dentists in dental practices. Furthermore, the extent to which students perceive an improvement in their specialised, communication and social competencies, was to be examined. 61 dental students in their clinical semesters at a German university participated in work shadowing placements at 27 different general dental practices. Before beginning, they received checklists of various competencies that they self-assessed using school grades (from 1 = 'very good', to 6 = 'failed'), which they also repeated after completion. The dentists supplemented this with their external assessments. In addition, the students were requested to fill out a 54-item questionnaire and compose a freely-structured report after the work shadowing; the dentists filled out a questionnaire containing 16 items. The statistical analysis was carried out by means of the Friedman Test, including a post-hoc test (Bonferroni-Holm correction). The analysis showed a significant overall improvement in the students' self-assessed competencies by 0.71* ± 0.43 grades. With an average of 0.33* ± 0.36, the dentists' external assessment proved significantly higher than the self-assessment. The greatest improvements were perceived by the students in the areas of accounting (1.17* ± 0.77), practice organisation (1.05* ± 0.61) and dentist's discussions (0.94* ±0.80) [*p < 0.05]. The students confirmed experiencing an expansion of knowledge, an improvement in their communication skills and indicated a high degree of satisfaction in regard to the dentists (school grade 1.58 ± 0.93). A maximum amount of satisfaction towards the work shadow students was demonstrated by the dentists, and this form of teaching was assessed with a school grade of 1.69 ± 0.89. Both students and dental practitioners demonstrated a high level of satisfaction in regard to the work shadowing. The students felt their knowledge had increased, viewed the dentists as motivating role models and acknowledged a significant improvement in their specialised, communication and social competencies. Work shadowing in dental teaching practices presents a sensible addition to academic teaching at a university.

  9. Peer Assessments of GPW: Infusing Fairness into Students' Assessments of Peer Contributions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Onyia, Okey Peter; Allen, Stephanie

    2012-01-01

    This paper contains results of an empirical study that tested the efficacy and acceptability of two templates designed to fully involve students in proper and fair peer-assessments of their group project work (GPW) by providing concrete evidence of independent progressive documentation of their peers' contributions to the work-process and…

  10. Using contrasting cases to improve self-assessment in physics learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jax, Jared Michael

    Accurate self-assessment (SA) is widely regarded as a valuable tool for conducting scientific work, although there is growing concern that students present difficulties in accurately assessing their own learning. For students, the challenge of accurately self-assessing their work prevents them from effectively critiquing their own knowledge and skills, and making corrections when necessary to improve their performance. An overwhelming majority of researchers have acknowledged the importance of developing and practicing the necessary reflective skills SA in science, yet it is rarely a focus of daily instruction leading to students typically overestimate their abilities. In an effort to provide a pragmatic approach to overcoming these deficiencies, this study will demonstrate the effect of using positive and negative examples of solutions (contrasting cases) on performance and accuracy of SA when compared to student who are only shown positive examples of solutions. The work described here sought, first, to establish the areas of flawed SA that introductory high school physics students experience when studying circuitry, and, second, to examine how giving students Content Knowledge in addition to Positive and Negative Examples focused on helping them self-assess might help overcome these deficiencies. In doing so, this work highlights the positive impact that these types of support have in significantly increasing student performance, SA accuracy, and the ability to evaluate solutions in physics education.

  11. Assessment of dental student posture in two seating conditions using RULA methodology - a pilot study.

    PubMed

    Gandavadi, A; Ramsay, J R E; Burke, F J T

    2007-11-24

    To assess dental students' posture on two different seats in order to determine if one seat predisposes to a difference in working posture. A between-subject experimental design was selected. The study was undertaken at the University of Birmingham School of Dentistry in 2006. Subjects (materials) and methods Sixty second year dental students at the University of Birmingham who were attending their fi rst classes in the phantom head laboratory were randomly selected and allocated to two different seats (30 Bambach Saddle Seats and 30 conventional seats). Students were trained in the use of the seats. After ten weeks, the students were observed, photographs were taken by the researcher and these were assessed using Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA). The posture of the students was assessed using the RULA. Each student was given a risk score. A Mann Whitney test was used for statistical analysis. The results indicated that the students using the conventional seat recorded significantly higher risk scores (p <0.05) when compared with the students using Bambach Saddle Seat, suggesting an improvement in posture when using the Bambach Saddle Seat. RULA has identified that dental students using a Bambach Saddle Seat were able to maintain an acceptable working posture during simulated dental treatment and this seating may reduce the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

  12. Rapid knowledge assessment (RKA): Assessing students content knowledge through rapid, in class assessment of expertise

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O'Connell, Erin

    Understanding how students go about problem solving in chemistry lends many possible advantages for interventions in teaching strategies for the college classroom. The work presented here is the development of an in-classroom, real-time, formative instrument to assess student expertise in chemistry with the purpose of developing classroom interventions. The development of appropriate interventions requires the understanding of how students go about starting to solve tasks presented to them, what their mental effort (load on working memory) is, and whether or not their performance was accurate. To measure this, the Rapid Knowledge Assessment (RKA) instrument uses clickers (handheld electronic instruments for submitting answers) as a means of data collection. The classroom data was used to develop an algorithm to deliver student assessment scores, which when correlated to external measure of standardized American Chemical Society (ACS) examinations and class score show a significant relationship between the accuracy of knowledge assessment (p=0.000). Use of eye-tracking technology and student interviews supports the measurements found in the classroom.

  13. Generation Me or Meaning? Exploring Meaningful Work in College Students and Career Counselors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Allan, Blake A.; Owens, Rhea L.; Duffy, Ryan D.

    2017-01-01

    Assessing the value of meaningful work among undergraduate students is important for guiding career counseling, especially because today's students are often stereotyped as entitled and uninterested in prosocial or meaningful work. Additionally, understanding the value of meaningful work from the perspectives of career counselors would clarify if…

  14. Assessing Student Understanding: A Framework or Testing and Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brendefur, Jonathan L.; Strother, Sam; Rich, Kelli; Appleton, Sarah

    2016-01-01

    Teachers use the word assessment to describe any method of gathering information about student learning. Whether it be formative assessment (intended to guide instructional decisions) or summative assessment (a reflection on the entirety of student learning from prior instruction), teachers are constantly working to identify what their students…

  15. Student Progress in a Social Work Writing Course: Self-Efficacy, Course Objectives, and Skills

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Woody, Jane D.; Zeleny, Mary G.; D'Souza, Henry J.; Harder, Jeanette; Reiser, Jacqueline; Szto, Peter

    2014-01-01

    Although instructors express concerns about social work students' writing skills, little research has been conducted. One remedy is a social work-focused writing course. This study assessed a required writing course with a sample of 49 baccalaureate students. From online pre- and posttest surveys, 2 student outcomes improved significantly:…

  16. Students Score!

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harris-Frederick, Cynthia

    2000-01-01

    Describes how one teacher used peer review to help students understand state content standards. Students held one another accountable for the basics, then she assessed the core content of their work. To get students thinking about standards-based learning, she used a pizza activity. Next, students created rubrics for assessing book reports and…

  17. Using Student-Produced Video to Validate Head-to-Toe Assessment Performance.

    PubMed

    Purpora, Christina; Prion, Susan

    2018-03-01

    This study explored third-semester baccalaureate nursing students' perceptions of the value of using student-produced video as an approach for learning head-to-toe assessment, an essential clinical nursing skill taught in the classroom. A cognitive apprenticeship model guided the study. The researchers developed a 34-item survey. A convenience sample of 72 students enrolled in an applied assessment and nursing fundamentals course at a university in the western United States provided the data. Most students reported a videotaping process that worked, supportive faculty, valuable faculty review of their work, confidence, a sense of performance independence, the ability to identify normal assessment findings, and few barriers to learning. The results suggested that a student-produced video approach to learning head-to-toe assessment was effective. Further, the study demonstrated how to leverage available instructional technology to provide meaningful, personalized instruction and feedback to students about an essential nursing skill. [J Nurs Educ. 2018;57(3):154-158.]. Copyright 2018, SLACK Incorporated.

  18. Active Engagement with Assessment and Feedback Can Improve Group-Work Outcomes and Boost Student Confidence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scott, G. W.

    2017-01-01

    This study involves evaluation of a novel iterative group-based learning task developed to enable students to actively engage with assessment and feedback in order to improve the quality of their written work. The students were all in the final semester of their final year of study and enrolled on either BSc Zoology or BSc Marine and Freshwater…

  19. Students' Perceptions of Classroom Group Work as a Function of Group Member Selection

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Myers, Scott A.

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this assessment was to examine whether differences exist between students who self-select their classroom work group members and students who are randomly assigned to their classroom work groups in terms of their use of organizational citizenship behaviors with their work group members; their commitment to, trust in, and relational…

  20. The Influence of Student Gender on the Assessment of Undergraduate Student Work

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Birch, Phil; Batten, John; Batey, Jo

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of perceived student gender on the feedback given to undergraduate student work. Participants (n = 12) were lecturers in higher education and were required to mark two undergraduate student essays. The first student essay that all participants marked was the "control" essay.…

  1. The Support of Student Articulation of Reasoning, Student Reflection and Tutor Feedback

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garner, Stuart

    2007-01-01

    Learning theory suggests that student learning can be improved if students are required to articulate and reflect about work that they have done. This process helps students think more clearly about their work and such articulation also enables tutors to better assess student knowledge and mental models. There are various electronic tools…

  2. Assessment for Qualification and Certification in Upper Secondary Education: A Review of Country Practices and Research Evidence. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 83

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dufaux, Stefanie

    2012-01-01

    Within the policy field of student assessment, the assessment of students for qualification and certification in upper secondary education has special importance since key decisions for the progression of students may be taken on the basis of assessment results. Students in most OECD countries face increased specialisation in upper secondary…

  3. Closing the Loop: How We Better Serve Our Students through a Comprehensive Assessment Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arcario, Paul; Eynon, Bret; Klages, Marisa; Polnariev, Bernard A.

    2013-01-01

    Outcomes assessment is often driven by demands for accountability. LaGuardia Community College's outcomes assessment model has advanced student learning, shaped academic program development, and created an impressive culture of faculty-driven assessment. Our inquiry-based approach uses ePortfolios for collection of student work and demonstrates…

  4. Student Assessment of Self-Efficacy and Practice Readiness Following Simulated Instruction in an Undergraduate Social Work Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carter, Kimberly; Swanke, Jayme; Stonich, Jessica; Taylor, Stephanie; Witzke, Morgan; Binetsch, Michael

    2018-01-01

    The use of simulated instruction is a growing trend in social work education. This study examined the effectiveness of simulated instruction with undergraduate social work students. In this mixed methods study, the extent to which simulated instruction improved self-efficacy and practice readiness was assessed. Results of the study suggest that…

  5. Teachers' Assessment of ESL Students in Mainstream Classes: Challenges, Strategies, and Decision-Making

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cheng, Liying; Milnes, Terry

    2008-01-01

    Given the increasing numbers of ESL students in Canadian classrooms, this study investigated how teachers of mainstream classes assess the written work of ESL students and whether they use different assessment strategies for ESL versus non-ESL students. Interviews were conducted with seven mainstream teachers from a private high school in Ontario.…

  6. The Effect of Educational Disequilibrium in Field Work on Graduate Social Work Students' Self-Concept and Mental Health

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ying, Yu-Wen

    2011-01-01

    The author used a mixed methods design to assess field work-related educational disequilibrium and its effect on the self-concept and mental health of MSW students. Twenty-eight advanced, fourth-semester MSW students were compared with 37 entering, first-semester MSW students in practice-related sense of accomplishment. Compared with first-year…

  7. The Quantitative Reasoning for College Science (QuaRCS) Assessment: Emerging Themes from 5 Years of Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Follette, Katherine; Dokter, Erin; Buxner, Sanlyn

    2018-01-01

    The Quantitative Reasoning for College Science (QuaRCS) Assessment is a validated assessment instrument that was designed to measure changes in students' quantitative reasoning skills, attitudes toward mathematics, and ability to accurately assess their own quantitative abilities. It has been administered to more than 5,000 students at a variety of institutions at the start and end of a semester of general education college science instruction. I will begin by briefly summarizing our published work surrounding validation of the instrument and identification of underlying attitudinal factors (composite variables identified via factor analysis) that predict 50% of the variation in students' scores on the assessment. I will then discuss more recent unpublished work, including: (1) Development and validation of an abbreviated version of the assessment (The QuaRCS Light), which results in marked improvements in students' ability to maintain a high effort level throughout the assessment and has broad implications for quantitative reasoning assessments in general, and (2) Our efforts to revise the attitudinal portion of the assessment to better assess math anxiety level, another key factor in student performance on numerical assessments.

  8. How the Experience of Assessed Collaborative Writing Impacts on Undergraduate Students' Perceptions of Assessed Group Work

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scotland, James

    2016-01-01

    A time-series analysis was used to investigate Arabic undergraduate students' (n = 50) perceptions of assessed group work in a major government institution of higher education in Qatar. A longitudinal mixed methods approach was employed. Likert scale questionnaires were completed over the duration of a collaborative writing event. Additionally,…

  9. Voice Assessment of Student Work: Recent Studies and Emerging Technologies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eckhouse, Barry; Carroll, Rebecca

    2013-01-01

    Although relatively little attention has been given to the voice assessment of student work, at least when compared with more traditional forms of text-based review, the attention it has received strongly points to a promising form of review that has been hampered by the limits of an emerging technology. A fresh review of voice assessment in light…

  10. Student self-assessment in an interactive learning environment: Technological tools for scaffolding and understanding self-assessment practices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eslinger, Eric Martin

    Metacognitive skills are a crucial component of a successful learning career. We define metacognition as the ability to plan, monitor progress toward a goal, reflect on the quality of work and process, and revise the work or plan accordingly. By explicitly addressing certain metacognitive practices in classrooms, researchers have observed improved learning outcomes in both science and mathematical problem solving. Although these efforts were successful, they were also limited in the range of skills that could be addressed at one time and the methods used to address them due to the static nature inherent in traditional pencil-and-paper format. We wished to address these skills in a more dynamic, continuous representation such as that afforded by a computerized learning environment. This paper outlines such an environment and describes pedagogical activities afforded by the system. The ThinkerTools group developed and tested a software scaffold for inquiry projects in a middle-school classroom. By analyzing student use of the software tool, three forms of self-assessment activity were noted: integrated, task and project self-assessment. Each assessment form was related to the degree of interleaving between assessment and work the students engaged in as they developed their inquiry products. I argue that the integrated forms of assessment are more beneficial to student learning, and show that there is a significant relationship between active self-assessment forms and measures of student achievement and product quality. Through the use of case studies including video analysis, I address specific student self-assessment activity that utilized the software as well as self-assessment that took place outside of the software. A model of student self-assessment activity was created, highlighting aspects of activity that afford more productive self-assessment episodes.

  11. Local Assessment Moderation in SEPUP.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roberts, Lily; And Others

    Assessment moderation is a procedure in which scorers or raters meet to achieve a consensus on scores assigned to student work. In the Science Education for Public Understanding Program (SEPUP), local teams of teachers met regularly at six sites nationwide to score student work, review methods of assigning scores, discuss and resolve discrepancies…

  12. Vocational Education Students' Generic Working Life Competencies: Developing a Self-Assessment Instrument

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kyndt, Eva; Janssens, Ine; Coertjens, Liesje; Gijbels, David; Donche, Vincent; Van Petegem, Peter

    2014-01-01

    The current study reports on the process of developing a self-assessment instrument for vocational education students' generic working life competencies. The instrument was developed based on a competence framework and in close collaboration with several vocational education teachers and intermediary organisations offering various human…

  13. Assessment of occupational health and safety hazard exposures among working college students.

    PubMed

    Balanay, Jo Anne G; Adesina, Adepeju; Kearney, Gregory D; Richards, Stephanie L

    2014-01-01

    Adolescents and young adults have higher injury rates than their adult counterparts in similar jobs. This study used the working college student population to assess health and safety hazards in the workplace, characterize related occupational diseases and injuries, and describe worker health/safety activities provided by employers. College students (≥17 years old) were assessed via online surveys about work history, workplace exposure to hazards, occupational diseases/injuries, and workplace health/safety activities. Approximately half (51%) of participants (n = 1,147) were currently employed at the time of the survey or had been employed while enrolled in college. Restaurants (other than fast food) were the most frequently reported work setting. The most reported workplace hazards included noise exposure and contact with hot liquids/surfaces. Twenty percent of working students experienced injury at work; some injuries were severe enough to limit students' normal activities for >3 days (30%) or require medical attention (44%). Men had significantly higher prevalence of injuries (P = 0.05) and near-misses (P < 0.01) at work than women. Injury occurrence was associated with near-misses (AOR = 5.08, P < 0.01) and co-worker injuries (AOR = 3.19, P < 0.01) after gender and age adjustments. Most (77%) received worker safety training and half were given personal protective equipment (PPE) by their employers. Risk reduction from workplace injuries and illnesses among working college students may be achieved by implementing occupational health and safety (OHS) strategies including incorporation of OHS in the college curriculum, promotion of OHS by university/college student health services, and improving awareness of OHS online resources among college students, employers, and educators. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. Assessment of student interprofessional education (IPE) training for team-based geriatric home care: does IPE training change students' knowledge and attitudes?

    PubMed

    Reilly, Jo Marie; Aranda, María P; Segal-Gidan, Freddi; Halle, Ashley; Han, Phuu Pwint; Harris, Patricia; Jordan, Katie; Mulligan, Roseann; Resnik, Cheryl; Tsai, Kai-Ya; Williams, Brad; Cousineau, Michael R

    2014-01-01

    Our study assesses changes in students' knowledge and attitudes after participation in an interprofessional, team-based, geriatric home training program. Second-year medical, physician assistant, occupational therapy, social work, and physical therapy students; third-year pharmacy students; and fourth-year dental students were led by interprofessional faculty teams. Student participants were assessed before and after the curriculum using an interprofessional attitudes learning scale. Significant differences and positive data trends were noted at year-end. Our study suggests that early implementation, assessment, and standardization of years of student training is needed for optimal interprofessional geriatric learning. Additionally, alternative student assessment tools should be considered for future studies.

  15. Support Systems for Educationally Disadvantaged Students and Assuring Practitioner Competence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Griffiths, Kenneth A.

    1977-01-01

    Student support systems developed and utilized in a three-year training effort with more than 104 Native American social work students at the School of Social Work, University of Utah are assessed. Focus is on recruitment, communication, modeling, counseling, follow-up, student involvement, and discrimination education. (Author/LBH)

  16. Interaction in Group Oral Assessment: A Case Study of Higher- and Lower-Scoring Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gan, Zhengdong

    2010-01-01

    This article examines the interactional work in which two groups of secondary ESL students engaged to achieve and sustain participation in group oral assessment, which is designed to assess a student's interactive communication skills in a school-based assessment context. The in-depth observation of the ways in which participants co-constructed…

  17. Beyond the Library: Using Multiple, Mixed Measures Simultaneously in a College-Wide Assessment of Information Literacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whitlock, Brandy; Ebrahimi, Nassim

    2016-01-01

    To get the best sense of how graduating students demonstrate information literacy skills and how the institution can improve student learning, the Assessment in Action (AiA) project at Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) deployed a combination of indirect measures and authentic assessment of student work, utilizing assessment tools flexible…

  18. Is Learner Self-Assessment Reliable and Valid in a Web-Based Portfolio Environment for High School Students?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chang, Chi-Cheng; Liang, Chaoyun; Chen, Yi-Hui

    2013-01-01

    This study explored the reliability and validity of Web-based portfolio self-assessment. Participants were 72 senior high school students enrolled in a computer application course. The students created learning portfolios, viewed peers' work, and performed self-assessment on the Web-based portfolio assessment system. The results indicated: 1)…

  19. Evaluation of Curriculum and Student Learning Needs Using 360 Degree Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ladyshewsky, Richard; Taplin, Ross

    2015-01-01

    This research used a 360 degree assessment tool modelled from the competing values framework to assess the curriculum. A total of 100 Master's of Business Administration students and 746 of their work colleagues completed the 360 degree assessment tool. The students were enrolled in a course on leadership and management. The results of the…

  20. A Cross-Cultural Comparison of the Worldviews of Educators and Students in Social Work

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Watson, Jerry; Simmons, Christopher

    2017-01-01

    This study explored the worldviews of social work educators and two groups of social work students (European Americans and African Americans) using the Scale to Assess World Views to examine similarities and differences between the three groups. Within-group comparisons revealed African American and European American students showed similar…

  1. Support for Struggling Students in Algebra: Contributions of Incorrect Worked Examples

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barbieri, Christina; Booth, Julie L.

    2016-01-01

    Middle school algebra students (N = 125) randomly assigned within classroom to a Problem-solving control group, a Correct worked examples control group, or an Incorrect worked examples group, completed an experimental classroom study to assess the differential effects of incorrect examples versus the two control groups on students' algebra…

  2. Behavioral and cognitive evaluation of FireWorks education trunk

    Treesearch

    Linda R. Thomas; James A. Walsh; Jane Kapler Smith

    2000-01-01

    This study assessed the effectiveness of FireWorks, an educational trunk about wildland fire, in increasing student understanding, enabling students to apply classroom learning in a field setting, and improving the learning environment. Students who were in classrooms using the FireWorks educational trunk demonstrated more knowledge in both classroom and field-based...

  3. Student Generated Rubrics: An Assessment Model To Help All Students Succeed. Assessment Bookshelf Series.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ainsworth, Larry; Christinson, Jan

    The assessment model described in this guide was initially developed by a team of fifth-grade teachers who wrote objectives of integrating social studies and language arts. It helps the teacher guide students to create a task-specific rubric that they use to evaluate their own and peers' work. Teachers review the student evaluations, determine the…

  4. Limitations of student-driven formative assessment in a clinical clerkship. A randomised controlled trial

    PubMed Central

    Palmer, Edward J; Devitt, Peter G

    2008-01-01

    Background Teachers strive to motivate their students to be self-directed learners. One of the methods used is to provide online formative assessment material. The concept of formative assessment and use of these processes is heavily promoted, despite limited evidence as to their efficacy. Methods Fourth year medical students, in their first year of clinical work were divided into four groups. In addition to the usual clinical material, three of the groups were provided with some form of supplementary learning material. For two groups, this was provided as online formative assessment. The amount of time students spent on the supplementary material was measured, their opinion on learning methods was surveyed, and their performance in summative exams at the end of their surgical attachments was measured. Results The performance of students was independent of any educational intervention imposed by this study. Despite its ready availability and promotion, student use of the online formative tools was poor. Conclusion Formative learning is an ideal not necessarily embraced by students. If formative assessment is to work students need to be encouraged to participate, probably by implementing some form of summative assessment. PMID:18471324

  5. Peer Assessment with Online Tools to Improve Student Modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Atkins, Leslie J.

    2012-11-01

    Introductory physics courses often require students to develop precise models of phenomena and represent these with diagrams, including free-body diagrams, light-ray diagrams, and maps of field lines. Instructors expect that students will adopt a certain rigor and precision when constructing these diagrams, but we want that rigor and precision to be an aid to sense-making rather than meeting seemingly arbitrary requirements set by the instructor. By giving students the authority to develop their own models and establish requirements for their diagrams, the sense that these are arbitrary requirements diminishes and students are more likely to see modeling as a sense-making activity. The practice of peer assessment can help students take ownership; however, it can be difficult for instructors to manage. Furthermore, it is not without risk: students can be reluctant to critique their peers, they may view this as the job of the instructor, and there is no guarantee that students will employ greater rigor and precision as a result of peer assessment. In this article, we describe one approach for peer assessment that can establish norms for diagrams in a way that is student driven, where students retain agency and authority in assessing and improving their work. We show that such an approach does indeed improve students' diagrams and abilities to assess their own work, without sacrificing students' authority and agency.

  6. Want to Improve Undergraduate Thesis Writing? Engage Students and Their Faculty Readers in Scientific Peer Review

    PubMed Central

    Reynolds, Julie A.; Thompson, Robert J.

    2011-01-01

    One of the best opportunities that undergraduates have to learn to write like a scientist is to write a thesis after participating in faculty-mentored undergraduate research. But developing writing skills doesn't happen automatically, and there are significant challenges associated with offering writing courses and with individualized mentoring. We present a hybrid model in which students have the structural support of a course plus the personalized benefits of working one-on-one with faculty. To optimize these one-on-one interactions, the course uses BioTAP, the Biology Thesis Assessment Protocol, to structure engagement in scientific peer review. By assessing theses written by students who took this course and comparable students who did not, we found that our approach not only improved student writing but also helped faculty members across the department—not only those teaching the course—to work more effectively and efficiently with student writers. Students who enrolled in this course were more likely to earn highest honors than students who only worked one-on-one with faculty. Further, students in the course scored significantly better on all higher-order writing and critical-thinking skills assessed. PMID:21633069

  7. Want to improve undergraduate thesis writing? Engage students and their faculty readers in scientific peer review.

    PubMed

    Reynolds, Julie A; Thompson, Robert J

    2011-01-01

    One of the best opportunities that undergraduates have to learn to write like a scientist is to write a thesis after participating in faculty-mentored undergraduate research. But developing writing skills doesn't happen automatically, and there are significant challenges associated with offering writing courses and with individualized mentoring. We present a hybrid model in which students have the structural support of a course plus the personalized benefits of working one-on-one with faculty. To optimize these one-on-one interactions, the course uses BioTAP, the Biology Thesis Assessment Protocol, to structure engagement in scientific peer review. By assessing theses written by students who took this course and comparable students who did not, we found that our approach not only improved student writing but also helped faculty members across the department--not only those teaching the course--to work more effectively and efficiently with student writers. Students who enrolled in this course were more likely to earn highest honors than students who only worked one-on-one with faculty. Further, students in the course scored significantly better on all higher-order writing and critical-thinking skills assessed.

  8. Effect of Assessment on Co-Operation among Vietnamese College Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thanh, Pham Thi Hong

    2011-01-01

    This research study investigated the behaviour and interactions of university students as they engaged with ill-structured and well-structured assessment tasks. Twenty students participated in a one-semester intensive design study in a course on "Vietnamese traditional culture". The students worked in five-person groups that were…

  9. Assessment in Work-Based Learning: Investigating a Pedagogical Approach to Enhance Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brodie, Pandy; Irving, Kate

    2007-01-01

    Work-based learning (WBL) is undertaken in a wide variety of higher education contexts and is increasingly viewed as a valuable, and increasingly essential, component of both the undergraduate and postgraduate student learning experience. However, the development of rigorous pedagogies to underpin WBL and its assessment is still embryonic. This…

  10. Assessing Faculty Perspectives about Teaching and Working with Students with Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Becker, Sandra; Palladino, John

    2016-01-01

    This study presents a unique assessment of faculty perspectives about teaching and working with students with disabilities against the backdrop of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). A randomized sample of 127 faculty from a large Midwest comprehensive university completed the…

  11. Alternate Assessments Based on Alternate Achievement Standards: Policy, Practice, and Potential

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schafer, William D., Ed.; Lissitz, Robert W., Ed.

    2009-01-01

    What really works in alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards? Every state is working to know the answer--both to comply with federal requirements for evaluating students with severe cognitive disabilities, and to ensure that all students reach their full potential. This comprehensive book is the first to gather today's best…

  12. The Use of Rubrics for Assessment of Student Learning in Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cheyney, Donald A.

    2010-01-01

    Rubrics are a means to communicate the standards or criteria of an assignment and to assess student work formatively or summatively by faculty, peer, and/or self. Given that assessment is a necessary and mandated component of education, this study sought to summarize what is known about rubrics as an assessment tool for student learning. In this…

  13. Framework for Building an Effective Student Assessment System: READ/SABER Working Paper

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clarke, Marguerite

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to help countries understand some of the "key principles and characteristics of an effective student assessment system". The focus is on assessment of student learning and achievement at the K-12 level. The paper extracts principles and guidelines from countries' experiences, professional testing standards,…

  14. Student Query Trend Assessment with Semantical Annotation and Artificial Intelligent Multi-Agents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Malik, Kaleem Razzaq; Mir, Rizwan Riaz; Farhan, Muhammad; Rafiq, Tariq; Aslam, Muhammad

    2017-01-01

    Research in era of data representation to contribute and improve key data policy involving the assessment of learning, training and English language competency. Students are required to communicate in English with high level impact using language and influence. The electronic technology works to assess students' questions positively enabling…

  15. Leveraging Disciplinary Practices to Support Students' Active Participation in Formative Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cowie, Bronwen; Moreland, Judy

    2015-01-01

    Studies of disciplinary work have converged with studies of classrooms to highlight the social and cultural nature of disciplinary knowledge and practices, and of classroom learning and assessment. For students to become discerning and autonomous/authoring learners, classroom assessment needs to ensure students experience what it means to exercise…

  16. Blogging to Learn: Educational Blogs and U.S. History

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Manfra, Meghan McGlinn; Gray, George E., Jr.; Lee, John K.

    2010-01-01

    Social studies teachers assess their students in a number of ways. Among these are formative assessments, authentic assessments, and summative low-level multiple-choice tests. Working with two classrooms of low-achieving U.S. history students, the authors compared student experiences in traditional units to those in units that integrated an…

  17. There is another choice: an exploration of integrating formative assessment in a Chinese high school chemistry classroom through collaborative action research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yin, Xinying; Buck, Gayle A.

    2015-09-01

    This study explored integrating formative assessment to a Chinese high school chemistry classroom, where the extremely high-stakes testing and Confucian-heritage culture constituted a particular context, through a collaborative action research. One researcher worked with a high school chemistry teacher in China to integrate formative assessment into his teaching with 54 students in one of his classes. Data resources included transcripts from planning sessions, lesson plans, teacher interviews, classroom observations, student work, student interviews and surveys. The findings of this study revealed that as the teacher allowed his original views about students' learning and assessment tasks to be challenged by the students' learning, his teaching practice and understandings of formative assessment were transformed. Students' learning experience was also examined in the formative assessment process. The potentials and challenges of integrating formative assessment in the Chinese high school science classroom are discussed. This study indicated that formative assessment is promising to implement in Chinese high school science classrooms to enhance students' learning and meet the imperative needs for high-stakes exam preparation as well; and writing formative assessment tasks are favorable in this particular socio-cultural context. Further, this study suggested that facilitating in-service science teachers to integrate formative assessment through collaborative action research is a powerful professional development on improving teaching and learning under the highly constraint context.

  18. 34 CFR 668.10 - Direct assessment programs.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... student will do (e.g., required readings, research, and work products), how the student's work will be... including, if applicable, minimum program length and qualitative factors. (d) Notwithstanding paragraphs (a...

  19. 34 CFR 668.10 - Direct assessment programs.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... student will do (e.g., required readings, research, and work products), how the student's work will be... including, if applicable, minimum program length and qualitative factors. (d) Notwithstanding paragraphs (a...

  20. 34 CFR 668.10 - Direct assessment programs.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... student will do (e.g., required readings, research, and work products), how the student's work will be... including, if applicable, minimum program length and qualitative factors. (d) Notwithstanding paragraphs (a...

  1. Chronic Stress in Young German Adults: Who Is Affected? A Prospective Cohort Study.

    PubMed

    Herrera, Ronald; Berger, Ursula; Genuneit, Jon; Gerlich, Jessica; Nowak, Dennis; Schlotz, Wolff; Vogelberg, Christian; von Mutius, Erika; Weinmayr, Gudrun; Windstetter, Doris; Weigl, Matthias; Radon, Katja

    2017-10-31

    We aimed to prospectively assess changes in chronic stress among young adults transitioning from high school to university or working life. A population-based cohort in Munich and Dresden (Germany) was followed from age 16-18 (2002-2003) to age 20-23 (2007-2009) ( n = 1688). Using the Trier Inventory for the Assessment of Chronic Stress, two dimensions of stress at university or work were assessed: work overload and work discontent. In the multiple ordinal generalized estimating equations, socio-demographics, stress outside the workplace, and job history were additionally considered. At follow-up, 52% of the population were university students. Work overload increased statistically significantly from first to second follow-up, while work discontent remained constant at the population level. Students, compared to employees, reported a larger increase in work overload (adjusted odds ratio (OR): 1.33; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.07, 1.67), while work discontent did not differ between the groups. In conclusion, work overload increases when young adults transition from school to university/job life, with university students experiencing the largest increase.

  2. Chronic Stress in Young German Adults: Who Is Affected? A Prospective Cohort Study

    PubMed Central

    Herrera, Ronald; Berger, Ursula; Gerlich, Jessica; Nowak, Dennis; Schlotz, Wolff; Vogelberg, Christian; von Mutius, Erika; Weinmayr, Gudrun; Windstetter, Doris; Weigl, Matthias; Radon, Katja

    2017-01-01

    We aimed to prospectively assess changes in chronic stress among young adults transitioning from high school to university or working life. A population-based cohort in Munich and Dresden (Germany) was followed from age 16–18 (2002–2003) to age 20–23 (2007–2009) (n = 1688). Using the Trier Inventory for the Assessment of Chronic Stress, two dimensions of stress at university or work were assessed: work overload and work discontent. In the multiple ordinal generalized estimating equations, socio-demographics, stress outside the workplace, and job history were additionally considered. At follow-up, 52% of the population were university students. Work overload increased statistically significantly from first to second follow-up, while work discontent remained constant at the population level. Students, compared to employees, reported a larger increase in work overload (adjusted odds ratio (OR): 1.33; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.07, 1.67), while work discontent did not differ between the groups. In conclusion, work overload increases when young adults transition from school to university/job life, with university students experiencing the largest increase. PMID:29088088

  3. Is High-Stakes Testing Harming Lower Socioeconomic Status Schools?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cunningham, William G.; Sanzo, Tiffany D.

    2002-01-01

    A strong relationship is shown between students' state assessment test pass rates and students' socioeconomic status (SES). State sanctions based on assessment scores can affect graduation, student diplomas, school accreditation, school funding, teacher rewards and promotion, paperwork requirements, regulations, work expectations, improvement…

  4. How Does Student Performance on Formative Assessments Relate to Learning Assessed by Exams?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Gary

    2007-01-01

    A retrospective analysis examines the relationships between formative assessments and exam grades in two undergraduate geoscience courses. Pair and group-work grades correlate weakly with individual exam grades. Exam performance correlates to individual, weekly online assessments. Student attendance and use of assessment feedback are also…

  5. Increasing Student Ownership and Responsibility through the Collaborative Assessment Process.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Branch, Myra; Grafelman, Brenda; Hurelbrink, Kurt

    This report describes a program for increasing student ownership and responsibility to bring about quality work. The students were actively involved in the collaborative assessment process. The targeted population consisted of first and second grade students in a middle class community in Central Illinois. An increased sense of ownership,…

  6. Random Access: The Latino Student Experience with Prior Learning Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klein-Collins, Rebecca; Olson, Richard

    2014-01-01

    Many Latinos come to higher education as adults. One degree completion strategy that is particularly suited to adult students in higher education is prior learning assessment (PLA). PLA provides opportunities to evaluate a student's learning from work or life experience for the purpose of awarding college credit. For students whose…

  7. Training Social Work Students for Practice with Substance Abusers: An Ecological Approach.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Van Wormer, Katherine

    1987-01-01

    The following questions are addressed: Why should general social work students need to know about alcoholism/addiction, chemical dependency? What skills are required for assessment of chemical dependency intervention? How can the social work curriculum provide adequate training for work with substance abusers? (Author/MH)

  8. Assessment Experiences in the Workplace: A Comparative Study between Clinical Educators' and Their Students' Perceptions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Trede, Franziska; Mischo-Kelling, Maria; Gasser, Eva Maria; Pulcini, Stefania

    2015-01-01

    With this paper, we contribute to the complex field of assessment of student learning in work placements. The complexity includes the dual role of clinical educators as mentors and assessors, students as pre-accredited practitioners and the diverse purposes of assessment. A philosophical hermeneutic approach was adopted to explore the perceptions…

  9. Using Digital Logs to Reduce Academic Misdemeanour by Students in Digital Forensic Assessments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lallie, Harjinder Singh; Lawson, Phillip; Day, David J.

    2011-01-01

    Identifying academic misdemeanours and actual applied effort in student assessments involving practical work can be problematic. For instance, it can be difficult to assess the actual effort that a student applied, the sequence and method applied, and whether there was any form of collusion or collaboration. In this paper we propose a system of…

  10. Differences of Teachers', Field Instructors', and Students' Views on Job Analysis of Social Work Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sherer, Moshe; Peleg-Oren, Neta

    2005-01-01

    This study compares the assessment of 30 teachers, 120 field instructors, and 287 students with regard to what students of social work do during their fieldwork practice and the importance they attach to these activities. The study used a Job Analysis Questionnaire developed specifically for this study. Results indicated differences among the…

  11. Utilizing Alternative Assessment Techniques with Physically Impaired Students To Increase Work Completion and Improve Work Quality.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thomas, Traci L.

    This paper describes a practicum project that involved teaching 14 students (ages 8 through 13) with physical disabilities (cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and muscular dystrophy) to plan, organize, and complete projects and assignments independently. The paper explains the low expectations for the students and the students' lack of experience in…

  12. Earning and Learning: The Academic Achievement of High-School Juniors with Jobs. The Nation's Report Card. Report No. 17-WL-01.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barton, Paul E.

    Since 1986, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has collected information from 11th-grade students about their employment activities. Out of the 29,000 students asked about work in the 1986 assessment, 54% reported working some amount of time each week, and over 28% reported working more than 15 hours per week. Thus, of 2.9…

  13. Is the Use of Information and Communication Technology Related to Performance in Working Memory Tasks? Evidence from Seventh-Grade Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garcia, Lucy; Nussbaum, Miguel; Preiss, David D.

    2011-01-01

    The main purpose of this study was to assess whether seventh-grade students use of information and communication technology (ICT) was related to performance on working memory tasks. In addition, the study tested whether the relationship between ICT use and performance on working memory tasks interacted with seventh-grade students' socioeconomic…

  14. Comparative Study: Impact of Family, School, and Students Factors on Students Achievements in Reading in Developed (Estonia) and Developing (Azerbaijan) Countries

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shukakidze, Berika

    2013-01-01

    The work is based on PISA 2009 International Assessment Study. Two counties were selected: a developed country, Estonia and a developing country, Azerbaijan. The following Datum was used for statistical analysis: students average scores in reading (162 schools, 4 600 students from Azerbaijan; 17 schools, 4 923 students from Estonia). The work is…

  15. Analysis of dental students' written peer feedback from a prospective peer assessment protocol.

    PubMed

    Tricio, J; Woolford, M; Escudier, M

    2016-11-01

    Peer assessment and feedback is encouraged to enhance students' learning. The aim of this study was to quantitatively and qualitatively analyse pre-clinical and clinical dental students' written peer feedback provided as part of a continuous, formative and structured peer assessment protocol. A total of 309 Year-2 and Year-5 dental students were invited to participate in a peer assessment and peer feedback protocol. Consenting volunteer students were trained to observe each other whilst working in the skills laboratory (Year-2) and in the dental clinic (Year-5). Subsequently, they followed a structured protocol of peer assessment and peer feedback using specially designed work-based forms during a complete academic year. The content of their written feedback was coded according to the UK General Dental Council domain, sign (positive or negative), specificity (task specific or general), and grouped into themes. A total of 108 participants (40 Year-2 and 68 Year-5) completed 1169 peer assessment work-based forms (516 pre-clinical and 653 clinical); 94% contained written feedback. The large majority (82%) of Year-2 feedback represented the clinical domain, 89% were positive, 77% were task specific, and they were grouped into 14 themes. Year-5 feedback was related mostly to Management and Leadership (37%) and Communication (32%), 64% were positive, 75% task specific, and they were clustered into 24 themes. The content of the feedback showed notable differences between Year-2 and Year-5 students. Senior students focused more on Communication and Management and Leadership skills, whilst juniors were more concerned with clinical skills. Year-5 students provided 13% negative feedback compared to only 2% from Year-2. Regulatory focus theory is discussed to explain these differences. Both groups provided peer feedback on a wide and different range of themes. However, four themes emerged in both groups: efficiency, infection control, time management and working speed. A structured peer assessment framework can be used to guide pre-clinical and clinical students to provide peer feedback focused on different domains, and on contrasting signs and specificities. It can also present an opportunity to complement tutors' feedback. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Adaptive Comparative Judgment: A Tool to Support Students' Assessment Literacy.

    PubMed

    Rhind, Susan M; Hughes, Kirsty J; Yool, Donald; Shaw, Darren; Kerr, Wesley; Reed, Nicki

    Comparative judgment in assessment is a process whereby repeated comparison of two items (e.g., assessment answers) can allow an accurate ranking of all the submissions to be achieved. In adaptive comparative judgment (ACJ), technology is used to automate the process and present pairs of pieces of work over iterative cycles. An online ACJ system was used to present students with work prepared by a previous cohort at the same stage of their studies. Objective marks given to the work by experienced faculty were compared to the rankings given to the work by a cohort of veterinary students (n=154). Each student was required to review and judge 20 answers provided by the previous cohort to a free-text short answer question. The time that students spent on the judgment tasks was recorded, and students were asked to reflect on their experiences after engaging with the task. There was a strong positive correlation between student ranking and faculty marking. A weak positive correlation was found between the time students spent on the judgments and their performance on the part of their own examination that contained questions in the same format. Slightly less than half of the students agreed that the exercise was a good use of their time, but 78% agreed that they had learned from the process. Qualitative data highlighted different levels of benefit from the simplest aspect of learning more about the topic to an appreciation of the more generic lessons to be learned.

  17. Motivating Freshman Students in a Business Management Course via Portfolios: Practice from a Greek Public University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Papadimitriou, Antigoni

    2009-01-01

    There are many ways to approach the evaluation of student learning. Portfolios, as collections of student work, are an increasingly popular assessment strategy, especially in the United States. Portfolios provide an exceptionally comprehensive picture of student learning. However, this assessment method requires extra effort to plan, to evaluate,…

  18. Does Student Engagement in Self-Assessment Calibrate Their Judgement over Time?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boud, David; Lawson, Romy; Thompson, Darrall G.

    2013-01-01

    One of the implicit aims of higher education is to enable students to become better judges of their own work. This paper examines whether students who voluntarily engage in self-assessment improve in their capacity to make those judgements. The study utilises data from a web-based marking system that provides students with the opportunity to…

  19. Random Access: The Latino Student Experience with Prior Learning Assessment. Executive Summary

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klein-Collins, Rebecca; Olson, Richard

    2014-01-01

    Many Latinos come to higher education as adults. One degree completion strategy that is particularly suited to adult students in higher education is prior learning assessment (PLA). PLA provides opportunities to evaluate a student's learning from work or life experience for the purpose of awarding college credit. For students whose…

  20. Student Conceptions of Feedback: Impact on Self-Regulation, Self-Efficacy, and Academic Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Gavin T. L.; Peterson, Elizabeth R.; Yao, Esther S.

    2016-01-01

    Background: Lecturers give feedback on assessed work in the hope that students will take it on board and use it to help regulate their learning for the next assessment. However, little is known about how students' conceptions of feedback relate to students' self-regulated learning and self-efficacy beliefs and academic performance. Aims: This…

  1. Balancing the Assessment "of" Learning and "for" Learning in Support of Student Literacy Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Edwards, Patricia A.; Turner, Jennifer D.; Mokhtari, Kouider

    2008-01-01

    There is a delicate balance between the assessment of learning and assessment for learning. The recommendations included in this Assessment department may be useful for teachers working to achieve this balance and find a more accurate and complete understandings of students' literacy strengths and needs.

  2. Assigning the Appropriate Works for Review on Networked Peer Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Chien-I

    2017-01-01

    Peer assessment can expand the cognitive schemas of students, facilitate knowledge construction, and promote discussion and cooperative learning among students and their peers. In recent years, the application of the internet to conduct peer assessment activities has been widely implemented. The advantages of networked peer assessments over…

  3. Assessment for All

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Science Scope, 2005

    2005-01-01

    There are many ways of assessing students and the work they do, and many ways of getting them ready for those assessments. Special needs students provide an extra challenge to educators because they have difficulty preparing for assessment and often more difficulty communicating what they know. It is not enough to be a thoughtful, lab-focused…

  4. Assessments That Promote Collaborative Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Watanabe, Maika; Evans, Laura

    2015-01-01

    This article discusses assessments that can be used to help encourage a collaborative classroom community, in which students help one another learn mathematics. The authors describe participation quizzes and explanation quizzes as assessment tools that encourage students to work together, share specific questions on challenging mathematics…

  5. The Opposing Forces that Shape Developmental Education: Assessment, Placement, and Progression at CUNY Community Colleges. CCRC Working Paper No. 36

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jaggars, Shanna Smith; Hodara, Michelle

    2011-01-01

    The developmental education process, as it is typically implemented in colleges across the country, seems straightforward: underprepared students are assessed and placed into an appropriate developmental course sequence designed to prepare them for college-level work; once finished with the sequence, these students presumably then move on to…

  6. A Behavior Focused Assessment of Co-Op Performance: A Comparison of Co-Op and Non-Co-Op Graduating Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pennaforte, Antoine

    2016-01-01

    This paper investigates how student-workers' performance can be assessed through the notion of work-role performance, on the basis of three behavioral-related dimensions (proficiency, adaptivity, and proactivity), and proposes a definition of performance prior to graduation. By taking into account the accumulation of work experience, this article…

  7. Need satisfaction, work-school interference and school dropout: an application of self-determination theory.

    PubMed

    Taylor, Geneviève; Lekes, Natasha; Gagnon, Hugo; Kwan, Lisa; Koestner, Richard

    2012-12-01

    In many parts of the world, it is common for secondary school students to be involved in part-time employment. Research shows that working can have a negative impact on school engagement. However, the majority of studies have focused on the amount of time that students spend working rather than on the quality of work experience and its influence on school engagement. This study explored the relation of part-time work and school experiences to dropout intentions among secondary school and junior college students. The study was conceptualized from a self-determination theory perspective (Deci & Ryan, 2000). Participants were 3,248 students from rural and suburban schools in the greater region of Montreal, Canada. Questionnaires were used to assess the number of hours worked, the extent to which work interfered with or facilitated school functioning, autonomy, competence, and relatedness experienced in the work and school domains. School performance and school dropout intentions were also assessed. A curvilinear relation between work hours and dropout intentions was found, reflecting that part-time work began to be associated with higher dropout intentions only when students worked more than 7 hr per week. Analyses also showed that work-school interference was related to dropout intentions, and that this variable served to mediate the relation of employer autonomy support to dropout intentions. These results suggest that both the quantity and the quality of students' part-time work experiences need to be considered when examining the relation of work to school engagement. ©2011 The British Psychological Society.

  8. Assessing Student Perception of Practice Evaluation Knowledge in Introductory Research Methods

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baker, Lisa R.; Pollio, David E.; Hudson, Ashley

    2011-01-01

    The authors explored the use of the Practice Evaluation Knowledge Scale (PEKS) to assess student perception of acquisition and retention of practice evaluation knowledge from an undergraduate research methods class. The authors sampled 2 semesters of undergraduate social work students enrolled in an introductory research methods course.…

  9. Assessing LEP Migrant Students for Special Education Services. ERIC Digest.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lozano-Rodriguez, Jose R.; Castellano, Jaime A.

    Many migrant students are not identified for needed special education services in a timely manner. This digest describes the obligations of schools to provide such services, and discusses approaches for student referral, assessment, and placement and working with migrant families. Federal mandates concerning special education are summarized, and…

  10. Grades, Student Satisfaction and Retention in Online and Face-to-Face Introductory Psychology Units: A Test of Equivalency Theory.

    PubMed

    Garratt-Reed, David; Roberts, Lynne D; Heritage, Brody

    2016-01-01

    There has been a recent rapid growth in the number of psychology courses offered online through institutions of higher education. The American Psychological Association has highlighted the importance of ensuring the effectiveness of online psychology courses (Halonen et al., 2013). Despite this, there have been inconsistent findings regarding student grades, satisfaction, and retention in online psychology units. Equivalency Theory (Simonson, 1999; Simonson et al., 1999) posits that online and classroom-based learners will attain equivalent learning outcomes when equivalent learning experiences are provided. We present a study of an online introductory psychology unit designed to provide equivalent learning experiences to the pre-existing face-to-face version of the unit. Using quasi-experimental methods, academic performance, student feedback, and retention data from 866 Australian undergraduate psychology students were examined to assess whether the online unit developed to provide equivalent learning experiences produced comparable outcomes to the 'traditional' unit delivered face-to-face. Student grades did not significantly differ between modes of delivery, except for a group-work based assessment where online students performed more poorly. Student satisfaction was generally high in both modes of the unit, with group-work the key source of dissatisfaction in the online unit. The results provide partial support for Equivalency Theory. The group-work based assessment did not provide an equivalent learning experience for students in the online unit highlighting the need for further research to determine effective methods of engaging students in online group activities. Consistent with previous research, retention rates were significantly lower in the online unit, indicating the need to develop effective strategies to increase online retention rates. While this study demonstrates successes in presenting students with an equivalent learning experience, we recommend that future research investigate means of successfully facilitating collaborative group-work assessment, and to explore contributing factors to actual student retention in online units beyond that of non-equivalent learning experiences.

  11. Grades, Student Satisfaction and Retention in Online and Face-to-Face Introductory Psychology Units: A Test of Equivalency Theory

    PubMed Central

    Garratt-Reed, David; Roberts, Lynne D.; Heritage, Brody

    2016-01-01

    There has been a recent rapid growth in the number of psychology courses offered online through institutions of higher education. The American Psychological Association has highlighted the importance of ensuring the effectiveness of online psychology courses (Halonen et al., 2013). Despite this, there have been inconsistent findings regarding student grades, satisfaction, and retention in online psychology units. Equivalency Theory (Simonson, 1999; Simonson et al., 1999) posits that online and classroom-based learners will attain equivalent learning outcomes when equivalent learning experiences are provided. We present a study of an online introductory psychology unit designed to provide equivalent learning experiences to the pre-existing face-to-face version of the unit. Using quasi-experimental methods, academic performance, student feedback, and retention data from 866 Australian undergraduate psychology students were examined to assess whether the online unit developed to provide equivalent learning experiences produced comparable outcomes to the ‘traditional’ unit delivered face-to-face. Student grades did not significantly differ between modes of delivery, except for a group-work based assessment where online students performed more poorly. Student satisfaction was generally high in both modes of the unit, with group-work the key source of dissatisfaction in the online unit. The results provide partial support for Equivalency Theory. The group-work based assessment did not provide an equivalent learning experience for students in the online unit highlighting the need for further research to determine effective methods of engaging students in online group activities. Consistent with previous research, retention rates were significantly lower in the online unit, indicating the need to develop effective strategies to increase online retention rates. While this study demonstrates successes in presenting students with an equivalent learning experience, we recommend that future research investigate means of successfully facilitating collaborative group-work assessment, and to explore contributing factors to actual student retention in online units beyond that of non-equivalent learning experiences. PMID:27242587

  12. Work-engaged nurses for a better clinical learning environment: a ward-level analysis.

    PubMed

    Tomietto, Marco; Comparcini, Dania; Simonetti, Valentina; Pelusi, Gilda; Troiani, Silvano; Saarikoski, Mikko; Cicolini, Giancarlo

    2016-05-01

    To correlate workgroup engagement in nursing teams and the clinical learning experience of nursing students. Work engagement plays a pivotal role in explaining motivational dynamics. Nursing education is workplace-based and, through their clinical placements, nursing students develop both their clinical competences and their professional identity. However, there is currently a lack of evidence on the role of work engagement related to students' learning experiences. A total of 519 nurses and 519 nursing students were enrolled in hospital settings. The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) was used to assess work engagement, and the Clinical Learning Environment and Supervision plus nurse Teacher (CLES+T) scale was used to assess students' learning experience. A multilevel linear regression analysis was performed. Group-level work engagement of nurses correlated with students' clinical learning experience (β = 0.11, P < 0.001). Specifically, the 'absorption' and 'dedication' factors mostly contributed to enhancing clinical learning (respectively, β = 0.37, P < 0.001 and β = 0.20, P < 0.001). Nursing teams' work engagement is an important motivational factor to enhance effective nursing education. Nursing education institutions and health-care settings need to conjointly work to build effective organisational climates. The results highlighted the importance of considering the group-level analysis to understand the most effective strategies of intervention for both organisations and nursing education. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. How Do Learning Outcomes, Assessments and Student Engagement in a Fully Online Geoscience Laboratory Compare to Those Of The Original Hands-on Exercise?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, F. M.

    2015-12-01

    In a third year geoscience elective for BSc majors, we adapted several active f2f learning strategies for an equivalent fully online version of the course. In particular, we converted a hands-on laboratory including analysis and interpretation of hand-specimens, sketching results and peer-to-peer discussion of scientific implications. This study compares learning outcomes in both formats and describes resources that make engaging, effective and efficient learning experiences for large classes in an asynchronous online environment. Our two hypotheses are: 1) a hands-on geology lab exercise can be converted for efficient fully online use without sacrificing feedback and assessment opportunities; 2) students find either the f2f or DE versions equally effective and enjoyable as learning experiences. Key components are an authentic context, interactive resources including sketching, strategies that enable efficient assessment and feedback on solo and group work, and asynchronous yet productive interaction with peers. Students in the f2f class handle real rock and fossil specimens, work with peers in the lab and classroom, and deliver most results including annotated figures on paper. DE students complete identical tasks using interactive high resolution figures and videos of specimens. Solo work is first delivered for automated assessment and feedback, then students engage asynchronously in small groups to improve results and discuss implications. Chronostratigraphy and other interpretations are sketched on prepared template images using a simple open-source sketching app that ensures equal access and consistent results that are efficient to assess by peers and instructors. Learning outcomes based on subsequent quizzes, sketches, and lab results (paper for f2f students and automated data entry for DE students), show that f2f and online students demonstrate knowledge and scientific interpretations of comparable quality. Effective engagement and group work are demonstrated for f2f students using video and survey data, and for DE students using learning management system tracking data and similar survey data. Finally, these initiatives are shown to be scalable to classes of many students by comparing the time required for instructors to run and grade the lab in both settings.

  14. Different Approaches to Assessing the Quality of Explanations Following a Multiple-Document Inquiry Activity in Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wiley, Jennifer; Hastings, Peter; Blaum, Dylan; Jaeger, Allison J.; Hughes, Simon; Wallace, Patricia; Griffin, Thomas D.; Britt, M. Anne

    2017-01-01

    This article describes several approaches to assessing student understanding using written explanations that students generate as part of a multiple-document inquiry activity on a scientific topic (global warming). The current work attempts to capture the causal structure of student explanations as a way to detect the quality of the students'…

  15. Students, Teachers and Alternative Assessment in Secondary School: Relational Models Theory (RMT) in the Field of Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bagley, Sylvia Stralberg

    2010-01-01

    The quality and types of relationships formed between students and teachers has been shown to play an essential part in the personal and academic success of students (Davis, 2003; Pianta, 1999). Little, however, has been done to determine the role that assessment plays in teacher-student relationships. Drawing upon the work of cultural…

  16. Learning about the Quality of Work That Teachers Expect: Students' Perceptions of Exemplar Marking versus Teacher Explanation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hendry, Graham D.; Jukic, Katherine

    2014-01-01

    Assessment is an important element of university curricula for both teachers and students. It provides evidence that students have learned what their teachers expected them to learn. There is good evidence that teachers' use of exemplars in a dedicated marking class held before an assessment task helps students understand what is expected of them…

  17. Assessment Update: Progress, Trends, and Practices in Higher Education. Volume 25, Issue 3, May-June 2013

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Banta, Trudy W., Ed.

    2013-01-01

    This issue of "Assessment Update" presents the following articles: (1) Launching E-Portfolios: An Organic Process; (2) Editor's Notes: Envisioning Learning; (3) Promoting Student Affairs Buy-In for Assessment: Lessons Learned; (4) Working at Assessment; (5) Making the Case for Formative Assessment: How It Improves Student Engagement and…

  18. Academic Workload Implications of Assessing Student Learning in Work-Integrated Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bilgin, Ayse A.; Rowe, Anna D.; Clark, Lindie

    2017-01-01

    Assessment of student learning is a crucial part of quality work—integrated learning (WIL), yet presents some significant challenges for WIL practitioners. Assessment of WIL differs to assessment in classroom based courses because of the complexities of assessing the more holistic nature of learning in WIL, as well as (in many cases)…

  19. A Design Science Research Methodology for Developing a Computer-Aided Assessment Approach Using Method Marking Concept

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Genemo, Hussein; Miah, Shah Jahan; McAndrew, Alasdair

    2016-01-01

    Assessment has been defined as an authentic method that plays an important role in evaluating students' learning attitude in acquiring lifelong knowledge. Traditional methods of assessment including the Computer-Aided Assessment (CAA) for mathematics show limited ability to assess students' full work unless multi-step questions are sub-divided…

  20. Teachers' Interpretations of Student Statements about Slope

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nagle, Courtney; Moore-Russo, Deborah; Styers, Jodie L.

    2017-01-01

    This paper describes seven in-service teachers' interpretations of student statements about slope. The teachers interpreted sample student work, conjectured about student contributions, assessed the students' understanding, and positioned the students' statements in the mathematics curriculum. The teachers' responses provide insight into their…

  1. Assessment of Student Learning: How Two Paths Forge into One.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sonandre, Debbie M. A.

    2002-01-01

    Discusses the history, struggles, and successes of assessment work done at Tacoma Community College (TCC) (Washington). Demonstrates the state and national work TCC has accomplished and the partnerships that have been formed with other institutions as a result of the work. Offers assessment grid example. (NB)

  2. Using MBTI for the Success Assessment of Engineering Teams in Project-Based Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rodríguez Montequín, V.; Mesa Fernández, J. M.; Balsera, J. Villanueva; García Nieto, A.

    2013-01-01

    Project-Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching and learning methodology that emphasizes student centered instruction by assigning projects. The students have to conduct significant projects and cope with realistic working conditions and scenarios. PBL is generally done by groups of students working together towards a common goal. Several factors play…

  3. Assessing the Reliability of Self- and Peer Rating in Student Group Work

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhang, Bo; Johnston, Lucy; Kilic, Gulsen Bagci

    2008-01-01

    Peer and self-ratings have been strongly recommended as the means to adjust individual contributions to group work. To evaluate the quality of student ratings, previous research has primarily explored the validity of these ratings, as indicated by the degree of agreement between student and teacher ratings. This research describes a…

  4. Teaching Single-Case Evaluation to Graduate Social Work Students: A Replication

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wong, Stephen E.; O'Driscoll, Janice

    2017-01-01

    A course teaching graduate social work students to use an evidence-based model and to evaluate their own practice was replicated and evaluated. Students conducted a project in which they reviewed published research to achieve a clinical goal, applied quantitative measures for ongoing assessment, implemented evidence-based interventions, and…

  5. Verbal working memory and reading abilities among students with visual impairment.

    PubMed

    Argyropoulos, Vassilios; Masoura, Elvira; Tsiakali, Thomai K; Nikolaraizi, Magda; Lappa, Christina

    2017-05-01

    This study investigated the relationship between working memory (WM) and reading abilities among students with visual impairment (VI). Seventy-five students with VI (visually impairment and blindness), aged 10-15 years old participated in the study, of whom 44 were visually impaired and 31 were blind. The participants' reading ability was assessed with the standardized reading ability battery Test-A (Padeliadu & Antoniou, 2008) and their verbal working memory ability was assessed with the listening recall task from the Working Memory Test Battery for Children (Pickering et al., 2001). Data analysis indicated a strong correlation between verbal WM and decoding, reading comprehension and overall reading ability among the participants with VI, while no correlation was found between reading fluency and verbal WM. The present study points out the important role of verbal WM in reading among students who are VI and carries implications for the education of those individuals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Work-based assessment: qualitative perspectives of novice nutrition and dietetics educators.

    PubMed

    Palermo, C; Beck, E J; Chung, A; Ash, S; Capra, S; Truby, H; Jolly, B

    2014-10-01

    The assessment of competence for health professionals including nutrition and dietetics professionals in work-based settings is challenging. The present study aimed to explore the experiences of educators involved in the assessment of nutrition and dietetics students in the practice setting and to identify barriers and enablers to effective assessment. A qualitative research approach using in-depth interviews was employed with a convenience sample of inexperienced dietitian assessors. Interviews explored assessment practices and challenges. Data were analysed using a thematic approach within a phenomenological framework. Twelve relatively inexperienced practice educators were purposefully sampled to take part in the present study. Three themes emerged from these data. (i) Student learning and thus assessment is hindered by a number of barriers, including workload demands and case-mix. Some workplaces are challenged to provide appropriate learning opportunities and environment. Adequate support for placement educators from the university, managers and their peers and planning are enablers to effective assessment. (ii) The role of the assessor and their relationship with students impacts on competence assessment. (iii) There is a lack of clarity in the tasks and responsibilities of competency-based assessment. The present study provides perspectives on barriers and enablers to effective assessment. It highlights the importance of reflective practice and feedback in assessment practices that are synonymous with evidence from other disciplines, which can be used to better support a work-based competency assessment of student performance. © 2013 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

  7. Work-Based Learning: Good News, Bad News and Hope. Research Brief.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bottoms, Gene; Presson, Alice

    The effects of work-based learning on student achievement were examined by analyzing data from the 1996 High Schools That Work (HSTW) assessment. The comparison focused on the experiences of 12th-graders in structured work-based learning programs and 12th-graders with after-school jobs. A larger percentage of students earning school credit for…

  8. Assessing Whether Students Seek Constructive Criticism: The Design of an Automated Feedback System for a Graphic Design Task

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cutumisu, Maria; Blair, Kristen P.; Chin, Doris B.; Schwartz, Daniel L.

    2017-01-01

    We introduce a choice-based assessment strategy that measures students' choices to seek constructive feedback and to revise their work. We present the feedback system of a game we designed to assess whether students choose positive or negative feedback and choose to revise their posters in the context of a poster design task, where they learn…

  9. The Influence of Teacher Emotion on Grading Practices: A Preliminary Look at the Evaluation of Student Writing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brackett, Marc A.; Floman, James L.; Ashton-James, Claire; Cherkasskiy, Lillia; Salovey, Peter

    2013-01-01

    The evaluation of student work is a central aspect of the teaching profession that can affect students in significant ways. Although teachers use multiple criteria for assessing student work, it is not yet known if emotions are a factor in their grading decisions as has been found in other instances of professional evaluations. Reason to believe…

  10. A Comparison of Student Knowledge and Attitude toward Research: Are Main Campus Students Different from Those in a Hybrid Environment?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buchanan, Rachel L.; Mathews, Deborah A.

    2013-01-01

    The trend toward the use of distance education in teaching social work students has been rapidly growing over the past two decades. A constant issue of concern is related to student outcomes. This paper reports on a longitudinal quasi-experimental study assessing the differential knowledge and attitude toward research between social work students…

  11. Development and Validation of an Instrument to Assess Social Work Students' Perceptions, Knowledge, and Attitudes about Human Trafficking Questionnaire (PKA-HTQ): An Exploratory Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nsonwu, Maura Busch; Welch-Brewer, Chiquitia; Heffron, Laurie Cook; Lemke, Melinda A.; Busch-Armendariz, Noel; Sulley, Caitlin; Cook, Sharon Warren; Lewis, Mary; Watson, Elizabeth; Moore, Wayne; Li, Jilan

    2017-01-01

    Objective: This study sought to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a tool designed to assess social work students' knowledge of and perceptions and attitudes toward human trafficking. To achieve this aim, the Perceptions, Knowledge, and Attitudes toward Human Trafficking Questionnaire (PKA-HTQ) was developed and its psychometric…

  12. Strategies to teach family assessment and intervention through an online international curriculum.

    PubMed

    Anderson, Kathryn Hoehn; Friedemann, Marie-Luise

    2010-05-01

    A Web-based certificate program for international health professionals to acquire understanding of family health and strategies to implement culturally sensitive health care of families is outlined. In four Web courses and a project, students progress interactively to apply culture, family, and interdisciplinary health system theories to assessments and clinical interventions with families in the interdisciplinary setting. Four online educational strategies to facilitate student success from the virtual classroom to actual clinical care are described: adjusting to the technology, communicating the learning progress openly, giving mutual feedback, and implementing evidence-based family care. Outcomes addressing student learning and skill enhancement, family interaction, and student and faculty experiences in the virtual learning environment are explored. Overall, students learned to work successfully with families in health care, experienced increasing comfort and competency in challenging situations, introduced family care in their work setting, and emerged as leaders while working in interdisciplinary teams.

  13. Performance assessment instrument to assess the senior high students' psychomotor for the salt hydrolysis material

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nahadi, Firman, Harry; Yulina, Erlis

    2016-02-01

    The purposes of this study were to develop a performance assessment instrument for assessing the competence of psychomotor high school students on salt hydrolysis concepts. The design used in this study was the Research & Development which consists of three phases: development, testing and application of instruments. Subjects in this study were high school students in class XI science, which amounts to 93 students. In the development phase, seven validators validated 17 tasks instrument. In the test phase, we divided 19 students into three-part different times to conduct performance test in salt hydrolysis lab work and observed by six raters. The first, the second, and the third groups recpectively consist of five, six, and eight students. In the application phase, two raters observed the performance of 74 students in the salt hydrolysis lab work in several times. The results showed that 16 of 17 tasks of performance assessment instrument developed can be stated to be valid with CVR value of 1,00 and 0,714. While, the rest was not valid with CVR value was 0.429, below the critical value (0.622). In the test phase, reliability value of instrument obtained were 0,951 for the five-student group, 0,806 for the six-student group and 0,743 for the eight-student group. From the interviews, teachers strongly agree with the performance instrument developed. They stated that the instrument was feasible to use for maximum number of students were six in a single observation.

  14. Can You Build It? Using Manipulatives to Assess Student Understanding of Food-Web Concepts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grumbine, Richard

    2012-01-01

    This article outlines an exercise that assesses student knowledge of food-web and energy-flow concepts. Students work in teams and use manipulatives to build food-web models based on criteria assigned by the instructor. The models are then peer reviewed according to guidelines supplied by the instructor.

  15. 1986 Student Success Strategies: Access, Assessment, Intervention.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schuette, Gretchen; And Others

    An action conference on issues related to community college student success was held in May 1986 to stimulate and share ideas related to access, assessment, and intervention that would better ensure student success. The reports and working notes of the small groups assigned to examine these topics were used to create this summary document.…

  16. Geography Students' Assessment of Internship Experience at a Kenyan University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Simiyu, Robert Romborah; Okaka, Fredrick Okoth; Omondi, Paul

    2015-01-01

    This paper reports findings of Moi University's geography students' assessment of their internship, which underscore the importance of internship in bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and its application in the real world of work. Not only were the majority of the students able to apply geographical knowledge and skills in their work…

  17. How Teachers Evaluate Their Work Style Depending on the Subject They Teach and Years of Work Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Perucica, Ranka

    2017-01-01

    In previous works we presented the studies that discussed how students evaluate their teachers and their style of teaching. To what extent their styles affect the students' attitudes to teaching, learning, success, motivation and the like. In this work we have tried to point out how teachers assess their style of work, depending on the subject…

  18. A sweeter way of teaching health and safety

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnson, Claire; Bates, Joanna; McLaughlin, Kerry; Mason, Steve; Dean, Julian S.

    2016-09-01

    The underpinning educational theory for practical work is that of experimental learning or ‘learning by and through doing’. Hands-on practical work promotes learning as it provides students with an opportunity to put theory into practice. There are many hazards with practical work, each with an associated risk that students will encounter while they are working in the laboratory and, therefore, adequate instruction should be given before students carry out any practical work. Getting students to engage with this in the past has been difficult due to the dryness of the material. Here we show how every students sweet tooth can be used to teach them risk assessment, experimental design and embedding health and safety as part of their scientific culture.

  19. Motivations, barriers and ethical understandings of healthcare student volunteers on a medical service trip: a mixed methods study.

    PubMed

    Rovers, John; Japs, Kelsey; Truong, Erica; Shah, Yogesh

    2016-03-22

    The motivation to volunteer on a medical service trip (MST) may involve more than a simple desire for philanthropy. Some volunteers may be motivated by an intrinsic interest in volunteering in which the context of the volunteer activity is less important. Others may volunteer because the context of their volunteering is more important than their intrinsic interest in volunteering. Furthermore, MSTs may pose a variety of ethical problems that volunteers should consider prior to engaging in a trip. This study evaluated the motivations and barriers for graduate health care students volunteering for an MST to either the Dominican Republic or Mississippi. Volunteers' understanding of some of the ethical issues associated with MSTs was also assessed. Thirty-five graduate health professions students who volunteered on an MST were asked to complete an online survey. Students' motivations and barriers for volunteering were assessed using a 5-point Likert scale and Fisher's exact test. Ethical understanding of issues in volunteering was assessed using thematic analysis. Students' motivations for volunteering appeared to be related to the medical context of their service more than an inherent desire for volunteer work. Significant differences were seen in motivations and barriers for some student groups, especially those whose volunteer work had less opportunity for clinical service. Thematic analysis revealed two major themes and suggested that students had an empirical understanding that volunteer work could have both positive and negative effects. An understanding of students' motivations for volunteering on an MST may allow faculty to design trips with activities that effectively address student motivations. Although students had a basic understanding of some of the ethical issues involved, they had not considered the impact of a service group on the in-country partners they work with.

  20. The impact of a change to assessment policy on students from a New Zealand school of nursing.

    PubMed

    Bland, Marian; Gallagher, Peter

    2009-10-01

    This article reports the findings of a small scale research project in one multi-sited nursing school in New Zealand. The project sought to evaluate the impact on students of a change in assessment policy which effectively removed resubmission opportunities for academic work in Year Three of a Bachelor of Nursing programme. The instrument was a brief questionnaire distributed to all students (n=125) who enrolled in the third year of the degree in 2005. Students were surveyed at the start (74% response rate) and end of the 2005 academic year (64% response rate). Their responses revealed the stress arising from the policy changes; limited knowledge of policy details; and changes in study habits and relationships with faculty. More specifically the study indicated that most students do not overly concern themselves with the detail of assessment policy even in the light of significant change. Secondly, although most students viewed themselves as potentially disadvantaged by the change, some considered it to be a positive quality improvement initiative. Finally, despite the anxieties students held about the perceived negative impact of the changes, a positive outcome was closer working relationships with lecturers, to ensure that their one and only submission was their best work.

  1. A Self-Assessment Checklist for Undergraduate Students' Argumentative Writing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nimehchisalem, Vahid; Chye, David Yoong Soon; Jaswant Singh, Sheena Kaur A/P; Zainuddin, Siti Zaidah; Norouzi, Sara; Khalid, Sheren

    2014-01-01

    With a growing emphasis on students' ability to assess their own written works in teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) writing courses, self-assessment checklists are today regarded as useful tools. These checklists can help learners diagnose their own weaknesses and improve their writing performance. This necessitates development of…

  2. Assessing the Immeasurables of Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Higgs, Joy

    2014-01-01

    This paper examines a significant challenge facing students and educators in work-integrated learning (WIL), the learning and assessment of practice immeasurables. Often student assessment focuses on the overt and those aspects of practice that are readily observable and measurable. Educators also need to look at those aspects of practice which…

  3. Possible Link between Medical Students' Motivation for Academic Work and Time Engaged in Physical Exercise

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aung, Myo Nyein; Somboonwong, Juraiporn; Jaroonvanichkul, Vorapol; Wannakrairot, Pongsak

    2016-01-01

    Physical exercise results in an active well-being. It is likely that students' engagement in physical exercise keeps them motivated to perform academic endeavors. This study aimed to assess the relation of time engaged in physical exercise with medical students' motivation for academic work. Prospectively, 296 second-year medical students…

  4. An Evaluation of a Course That Introduces Undergraduate Students to Authentic Aerospace Engineering Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mena, Irene B.; Schmitz, Sven; McLaughlin, Dennis

    2015-01-01

    This paper describes the implementation and assessment of an aerospace engineering course in which undergraduate students worked on research projects with graduate research mentors. The course was created using the principles from cooperative learning and project-based learning, and consisted of students working in small groups on a complex,…

  5. Assessing the Implicit Curriculum in Social Work Education: Heterogeneity of Students' Experiences and Impact on Professional Empowerment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peterson, N. Andrew; Farmer, Antoinette Y.; Donnelly, Louis; Forenza, Brad

    2014-01-01

    The implicit curriculum, which refers to a student's learning environment, has been described as an essential feature of an integrated professional social work curriculum. Very little is known, however, about the heterogeneity of students' experiences with the implicit curriculum, how this heterogeneity may be distributed across groups of…

  6. The Human Rights Philosophy: Support and Opposition among Undergraduate Social Work Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Steen, Julie A.; Mann, Mary; Gryglewicz, Kim

    2016-01-01

    In response to the rising importance of human rights, social work student attitudes toward human rights and the effect of human rights course content on these attitudes were assessed. Descriptive results from a sample of 77 students pointed to a few areas of low support for the human rights philosophy, specifically rights related to mental…

  7. Accountability: Teaching through Assessment and Feedback, Not Grading

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wormeli, Rick

    2006-01-01

    Grading policies such as refusing to accept late work, giving grades of zero, and refusing to allow students to redo their work may be intended as punishment for poor performance, but such policies will not really teach students to be accountable, and they provide very little useful information about students' mastery of the material. This article…

  8. Assessment of a novel group-centered testing schema in an upper-level undergraduate molecular biotechnology course.

    PubMed

    Srougi, Melissa C; Miller, Heather B; Witherow, D Scott; Carson, Susan

    2013-01-01

    Providing students with assignments that focus on critical thinking is an important part of their scientific and intellectual development. However, as class sizes increase, so does the grading burden, prohibiting many faculty from incorporating critical thinking assignments in the classroom. In an effort to continue to provide our students with meaningful critical thinking exercises, we implemented a novel group-centered, problem-based testing scheme. We wanted to assess how performing critical thinking problem sets as group work compares to performing the sets as individual work, in terms of student attitudes and learning outcomes. During two semesters of our recombinant DNA course, students had the same lecture material and similar assessments. In the Fall semester, student learning was assessed by two collaborative take-home exams, followed immediately by individual, closed-book in-class exams on the same content, as well as a final cumulative exam. Student teams on the take-home exams were instructor-assigned, and each team turned in one collaborative exam. In the Spring semester, the control group of students were required to turn in their own individual take-home exams, followed by the in-class exams and final cumulative exam. For the majority of students, learning outcomes were met, regardless of whether they worked in teams. In addition, collaborative learning was favorably received by students and grading was reduced for instructors. These data suggest that group-centered, problem-based learning is a useful model for achievement of student learning outcomes in courses where it would be infeasible to provide feedback on individual critical thinking assignments due to grading volume. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. A Comparison of Inquiry and Worked Example Web-Based Instruction Using Physlets

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Kevin M.; Nicoll, Gayle; Brooks, David W.

    2004-01-01

    This paper compares two protocols for web-based instruction using simulations in an introductory physics class. The Inquiry protocol allowed students to control input parameters while the Worked Example protocol did not. Students in the Worked Example group performed significantly higher on a common assessment. The ramifications of this study are…

  10. Reading Performance of Career-Bound Students: Good News and Bad News from the 1996 High Schools That Work Assessment. Research Brief.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bottoms, Gene; Creech, Betty

    Good news about reading achievement of career-bound students at High Schools That Work (HSTW) sites includes the following: (1) 60% of the 260 sites that tested students in 1993/94 and again in 1996 saw improvement in reading scores; (2) the performance of all students majority and minority improved significantly; (3) HSTW sites widened the gap…

  11. Willingness to work in rural areas and the role of intrinsic versus extrinsic professional motivations - a survey of medical students in Ghana.

    PubMed

    Agyei-Baffour, Peter; Kotha, S Rani; Johnson, Jennifer C; Gyakobo, Mawuli; Asabir, Kwesi; Kwansah, Janet; Nakua, Emmanuel; Dzodzomenyo, Mawuli; Snow, Rachel C; Kruk, Margaret E

    2011-08-09

    Retaining health workers in rural areas is challenging for a number of reasons, ranging from personal preferences to difficult work conditions and low remuneration. This paper assesses the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation on willingness to accept postings to deprived areas among medical students in Ghana. A computer-based survey involving 302 fourth year medical students was conducted from May-August 2009. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between students' willingness to accept rural postings and their professional motivations, rural exposure and family parental professional and educational status (PPES). Over 85% of students were born in urban areas and 57% came from affluent backgrounds. Nearly two-thirds of students reported strong intrinsic motivation to study medicine. After controlling for demographic characteristics and rural exposure, motivational factors did not influence willingness to practice in rural areas. High family PPES was consistently associated with lower willingness to work in rural areas. Although most Ghanaian medical students are motivated to study medicine by the desire to help others, this does not translate into willingness to work in rural areas. Efforts should be made to build on intrinsic motivation during medical training and in designing rural postings, as well as favour lower PPES students for admission.

  12. An Assessment Arms Race and Its Fallout: High-Stakes Grading and the Case for Slow Scholarship

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harland, Tony; McLean, Angela; Wass, Rob; Miller, Ellen; Sim, Kwong Nui

    2015-01-01

    This research questions the impact of assessment on university teaching and learning in circumstances where all student work is graded. Sixty-two students and lecturers were interviewed to explore their experiences of assessment at an institution that had adopted a modular course structure and largely unregulated numbers of internal assessments.…

  13. Measuring more than we know? An examination of the motivational and situational influences in science achievement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haydel, Angela Michelle

    The purpose of this dissertation was to advance theoretical understanding about fit between the personal resources of individuals and the characteristics of science achievement tasks. Testing continues to be pervasive in schools, yet we know little about how students perceive tests and what they think and feel while they are actually working on test items. This study focused on both the personal (cognitive and motivational) and situational factors that may contribute to individual differences in achievement-related outcomes. 387 eighth grade students first completed a survey including measures of science achievement goals, capability beliefs, efficacy related to multiple-choice items and performance assessments, validity beliefs about multiple-choice items and performance assessments, and other perceptions of these item formats. Students then completed science achievement tests including multiple-choice items and two performance assessments. A sample of students was asked to verbalize both thoughts and feelings as they worked through the test items. These think-alouds were transcribed and coded for evidence of cognitive, metacognitive and motivational engagement. Following each test, all students completed measures of effort, mood, energy level and strategy use during testing. Students reported that performance assessments were more challenging, authentic, interesting and valid than multiple-choice tests. They also believed that comparisons between students were easier using multiple-choice items. Overall, students tried harder, felt better, had higher levels of energy and used more strategies while working on performance assessments. Findings suggested that performance assessments might be more congruent with a mastery achievement goal orientation, while multiple-choice tests might be more congruent with a performance achievement goal orientation. A variable-centered analytic approach including regression analyses provided information about how students, on average, who differed in terms of their teachers' ratings of their science ability, achievement goals, capability beliefs and experiences with science achievement tasks perceived, engaged in, and performed on multiple-choice items and performance assessments. Person-centered analyses provided information about the perceptions, engagement and performance of subgroups of individuals who had different motivational characteristics. Generally, students' personal goals and capability beliefs related more strongly to test perceptions, but not performance, while teacher ratings of ability and test-specific beliefs related to performance.

  14. Functional Behavioral Assessments and Behavior Support Plans for Work-Based Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kittelman, Angus; Wagner Bromley, Katherine; Mazzotti, Valerie L.

    2016-01-01

    Work experiences are linked to positive post-school outcomes for youth and young adults with disabilities. Unfortunately, students who struggle to manage conflict and challenges in work settings have a difficult time maintaining employment. Though ecological assessments are used to create supported work plans surrounding socially inappropriate…

  15. A Health Assessment Survey of Veteran Students: Utilizing a Community College-Veterans Affairs Medical Center Partnership.

    PubMed

    Misra-Hebert, Anita D; Santurri, Laura; DeChant, Richard; Watts, Brook; Sehgal, Ashwini R; Aron, David C

    2015-10-01

    To assess health status among student veterans at a community college utilizing a partnership between a Veterans Affairs Medical Center and a community college. Student veterans at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio, in January to April 2013. A health assessment survey was sent to 978 veteran students. Descriptive analyses to assess prevalence of clinical diagnoses and health behaviors were performed. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess for independent predictors of functional limitations. 204 students participated in the survey (21% response rate). Self-reported depression and unhealthy behaviors were high. Physical and emotional limitations (45% and 35%, respectively), and pain interfering with work (42%) were reported. Logistic regression analyses confirmed the independent association of self-reported depression with functional limitation (odds ratio [OR] = 3.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4-7.8, p < 0.05, and C statistic 0.72) and of post-traumatic stress disorder with pain interfering with work (OR 3.9, CI 1.1-13.6, p < 0.05, and C statistic 0.75). A health assessment survey identified priority areas to inform targeted health promotion for student veterans at a community college. A partnership between a Veterans Affairs Medical Center and a community college can be utilized to help understand the health needs of veteran students. Reprint & Copyright © 2015 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

  16. Assessment of students' critical-thinking and problem-solving abilities across a 6-year doctor of pharmacy program.

    PubMed

    Gleason, Brenda L; Gaebelein, Claude J; Grice, Gloria R; Crannage, Andrew J; Weck, Margaret A; Hurd, Peter; Walter, Brenda; Duncan, Wendy

    2013-10-14

    To determine the feasibility of using a validated set of assessment rubrics to assess students' critical-thinking and problem-solving abilities across a doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum. Trained faculty assessors used validated rubrics to assess student work samples for critical-thinking and problem-solving abilities. Assessment scores were collected and analyzed to determine student achievement of these 2 ability outcomes across the curriculum. Feasibility of the process was evaluated in terms of time and resources used. One hundred sixty-one samples were assessed for critical thinking, and 159 samples were assessed for problem-solving. Rubric scoring allowed assessors to evaluate four 5- to 7-page work samples per hour. The analysis indicated that overall critical-thinking scores improved over the curriculum. Although low yield for problem-solving samples precluded meaningful data analysis, it was informative for identifying potentially needed curricular improvements. Use of assessment rubrics for program ability outcomes was deemed authentic and feasible. Problem-solving was identified as a curricular area that may need improving. This assessment method has great potential to inform continuous quality improvement of a PharmD program.

  17. Portfolios: An Alternative Method of Student and Program Assessment

    PubMed Central

    Hannam, Susan E.

    1995-01-01

    The use of performance-based evaluation and alternative assessment techniques has become essential for curriculum programs seeking Commission of Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) accreditation. In athletic training education, few assessment models exist to assess student performance over the entire course of their educational program. This article describes a model of assessment-a student athletic training portfolio of “best works.” The portfolio can serve as a method to assess student development and to assess program effectiveness. The goals of the program include purposes specific to the five NATA performance domains. In addition, four types of portfolio evidence are described: artifacts, attestations, productions, and reproductions. Quality assignments and projects completed by students as they progress through a six-semester program are identified relative to the type of evidence and the domain(s) they represent. The portfolio assists with student development, provides feedback for curriculum planning, allows for student/faculty collaboration and “coaching” of the student, and assists with job searching. This information will serve as a useful model for those athletic training programs looking for an alternative method of assessing student and program outcomes. PMID:16558359

  18. Efficiency in Assessment: Can Trained Student Interns Rate Essays as Well as Faculty Members?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cole, Tracy L.; Cochran, Loretta F.; Troboy, L. Kim; Roach, David W.

    2012-01-01

    What are the most efficient and effective methods in measuring outcomes for assurance of learning in higher education? This study examines the merits of outsourcing part of the assessment workload by comparing ratings completed by trained student interns to ratings completed by faculty. Faculty evaluation of students' written work samples provides…

  19. Prompting Faster Reading during Fluency Assessments: The Impact of Skill Level and Comprehension Measures on Changes in Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Forbes, Bethany E.; Skinner, Christopher H.; Maurer, Kristin; Taylor, Emily; Schall, Megan; Cazzell, Samantha; Ciancio, Dennis; Conley, Matt; Conley, Elisha

    2015-01-01

    Working with middle-school students, we replicated and extended research on oral reading fluency (ORF) assessments and prompting students to read faster. Altering ORF administration procedures by instructing students to read fast caused statistically significant increases in their words correct per minute (WCPM) and errors, which was moderated by…

  20. Defining and Assessing Team Skills of Business and Accountancy Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alghalith, Nabil; Blum, Michael; Medlock, Amanda; Weber, Sandy

    2004-01-01

    The objectives of the project are (1) to define the skills necessary for students to work effectively with others to achieve common goals, and (2) to develop an assessment instrument to measure student progress toward achieving these skills. The defined skill set will form a basis for common expectations related to team skills that will be shared…

  1. Assessing engineering students' demonstration of workplace competencies in experiential learning environments through internships and cooperative work experiences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laingen, Mark A.

    This study investigates the relationships between supervisor assessments and internship students' self-assessments for 15 workplace competencies, demonstrated in an internship or cooperative work environment. The 15 workplace competencies were developed by Iowa State University in collaboration with over 200 constituents comprised of Iowa State University COE alumni, engineering employers, COE faculty, partnering international faculty, and COE students, to provide clear, independent, and assessable measures for the eleven learning outcomes identified in the ABET Criterion 3 (a-k) outcomes. The study investigated workplace competency assessment data collected over ten years, commencing with the fall 2001 internship assessment term and concluding with the fall 2011 assessment term. The study used three separate methodologies to analyze workplace competency assessments in the COE. Part 1 analyzed data across the fifteen workplace competencies, and across ten programs in the College of Engineering, that have been involved with the workplace competency assessment of internship and cooperative students from the beginning of data collection in 2001. Supervisor assessment ratings were compared to internship student self-assessment ratings across the ten-year span from 2001-11using the non-parametric equivalent of the paired t-test; the Wilcoxon singed rank test for paired data. Part 2 of the study investigated the relationship between supervisor and student self-assessment data across assessment terms related to the 2001-05 and 2006-11 ABET accreditation cycles. The third part investigated how data tracking workplace competency strengths and weaknesses and ABET outcomes achievement percentages have changed between the assessment terms across accreditation cycles. Part 3 included an on-line survey sent to program curriculum committee members involved with workplace competency assessment data that investigated how the engineering programs are utilizing this data in support of continuous improvement of the program curricula. Results of the analysis demonstrate how paired supervisor assessment and student self-assessment ratings for assessment of the internship students' demonstration of workplace competencies can be useful in evaluating student demonstration of competency in COE learning outcomes through the experiential learning environment, and support continuous improvement practices for program curriculum development.

  2. Student Attainment in Connected Mathematics Curriculum [and] Effects of the Connected Mathematics Project on Student Achievement. What Works Clearinghouse Detailed Study Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    What Works Clearinghouse, 2004

    2004-01-01

    In this study, Ridgway et al. found mixed results, depending on the assessment test used. With the Balanced Assessment (BA) test, positive significant differences were found between the Connected Mathematics Project (CMP) students and non-CMP students in grades 6, 7, and 8. The results for the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) were less favorable…

  3. Student Attainment in Connected Mathematics Curriculum [and] Effects of the Connected Mathematics Project on Student Achievement. What Works Clearinghouse Brief Study Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    What Works Clearinghouse, 2004

    2004-01-01

    In this study, Ridgway et al. found mixed results, depending on the assessment test used. With the Balanced Assessment (BA) test, positive significant differences were found between the Connected Mathematics Project (CMP) students and non-CMP students in grades 6, 7, and 8. The results for the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) were less favorable…

  4. Self-perceived work preparedness of the graduating dental students.

    PubMed

    Manakil, J; George, R

    2013-05-01

    The primary goal of dental education is to prepare students to work independently in a dental practice setting following graduation. Whilst academicians assess students' work preparedness through examinations and evaluations, it is equally important to understand the work preparedness as perceived by students. All students in their final year of the graduate programme in dentistry were selected for this study. The questionnaire assessed the self-perceived confidence in skills and awareness needed to integrate into a general dental practice. Personal data such as gender, age and income status were optionally recorded. The questionnaire included open-ended questions relevant to the educational experiences and suggestions for improvement from student perspective. Sixty-three students (81.9%) responded to the questionnaire. The majority of the respondents (85.7%) perceived that their education had prepared them well for a career in dentistry, and 52.4% of the students considered that the combination of community placement and in-house training helped them to enhance clinical skills. Students' suggestion for improvements indicated that a large number would wish for more clinical sessions (71.4%), whilst only 28.6% preferred an equal distribution between general clinical placements, speciality clinical placement and didactic teaching as the essential factors in attaining competency. Analysing and understanding the student's self-perspective on their dental education and work preparedness contribute towards the quality management of the dental curriculum philosophies: in holistic patient health care, lifelong learning, integration knowledge and skills, leading to the ultimate goal of clinical proficiency. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  5. Refining scientific writing skills with feedback that works for students and instructors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kiani, Leily S.; Menke, Carrie

    2015-10-01

    Evaluation of student learning through assessment of communication skills is a generally important component of undergraduate education and particularly so for promotion of interdisciplinary research conducted by future scientists. To better build these skills we aim to quantify the effectiveness of feedback on student writing of technical reports in an upper-division physics lab course. In one implementation, feedback utilization - in the form of observing commented technical reports, attending office hours or emailing rough drafts of their reports was monitored then correlated with improvement in student writing. The improvement in student writing is quantified as the single-student normalized gain. A slight positive relationship was found between the number of times a student utilized feedback and the improvement in student writing. A subsequent study involved correlation of two complimentary assessments of student work. In the first assessment students received consistent feedback throughout the semester on all sections of a technical report in the form of highlighted bullet points in a detailed rubric. In the second assessment method students received varying amounts of feedback for each section of the technical paper throughout the semester with a focus on one section each week and follow-up feedback on previously covered sections. This approach provides focused feedback that can be scalable to larger classes. The number of highlighted bullet points in the rubric clearly decreases as a function of the focused feedback implementation. From this we conclude that student writing improves with the focused feedback method.

  6. Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems Braille Reading Assessment: An Exploratory Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Posey, Virginia K.; Henderson, Barbara W.

    2012-01-01

    Introduction: This exploratory study determined whether transcribing selected test items on an adult life and work skills reading test into braille could maintain the same approximate scale-score range and maintain fitness within the item response theory model as used by the Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems (CASAS) for developing…

  7. Vocational Assessment of Students with Disadvantages: Their Peculiar Needs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nolte, Deborah

    A study examined the underlying factor structure of the aptitude tests and work samples being completed by students with educational disadvantages (limited reading and mathematics skills) who were assessed with the current assessment model in the Akron (Ohio) Public Schools. The amount of variance accounted for by the factors was also…

  8. Improving Open Access through Prior Learning Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yin, Shuangxu; Kawachi, Paul

    2013-01-01

    This paper explores and presents new data on how to improve open access in distance education through using prior learning assessments. Broadly there are three types of prior learning assessment (PLAR): Type-1 for prospective students to be allowed to register for a course; Type-2 for current students to avoid duplicating work-load to gain…

  9. Formative Assessment of Procedural Skills: Students' Responses to the Objective Structured Clinical Examination and the Integrated Performance Procedural Instrument

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nestel, Debra; Kneebone, Roger; Nolan, Carmel; Akhtar, Kash; Darzi, Ara

    2011-01-01

    Assessment of clinical skills is a critical element of undergraduate medical education. We compare a traditional approach to procedural skills assessment--the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) with the Integrated Performance Procedural Instrument (IPPI). In both approaches, students work through "stations" or…

  10. Hegemony and Assessment: The Student Experience of Being in a Male Homogenous Higher Education Computing Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sheedy, Caroline

    2018-01-01

    This work emanates from a previous study examining the experiences of male final year students in computing degree programmes that focused on their perceptions as students where they had few, if any, female classmates. This empirical work consisted of focus groups, with the findings outlined here drawn from two groups that were homogeneous with…

  11. Reentry Program and Social Work Education: Training the Next Generation of Criminal Justice Social Workers.

    PubMed

    Franke, Nancy D; Treglia, Dan; Cnaan, Ram A

    2017-01-01

    Social work plays a marginal role in opposing the trend of mass incarceration and high rates of recidivism, and social work education offers limited opportunities for students to specialize in working with people who are currently or were previously incarcerated. How to train students of social work to work against mass-incarceration is still challenging. The authors devised and implemented an in-school social service agency devoted to working with people pre and post release from a prison system. The agency is a field practicum setting where interested students study and practice reentry work. In this article, the authors describe and assess the educational merit of this in-school agency. Findings from surveys of students and alumni suggest that the program attained its educational goals of connecting classroom education to practice experience and training students for careers in the criminal justice system. The authors also discuss pending challenges. The experience of the Goldring Reentry Initiative suggests that by developing their own social work agencies, the authors may be able to heighten their students educational experience and expand their contribution to social work practice broadly.

  12. Assessment Work: Examining the Prevalence and Nature of Assessment Competencies and Skills in Student Affairs Job Postings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hoffman, John L.; Bresciani, Marilee J.

    2010-01-01

    This mixed method study explored the assessment-related skills and job duties that student affairs administrators expect from new employees as reflected in 1,759 job openings posted in 2008, of which seven job postings were specialist positions in outcomes-based assessment. The skills and duties required of these seven positions were primarily…

  13. Teachers' and Students' Perception of Work Ethics: A Look at Pennsylvania's Community Colleges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dincher, Michael A.

    2010-01-01

    The volume of literature for research on work ethics is extensive but most involves workers on the job or looking for employment (Petty & Hill, 2005). A gap in the literature exists for research of work ethics among students and instructors involved in Career and Technical Education. Using the Employability Skills Assessment (ESA) authored by…

  14. Simulating Real Life: Enhancing Social Work Education on Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Osborne, Victoria A.; Benner, Kalea; Sprague, Debra J.; Cleveland, Ivy N.

    2016-01-01

    Social work students typically use role play with student colleagues to practice clinical intervention skills. Practice with simulated clients (SCs) rather than classmates changes the dynamics of the role play and may improve learning. This is the first known study to employ the SC model in substance use assessment in social work education. Social…

  15. PREFERENCE FOR FLUENT VERSUS DISFLUENT WORK SCHEDULES

    PubMed Central

    Fienup, Daniel M; Ahlers, Ashley A; Pace, Gary

    2011-01-01

    Two studies were conducted that examined the preference of a student diagnosed with a brain injury. In Study 1, a preference assessment was followed by a three-choice concurrent-operants reinforcer assessment. Two choices resulted in access to preferred activities for completing work, and a third choice resulted in access to nothing (i.e., no activity). Unpredictably, the participant consistently chose the no-activity option. Study 2 examined why this student preferred work associated with no activity over preferred activities. Through a variety of concurrent-operants procedures, it was determined that she preferred fluent work followed by reinforcers rather than work that was broken up by access to preferred activities. Implications for research on preference are discussed. PMID:22219534

  16. The Primary Language Record at P.S. 261: How Assessment Transforms Teaching and Learning. A Series on Authentic Assessment and Accountability.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Falk, Beverly; Darling-Hammond, Linda

    This report examines outcomes of the Primary Language Record (PLR), a program for systematically observing students in various aspects of their literacy development. The PLR uses classroom events and samples of student work to record students' progress and interests, recommend strategies for addressing needs and building on talents, and discuss…

  17. Using Online Peer Assessment in an Instructional Technology and Material Design Course through Social Media

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Demir, Mehmet

    2018-01-01

    This study was designed to investigate the student teachers perceptions about and benefits and challenges of using Facebook as an online peer assessment tool for the student teachers' works. The study group included 24 student teachers in science education department of a state university located in the southeast region of Turkey. A case study…

  18. Assessing the Food Safety Knowledge of University of Maine Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ferk, Chelsea C.; Calder, Beth L.; Camire, Mary Ellen

    2016-01-01

    Foodborne illness is a global public health issue. Young adults may work in foodservice while they are university students, and their habits may later shape the practices and well-being of their children. The objective of this study was to establish baseline data and assess the food safety knowledge of 18- to 26-year-old Univ. of Maine students.…

  19. Biology Reflective Assessment Curriculum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bayley, Cheryl Ann

    Often students and educators view assessments as an obligation and finality for a unit. In the current climate of high-stakes testing and accountability, the balance of time, resources and emphasis on students' scores related to assessment have been slanted considerably toward the summative side. This tension between assessment for accountability and assessment to inform teaching strains instruction and educators' ability to use that information to design learning opportunities that help students develop deeper conceptual understanding. A substantive body of research indicates that formative and reflective assessment can significantly improve student learning. Biology Reflective Assessment Curriculum (BRAC) examines support provided for high school science students through assessment practices. This investigation incorporates the usage of reflective assessments as a guiding practice for differentiated instruction and student choice. Reflective assessment is a metacognitive strategy that promotes self-monitoring and evaluation. The goals of the curriculum are to promote self-efficacy and conceptual understanding in students learning biology through developing their metacognitive awareness. BRAC was implemented in a high school biology classroom. Data from assessments, metacognitive surveys, self-efficacy surveys, reflective journals, student work, a culminating task and field notes were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum. The results suggest that students who develop their metacognitive skills developed a deeper conceptual understanding and improved feelings of self-efficacy when they were engaged in a reflective assessment unit embedded with student choice. BRAC is a tool for teachers to use assessments to assist students in becoming metacognitive and to guide student choice in learning opportunities.

  20. Recommendations for Making Decisions about the Participation of Students with Disabilities in Statewide Assessment Programs: A Report on a Working Conference To Develop Guidelines for Statewide Assessments and Students with Disabilities. Synthesis Report 15.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ysseldyke, James E.; And Others

    This report is a summary of a May 1994 meeting on the participation of students with disabilities in statewide assessment programs. The report reviews the background of the meeting, states the issues addressed, and summarizes the major points of agreement reached. A set of recommendations is offered for making participation and accommodation…

  1. Is subjective hyperhidrosis assessment sufficient enough? prevalence of hyperhidrosis among young Polish adults.

    PubMed

    Stefaniak, Tomasz; Tomaszewski, Krzysztof A; Proczko-Markuszewska, Monika; Idestal, Anette; Royton, Anders; Abi-Khalil, Christian

    2013-10-01

    The aim of this work was to assess the prevalence of palmar and axillary hyperhidrosis among young Polish adults. Additionally, this work aimed at comparing the subjective and objective (gravimetric) method of hyperhidrosis assessment. Healthy medical students, volunteering to take part in this study, were included. The participants filled out a questionnaire assessing the occurrence and subjective intensity of hyperhidrosis in different areas of the body. Additionally, the students were subjected to gravimetric assessment in four localizations: the face, palms, axillae and abdomino-lumbar area. Two hundred and fifty-three students (102 males and 151 females, mean age 24.3 ± 3.21 years) were included in the study. Forty-two (16.7%) participants declared that they suffer from hyperhidrosis. Out of the 42 students declaring any type of hyperhidrosis, only 20 (47.6%) exceeded the gravimetric reference values. From among the students that exceeded the normative values for palmar hyperhidrosis, only 10 (55.6%) were aware of their hyperhidrosis. In the group of students that exceeded the normative values for axillary hyperhidrosis, 16 (39%) were aware of their hyperhidrosis. Subjectively declared hyperhidrosis incidence may significantly exceed the real-life occurrence of this disease. Basing studies solely on data gathered from questionnaires, may lead to false results. It is imperative, when assessing patients suffering from hyperhidrosis, to use both objective and subjective methods of evaluation. © 2013 Japanese Dermatological Association.

  2. Willingness to work in rural areas and the role of intrinsic versus extrinsic professional motivations - a survey of medical students in Ghana

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Retaining health workers in rural areas is challenging for a number of reasons, ranging from personal preferences to difficult work conditions and low remuneration. This paper assesses the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation on willingness to accept postings to deprived areas among medical students in Ghana. Methods A computer-based survey involving 302 fourth year medical students was conducted from May-August 2009. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between students' willingness to accept rural postings and their professional motivations, rural exposure and family parental professional and educational status (PPES). Results Over 85% of students were born in urban areas and 57% came from affluent backgrounds. Nearly two-thirds of students reported strong intrinsic motivation to study medicine. After controlling for demographic characteristics and rural exposure, motivational factors did not influence willingness to practice in rural areas. High family PPES was consistently associated with lower willingness to work in rural areas. Conclusions Although most Ghanaian medical students are motivated to study medicine by the desire to help others, this does not translate into willingness to work in rural areas. Efforts should be made to build on intrinsic motivation during medical training and in designing rural postings, as well as favour lower PPES students for admission. PMID:21827698

  3. Functional Assessment to Predict Capacity for Work in a Population of School-Leavers with Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eagar, Kathy; Green, Janette; Gordon, Robert; Owen, Alan; Masso, Malcolm; Williams, Kathryn

    2006-01-01

    This study reports on an assessment system for school-leavers with disabilities to identify their capacity for work and the type of transition-to-work programme best suited to each person. Participants were 1,556 high school students in four cohorts who left school between 1999 and 2002. Each school-leaver was assessed by rehabilitation…

  4. Tensions Between Validity and Outcomes: Teacher Assessment of Written Work of Recently Arrived Immigrant ESL Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arkoudis, Sophie; O'Loughlin, Kieran

    2004-01-01

    This article reports on a collaborative study involving ESL teachers in an Australian English Language Centre as they work through some of their concerns about reliability and validity in their assessment practices. The focus of this article is on how teachers work with the Curriculum Standards Framework (CSF) as an assessment tool. The discussion…

  5. Developing Student Assessment Related to a Workplacement: A Bridge between Practice and Improvement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vuoskoski, Pirjo; Poikela, Sari

    2015-01-01

    This paper explores the ways in which student assessment can be developed in higher education and work-related contexts to form a strong bridge between practice and improvement. Our aim is to provide a starting point for evaluation and improvement of assessment practices, which benefits the learners, instructors, and designers of the curricula, as…

  6. Ten Years of Using Presentations at a Student Conference as a Final Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lund, Nick

    2013-01-01

    The final assessment for all psychology courses in the department of interdisciplinary studies, MMU Cheshire programmes, in the past 10 years has been a presentation of project work at an undergraduate conference. It is argued that this acts as an "authentic" assessment method which helps prepare students for future experiences. Alumni…

  7. Electronic Repositories of Marked Student Work and Their Contributions to Formative Evaluation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heinrich, Eva

    2004-01-01

    The educational literature shows that formative assessment is highly conducive to learning. The tasks given to students in formative assessment generally require open-ended responses that can be given, for example, in essay-type format and that are assessed by a human marker. An essential component is the formative feedback provided by the marker…

  8. Does Assessment for Learning Work to Promote Student Learning? The England Paradigm

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vlachou, Maria A.

    2015-01-01

    Assessment for Learning (AfL) has influenced the assessment policy of many countries around the world because a range of research studies have shown the effectiveness of AfL on student learning. In the English context, although significant AfL developments have taken place in schools, its implementation seems not to have produced significant and…

  9. Work-Engaged Learning: Towards a Paradigm Shift in Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yorke, Mantz

    2011-01-01

    Student engagement with the world of work or voluntary service has become increasingly prominent in higher education curricula as nations and states seek competitive advantage for their economies. Developments in assessment have lagged behind developments in curricula. It is argued that the incorporation of work-engaged learning into curricula…

  10. Designing and Assessing Productive Group Work in Secondary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vaca, Javier; Lapp, Diane; Fisher, Douglas

    2011-01-01

    A history teacher examines what is successful and not successful in group work in his high school classroom and gives concrete suggestions for improving group practice. Topics discussed include preparing students for group work, supporting collaboration, inviting critical analysis, and assessing both group and individual performance. (Contains 2…

  11. An Investigation of the Reliability of Using Comparative Judgment to Score Creative Products

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tarricone, Pina; Newhouse, C. Paul

    2017-01-01

    In this article we describe a three-year study that was conducted in three phases to evaluate the feasibility of assessing digitized portfolios of student creative work for high-stakes purposes. The first two phases suggested that creative work could be digitized with adequate fidelity, and that students could submit their own work from schools to…

  12. Three-Step Approach for Developing Integrated Work-Ready Assessment Tools to Foster Student's Learning and Satisfaction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adapa, Sujana

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to present the relevance of the three-step approach undertaken by a marketing academic working in the University of New England Business School to foster distance student's learning, satisfaction and overall study experience. This work is a reflection of the author's teaching practice whereby a multitude of innovative…

  13. The Effects of Gender on Group Work Process and Achievement: An Analysis through Self- and Peer-Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Takeda, Sachiko; Homberg, Fabian

    2014-01-01

    The importance of teamwork skills as part of employability has been widely acknowledged and accompanied by active research on successful cooperative learning. However, relatively few studies have focused on the effects of gender on students' group work, and only a limited number of empirical studies exist that examine students' group work process…

  14. Assessment of the accuracy of pharmacy students' compounded solutions using vapor pressure osmometry.

    PubMed

    Kolling, William M; McPherson, Timothy B

    2013-04-12

    OBJECTIVE. To assess the effectiveness of using a vapor pressure osmometer to measure the accuracy of pharmacy students' compounding skills. DESIGN. Students calculated the theoretical osmotic pressure (mmol/kg) of a solution as a pre-laboratory exercise, compared their calculations with actual values, and then attempted to determine the cause of any errors found. ASSESSMENT. After the introduction of the vapor pressure osmometer, the first-time pass rate for solution compounding has varied from 85% to 100%. Approximately 85% of students surveyed reported that the instrument was valuable as a teaching tool because it objectively assessed their work and provided immediate formative assessment. CONCLUSIONS. This simple technique of measuring compounding accuracy using a vapor pressure osmometer allowed students to see the importance of quality control and assessment in practice for both pharmacists and technicians.

  15. Identifying criteria for the assessment of pharmacy students' communication skills with patients.

    PubMed

    Mackellar, Adele; Ashcroft, Darren M; Bell, Dawn; James, Delyth Higman; Marriott, John

    2007-06-15

    To identify criteria by which patients can assess the communication skills of pharmacy students. Potential assessment criteria were generated from 2 main sources: a literature review and a focus group discussion. A modified two-round Delphi survey was subsequently conducted with 35 professionals who were actively involved in teaching and assessing communication skills of pharmacy students to determine the importance and reliability of each criterion. Consensus ratings identified 7 criteria that were important measures of pharmacy students' communication skills and could be reliably assessed by patients. A modified two-round Delphi consultation survey successfully identified criteria that can be used by patients to assess the communication skills of pharmacy undergraduates. Future work will examine the feasibility of using patients as assessors of communication skills of pharmacy students, preregistration pharmacists, and qualified pharmacists.

  16. Is DNA Alive? A Study of Conceptual Change Through Targeted Instruction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Witzig, Stephen B.; Freyermuth, Sharyn K.; Siegel, Marcelle A.; Izci, Kemal; Pires, J. Chris

    2013-08-01

    We are involved in a project to incorporate innovative assessments within a reform-based large-lecture biochemistry course for nonmajors. We not only assessed misconceptions but purposefully changed instruction throughout the semester to confront student ideas. Our research questions targeted student conceptions of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) along with understanding in what ways classroom discussions/activities influence student conceptions. Data sources included pre-/post-assessments, semi-structured interviews, and student work on exams/assessments. We found that students held misconceptions about the chemical nature of DNA, with 63 % of students claiming that DNA is alive prior to instruction. The chemical nature of DNA is an important fundamental concept in science fields. We confronted this misconception throughout the semester collecting data from several instructional interventions. Case studies of individual students revealed how various instructional strategies/assessments allowed students to construct and demonstrate the scientifically accepted understanding of the chemical nature of DNA. However, the post-assessment exposed that 40 % of students still held misconceptions about DNA, indicating the persistent nature of this misconception. Implications for teaching and learning are discussed.

  17. Validity and reliability of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-Student Version in Sri Lanka.

    PubMed

    Wickramasinghe, Nuwan Darshana; Dissanayake, Devani Sakunthala; Abeywardena, Gihan Sajiwa

    2018-05-04

    The present study was aimed at assessing the validity and the reliability of the Sinhala version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-Student Version (UWES-S) among collegiate cycle students in Sri Lanka. The 17-item UWES-S was translated to Sinhala and the judgmental validity was assessed by a multi-disciplinary panel of experts. Construct validity of the UWES-S was appraised by using multi-trait scaling analysis and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) on data obtained from a sample of 194 grade thirteen students in the Kurunegala district, Sri Lanka. Reliability of the UWES-S was assessed by using internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Except for item 13, all other items showed good psychometric properties in judgemental validity, item-convergent validity and item-discriminant validity. EFA using principal component analysis with Oblimin rotation, suggested a three-factor solution (including vigor, dedication and absorption subscales) explaining 65.4% of the total variance for the 16-item UWES-S (with item 13 deleted). All three subscales show high internal consistency with Cronbach's α coefficient values of 0.867, 0.819, and 0.903 and test-retest reliability was high (p < 0.001). Hence, the Sinhala version of the 16-item UWES-S is a valid and a reliable instrument to assess work engagement among collegiate cycle students in Sri Lanka.

  18. Confusion about Collusion: Working Together and Academic Integrity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sutton, Anna; Taylor, David

    2011-01-01

    An increasing emphasis on developing students' transferable skills, such as group working and IT, is creating challenges in ensuring the academic integrity of individually assessed coursework. This study investigated the frequency with which students engaged in a range of study behaviours for individual assignments, with a focus on the extent to…

  19. Tiered Evaluation in Large Ensemble Settings.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scott, David

    1998-01-01

    Discusses the use of a tiered evaluation system (TES) that allows students to work at different levels, enables teachers to assess progress objectively, and presents students with appropriate challenges in the music ensembles. Focuses on how TES works and its advantages, considers the challenges and flexibility of TES, and provides samples. (CMK)

  20. Formative Assessment and the Design of Instructional Systems.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sadler, D. Royce

    1989-01-01

    Discusses the nature and function of formative assessment in the development of students' expertise for evaluating the quality of their own work. Highlights include the transition from teacher-supplied feedback to learner self-monitoring; qualitative judgments; communicating standards to students; multicriterion judgments; and implications for the…

  1. ACT Aspire™. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    What Works Clearinghouse, 2017

    2017-01-01

    The "ACT Aspire"™ system provides a longitudinal, systematic approach for assessing and monitoring students' preparation for high school studies and readiness for college and career. "ACT Aspire"™ includes assessments for students from grade 3 through early high school in five subject areas: English, mathematics, reading,…

  2. Targeting Instruction with Formative Assessment Probes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fagan, Emily R.; Tobey, Cheryl Rose; Brodesky, Amy R.

    2016-01-01

    This article introduces the formative assessment probe--a powerful tool for collecting focused, actionable information about student thinking and potential misconceptions--along with a process for targeting instruction in response to probe results. Drawing on research about common student mathematical misconceptions as well as the former work of…

  3. End of Grant Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, 2015

    2015-01-01

    The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium has built a comprehensive learning and assessment system in English Language Arts/Literacy (ELA/L) and mathematics, the components of which work together toward the goal that all students leave high school prepared for postsecondary success in college or career through increased student learning and…

  4. Survey of New Jersey Employers to Assess the Ability of Higher Education Institutions to Prepare Students for Employment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heldrich, John J.

    2005-01-01

    In the Survey of New Jersey Employers to Assess the Ability of Higher Education Institutions to Prepare Students for Employment, over 400 New Jersey's employers express their views on the purpose of higher education, how well the state's colleges and universities are preparing students for work and what changes can be made to improve that…

  5. Feedback Codes and Action Plans: Building the Capacity of First-Year Students to Apply Feedback to a Scientific Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bird, Fiona L.; Yucel, Robyn

    2015-01-01

    Effective feedback can build self-assessment skills in students so that they become more competent and confident to identify and self-correct weaknesses in their work. In this study, we trialled a feedback code as part of an integrated programme of formative and summative assessment tasks, which provided feedback to first-year students on their…

  6. Association Between Dental Student-Developed Exam Questions and Learning at Higher Cognitive Levels.

    PubMed

    Gonzalez-Cabezas, Carlos; Anderson, Olivia S; Wright, Mary C; Fontana, Margherita

    2015-11-01

    New dental accreditation standards emphasize that graduates must be competent in the use of critical thinking (a high cognitive-level skill). Despite this new standard, most written assessments in dental school courses are still based on low cognitive-level questions. The aim of this study was to determine if an exercise that allows students to collaboratively write exam questions would help cultivate higher cognitive levels of learning. To evaluate this exercise at one U.S. dental school, the cognitive level (according to Bloom's taxonomy) of multiple-choice exam questions and students' scores across two cohorts in a cariology course were compared. This evaluation took place using a control group in which questions were instructor-generated and an intervention group in which students worked in groups to develop questions. All students in one first-year class participated in the intervention group (n=104); all students in the first-year class two years earlier served as the control group (n=106). Among students in the intervention group, the response rate to a post-intervention survey measuring students' attitudes about the experience was 70% (N=73). The results showed that the students generating their own assessments developed higher cognitive-level exam questions than the instructor-generated assessments. The intervention group (with student-generated assessments) also performed as well or better on tests compared to the control group (with instructor-generated assessments). In the intervention group survey, the vast majority of students agreed that the exercise was helpful for their overall learning experience, but working in teams was said to be the least valuable component of the activity for their learning. This study suggests that student-driven, collaborative assessments can be an important tool for building critical thinking skills in dental classrooms and that it may be worthwhile to expand this type of exercise into other courses.

  7. Identification of the students' critical thinking skills through biochemistry laboratory work report

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anwar, Yunita Arian Sani; Senam, Laksono, Endang W.

    2017-08-01

    This work aims to (1) identify the critical thinking skills of student based on their ability to set up laboratory work reports, and (2) analyze the implementation of biochemistry laboratory work. The method of quantitative content analysis was employed. Quantitative data were in the form of critical thinking skills through the assessment of students' laboratory work reports and questionnaire data. Hoyo rubric was used to measure critical thinking skills with 10 indicators, namely clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, evidence, reason, depth, breadth, and fairness. The research sample consisted of 105 students (35 male, 70 female) of Mataram University who took a Biochemistry course and 2 lecturers of Biochemistry course. The results showed students' critical thinking skills through laboratory work reports were still weak. Analysis of the questionnaire showed that three indicators become the biggest problems during the laboratory work implementation, namely, lecturers' involved in laboratory work implementation, the integration of laboratory work implementation of learning in the classroom has not been done optimally and laboratory work implementation as an effort to train critical thinking skills is not optimal yet.

  8. Pressure to cooperate: is positive reward interdependence really needed in cooperative learning?

    PubMed

    Buchs, Céline; Gilles, Ingrid; Dutrévis, Marion; Butera, Fabrizio

    2011-03-01

    BACKGROUND. Despite extensive research on cooperative learning, the debate regarding whether or not its effectiveness depends on positive reward interdependence has not yet found clear evidence. AIMS. We tested the hypothesis that positive reward interdependence, as compared to reward independence, enhances cooperative learning only if learners work on a 'routine task'; if the learners work on a 'true group task', positive reward interdependence induces the same level of learning as reward independence. SAMPLE. The study involved 62 psychology students during regular workshops. METHOD. Students worked on two psychology texts in cooperative dyads for three sessions. The type of task was manipulated through resource interdependence: students worked on either identical (routine task) or complementary (true group task) information. Students expected to be assessed with a Multiple Choice Test (MCT) on the two texts. The MCT assessment type was introduced according to two reward interdependence conditions, either individual (reward independence) or common (positive reward interdependence). A follow-up individual test took place 4 weeks after the third session of dyadic work to examine individual learning. RESULTS. The predicted interaction between the two types of interdependence was significant, indicating that students learned more with positive reward interdependence than with reward independence when they worked on identical information (routine task), whereas students who worked on complementary information (group task) learned the same with or without reward interdependence. CONCLUSIONS. This experiment sheds light on the conditions under which positive reward interdependence enhances cooperative learning, and suggests that creating a real group task allows to avoid the need for positive reward interdependence. © 2010 The British Psychological Society.

  9. The Legal Side of Campus Threat Assessment and Management: What Student Counselors Need to Know

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nolan, Jeffrey J.; Moncure, Thomas M., Jr.

    2012-01-01

    This article identifies what student mental health professionals need to know about legal issues of relevance to threat assessment and management. The article summarizes the common law duties and the common law and statutory standards of care that are likely to apply to the work of college and university threat assessment and management teams. The…

  10. Challenging Medical Students with an Interim Assessment: A Positive Effect on Formal Examination Score in a Randomized Controlled Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bekkink, Marleen Olde; Donders, Rogier; van Muijen, Goos N. P.; Ruiter, Dirk J.

    2012-01-01

    Until now, positive effects of assessment at a medical curriculum level have not been demonstrated. This study was performed to determine whether an interim assessment, taken during a small group work session of an ongoing biomedical course, results in students' increased performance at the formal course examination. A randomized controlled trial…

  11. Changing State Policy in Texas for Remedial/Developmental Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cook, Charles M.

    The Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP), implemented in 1989, requires student assessment in reading, writing, and math prior to regular college course work. Students undergo continuous remediation until they are able to pass the assessment test. Though TASP advocates argue that the program helps maintain academic standards and provides students…

  12. Assessing Creativity: Creating a Rubric to Effectively Evaluate Mediated Digital Portfolios

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Jeffrey S.

    2017-01-01

    Objectively assessing student creative work in the fields associated with mass media can be problematic. Communicating expectations to students, as well as providing them with a clear yet flexible rubric for evaluation of copywriting, newswriting, audio production, video production, and web-design, requires examination of the relevant student…

  13. Self and Peer Assessment of Mathematical Processes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Onion, Alice; Javaheri, Elnaz

    2011-01-01

    This article explores using Bowland assessment tasks and Nuffield Applying Mathematical Processes (AMP) activities as part of a scheme of work. The Bowland tasks and Nuffield AMP activities are designed to develop students' mathematical thinking; they are focused on key processes. Unfamiliar demands are made on the students and they are challenged…

  14. Comparative Judgement for Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pollitt, Alastair

    2012-01-01

    Historically speaking, students were judged long before they were marked. The tradition of marking, or scoring, pieces of work students offer for assessment is little more than two centuries old, and was introduced mainly to cope with specific problems arising from the growth in the numbers graduating from universities as the industrial revolution…

  15. The Challenges of Creating a Benchmarking Process for Administrative and Support Services

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Manning, Terri M.

    2007-01-01

    In the current climate of emphasis on outcomes assessment, colleges and universities are working diligently to create assessment processes for student learning outcomes, competence in general education, student satisfaction with services, and electronic tracking media to document evidence of competence in graduates. Benchmarking has become a…

  16. Applications of Peer Assessment and Self-Assessment in Music

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Valle, Christopher; Andrade, Heidi; Palma, Maria; Hefferen, Joanna

    2016-01-01

    Feedback is crucial to students' growth as musicians. Fortunately, the teacher is not the sole source of feedback in the music classroom. Under the right conditions, students can provide actionable feedback to themselves and each other. This article showcases the work of three elementary music specialists who have innovatively incorporated…

  17. Student Pedagogical Teams: Students as Course Consultants Engaged in Process of Teaching and Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hayward, Lorna; Ventura, Susan; Schuldt, Hilary; Donlan, Pamela

    2018-01-01

    Faculty engage in "pedagogical solitude," in which they plan, teach, and assess their work alone. To optimize teaching environments and learning outcomes, students can serve as "student pedagogical teams" (SPT) and provide feedback on instructor performance, course structure, and content. Using self-determination theory, this…

  18. Characteristics of Workplace Learning among Finnish Vocational Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Virtanen, Anne; Tynjälä, Päivi; Collin, Kaija

    2009-01-01

    In Finnish VET, students' work experience is explicitly defined as workplace learning, instead of the practice of already learnt skills. Therefore, vocational students' learning periods in the workplace are goal-oriented, guided and assessed. This paper examines the characteristics of students' workplace learning and compares them with the…

  19. Value Orientations and the Effects of Professional Schools on Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Forsyth, Patrick B.; Danisiewicz, Thomas J.

    The extent to which value orientations of professional students differ by occupational groups and by the socializing effects of professional schools on students was assessed. Approximately 1,150 students in nine major doctoral-granting universities participated. Based on work by Bengtson (1975), a humanism/materialism score was constructed for…

  20. Students' Evidence-Based Practice Intervention for Children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ronen, Tammie

    2005-01-01

    Objective: This project integrates clinical intervention as an integral part of social work studies for third-year students. Students applied a new manual-based intervention aiming to develop self-control skills among children exhibiting oppositional defiant disorder. Throughout, students were involved in assessment, intervention, and evaluation.…

  1. The Impact of Work and Volunteer Hours on the Health of Undergraduate Students.

    PubMed

    Lederer, Alyssa M; Autry, Dana M; Day, Carol R T; Oswalt, Sara B

    2015-01-01

    To examine the impact of work and volunteer hours on 4 health issues among undergraduate college students. Full-time undergraduate students (N = 70,068) enrolled at 129 institutions who participated in the Spring 2011 American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment II survey. Multiple linear regression and binary logistic regression were used to examine work and volunteer hour impact on depression, feelings of being overwhelmed, sleep, and physical activity. The impact of work and volunteer hours was inconsistent among the health outcomes. Increased work hours tended to negatively affect sleep and increase feelings of being overwhelmed. Students who volunteered were more likely to meet physical activity guidelines, and those who volunteered 1 to 9 hours per week reported less depression. College health professionals should consider integrating discussion of students' employment and volunteering and their intersection with health outcomes into clinical visits, programming, and other services.

  2. The use of multiple representations and visualizations in student learning of introductory physics: An example from work and energy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zou, Xueli

    In the past three decades, physics education research has primarily focused on student conceptual understanding; little work has been conducted to investigate student difficulties in problem solving. In cognitive science and psychology, however, extensive studies have explored the differences in problem solving between experts and naive students. A major finding indicates that experts often apply qualitative representations in problem solving, but that novices use an equation-centered method. This dissertation describes investigations into the use of multiple representations and visualizations in student understanding and problem solving with the concepts of work and energy. A multiple-representation strategy was developed to help students acquire expertise in solving work-energy problems. In this approach, a typical work-energy problem is considered as a physical process. The process is first described in words-the verbal representation of the process. Next, a sketch or a picture, called a pictorial representation, is used to represent the process. This is followed by work-energy bar charts-a physical representation of the same processes. Finally, this process is represented mathematically by using a generalized work-energy equation. In terms of the multiple representations, the goal of solving a work- energy problem is to represent the physical process the more intuitive pictorial and diagrammatic physical representations. Ongoing assessment of student learning indicates that this multiple-representation technique is more effective than standard instruction methods in student problem solving. visualize this difficult-to-understand concept, a guided- inquiry learning activity using a pair of model carts and an experiment problem using a sandbag were developed. Assessment results have shown that these research-based materials are effective in helping students visualize this concept and give a pictorial idea of ``where the kinetic energy goes'' during inelastic collisions. The research and curriculum development was conducted in the context of the introductory calculus-based physics course. Investigations were carried out using common physics education research tools, including open-ended surveys, written test questions, and individual student interviews.

  3. Self Assessment Guidelines for Administrators of High School Cooperative Work Experience Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Child Labor Committee, New York, NY.

    A self-assessment questionnaire is presented in this document for use by high school administrators collecting information on which to base recommendations and plans for improving the effectiveness of cooperative work experience (CWE) programs. A format for assessment in each of the following areas is given: characteristics of students, staff, and…

  4. Assessment and the Aims of the Curriculum: An Explorer's Journey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Black, Paul

    2014-01-01

    This article considers lessons learnt through involvement in several assessment projects. Early experience, in university work and in school examinations, led to an opportunity to help establish a novel system of assessment for an innovative school curriculum. Different lessons were then learnt from work on a national survey of school students'…

  5. "Yes, a T-Shirt!": Assessing Visual Composition in the "Writing" Class

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Odell, Lee; Katz, Susan M.

    2009-01-01

    Computer technology is expanding our profession's conception of composing, allowing visual information to play a substantial role in an increasing variety of composition assignments. This expansion, however, creates a major problem: How does one assess student work on these assignments? Current work in assessment provides only partial answers to…

  6. "Why bother so incredibly much?": student perspectives on PISA science assignments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Serder, Margareta; Jakobsson, Anders

    2015-09-01

    Large-scale assessment, such as the Programme for International Assessment (PISA), plays an increasingly important role in current educational practice and politics. However, many scholars have questioned the validity and reliability of the tests and the extent to which they actually constitute trustworthy representations of students' knowledge. In the light of such critical voices the present article adopts a sociocultural perspective of human knowledge and action in order to explore the encounters between students and the science test assignments with which their knowledge is tested. Of particular interest in this study are the described "real-life situations" presented as the relevant background in which scientific literacy is assessed in PISA. According to the sociocultural theoretical onset the methodology used to approach the students' meaning making of the image of science as portrayed in the test were collaborative situations in which students work in small groups with units of PISA assignments, enabling a study of student-assignment encounters in action. The data we worked with consists of video-recordings from 71 Swedish 15-year-old students working with three released units from the PISA science test. According to our analysis, the "real-life situations" described in the test emerge as problematic in the students' meaning-making. This is demonstrated for instance by the students' positioning themselves as being different from and opposed to the fictional pictured students who appear in the backstories of the test. This article provides examples of how the scientific and academic language used by the fictional students in the assignments mediates distance and resistance among the students. The fictional students' use of strict scientific language and methods in day-to-day life situations leads them to be perceived as "little scientists" and as elite stereotypes of the scientific culture. We conclude that, by using assignments of this type, measurements of students' knowledge in science run the risk of becoming a measurement of cultural consistency regarding how well students will overcome the hurdles of scientific cultures. We mean that all though understanding the scientific culture is an important goal for science education, there is a problem that the assessment organizations communicate the results as representations of students' knowledge in science. This study adheres to research that advises caution in not over-interpreting the PISA results and stresses that understanding students' "knowledge" about science is much more complex than what is communicated by the international assessment organizations.

  7. Science teachers' mission impossible?: a qualitative study of obstacles in assessing students' practical abilities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sund, Per

    2016-09-01

    Science teachers regard practical work as important and many claim that it helps students to learn science. Besides theoretical knowledge, such as concepts and formulas, practical work is considered to be an integral and basic part of science education. As practical work is perceived and understood in different ways, comparing the results between classes and schools is difficult. One way of making the results comparable is to develop systematic inquiries to be assessed in national large-scale tests. However, introducing similar testing conditions in a laboratory environment is not always possible. Although the instructions and assessment guides for such tests are detailed, many obstacles need to be overcome if equality in the overall test situation is to be achieved. This empirical case study investigates two secondary school science teachers' assessments of 15-16 years old students in three separate groups in the practical part of a Swedish national test in chemistry. Data are gathered using two video cameras and three pairs of spy camera glasses. The results show that individual and independent assessments are difficult due to the social interactions that take place and the physical sources of errors that occur in this type of setting.

  8. Seating Arrangement, Group Composition and Competition-driven Interaction: Effects on Students' Performance in Physics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Roxas, R. M.; Monterola, C.; Carreon-Monterola, S. L.

    2010-07-28

    We probe the effect of seating arrangement, group composition and group-based competition on students' performance in Physics using a teaching technique adopted from Mazur's peer instruction method. Ninety eight lectures, involving 2339 students, were conducted across nine learning institutions from February 2006 to June 2009. All the lectures were interspersed with student interaction opportunities (SIO), in which students work in groups to discuss and answer concept tests. Two individual assessments were administered before and after the SIO. The ratio of the post-assessment score to the pre-assessment score and the Hake factor were calculated to establish the improvement in student performance.more » Using actual assessment results and neural network (NN) modeling, an optimal seating arrangement for a class was determined based on student seating location. The NN model also provided a quantifiable method for sectioning students. Lastly, the study revealed that competition-driven interactions increase within-group cooperation and lead to higher improvement on the students' performance.« less

  9. Validation and Application of the Survey of Teaching Beliefs and Practices for Undergraduates (STEP-U): Identifying Factors Associated with Valuing Important Workplace Skills among Biology Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marbach-Ad, Gili; Rietschel, Carly; Thompson, Katerina V.

    2016-01-01

    We present a novel assessment tool for measuring biology students' values and experiences across their undergraduate degree program. Our Survey of Teaching Beliefs and Practices for Undergraduates (STEP-U) assesses the extent to which students value skills needed for the workplace (e.g., ability to work in groups) and their experiences with…

  10. "Professional Contexts for Modern Languages": Work Experience and Academic Reflection in a Multilingual Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gomez-Cash, Olga

    2016-01-01

    In the second year module "Professional Contexts for Modern Languages" at Lancaster University, students take 20-25 hour placements, and using a multimodal forum, they articulate their challenges, development and understanding of the varying contexts in which they are working. In summative assessment, students across languages and types…

  11. Use Rubrics and Reach ALL Learners.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Active Learner: A Foxfire Journal for Teachers, 1998

    1998-01-01

    Describes the use of student-developed rubrics, conferencing, and reflective journaling to improve writing skills in a third-grade classroom. A rubric--a written tool used to authentically assess a piece of work--lists criteria for the work and includes a system for evaluating each criteria. Rubrics enabled the students to evaluate their own work…

  12. The Courage to Seek Authentic Feedback

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wiggins, Alexis

    2011-01-01

    Educators assess students' work and behavior every day. They are professional feedback-givers, dispensing grades, advice, support, and red ink. They believe in the power of feedback to communicate what students are doing well and how they can do better. However, some teachers shy away from opportunities for feedback on their own work. Some don't…

  13. School Social Work and Early Childhood Student's Attitudes toward Gay and Lesbian Families

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Averett, Paige E.; Hegde, Archana

    2012-01-01

    The present study assessed the attitudes of school professionals in training at an American university toward homosexuality and their comfort, action-related disposition, and preparation to work with gay and lesbian (GL) families and their children. Fifty-nine students specializing in birth through kindergarten education and school social work…

  14. Assessing Undergraduate Student-Teacher Relationship Factors Using Working Alliance and Interpersonal Influence Theories

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    De Clute, Shannon M.

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to test the applicability of working alliance theory (Bordin, 1979; Castonguay, Constantino, & Grosse Holtforth, 2006) and interpersonal influence theory (Strong, 1968) as ways to articulate an empirically informed model of student-teacher relationships in order to extend the current body of knowledge on effective…

  15. Using Pinterest in Undergraduate Social Work Education: Assignment Development and Pilot Survey Results

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baker, Lisa R.; Hitchcock, Laurel Iverson

    2017-01-01

    This article describes the development, implementation, and assessment of a social media assignment using Pinterest as a tool for student engagement and professional development in two undergraduate social work courses. Twenty-one undergraduate students enrolled in Human Behavior and the Social Environment (HBSE) courses completed the assignment…

  16. Linking Rubrics and Academic Performance: An Engagement Theory Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Francis, Julie Elizabeth

    2018-01-01

    While marking rubrics offer a range of potential benefits for students and staff, educators are working to develop a richer understanding of the most effective ways to unlock these benefits. This study contributes by examining the link between rubrics and performance through the lens of student engagement. The work introduced an assessment rubric…

  17. Student Voices Speak Quality Assurance: Continual Improvement in Online Social Work Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Secret, Mary; Bentley, Kia J.; Kadolph, Jessie C.

    2016-01-01

    As social work education expands instruction through the rise of distance education, educators seek new ways to improve quality in online courses. Quality assurance standards and student feedback offer valuable insights to ensure satisfying and effective online learning experiences. An examination of these two assessment approaches concurrently in…

  18. Work-Experience and Work-Study Programs for Students with Special Needs: Quality Indicators of Transition Services.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wisniewski, Lech A.; And Others

    1991-01-01

    This article proposes a continuum of employment training options for students with special needs and identifies program quality indicators in the areas of assessment and the Individual Education Plan; the employment training program; community-based settings; provisions for on-site training and evaluation; and interagency cooperation. (DB)

  19. Measuring Heedful Interrelating in Collaborative Educational Settings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Daniel, Sarah R.; Jordan, Michelle E.

    2015-01-01

    Collaborative group work plays an important part in postsecondary education, and the ability to assess the quality of such group work is useful for both students and instructors. The purpose of this study was to develop a self-report measure of students' perceptions of the quality of their interactions during collaborative educational tasks.…

  20. Making It Work: Creating a Student-Friendly Repository of Instructional Videos

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keba, Michelle; Segno, Jamie; Schofield, Michael

    2015-01-01

    This case study investigates how a team of librarians at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) worked together to assess and optimize their library's current instructional videos in order to create a mobile-first video hosting platform, known as LibraryLearn. Instructional library videos serve as invaluable resources for students who are not present…

  1. Computer-Based Working Memory Training in Children with Mild Intellectual Disability

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Delavarian, Mona; Bokharaeian, Behrouz; Towhidkhah, Farzad; Gharibzadeh, Shahriar

    2015-01-01

    We designed a working memory (WM) training programme in game framework for mild intellectually disabled students. Twenty-four students participated as test and control groups. The auditory and visual-spatial WM were assessed by primary test, which included computerised Wechsler numerical forward and backward sub-tests and secondary tests, which…

  2. Working postures of dental students: ergonomic analysis using the Ovako Working Analysis System and rapid upper limb assessment.

    PubMed

    Petromilli Nordi Sasso Garcia, Patrícia; Polli, Gabriela Scatimburgo; Campos, Juliana Alvares Duarte Bonini

    2013-01-01

    As dentistry is a profession that demands a manipulative precision of hand movements, musculoskeletal disorders are among the most common occupational diseases. This study estimated the risk of musculoskeletal disorders developing in dental students using the Ovako Working Analysis System (OWAS) and Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) methods, and estimated the diagnostic agreement between the 2 methods. Students (n = 75), enrolled in the final undergraduate year at the Araraquara School of Dentistry--UNESP--were studied. Photographs were taken of students while performing diverse clinical procedures (n = 283) using a digital camera, which were assessed using OWAS and RULA. A risk score was attributed following each procedure performed by the student. The prevalence of the risk of musculoskeletal disorders was estimated per point and for a 95% CI. To assess the agreement between the 2 methods, Kappa statistics with linear weighting were used. The level of significance adopted was 5%. There was a high prevalence of the mean score for risk of musculoskeletal disorders in the dental students evaluated according to the OWAS method (p = 97.88%; 95% CI: 96.20-99.56%), and a high prevalence of the high score (p = 40.6; 95% CI: 34.9-46.4%) and extremely high risk (p = 59.4%; 95% CI: 53.6-65.1%) according to RULA method Null agreement was verified (k = 0) in the risk di agnosis of the tested methods. The risk of musculoskeletal disorders in dental students estimated by the OWAS method was medium, whereas the same risk by the RULA method was extremely high. There was no diagnostic agreement between the OWAS and RULA methods.

  3. Pathways to Improve Student Pharmacists’ Experience in Research

    PubMed Central

    McClendon, Katie S.; Bell, Allison M.; Ellis, Ashley; Adcock, Kim G.; Hogan, Shirley; Ross, Leigh Ann

    2015-01-01

    Objective. To describe the implementation of a student research program and to provide outcomes from the initial 4 years’ experience. Design. Students conducted individual research projects in a 4-year longitudinal program (known as Pathway), with faculty member advising and peer mentoring. A prospective assessment compared perceptions of those who completed the Pathway program with those of students who did not. Descriptive statistics, t tests, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used. Assessment. The class of 2013 was the first to complete the Pathway program. In the Pathway assessment project, 59% (n=47) of students who responded reached self-set goals. Pathway students agreed that this research experience improved their ability to work/think independently, evaluate literature, and distinguish themselves from other students. Conclusion. The Pathway program helped students understand the research process and reach other self-set goals. PMID:26089567

  4. Validity and reliability of an instrument for assessing case analyses in bioengineering ethics education.

    PubMed

    Goldin, Ilya M; Pinkus, Rosa Lynn; Ashley, Kevin

    2015-06-01

    Assessment in ethics education faces a challenge. From the perspectives of teachers, students, and third-party evaluators like the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology and the National Institutes of Health, assessment of student performance is essential. Because of the complexity of ethical case analysis, however, it is difficult to formulate assessment criteria, and to recognize when students fulfill them. Improvement in students' moral reasoning skills can serve as the focus of assessment. In previous work, Rosa Lynn Pinkus and Claire Gloeckner developed a novel instrument for assessing moral reasoning skills in bioengineering ethics. In this paper, we compare that approach to existing assessment techniques, and evaluate its validity and reliability. We find that it is sensitive to knowledge gain and that independent coders agree on how to apply it.

  5. An Introductory Interprofessional Exercise for Healthcare Students

    PubMed Central

    Rege, Saumitra V.; Misto, Kara; Dollase, Richard; George, Paul

    2012-01-01

    Objective. To evaluate healthcare students’ perceptions of an introductory interprofessional exercise and their team dynamics. Design. A workshop was developed, combining second-year medical students, fourth-year nursing students, and third-year pharmacy students to work as an interdisciplinary team. The teams alternated between working together on patient cases focusing on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, and on the evaluation of standardized pneumonia patients. Teams were given the patients' health information and no other instructions. A faculty member and the standardized patient evaluated the students using a teamwork global rating scale. Assessment. Student survey results showed a positive response to interprofessional teamwork. The faculty members and standardized patients reported that the students worked as a cohesive unit and demonstrated good team communication. Conclusions. This introductory interprofessional experience had a positive impact on the students’ understanding of collaboration and teamwork. This type of experience will help students foster future collaborations as healthcare providers. PMID:23129853

  6. An Elective Course on Antimicrobial Stewardship.

    PubMed

    Gauthier, Timothy P; Sherman, Elizabeth M; Unger, Nathan R

    2015-12-25

    To implement an antimicrobial stewardship (AS) elective course for second-year and third-year pharmacy students and to assess its impact on students' perceptions regarding the application of AS principles. A 2-credit elective course focusing on principles of AS incorporated prelecture didactic recordings with primary literature and guideline-based reading assignments, in-class active-learning group work and student-led presentations, and student-generated examination items. Perceptions were assessed by precourse and postcourse survey items. Graded course assessments included completion of preclass assignments (readings, prerecorded lecture and writing assessment items), in-class active participation and group presentations, a midpoint examination, and a final examination. An AS-themed elective course in a doctor of pharmacy curriculum incorporating preclass, self-directed learning and in-class group-based active-learning strategies positively impacted students' perceived understanding of AS strategies.

  7. PARCC Accessibility Features and Accommodations Manual: Guidance for Districts and Decision-Making Teams to Ensure That PARCC Summative Assessments Produce Valid Results for All Students. Fourth Edition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bowman, Trinell; Wiener, Daniel; Branson, Danielle

    2015-01-01

    The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) is a group of states working together to develop a set of assessments that measure whether students are on track to be successful in college and their careers. These high-quality, computer-based K-12 assessments in mathematics and English language arts (ELA)/literacy give…

  8. WWC Review of the Report "The Impact of Indiana's System of Interim Assessments on Mathematics and Reading Achievement." What Works Clearinghouse Single Study Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    What Works Clearinghouse, 2015

    2015-01-01

    The study authors examined the effects of using "Diagnostic Assessment Tools" ("DAT") on mathematics and reading outcomes for students in Indiana schools during the 2009-10 academic year. "DAT" consists of interim assessment tools--Wireless Generation's mCLASS for students in grades K-2 and CTB/ McGraw-Hill's Acuity…

  9. Workplace-based assessment and students' approaches to learning: a qualitative inquiry.

    PubMed

    Al-Kadri, Hanan M; Al-Kadi, Mohammed T; Van Der Vleuten, Cees P M

    2013-01-01

    We have performed this research to assess the effect of work-place based assessment (WBA) practice on medical students' learning approaches. The research was conducted at the King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, College of Medicine from 1 March to 31 July 2012. We conducted a qualitative, phenomenological research utilizing semi-structured individual interviews with medical students exposed to WBA. The audio-taped interviews were transcribed verbatim, analyzed, and themes were identified. We preformed investigators' triangulation, member checking with clinical supervisors and we triangulated the data with a similar research performed prior to the implementation of WBA. WBA results in variable learning approaches. Based on several affecting factors; clinical supervisors, faculty-given feedback, and assessment function, students may swing between surface, deep and effort and achievement learning approaches. Students' and supervisors' orientations on the process of WBA, utilization of peer feedback and formative rather than summative assessment facilitate successful implementation of WBA and lead to students' deeper approaches to learning. Interestingly, students and their supervisors have contradicting perceptions to WBA. A change in culture to unify students' and supervisors' perceptions of WBA, more accommodation of formative assessment, and feedback may result in students' deeper approach to learning.

  10. Developing a Measure of Scientific Literacy for Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fives, Helenrose; Huebner, Wendy; Birnbaum, Amanda S.; Nicolich, Mark

    2014-01-01

    Scientific literacy reflects "a broad and functional understanding of science for general education purposes" (DeBoer, [DeBoer, G. E., 2000], p. 594). Herein, we present the ongoing development of the Scientific Literacy Assessment (SLA), a work-in-progress measure to assess middle school students' (ages 11-14) scientific literacy.…

  11. Revisiting Differential Grading Standards Anno 2014: An Exploration in Dutch Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Godor, Brian P.

    2017-01-01

    The role that teachers have in assessing student coursework is crucial. Their "determination" that a particular piece of student's work is "acceptable" has many serious consequences. With a lack of debate surrounding assessment, practices may become mired in conventions and disconnected from issues such as knowledge, power and…

  12. Self-Assessment: Challenging Students to Take Charge of Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harada, Violet H.

    2010-01-01

    Students are frequently unaware that they hold the power of learning in their own hands. Their ability to figure out what they are doing and where they are heading are crucial keys to consciously applying learning strategies, developing effective work habits, and assessing their own performance. The ability to regulate one's own learning means…

  13. Peer Assessment of Group Members in Tertiary Contexts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kilickaya, Ferit

    2017-01-01

    The current chapter aimed at investigating language students' perceptions of peer assessment of the group members' contribution to group work. The research context of the study included the department of foreign language education at a state university in Burdur, Turkey. The participants were 35 students enrolled at the third-year class entitled…

  14. Self Assessment for Socializing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McDonald, Betty

    2011-01-01

    Socializing is an integral part of human relations and auger well for the human development. Defined as "the involvement of students in identifying standards and/or criteria to apply to their work and making judgments about the extent to which they have met these criteria and standards", self assessment by its nature teaches students how to…

  15. A Note on Using Portfolios To Assess Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fenwick, Tara J.; Parsons, Jim

    1999-01-01

    Explains that a portfolio is a collection of student work that reflects the course content and is assembled by the student in a folder or binder over a specified period of time. Discusses how to use portfolios, the benefits of using portfolios as assessment tools, and potential concerns teachers need to address. (CMK)

  16. Assessing the Merits of International Service-Learning in Developing Professionalism in Mass Communication

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Motley, Phillip; Sturgill, Amanda

    2013-01-01

    This project assessed how an international service-learning course affected mass communication students' knowledge of professionalism. Using written reflections and focus group transcripts from four courses that took place in Central America, we observed that placing students in immersive environments, where they are able to work on authentic…

  17. Incorporating Personality Assessment into Counseling To Help College Students Adopt and Maintain Exercise Behaviors.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buckworth, Janet; Granello, Darcy Haag; Belmore, Jennifer

    2002-01-01

    The authors investigated the influence of several personality traits on exercise adherence and exercise self-efficacy for 168 undergraduate students. At all levels of exercise adherence, students with different personality traits had different amounts of exercise self-efficacy. Implications for college counselors working with students to improve…

  18. "Water and Environmental Systems": Achieving Student-Centered Learning Objectives with an Undergraduate Journal.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Charlesworth, Susanne M.; Foster, Ian D. L.

    1996-01-01

    Describes and evaluates an unusual and innovative assessment procedure used in an undergraduate hydrology and oceanography class. Working in teams, English students produce research articles published by an in-house, though refereed, academic journal. Professors and students agree that the process stimulates students to perform at their highest…

  19. 45 CFR 2525.20 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... course as follows: (i) Tuition and fees normally assessed a student for a course or program of study by... students in the same course of study; (ii) For a student engaged in a course of study by correspondence... incurred and not provided for by other assisting agencies; and (iv) For a student engaged in a work...

  20. Epistemic Match: A Pedagogical Concept for Understanding How Students Fit into the Chosen Subject

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Siochru, Cathal; Norton, Lin

    2014-01-01

    Previous studies have suggested that a student's personal epistemological beliefs can be a predictor of their academic performance. The current research aimed to extend this work by exploring whether the disciplinary epistemological beliefs presented to students in their classes and assessments might mediate the relationship between students'…

  1. The Adult Student and Course Satisfaction: What Matters Most?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Howell, George F.; Buck, Jeffrey M.

    2012-01-01

    Student satisfaction with a course is important because it can contribute to student retention, and it can also be used as one way to assess faculty effectiveness. This investigative work suggests that course satisfaction among non-traditional, adult students seeking business degrees is positively influenced by giving attention to four specific…

  2. First-Year University Science and Engineering Students' Understanding of Plagiarism

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yeo, Shelley

    2007-01-01

    This paper is a case study of first-year science and engineering students' understandings of plagiarism. Students were surveyed for their views on scenarios illustrating instances of plagiarism in the context of the academic work and assessment of science and engineering students. The aim was to explore their understandings of plagiarism and their…

  3. The Supervision Dance: Learning to Lead and Follow a Student Teacher

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Trout, Muffet

    2008-01-01

    This article chronicles the journey of a student teaching supervisor as she worked with one of her student teachers. Early in their relationship, the supervisor's assessment of the student teacher's dispositions for teaching triggered concern. In this self-study, the supervisor was guided by Nel Noddings' (2003) phenomenological description of…

  4. Industrial Assessment Center

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dr. Diane Schaub

    2007-03-05

    Since its inception, the University of Florida Industrial Assessment Center has successfully completed close to 400 energy assessments of small to medium manufacturing facilities in Florida, southern Georgia and southern Alabama. Through these efforts, recommendations were made that would result in savings of about $5 million per year, with an implementation rate of 20-25%. Approximately 80 engineering students have worked for the UF-IAC, at least 10 of whom went on to work in energy related fields after graduation. Additionally, through the popular course in Industrial Energy Management, many students have graduated from the University of Florida with a strong understandingmore » and support of energy conservation methods.« less

  5. Strategies for Assessing Learning Outcomes in an Online Oceanography Course

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reed, D. L.

    2003-12-01

    All general education courses at the San Jose State University, including those in the sciences, must present a detailed assessment plan of student learning, prior to certification for offering. The assessment plan must state a clear methodology for acquiring data on student achievement of the learning outcomes for the specific course category, as well as demonstrate how students fulfill a strong writing requirement. For example, an online course in oceanography falls into the Area R category, the Earth and Environment, through which a student should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the methods and limits of scientific investigation; distinguish science from pseudo-science; and apply a scientific approach to answer questions about the Earth and environment. The desired learning outcomes are shared with students at the beginning of the course and subsequent assessments on achieving each outcome are embedded in the graded assignments, which include a critical thinking essay, mid-term exam, poster presentation in a symposium-style format, portfolio of web-based work, weekly discussions on an electronic bulletin board, and a take-home final exam, consisting of an original research grant proposal. The diverse nature of the graded assignments assures a comprehensive assessment of student learning from a variety of perspectives, such as quantitative, qualitative, and analytical. Formative assessment is also leveraged into learning opportunities, which students use to identify the acquisition of knowledge. For example, pre-tests are used to highlight preconceptions at the beginning of specific field studies and post-testing encourages students to present the results of small research projects. On a broader scale, the assessment results contradict common misperceptions of online and hybrid courses. Student demand for online courses is very high due to the self-paced nature of learning. Rates of enrollment attrition match those of classroom sections, if students are informed of the instructor's expectations at the beginning of the course. The level of faculty-student and student-student communication is very high, both in terms of quantity and quality, and exceeds that experienced in classroom sections. Student scores on graded assignments compare favorably to classroom sections. Overall, online courses offer a cost-effective means of addressing top priority issues, including increasing student access to learning, accelerating rates of graduation, and improving outreach to K-12 educators, especially those working on credential requirements.

  6. Biology in Bloom: Implementing Bloom's Taxonomy to Enhance Student Learning in Biology

    PubMed Central

    Dirks, Clarissa; Wenderoth, Mary Pat

    2008-01-01

    We developed the Blooming Biology Tool (BBT), an assessment tool based on Bloom's Taxonomy, to assist science faculty in better aligning their assessments with their teaching activities and to help students enhance their study skills and metacognition. The work presented here shows how assessment tools, such as the BBT, can be used to guide and enhance teaching and student learning in a discipline-specific manner in postsecondary education. The BBT was first designed and extensively tested for a study in which we ranked almost 600 science questions from college life science exams and standardized tests. The BBT was then implemented in three different collegiate settings. Implementation of the BBT helped us to adjust our teaching to better enhance our students' current mastery of the material, design questions at higher cognitive skills levels, and assist students in studying for college-level exams and in writing study questions at higher levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. From this work we also created a suite of complementary tools that can assist biology faculty in creating classroom materials and exams at the appropriate level of Bloom's Taxonomy and students to successfully develop and answer questions that require higher-order cognitive skills. PMID:19047424

  7. Making Judgements about Students Making Work: Lecturers’ Assessment Practices in Art and Design

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Orr, Susan; Bloxham, Sue

    2013-01-01

    This research study explores the assessment practices in two higher education art and design departments. The key aim of this research was to explore art and design studio assessment practices as lived and experienced by art and design lecturers. This work draws on two bodies of pre-existing research. Firstly this study adopted methodological…

  8. The Portfolio Project: A Study of Assessment, Instruction, and Middle School Reform.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Underwood, Terry

    This book is a study, in research-based narrative form, of one middle school's implementation of a new portfolio assessment plan in response to statewide policy changes in California. The book highlights the interactions of state, district, and local forces as teachers work to implement a portfolio-assessment plan that collects student work and…

  9. Turkish EFL Teachers' Perceptions and Practices of Foreign Language Assessment in Primary Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kirkgoz, Yasemin; Babanoglu, Muzaffer Pinar; Agçam, Reyhan

    2017-01-01

    The present study aimed to investigate perceptions of EFL teachers working at state primary schools on core language skills, assessment types and question types used in assessing student's foreign language development and proficiency during an academic year. Data were gathered from 56 EFL teachers working at 42 primary state schools in Turkey…

  10. Mandated Literacy Assessment and the Reorganisation of Teachers' Work: Federal Policy, Local Effects

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Comber, Barbara

    2012-01-01

    This paper explores how mandated literacy assessment is reorganising teachers' work in the context of Australia's National Assessment Program--Literacy and Numeracy, which was implemented in 2008. Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are tested annually, with school results publicly available. The wider policy context and the emergence of different…

  11. More than Solutions: Empowering Students to Think Strategically and Tactically

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Del Gandio, Jason

    2017-01-01

    Courses: Communication Activism; Public Advocacy; Social Movements; Public Speaking; Persuasion; Argumentation; Public Sphere. Objectives: This semester-long activity helps students implement a solutions--strategies--tactics framework into their advocacy work. More specifically, students learn to (1) designate, research, and assess the causes of…

  12. Attention to Student Needs Mediates the Relationship between Teacher Emotional Intelligence and Student Misconduct in the Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nizielski, Sophia; Hallum, Suhair; Lopes, Paulo N.; Schutz, Astrid

    2012-01-01

    Understanding the relationship between teacher Emotional intelligence (EI) and student misconduct was the goal of this research. We hypothesized that teachers high in EI tend to establish good working relationships with students by being attentive to their students' needs. In a sample of 300 Syrian teachers, EI was assessed with the Wong and Law…

  13. Experiences and Lessons of the School-to-Work/Youth Apprenticeship Demonstration. Research and Evaluation Report Series 97-E.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Employment and Training Administration (DOL), Washington, DC.

    This report presents a final assessment of the early implementation of the School-to-Work (STW)/Youth Apprenticeship Demonstration programs and participants. Chapter I describes the evolution of STW policy. Chapter II discusses marketing methods, the student selection process and selection criteria, reasons for student participation, and number…

  14. The Benefits and Challenges Hospitality Management Students Experience by Working in Conjunction with Completing Their Studies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schoffstall, Donald G.

    2013-01-01

    Previous researchers have suggested that in order to be successful in the hospitality industry, students need to obtain work experience in addition to completing their degrees. Although the benefit of gaining such experience from the industry viewpoint has been well documented, few studies have assessed the benefits and challenges faced by…

  15. Science Teachers' Satisfaction: Evidence from the PISA 2015 Teacher Survey. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 168

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mostafa, Tarek; Pál, Judit

    2018-01-01

    In 2015, for the first time in its history, PISA (the Programme for International Student Assessment) asked teachers to describe the various aspects of their working environment and teaching practices. This paper examines how teacher, student, and school characteristics are related to science teachers' satisfaction in 19 PISA-participating…

  16. Can High School Assessments Predict Developmental Education Enrollment in New Mexico?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weldon, Tyler L.

    2013-01-01

    Thousands of American's enter postsecondary institutions every year and many are under prepared for college-level work. Subsequently, students enroll in or are placed in remedial courses in preparation for the rigor of college level classes. Numerous studies have looked at the impact of developmental course work on student outcomes, but few focus…

  17. Developing a Collaborative Model of Industry Feedback for Work Placement of Business Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Richardson, Joan; Jackling, Beverley; Henschke, Kathy; Tempone, Irene

    2013-01-01

    Work-integrated learning (WIL) is a signature feature of study in many higher education institutions. In business degrees, industry feedback is recognized as an integral part of the assessment of WIL, yet the role played by industry in appraising student performance in the workplace has not been clearly defined. Based on interviews with industry…

  18. The Use of Decision Cases to Foster Critical Thinking in Social Work Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Milner, Marleen; Wolfer, Terry

    2014-01-01

    This article discusses the vital importance of developing critical thinking skills in social work students and explores the use of case-based instruction as a means of fostering those skills. The challenges inherent in the teaching and assessment of critical thinking are addressed. The history and theoretical underpinnings for the use of decision…

  19. Assessing MSW Students' Integrated Behavioral Health Skills Using an Objective Structured Clinical Examination

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sampson, McClain; Parrish, Danielle E.; Washburn, Micki

    2018-01-01

    Within the last decade, there has been a significant shift in the field of social work toward competency-based education. This article details the use of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) Adapted for Social Work Performance Rating Scale. We used the measure to evaluate specific practice competencies among students (n = 33)…

  20. Harnessing technology to improve formative assessment of student conceptions in STEM: forging a national network.

    PubMed

    Haudek, Kevin C; Kaplan, Jennifer J; Knight, Jennifer; Long, Tammy; Merrill, John; Munn, Alan; Nehm, Ross; Smith, Michelle; Urban-Lurain, Mark

    2011-01-01

    Concept inventories, consisting of multiple-choice questions designed around common student misconceptions, are designed to reveal student thinking. However, students often have complex, heterogeneous ideas about scientific concepts. Constructed-response assessments, in which students must create their own answer, may better reveal students' thinking, but are time- and resource-intensive to evaluate. This report describes the initial meeting of a National Science Foundation-funded cross-institutional collaboration of interdisciplinary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education researchers interested in exploring the use of automated text analysis to evaluate constructed-response assessments. Participants at the meeting shared existing work on lexical analysis and concept inventories, participated in technology demonstrations and workshops, and discussed research goals. We are seeking interested collaborators to join our research community.

  1. Measuring the reasons that discourage medical students from working in rural areas

    PubMed Central

    Goel, Sonu; Angeli, Federica; Singla, Neetu; Ruwaard, Dirk

    2018-01-01

    Abstract The sharply uneven distribution of human resources for health care across urban and rural areas has been a long-standing concern globally. The present study aims to develop and validate an instrument measuring the factors deterring final year students of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) in 3 northern states of India, from working in rural areas. The medical student's de-motivation to work in rural India (MSDRI) scale was developed using extensive literature review followed by Delphi technique. The psychometric properties of the questionnaire were assessed in terms of content validity, construct validity, data quality and reliability. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to identify the primary deterrents. Thirty-three items were generated from literature search followed by Delphi exercise. After assessing psychometric properties, the final instrument included 29 items whereas the EFA and CFA highlighted 5 main factors, namely lack of professional challenge, social segregation, socio-cultural gap, hostile professional environment, and lack of financial incentives as underpinning students’ demotivation towards working in rural areas. The MSDRI instrument is the first valid and reliable measure for identifying deterring factors for MBBS students to work in rural areas of India. The use of it may be very helpful for policymakers as well as healthcare organizations in formulating effective measures to encourage medical students to work in rural areas, which suffer from a chronic shortage of medical personnel. PMID:29480833

  2. PARCC Accessibility Features and Accommodations Manual: Guidance for Districts and Decision-Making Teams to Ensure That PARCC Summative Assessments Produce Valid Results for All Students. Fifth Edition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bowman, Trinell; Wiener, Daniel; Branson, Danielle

    2016-01-01

    The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) is a group of states working together to develop a set of assessments that measure whether students are on track to be successful in college and their careers. These high-quality, computer-based K-12 assessments in mathematics and English language arts/literacy (ELA/L)…

  3. Using the patchwork text assessment as a vehicle for evaluating students' perceptions of their clinical leadership development.

    PubMed

    Leigh, J A; Rutherford, J; Wild, J; Cappleman, J; Hynes, C

    2012-01-01

    A shift in universities world wide in providing theoretical post graduate programmes of study underpinned by traditional assessment strategies to work based learning programmes supported by innovative assessment strategies is required if Higher education institutions are to effectively educate contemporary healthcare leaders. Concurrently generating the evidence to evaluate the effectiveness of educational programmes is required by commissioners of healthcare education (DH, 2010). This paper reports on the perceptions of twelve post graduate students attending a clinical leadership masters programme of their leadership development through analysis of the critical commentary provided by students as part of assessment strategy that utilised the Patchwork Text Assessment. Following a thematic content analysis six themes emerged: programme philosophy and its impact on the success of the Patchwork Text Assessment; leadership development targeted against leadership frameworks; application and applicability of learning to the students own healthcare organisation; integrating theory to practice through theoretical development and work based activities; the value of networking; and the importance of multi-professional reflective groups. This study has clearly demonstrated how the success of the Patchwork Text Assessment in promoting deep learning is determined by its integration into the overall philosophy of the programme. Concurrently systems needed to be in place to ensure that Patchwork text Assessment is operationalised effectively and embedded within the day to day management of the programme. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Students' Motivations for Data Handling Choices and Behaviors: Their Explanations of Performance

    PubMed Central

    Keiler, Leslie; Woolnough, Brian

    2003-01-01

    Cries for increased accountability through additional assessment are heard throughout the educational arena. However, as demonstrated in this study, to make a valid assessment of teaching and learning effectiveness, educators must determine not only what students do, but also why they do it, as the latter significantly affects the former. This study describes and analyzes 14- to 16-year-old students' explanations for their choices and performances during science data handling tasks. The study draws heavily on case-study methods for the purpose of seeking an in-depth understanding of classroom processes in an English comprehensive school. During semistructured scheduled and impromptu interviews, students were asked to describe, explain, and justify the work they did with data during their science classes. These student explanations fall within six categories, labeled 1) implementing correct procedures, 2) following instructions, 3) earning marks, 4) doing what is easy, 5) acting automatically, and 6) working within limits. Each category is associated with distinct outcomes for learning and assessment, with some motivations resulting in inflated performances while others mean that learning was underrepresented. These findings illuminate the complexity of student academic choices and behaviors as mediated by an array of motivations, casting doubt on the current understanding of student performance. PMID:12822035

  5. Exploration of a Reflective Practice Rubric

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Young, Karen; James, Kimberley; Noy, Sue

    2016-01-01

    Work integrated learning (WIL) educators using reflective practice to facilitate student learning require a set of standards that works within the traditional assessment frame of Higher Education, to ascertain the level at which reflective practice has been demonstrated. However, there is a paucity of tested assessment instruments that provide…

  6. Autonomy and self-determination theory in different contexts: A comparison of middle school science teachers' motivation and instruction in China and the United States

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Robertson, Laura Elizabeth

    This study examined factors that contribute to Chinese and United States middle school science teachers' perceptions of autonomy support. Autonomy is one component of self-determination theory and has been associated with intrinsic motivation. The study used a mixed methods design including quantitative data collected through an online survey and qualitative data collected through open-ended interview questions. The online survey consisted of four assessments related to teachers' self-determination, perceptions of constraints at work, perceptions of students' self-determination, and level of autonomy support for students and allowed for the testing of the structural model developed by Pelletier, Seguin-Levesque, and Legault (2002). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of responses for the combined teacher sample (n=201) was carried out for each of the survey assessments. Significance testing for Chinese (n=107) and U.S. (n=94) teachers, based on the factors resulting from EFA, revealed significant differences in teachers' self-determination and perceptions of constraints at work. No significant differences were found for teachers' perceptions of students' self-determination or level of autonomy support for students. Multiple regression was used to predict teachers' autonomy support for students. For the Chinese teachers, perceptions of constraints at work, teachers' self-determination, and teachers' perceptions of student motivation were found to significantly predict teachers' autonomy support. For the U.S. teachers, teacher motivation was the only significant predictor of teachers' autonomy support. A sub-sample of the Chinese and U.S. science teachers (n=19) were interviewed about their perceived levels of autonomy support, constraints at work, and their students' self determination. The analyses of the interviews showed that teachers in both countries reported that autonomy was important to their motivation and the quality of instruction they provided to students. Teachers from the two countries differed in their satisfaction with current levels of autonomy and reported different constraints on teaching science related to materials, lab space, curriculum standards, and assessment.

  7. The Group-Based Assessment Approach in Nursing Education: The Perspective of Nursing Students on Group-Based Assessment Process at a Namibian University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nuuyoma, Vistolina

    2017-01-01

    Group-based assessments used in the Bachelor of Nursing Science (clinical) Honours programme at a public university in Namibia are usually in the form of assignments and projects. Completing tasks in groups helps students to develop important skills like critical thinking and debating. In addition, it prepares them to work in the health-care…

  8. Aligning and Inventing Practices to Achieve Inclusive Assessment Policies: A Decade of Work toward Optimal Access for US Students with Disabilities 2001-2011

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weigert, Susan C.

    2012-01-01

    The decade following the publication of the No Child Left Behind Act 2001 was an innovative period with respect to inclusive assessment practices for students with disabilities (SWDs). As the United States educational policies under the Obama Administration's Race to the Top initiative re-conceive the inclusion of SWDs in state assessment-based…

  9. ODOT research news : summer quarter 2002.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2002-01-01

    The newsletter includes: : 1) High School Student Apprentices with Research; : 2) Summer Work for Engineering Student; : 3) WASHTO-X is Underway; : 4) Shear Capacity Assessment of Corrosion-Damaged, Reinforced Concrete Beams; : 5) Railroad Crossing I...

  10. University Students With Poor Reading Comprehension: The Hidden Cognitive Processing Deficit.

    PubMed

    Georgiou, George K; Das, J P

    2015-01-01

    The present study aimed to examine the nature of the working memory and general cognitive ability deficits experienced by university students with a specific reading comprehension deficit. A total of 32 university students with poor reading comprehension but average word-reading skills and 60 age-matched controls with no comprehension difficulties participated in the study. The participants were assessed on three verbal working memory tasks that varied in terms of their processing demands and on the Das-Naglieri Cognitive Assessment System, which was used to operationalize intelligence. The results indicated first that the differences between poor and skilled comprehenders on working memory were amplified as the processing demands of the tasks increased. In addition, although poor comprehenders as a group had average intelligence, they experienced significant difficulties in simultaneous and successive processing. Considering that working memory and general cognitive ability are highly correlated processes, these findings suggest that the observed differences between poor and skilled comprehenders are likely a result of a deficient information processing system. © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2013.

  11. Monitoring Trends in Student Satisfaction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grebennikov, Leonid; Shah, Mahsood

    2013-01-01

    Over the last decade, the assessment of student experience has gained significant prominence in Australian higher education. Universities conduct internal surveys in order to identify which of their services students rate higher or lower on importance and performance. Thus, institutions can promote highly performing areas and work on those needing…

  12. Personalized Multi-Student Improvement Based on Bayesian Cybernetics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaburlasos, Vassilis G.; Marinagi, Catherine C.; Tsoukalas, Vassilis Th.

    2008-01-01

    This work presents innovative cybernetics (feedback) techniques based on Bayesian statistics for drawing questions from an Item Bank towards personalized multi-student improvement. A novel software tool, namely "Module for Adaptive Assessment of Students" (or, "MAAS" for short), implements the proposed (feedback) techniques. In conclusion, a pilot…

  13. Professionalism Mini-Evaluation Exercise in Finland: A preliminary investigation introducing the Finnish version of the P-MEX instrument.

    PubMed

    Karukivi, Max; Kortekangas-Savolainen, Outi; Saxén, Ulla; Haapasalo-Pesu, Kirsi-Maria

    2015-10-01

    Teaching medical professionalism is increasingly acknowledged as an important aspect of medical education. The Professionalism Mini-Evaluation Exercise (P-MEX) is an assessment tool for evaluating medical professionalism, but no studies using it as a self-assessment instrument have been reported. This paper reports on a preliminary investigation of the Finnish version of the P-MEX instrument as an assessment and self-assessment measure. The sample in the present cross-sectional study comprised all 23 medical students and recent graduates (15 females and 8 males) participating in a summer school of psychiatry program in 2014. The two-month program combines clinical work with multifaceted teaching and intensive tutoring. At the end of the program, the participants' medical professionalism was assessed by the tutors and other members of the work community as well as the students themselves using the Finnish version of the P-MEX instrument. The P-MEX scores were compared, using the Friedman test. The mean values and SD for the P-MEX assessments were as follows: tutor assessment 3.26±0.21, work community assessment 3.32±0.26 and self-assessment 3.01±0.07. No significant gender differences were observed. The tutor and work community assessments were significantly correlated (r=0.573, p=0.040), but the self-assessment scores did not correlate with either of the other assessments. Overall, the students evaluated their skills significantly poorer in comparison to the other assessments. Although the small sample size limits the generalization of these preliminary results, the Finnish version of the P-MEX instrument appears to be a feasible measure of medical professionalism. The instrument can also be used as a self-assessment instrument, but subjective evaluations should be complemented with external assessments or feedback in order to take individual and cultural aspects into account.

  14. Characteristics of University of Auckland medical students intending to work in the regional/rural setting.

    PubMed

    Pasley, Thomas; Poole, Phillippa

    2009-04-03

    To assess the level of interest in regional/rural (RR) practice in final year Auckland medical students and to investigate the demographic characteristics and speciality intentions of these students. A questionnaire was distributed to all graduating students from The University of Auckland's School of Medicine (SOM) in 2006 and 2007. Students intending to work in a RR setting had their demographic data and intended specialty compared with students intending to work in the city. There were 186 respondents, with a response rate of 71%. Of this cohort, 58% stated an intention to work in a city, 15% in an RR setting, and 27% were undecided. RR-destined students were more likely to be Maori and less likely to be Asian then their city-destined counterparts. RR students were more likely to have strong interests in general practice than students intending to work in the city. Prior to the introduction of a specific rural selection pathway, Auckland medical students have shown a similar level of interest in RR medicine when compared to previous studies. However the proportion of students interested in RR health is significantly below the current proportion of people living in RR areas. The large proportion of students undecided on career setting at graduation suggests there may be room to increase the proportion further through formative early postgraduate experiences, or other incentives.

  15. Video Documentaries in the Assessment of Human Geography Field Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mavroudi, Elizabeth; Jons, Heike

    2011-01-01

    This paper critically reviews the use of video documentaries in the assessment of human geography field courses. It aims to contribute to recent debates about the role of visual methods for developing active and deep learning in student-centred teaching. Based on four days of group work in Crete, 30 third-year students produced individual…

  16. Empowering ESL Students in the Mainstream through Self Assessment and Contracted Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schraeder, Laura L.

    A middle school teacher with both English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) and mainstream students in her class attempted to foster learning independence by encouraging self-evaluation and examination of the learning process. Initially, this involved providing them with rubrics and checklists for assessing work on several assignments. A second step was…

  17. Confronting Similar Challenges? Disabled and Non-Disabled Students' Learning and Assessment Experiences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Madriaga, Manuel; Hanson, Katie; Heaton, Caroline; Kay, Helen; Newitt, Sarah; Walker, Ann

    2010-01-01

    The article presents evidence from a systematic survey of disabled (n = 172) and non-disabled (n = 312) students regarding their learning and assessment experiences within one higher education institution in the UK. This study builds upon previous work in the sector, with the aim of gathering evidence to inform inclusive policy and practice for…

  18. Peer Assessment: Judging the Quality of Students' Work by Comments Rather than Marks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davies, Phil

    2006-01-01

    This paper reports the results of a study into the quality of peer feedback provided by students within a computerised peer-assessment environment. The study looks at the creation of a "feedback index" that represents the quality of an essay based upon the feedback provided during a peer-marking process and identifies a significant…

  19. Assessing the Cognitive Functioning of Students with Intellectual Disabilities: Practices and Perceptions of School Psychologists

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Costner, Ashley Nicole

    2016-01-01

    School psychologists are faced with the task of conducting evaluations of students in order to determine special education eligibility. This often equates to administering a cognitive assessment measure to obtain information about skills or abilities. Although this may be a straightforward task when working with children of average or higher…

  20. The Impact on Stakeholder Confidence of Increased Transparency in the Examination Assessment Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bamber, Matthew

    2015-01-01

    A group of postgraduate accounting and finance students were asked to participate in a three-phase exercise: sit an unseen past examination question; mark a fully anonymised previous student solution (exemplar); and then mark their own work. The marking process was facilitated by explaining and discussing the marking guide, assessment systems and…

  1. An Analysis of the Effectiveness of Feedback to Students on Assessed Work

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Taylor, Craig; Burke da Silva, Karen

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents the views of students, from a range of schools and disciplines, on the effectiveness of current assessment feedback practices at Flinders University. We also report on a workshop on feedback with teachers. Overall, individual written comments were found to be the most useful form of feedback. However, there was significant…

  2. The Use of Technology in a Model of Formative Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    García López, Alfonsa; García Mazarío, Francisco

    2016-01-01

    This work describes a formative assessment model for a Mathematical Analysis course taken by engineering students. It includes online quizzes with feedback, a portfolio with weekly assignments, exams involving the use of mathematical software and a project to be completed in small groups of two or three students. The model has been perfected since…

  3. The Analysis of Ratings Using Generalizability Theory for Student Outcome Assessment. AIR 1988 Annual Forum Paper.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Erwin, T. Dary

    Rating scales are a typical method for evaluating a student's performance in outcomes assessment. The analysis of the quality of information from rating scales poses special measurement problems when researchers work with faculty in their development. Generalizability measurement theory offers a set of techniques for estimating errors or…

  4. Real-Time Assessment of Problem-Solving of Physics Students Using Computer-Based Technology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gok, Tolga

    2012-01-01

    The change in students' problem solving ability in upper-level course through the application of a technological interactive environment--Tablet PC running InkSurvey--was investigated in present study. Tablet PC/InkSurvey interactive technology allowing the instructor to receive real-time formative assessment as the class works through the problem…

  5. How Often Do Students Working in Two-Person Teams Report that Work Was Shared Equitably?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alkaslassy, Edmond

    2011-01-01

    There are many reasons to assign group projects but determining the grade for each individual working in a group can be problematic. Self and peer assessments of contributions to a group project can be used to adjust individual grades. Most studies of such assessments have considered teams with three to seven members. This study documents the…

  6. Seven day Lanzarote adventure: seven innovations in university learning and teaching

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reavey, Duncan

    2010-05-01

    An annual residential field course in Lanzarote, Canary Islands, gives university students of Environmental Science, Adventure Education, and Primary Science Education diverse opportunities for deep learning that challenges and motivates. Comments from students range from 'the best chemistry lesson ever' to 'life-changing'. Here I reflect on seven strengths from the student experience: (1) Our goal is for students to learn to ask scientific questions. Anyone can answer questions, but only the best scientists can ask questions that matter. (2) Field work fits the diverse learning styles of our diverse students. For example, students model bathymetry using sand and pebbles on a beach; students start to explore social issues around waste disposal on Lanzarote by taking part in a commando raid on a municipal rubbish tip! (3) Students learn from local experts but then learn from each other. For example, half the group explores agricultural practices while the other half explores traditional uses of plants; a student from one group is then paired with a student from the other group for them to teach each other what they have learned. (4) An overview of current research on the island (volcanic origins, indigenous species, trace elements in the wines!) comes from students reflecting on abstracts of 25 recent papers from mainstream journals and sharing their understanding with each other. (5) We replicate a real world experience. One part of the student assessment requires them to write a grant application for a scientific research project using the real-world pro forma and meeting the criteria set out by the real-world funding agency. (6) Students work as teams to write these grant applications (as they would do in the real world). They receive a single mark for their work, but the students then divide the mark among themselves according to the quality of the contributions they have made. In this way the university teachers assess the product, and the students assess the processes within their group. (7) Students are encouraged to explore the environmental impacts of their own activities. Affective learning (in which emotions are as important as factual knowledge) is a significant outcome of the course. Students themselves decide to offset carbon emissions from their visit and after returning to UK have created a large apple orchard, a 100 metre hedgerow and a public woodland through their own initiatives. University teachers work subtly (and without the students' knowledge) to promote this learning and environmental action.

  7. Learning from internships in gerontology and geriatrics: assessment and program evaluation.

    PubMed

    Karasik, Rona J

    2009-01-01

    Internships are an essential component of gerontological education. Harvesting the learning from internships, however, requires careful attention to assessing an intern's work. In addition to providing feedback to students, internship assessment can also yield data useful for academic program evaluation. Drawing on internship assessment data collected from undergraduate and graduate gerontology interns and their community preceptors over a period of seven semesters, this article explores (1) concerns regarding how to assess what interns are learning, (2) ways to provide students with additional opportunities for learning from their internships, and (3) how information from these student-learning outcomes may be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the overall academic program.

  8. Chutes or Ladders? Creating Support Services to Help Early Childhood Students Succeed in Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dukakis, Kara; Bellm, Dan; Seer, Natalie; Lee, Yuna

    2007-01-01

    This report explores efforts in California to generally support nontraditional students, and early care and education (ECE) nontraditional students in particular. It is recommended that institutions of higher education and local planners work together to assess the needs of nontraditional students in their ECE programs, the adequacy of existing…

  9. Developing Students' "Habits of Mind" in a Mathematics Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Charbonneau, Peter C.; Jackson, Heather A.; Kobylski, Gerald C.; Roginski, Jonathan W.; Sulewski, Charles A.; Wattenberg, Frank

    2009-01-01

    We discuss approaches to develop and improve habits of mind in our students. Several illustrations and strategies are offered and we demonstrate how popular culture and mystery can be used to motivate students. We offer an approach to assessing the work ethic efforts of our students based on an historical approach used at the United States…

  10. Does Affirmative Training Matter? Assessing CFT Students' Beliefs about Sexual Orientation and Their Level of Affirmative Training

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rock, Monica; Carlson, Thomas Stone; McGeorge, Christi R.

    2010-01-01

    This study examined couple and family therapy (CFT) students' beliefs about sexual orientation, their self-reported competency working with lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) clients, and the level of affirmative training students received in their CFT programs. One hundred and ninety students from accredited CFT programs completed the study. While…

  11. Student and Staff Perceptions of Key Aspects of Computer Science Engineering Capstone Projects

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olarte, Juan José; Dominguez, César; Jaime, Arturo; Garcia-Izquierdo, Francisco José

    2016-01-01

    In carrying out their capstone projects, students use knowledge and skills acquired throughout their degree program to create a product or provide a technical service. An assigned advisor guides the students and supervises the work, and a committee assesses the projects. This study compares student and staff perceptions of key aspects of…

  12. Effects of Self-Evaluation Training on Narrative Writing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ross, John A.; Rolheiser, Carol; Hogaboam-Gray, Anne

    Despite the burgeoning use of authentic assessment, few studies have examined effects on students. In this study, 148 students in 15 grade 4-6 classrooms were taught over an 8-week period how to evaluate their work. Their self-reflections were later compared with those of 148 control group students. Treatment group students became more accurate in…

  13. A Guide for Scientists Interested in Researching Student Outcomes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Buxner, Sanlyn R.; Anbar, Ariel; Semken, Steve; Mead, Chris; Horodyskyj, Lev; Perera, Viranga; Bruce, Geoffrey; Schönstein, David

    2015-11-01

    Scientists spend years training in their scientific discipline and are well versed the literature, methods, and innovations in their own field. Many scientists also take on teaching responsibilities with little formal training in how to implement their courses or assess their students. There is a growing body of literature of what students know in space science courses and the types of innovations that can work to increase student learning but scientists rarely have exposure to this body of literature. For scientists who are interested in more effectively understanding what their students know or investigating the impact their courses have on students, there is little guidance. Undertaking a more formal study of students poses more complexities including finding robust instruments and employing appropriate data analysis. Additionally, formal research with students involves issues of privacy and human subjects concerns, both regulated by federal laws.This poster details the important decisions and issues to consider for both course evaluation and more formal research using a course developed, facilitated, evaluated and researched by a hybrid team of scientists and science education researchers. HabWorlds, designed and implemented by a team of scientists and faculty at Arizona State University, has been using student data to continually improve the course as well as conduct formal research on students’ knowledge and attitudes in science. This ongoing project has had external funding sources to allow robust assessment not available to most instructors. This is a case study for discussing issues that are applicable to designing and assessing all science courses. Over the course of several years, instructors have refined course outcomes and learning objectives that are shared with students as a roadmap of instruction. The team has searched for appropriate tools for assessing student learning and attitudes, tested them and decided which have worked, or not, for assessment in the course. Data from this assessment has led to many changes in the course to better meet the course goals. We will share challenges and lessons learned in our project to assist other instructors interested in doing research on student outcomes.

  14. Integrating teaching and research in the field and laboratory settings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, L.; Kaseke, K. F.; Daryanto, S.; Ravi, S.

    2015-12-01

    Field observations and laboratory measurements are great ways to engage students and spark students' interests in science. Typically these observations are separated from rigorous classroom teaching. Here we assessed the potential of integrating teaching and research in the field and laboratory setting in both US and abroad and worked with students without strong science background to utilize simple laboratory equipment and various environmental sensors to conduct innovative projects. We worked with students in Namibia and two local high school students in Indianapolis to conduct leaf potential measurements, soil nutrient extraction, soil infiltration measurements and isotope measurements. The experience showed us the potential of integrating teaching and research in the field setting and working with people with minimum exposure to modern scientific instrumentation to carry out creative projects.

  15. The use of observational diaries in in-training evaluation: student perceptions.

    PubMed

    Govaerts, Marjan J B; van der Vleuten, Cees P M; Schuwirth, Lambert W T; Muijtjens, Arno M M

    2005-08-01

    In health science education clinical clerkships serve the twofold purpose of guiding student learning and assessment of performance. Evidently, both formative and summative assessment procedures are needed in clerkship assessment. In-training evaluation (ITE) has the potential to serve both assessment functions. Implementation of effective ITE, however, has been shown to be problematic, partly because integration of assessment functions may have negative consequences for teaching and learning. This study investigates student perceptions of the impact of an integrated assessment approach, seeking to refine criteria for effective ITE. In the curriculum of Maastricht Midwifery School (MMS), clerkship assessment is based on ITE serving both assessment functions. The ITE model is based on principles of extensive work sampling, and frequent documentation of performance. A focus group technique was used to explore student perceptions on the impact of the ITE approach on student learning and supervisor teaching behaviour, and on the usefulness of information for decision making. Results indicate that the assessment approach is effective in guidance of student learning. Furthermore, students consider the frequent performance documentation essential in clerkship grading. Acceptance and effectivity of ITE requires a learning environment which is safe and respectful. Transparency of assessment processes is the key to success. Suggestions for improvement focus on variation in evaluation formats, improvement of feedback (narrative, complete) and student involvement in assessment. ITE can fulfill both its formative and summative purposes when some crucial conditions are taken into account. Careful training of both supervisors and students in the use of ITE for student learning and performance measurement is essential.

  16. What is the perception of biological risk by undergraduate nursing students?

    PubMed Central

    Moreno-Arroyo, Mª Carmen; Puig-Llobet, Montserrat; Falco-Pegueroles, Anna; Lluch-Canut, Maria Teresa; García, Irma Casas; Roldán-Merino, Juan

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Objective: to analyze undergraduate nursing students' perception of biological risk and its relationship with their prior practical training. Method: a descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate nursing students enrolled in clinical practice courses in the academic year 2013-2014 at the School of Nursing at the University of Barcelona. Variables: sociodemographic variables, employment, training, clinical experience and other variables related to the assessment of perceived biological risk were collected. Both a newly developed tool and the Dimensional Assessment of Risk Perception at the worker level scale (Escala de Evaluación Dimensional del Riesgo Percibido por el Trabajador, EDRP-T) were used. Statistical analysis: descriptive and univariate analysis were used to identify differences between the perception of biological risk of the EDRP-T scale items and sociodemographic variables. Results: students without prior practical training had weaker perceptions of biological risk compared to students with prior practical training (p=0.05 and p=0.04, respectively). Weaker perceptions of biological risk were found among students with prior work experience. Conclusion: practical training and work experience influence the perception of biological risk among nursing students. PMID:27384468

  17. Blended Delivery and Online Assessment: Scaffolding Student Reflections in Work-Integrated Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Larkin, Ingrid; Beatson, Amanda

    2014-01-01

    This paper documents a teaching innovation addressing the challenges of embedding and assessing reflective practice in work-integrated learning, specifically marketing internships. We identify four issues relating to this problem: lack of knowledge or skill for reflection, limitations of physical journals, facilitation of different forms of…

  18. Validation of the Evidence-Based Practice Process Assessment Scale

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rubin, Allen; Parrish, Danielle E.

    2011-01-01

    Objective: This report describes the reliability, validity, and sensitivity of a scale that assesses practitioners' perceived familiarity with, attitudes of, and implementation of the evidence-based practice (EBP) process. Method: Social work practitioners and second-year master of social works (MSW) students (N = 511) were surveyed in four sites…

  19. Assessing Mathematics Automatically Using Computer Algebra and the Internet

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sangwin, Chris

    2004-01-01

    This paper reports some recent developments in mathematical computer-aided assessment which employs computer algebra to evaluate students' work using the Internet. Technical and educational issues raised by this use of computer algebra are addressed. Working examples from core calculus and algebra which have been used with first year university…

  20. Students' motivation toward laboratory work in physiology teaching.

    PubMed

    Dohn, Niels Bonderup; Fago, Angela; Overgaard, Johannes; Madsen, Peter Teglberg; Malte, Hans

    2016-09-01

    The laboratory has been given a central role in physiology education, and teachers report that it is motivating for students to undertake experimental work on live animals or measuring physiological responses on the students themselves. Since motivation is a critical variable for academic learning and achievement, then we must concern ourselves with questions that examine how students engage in laboratory work and persist at such activities. The purpose of the present study was to investigate how laboratory work influences student motivation in physiology. We administered the Lab Motivation Scale to assess our students' levels of interest, willingness to engage (effort), and confidence in understanding (self-efficacy). We also asked students about the role of laboratory work for their own learning and their experience in the physiology laboratory. Our results documented high levels of interest, effort, and self-efficacy among the students. Correlation analyses were performed on the three motivation scales and exam results, yet a significant correlation was only found between self-efficacy in laboratory work and academic performance at the final exam. However, almost all students reported that laboratory work was very important for learning difficult concepts and physiological processes (e.g., action potential), as the hands-on experiences gave a more concrete idea of the learning content and made the content easier to remember. These results have implications for classroom practice as biology students find laboratory exercises highly motivating, despite their different personal interests and subject preferences. This highlights the importance of not replacing laboratory work by other nonpractical approaches, for example, video demonstrations or computer simulations. Copyright © 2016 The American Physiological Society.

  1. Assessing Progress toward Accreditation Related Objectives: Evidence regarding the Use of Self-Efficacy as an Outcome in the Advanced Concentration Research Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holden, Gary; Barker, Kathleen; Rosenberg, Gary; Onghena, Patrick

    2007-01-01

    Objective: Assessing the achievement of social work educational outcomes is a requirement of the Council on Social Work Education's Educational Policy and Standards (EPAS). The Evaluation Self-Efficacy Scale (ESE) was created to assess student progress in advanced concentration courses focused on evaluation and thereby provide data regarding…

  2. Automated Assessment of the Quality of Peer Reviews Using Natural Language Processing Techniques

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ramachandran, Lakshmi; Gehringer, Edward F.; Yadav, Ravi K.

    2017-01-01

    A "review" is textual feedback provided by a reviewer to the author of a submitted version. Peer reviews are used in academic publishing and in education to assess student work. While reviews are important to e-commerce sites like Amazon and e-bay, which use them to assess the quality of products and services, our work focuses on…

  3. Developing an Objective Structured Clinical Examination to Assess Work-Integrated Learning in Exercise Physiology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Naumann, Fiona; Moore, Keri; Mildon, Sally; Jones, Philip

    2014-01-01

    This paper aims to develop a valid method to assess the key competencies of the exercise physiology profession acquired through work-integrated learning (WIL). In order to develop a competency-based assessment, the key professional tasks needed to be identified and the test designed so students' competency in different tasks and settings could be…

  4. Integration and Evaluation of Substance Abuse Research Education Training (SARET) into a Master of Social Work program.

    PubMed

    Tuchman, Ellen; Hanley, Kathleen; Naegle, Madeline; More, Frederick; Bereket, Sewit; Gourevitch, Marc N

    2017-01-01

    The Substance Abuse Research and Education Training (SARET) program is funded by the National Institutes of Drug Abuse in 2006 as a novel approach to spark interest in substance abuse research among medical, dental, nursing, and social work graduate students through a Web-based curriculum and research mentorships. This report presents the initial integration of the intervention in a Master of Social Work (MSW) program, the components of the program, and the mixed-methods evaluation of its effect on students' attitudes towards substance abuse research and treatment. SARET comprises 2 main components: stipend-supported research mentorships and a Web-based module series, consisting of 6 interactive, multimedia modules addressing core SA research topics, delivered via course curricula and in the research mentorships. An initial evaluation was designed to assess SARET's acceptability and short-term impact on participants' interest in SA research. The components of this Web-based curriculum evaluation include focus group feedback on the relevance of the modules to SW students, number of courses into which the modules were integrated with number of module completions, changes in interest in SA research associated with module completion. The full series of Web-based modules has been integrated across several courses in the social work curriculum, and social work students have become integral participants in the summer mentored research experience. One hundred eighteen students completed at least 1 module and 42 students completed all 6 modules. Neurobiology, Screening, and Epidemiology were the most widely viewed modules. Students reported positive impact on their vision of SA-related clinical care, more positive attitudes about conducting research, and in some cases, change in career. The SARET program's modules and summer mentored research increased clinical and research interest related to SUDs, as well as interprofessional attitudes among social work students. Participants have shown some early research success. Longer-term follow-up will enable us to continue to assess the effectiveness of the program.

  5. Predictors and subsequent decisions of physical therapy and nursing students to work with geriatric clients: an application of the theory of reasoned action.

    PubMed

    Dunkle, S E; Hyde, R S

    1995-07-01

    In this study, the theory-based model of Ajzen and Fishbein was used to identify factors that influence physical therapist and registered nurse (RN) students' intentions toward working with elderly individuals. A follow-up identified actual job selection. Accredited physical therapist and RN education programs in the Northwest and California were surveyed. Two hundred one students responded; 176 survey questionnaires were usable. A survey instrument was developed based on Ajzen and Fishbein's theory-based model to assess student intention to work with elderly individuals and factors influencing this intention. Graduates were later contacted to determine whether job selection matched intention. For all students, factors influencing intention were student attitudes and student perceptions regarding their families' expectations about the student working with elderly persons. Intention had a positive correlation with job selection. Important underlying beliefs influencing student attitudes, which could be emphasized in academia, include the advantages of getting to know elderly patients and their families and having pleasant patients to work with. Faculty are encouraged to positively reinforce these beliefs throughout the curricula. Results of this study support using a theory-based model to identify predictors of job selection among physical therapist and RN graduates.

  6. It's All about Saving Face: Working with the Urban College Student

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Flynn, Ellen E.

    2015-01-01

    Urban college students on academic probation seldom utilize the academic support services offered in most colleges and universities. This study assessed a successful academic support program that emphasized the unique psychological, sociocultural and communal aspects of at-risk urban college students and how those aspects contributed to the…

  7. Nursing Students' Knowledge of and Views about Children in Pain.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Salantera, Sanna; Lauri, Sirkka

    2000-01-01

    Finnish nursing students (n=85) specializing in child nursing had mainly positive attitudes about caring for children in pain, but lacked knowledge of medications and pain assessment. There were no knowledge differences between older and younger students or those with more or less work experience. (SK)

  8. Medical Students' Affirmation of Ethics Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lehrmann, Jon A.; Hoop, Jinger; Hammond, Katherine Green; Roberts, Laura Weiss

    2009-01-01

    Objective: Despite the acknowledged importance of ethics education in medical school, little empirical work has been done to assess the needs and preferences of medical students regarding ethics curricula. Methods: Eighty-three medical students at the University of New Mexico participated in a self-administered written survey including 41 scaled…

  9. Russia's College Students: Work and Health

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ivanova, L. Iu.

    2014-01-01

    Research on the effect of secondary employment on the sense of well-being of students in full-time education shows that the degree of fatigue and emotional stress on the job is affected by gender, the students' assessment of their own health, and their disposition to take care of their health.

  10. One-Shot Deal? Students' Perceptions of Assessment and Course Placement in California's Community Colleges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Venezia, Andrea; Bracco, Kathy Reeves; Nodine, Thad

    2010-01-01

    There is substantial work being done--in California and nationwide--to develop college readiness standards; expand concurrent enrollment programs; communicate clearly about the key cognitive strategies necessary for postsecondary success (e.g., analytical thinking); improve student supports; and implement other approaches to improve students'…

  11. Addressing Children's Alternative Frameworks of the Moon's Phases and Eclipses.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barnett, Michael; Morran, Judy

    2002-01-01

    Analyzes a project-based space science curriculum designed to support elementary school students in understanding complex, inter-related astronomy concepts. Uses pre- and post-interviews, examines student work, and has students complete a pre- and post-astronomy conceptual survey to assess conceptual change. Points out that instruction should…

  12. Cooperative Learning about Nature of Science with a Case from the History of Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wolfensberger, Balz; Canella, Claudia

    2015-01-01

    This paper reports a predominantly qualitative classroom study on cooperative learning about nature of science (NOS) using a case from the history of science. The purpose of the research was to gain insight into how students worked with the historical case study during cooperative group work, how students and teachers assessed the teaching unit,…

  13. The Influence of Problems Faced during Internships on Interns' Views of Their Profession and Their Intention to Work in the Tourism Industry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kasli, Mehmet; Ilban, Mehmet Oguzhan

    2013-01-01

    Problem Statement: The problem of this research is identifying the difficulties that undergraduate students experience during their internships and assessing their future intention to work in the tourism industry. Purpose of Study: This research aims to identify the problems undergraduate students encounter as interns in tourism programs and to…

  14. Evaluation of Professional Personality Competence of Physical Education Teachers Working in Secondary Schools by Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Demir, Erdal

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this article is to assess how students evaluate the professional personality competence of physical education teachers working in secondary schools, and to investigate differences based on the variables of gender, school type and class. In line with these aims, this study was completed as a screening model cross-sectional study, which…

  15. Collaboration in Transition Assessment: School Psychologists and Special Educators Working Together to Improve Outcomes for Students with Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kellems, Ryan O.; Springer, Ben; Wilkins, Melinda K.; Anderson, Caroline

    2016-01-01

    The ultimate goal for school psychologists, special education practitioners, and other professionals who work with adolescents with disabilities is to help students plan and prepare to transition from school to adult life with the skills and knowledge to live happy, productive, and fulfilling lives. This article describes how school psychologists…

  16. Further Validation of the Learning Alliance Inventory: The Roles of Working Alliance, Rapport, and Immediacy in Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rogers, Daniel T.

    2015-01-01

    This study further examined the reliability and validity of the Learning Alliance Inventory (LAI), a self-report measure designed to assess the working alliance between a student and a teacher. The LAI was found to have good internal consistency and test--retest reliability, and it demonstrated the predicted convergence with measures of immediacy…

  17. The Differential Contributions of Auditory-Verbal and Visuospatial Working Memory on Decoding Skills in Children Who Are Poor Decoders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Squires, Katie Ellen

    2013-01-01

    This study investigated the differential contribution of auditory-verbal and visuospatial working memory (WM) on decoding skills in second- and fifth-grade children identified with poor decoding. Thirty-two second-grade students and 22 fifth-grade students completed measures that assessed simple and complex auditory-verbal and visuospatial memory,…

  18. The 1996 High Schools That Work Assessment: Good News, Bad News and Hope. Research Brief.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bottoms, Gene

    Implementation of the High Schools That Work (HSTW) key practices improved achievement for career-bound students in these four ways: (1) HSTW sites showed significant improvement in average reading and math scores; (2) the percentage of career- bound students meeting HSTW performance goals in 1994 and 1996 increased from 33% to 43% in reading and…

  19. College and Career Ready? Perceptions of High School Students Related to WorkKeys Assessments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schultz, Deanna D.

    2011-01-01

    Concern about college and career readiness has been expressed in both the business and education arenas. Employers are calling for entry-level employees with basic academic skills and educators are being held accountable for student achievement in academic areas similar to those required by employers. In this environment, WorkKeys has emerged as a…

  20. The Influence of Cooperative Education and Reflection upon Previous Work Experiences on University Graduates' Vocational Self-Concept

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Drewery, David; Nevison, Colleen; Pretti, T. Judene

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess the relative effects of participation in cooperative education (co-op) and engagement in reflection upon previous work experiences on undergraduate students' vocational self-concept (VSC) at graduation. Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional survey of graduating students (n = 1,483) from a…

  1. College Students' Perceived Learning Environment and Their Social Media Engagement in Activities Unrelated to Class Work

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alt, Dorit

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the connection between students' perceived constructivist learning environment and their involvement in activities unrelated to class work via social media engagement (SME), while considering the moderating role of their openness to diversity and challenge (ODC) in explaining both variables. Another aim was to…

  2. Summer and school-term youth employment: ecological and longitudinal analyses.

    PubMed

    Hardesty, P H; Hirsch, B J

    1992-10-01

    The effects of summer versus school-year employment on self-esteem, peer relationships, and family social climate were investigated in a sample of 135 adolescents. Students were assessed the summer before entrance into high school and during the second semester of high school, using a longitudinal design. Cross-sectional findings indicated that, during the summer, 52 workers possessed higher self-esteem than 79 nonworkers. Longitudinal analysis indicated that 10 girls who worked only during the school term reported increases in both stress and activity with peers. At our final assessment, the families of 49 students who did not work at either time had become more conflicted and less cohesive than families of all other students. The developmental implications of these results are discussed.

  3. Students' Midprogram Content Area Performance as a Predictor of End-of-Program NCLEX Readiness.

    PubMed

    Brussow, Jennifer A; Dunham, Michelle

    2017-12-22

    Many programs have implemented end-of-program predictive testing to identify students at risk of NCLEX-RN failure. Unfortunately, for many students, end-of-program testing comes too late. Regression and relative importance analysis were used to explore relationships between 9 content area assessments and an end-of-program assessment shown to be predictive of NCLEX-RN success. Results indicate that scores on assessments for content areas such as medical surgical nursing and care of children are predictive of end-of-program test scores, suggesting that instructors should provide remediation at the first sign of lagging performance.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in anyway or used commercially without permission from the journal.

  4. Student Responses Toward Student Worksheets Based on Discovery Learning for Students with Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Intelligence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yerizon, Y.; Putra, A. A.; Subhan, M.

    2018-04-01

    Students have a low mathematical ability because they are used to learning to hear the teacher's explanation. For that students are given activities to sharpen his ability in math. One way to do that is to create discovery learning based work sheet. The development of this worksheet took into account specific student learning styles including in schools that have classified students based on multiple intelligences. The dominant learning styles in the classroom were intrapersonal and interpersonal. The purpose of this study was to discover students’ responses to the mathematics work sheets of the junior high school with a discovery learning approach suitable for students with Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Intelligence. This tool was developed using a development model adapted from the Plomp model. The development process of this tools consists of 3 phases: front-end analysis/preliminary research, development/prototype phase and assessment phase. From the results of the research, it is found that students have good response to the resulting work sheet. The worksheet was understood well by students and its helps student in understanding the concept learned.

  5. The relationship of work avoidance and learning goals to perceived competence, externality and meaning.

    PubMed

    Seifert, T L; O'Keefe, B A

    2001-03-01

    Motivational researchers have suggested that work avoidance may be an academic goal in which students seek to minimise the amount of work they do in school. Additionally, research has also suggested that emotions may be catalysts for goals. This study examined the relationship between emotions and learning or work avoidance goals. Do emotions explain goals? The participants were 512 senior high school students in Eastern Canada. Students completed a survey assessing motivation related constructs. A structural equation model was postulated in which students' affect predicted learning goals and work avoidant goals. A cluster analysis of affect scores was performed followed by between-group and within-group contrasts of goal scores. The structural equation model suggested that a sense of competence and control were predictive of a learning goal while lack of meaning was related to work avoidance. The cluster analysis showed that confidence and control were associated with a learning goal but that a sense of inadequacy, lack of control or lack of meaning could give rise to work avoidance. Emotions seem to be directly linked to goals. Teachers who foster feelings of self-assuredness will be helping students develop learning goals. Students who feel less competent, bored or have little control will adopt work avoidant goals.

  6. A medical student leadership course led to teamwork, advocacy, and mindfulness.

    PubMed

    Warde, Carole M; Vermillion, Michelle; Uijtdehaage, Sebastian

    2014-06-01

    Many medical trainees seek work among underserved communities but may be unprepared to cope with the challenges. Relationship-centered qualities have been shown to promote physician resilience and prevent burnout. The UCLA-PRIME program aims to prepare medical students to work among vulnerable groups and begins with a 3-week leadership course. We describe this course and share lessons with those seeking to foster leadership, advocacy, and resiliency in our future physician workforce. Twenty students participated in our curriculum that emphasized five competencies: leadership, advocacy, teamwork, mindfulness, and self-care. Course activities complemented the students' work as they developed a community outreach project. They assessed and reflected on their leadership, relationship, and team behaviors, were coached to improve these, learned mindfulness meditation, and participated in community forums. Our evaluation assessed course quality, project completion, leadership, mindfulness, and team relational coordination. Students were very satisfied with all aspects of the course. They designed a medical student elective addressing the health challenges of an incarcerated and formerly incarcerated population. While we found no change in leadership practices scores, students had high team relational coordination scores and improved mindfulness scores upon course completion. Our course to develop medical students as resilient leaders, team members, and advocates for medically underserved groups consisted of a community-based service project, coupled with a facilitated relationship-centered curriculum. It promoted qualities in students that characterize effective and resilient physician leaders; they were more mindful, related to each other effectively, and coordinated their activities well with one another.

  7. Assessing medical students' performance in core competencies using multiple admission programs for colleges and universities: from the perspective of multi-source feedback.

    PubMed

    Fang, Ji-Tseng; Ko, Yu-Shien; Chien, Chu-Chun; Yu, Kuang-Hui

    2013-01-01

    Since 1994, Taiwanese medical universities have employed the multiple application method comprising "recommendations and screening" and "admission application." The purpose of this study is to examine whether medical students admitted using different admission programs gave different performances. To evaluate the six core competencies for medical students proposed by Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), this study employed various assessment tools, including student opinion feedback, multi-source feedback (MSF), course grades, and examination results.MSF contains self-assessment scale, peer assessment scale, nursing staff assessment scale, visiting staff assessment scale, and chief resident assessment scale. In the subscales, the CronbachÊs alpha were higher than 0.90, indicating good reliability. Research participants consisted of 182 students from the School of Medicine at Chang Gung University. Regarding studentsÊ average grade for the medical ethics course, the performance of students who were enrolled through school recommendations exceeded that of students who were enrolled through the National College University Entrance Examination (NCUEE) p = 0.011), and all considered "teamwork" as the most important. Different entry pipelines of students in the "communication," "work attitude," "medical knowledge," and "teamwork" assessment scales showed no significant difference. The improvement rate of the students who were enrolled through the school recommendations was better than that of the students who were enrolled through the N CUEE in the "professional skills," "medical core competencies," "communication," and "teamwork" projects of self-assessment and peer assessment scales. However, the students who were enrolled through the NCUEE were better in the "professional skills," "medical core competencies," "communication," and "teamwork" projects of the visiting staff assessment scale and the chief resident assessment scale. Collectively, the performance of the students enrolled through recommendations was slightly better than that of the students enrolled through the NCUEE, although statistical significance was found in certain parts of the grades only.

  8. Impact of self-assessment by students on their learning.

    PubMed

    Sharma, Rajeev; Jain, Amit; Gupta, Naveenta; Garg, Sonia; Batta, Meenal; Dhir, Shashi Kant

    2016-01-01

    Tutor assessment is sometimes also considered as an exercise of power by the assessor over assesses. Student self-assessment is the process by which the students gather information about and reflect on their own learning and is considered to be a very important component of learning. The primary objective of this study was to analyze the impact of self-assessment by undergraduate medical students on their subsequent academic performance. The secondary objective was to obtain the perception of students and faculty about self-assessment as a tool for enhanced learning. The study was based on the evaluation of two theory tests consisting of both essay type and short answer questions, administered to students of the 1(st) year MBBS (n = 89). They self-assessed their performance after 3 days of the first test followed by marking of faculty and feedback. Then, a nonidentical theory test on the same topic with the same difficulty level was conducted after 7 days and assessed by the teachers. The feedback about the perception of students and faculty about this intervention was obtained. Significant improvement in the academic performance after the process of self-assessment was observed (P < 0.001). There was a significantly positive correlation between student and teacher marking (r = 0.79). Both students and faculty perceived it to be helpful for developing self-directed learning skills. Self-assessment can increase the interest and motivation level of students for the subjects leading to enhanced learning and better academic performance, helping them in development of critical skills for analysis of their own work.

  9. Identifying the mathematics middle year students use as they address a community issue

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marshman, Margaret

    2017-03-01

    Middle year students often do not see the mathematics in the real world whereas the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics aims for students to be "confident and creative users and communicators of mathematics" (Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA] 2012). Using authentic and real mathematics tasks can address this situation. This paper is an account of how, working within a Knowledge Producing Schools' framework, a group of middle year students addressed a real community issue, the problem of the lack of a teenage safe space using mathematics and technology. Data were collected for this case study via journal observations and reflections, semi-structured interviews, samples of the students' work and videos of students working. The data were analysed by identifying the mathematics the students used determining the function and location of the space and focused on problem negotiation, formulation and solving through the statistical investigation cycle. The paper will identify the mathematics and statistics these students used as they addressed a real problem in their local community.

  10. Student attitudes towards socially acceptable and unacceptable group working practices.

    PubMed

    Underwood, Jean D M

    2003-08-01

    While there is much support for co-operative learning among learning theorists, not all learners exhibit the same enthusiasm for groupwork. A number of factors such as sex, group size and ability mix, subject domain, task type and organization have been shown to influence the effectiveness of co-operative and collaborative learning. This study established learners' attitudes to various shared working scenarios. In this mixed design, 140 post-graduate teacher trainees were asked to imagine their responses to seven groupwork scenarios presented as a series of short vignettes. The vignettes varied on the degree of co-operation required; the sex of the prospective co-worker(s) including single and mixed-sex groups; type of assessment, including no assessment at all; and on academically acceptable and unacceptable 'shared' working practices. Anticipated attitudinal and behavioural responses of the students were assessed by questionnaire. On the whole, students were cautiously willing to be involved in groupwork. There were caveats, however. Factors such as the characteristics of the group members, the level and type of assessment procedures in operation, and individual differences, including sex and self-reported social deviance, also governed their responses. There was very limited agreement to be involved in socially undesirable collaborative group activities at a personal level or to condone such activities by others. Those students who showed a tendency towards mild anti-social behaviour were more willing to take direct punitive action against non-contributors than their peers. Female students were more willing to invoke the help of the tutor than their male counterparts, but only if the anti-social behaviour impacted on them personally.

  11. Evaluating the Effectiveness of a One-Week Space-Themed Day Camp for Middle School Students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mangan, J. M.; Virani, S. N.; Kaznosky, C.

    2013-12-01

    In July, 2013, James Madison University hosted its first annual Space Camp. This was a five day nonresidential camp for 81 students entering the 5th through 8th grades, with no participation criteria other than age and interest. On the morning of the first day of camp, we administered a 10 question pre-assessment to gauge campers' knowledge of basic space facts, including planetary size and order, space travel, and light pollution. One of these 10 questions also asked the student to draw or describe a scientist. We gave participants the same 10 questions as a post-assessment at the end of the last day of camp. Despite our doing a hands-on activity demonstrating the relative size of the planets, only 29.2% of the campers were able to correctly list the planets in size order on the post-assessment, as compared with 24.2% on the pre-camp assessment. However, on the first day of camp, only 17% of students correctly estimated current travel time to Mars at about 9 months, as compared with 33% of students at the end of camp. As part of the camp's activities, we had a live video conference with astronaut Franklin Chang Diaz, who is working on technology to get us to Mars more quickly in the future. On a different day, we had another video conference with Jill Prince, an engineer who helped to successfully land a rover on Mars in August, 2012. Students had the opportunity to ask questions of these individuals, who also spoke of their work to the campers. It is likely that having the chance to speak with these two distinguished people increased campers' retention of facts about travel time to Mars. In addition to speaking with these two notable space science pioneers, students were exposed to different types of scientific work and met other scientists. While on the pre-assessment 51% of students had an image of a scientist being the stereotypical model of having glasses, steaming beakers, and/or a lab coat, only 33% gave a similar answer on the post-assessment. Further, on the post-assessment, many more students described a scientist as someone who could be them, which was part of our goal in engaging these campers in many hands-on scientific activities throughout the week. We discuss these and other results and analyze ways to improve delivery of scientific information in a semi-formal learning environment.

  12. Using a telehealth service delivery approach to working with an undergraduate student with a traumatic brain injury: A case study.

    PubMed

    Quaco, Carrie

    2017-09-14

    Project Career is a five year NIDILRR-funded interprofessional demonstration project aimed to improve the academic and career success of undergraduate students who have a traumatic brain injury (TBI). The information for this case study was collected and synthesized by an occupational therapy graduate student intern for one of the Project Career sites in collaboration with the Technology and Employment Coordinator for the site, the co-PI for Project Career, and the student participant. A case study is presented to provide an understanding of one of the Project Career participant's experience using a telehealth service delivery approach to working with Project Career for academic and career support. The participant's case notes, direct communication with the intern, and outcome assessments were used to perform a qualitative analysis. The participant reported that he believed Project Career was an effective support service for him. However, the participant's initial and 6-month outcome assessment scores are inconclusive regarding improvements in his academic abilities and satisfaction with academic and career attainment. Further research on the effectiveness of using a telehealth service delivery approach to working with undergraduate students with a TBI is needed.

  13. Item response theory analysis of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Students (UWES-S) using a sample of Japanese university and college students majoring medical science, nursing, and natural science.

    PubMed

    Tsubakita, Takashi; Shimazaki, Kazuyo; Ito, Hiroshi; Kawazoe, Nobuo

    2017-10-30

    The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Students has been used internationally to assess students' academic engagement, but it has not been analyzed via item response theory. The purpose of this study was to conduct an item response theory analysis of the Japanese version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Students translated by authors. Using a two-parameter model and Samejima's graded response model, difficulty and discrimination parameters were estimated after confirming the factor structure of the scale. The 14 items on the scale were analyzed with a sample of 3214 university and college students majoring medical science, nursing, or natural science in Japan. The preliminary parameter estimation was conducted with the two parameter model, and indicated that three items should be removed because there were outlier parameters. Final parameter estimation was conducted using the survived 11 items, and indicated that all difficulty and discrimination parameters were acceptable. The test information curve suggested that the scale better assesses higher engagement than average engagement. The estimated parameters provide a basis for future comparative studies. The results also suggested that a 7-point Likert scale is too broad; thus, the scaling should be modified to fewer graded scaling structure.

  14. Development and initial validation of a measure of work, family, and school conflict.

    PubMed

    Olson, Kristine J

    2014-01-01

    This study reports the development and initial validation of a theoretically based measure of conflict between work, family, and college student roles. The measure was developed through the assessment of construct definitions and an assessment of measurement items by subject matter experts. Then, the measurement items were assessed with data from 500 college students who were engaged in work and family responsibilities. The results indicate that conflict between work, family, and school are effectively measured by 12 factors assessing the direction of conflict (e.g., work-to-school conflict, and school-to-work conflict) as well as the form of conflict (i.e., time, strain, and behavior based conflict). Sets of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated that the 12 factors of the new measure are distinct from the 6 factors of the Carlson, Kacmar, and Williams (2000) work-family conflict measure. Criterion validity of the measure was established through a series of regression analyses testing hypothesized relationships between antecedent and outcome variables with role conflict. Results indicate that role demand was a robust predictor of role conflict. To extend the literature, core self-evaluations and emotional stability were established as predictors of role conflict. Further, work, family, and school role satisfaction were significantly impacted with the presence of role conflict between work, family, and school. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

  15. Sometimes It's about More than the Paper: Assessment as Relational Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schwartz, Harriet L.

    2017-01-01

    How do teachers situate themselves in their roles as assessors of student work? How do they maintain high standards and provide critical feedback while also doing their best not to shame students who fail to meet those standards? The purpose of this article is to propose a relational approach to assessment. This approach calls on faculty to…

  16. Using Common Formative Assessments to Promote Student Achievement: A Case Study of Practice, Leadership, and Culture

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wall, Patricia T. C.

    2012-01-01

    It is the moral responsibility of educators to work diligently to provide every student with rich, challenging coursework in efforts to prepare them for post high school careers and education. The use of common formative assessments provides teachers with the valuable, timely information they need to make instructional decisions that will better…

  17. Do Social Work Students Assess and Address Economic Barriers to Clients Implementing Agreed Tasks?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eamon, Mary Keegan; Zhang, Sai-jun

    2006-01-01

    Identical vignettes except for a sentence describing a client's economic resources were randomly assigned to 129 MSW students. The vignettes described a social worker who agreed with a client's decision to relocate her residence as a partial solution to a presenting problem but did not assess or address economic barriers to the client's…

  18. Combining Peer-Assessment with Negotiated Learning Activities on a Day-Release Undergraduate-Level Certificate Course (ECTS Level 3)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McMahon, Tim

    2010-01-01

    Peer-assessment was used within a negotiated curriculum in a module on training and development at ECTS level 3. The students on the programme were exclusively day-release and all had a major responsibility for the management and delivery of work-based training programmes. Analysis of student evaluations, supplemented by those of university…

  19. Integrating CALL and Genre Theory: A Proposal to Increase Students' Literacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lirola, Maria Martinez; Cuevas, Maria Tabuenca

    2008-01-01

    The use of computer programs that can be used to correct and assess students' written work in the EFL classroom has become more commonplace within the last decade. This paper discusses the role of CALL in the process of data collection, standardisation of assessment criteria and compilation of the number of errors in the areas of grammar learning…

  20. What Works Clearinghouse Quick Review: "Gathering Feedback for Teachers: Combining High-Quality Observations with Student Surveys and Achievement Gains"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    What Works Clearinghouse, 2012

    2012-01-01

    This study examined five instruments used to assess the effectiveness of teacher practices based on classroom observations. The study first examined whether observers could reliably assess teachers with each instrument, and then examined how well each instrument, along with other information, predicted student achievement. The study reported that,…

  1. Students' Use of CAS Calculators--Effects on the Trustworthiness and Fairness of Mathematics Assessments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pantzare, Anna Lind

    2012-01-01

    Calculators with computer algebra systems (CAS) are powerful tools when working with equations and algebraic expressions in mathematics. When calculators are allowed to be used during assessments but are not available or provided to every student, they may cause bias. The CAS calculators may also have an impact on the trustworthiness of results.…

  2. Harnessing Technology to Improve Formative Assessment of Student Conceptions in STEM: Forging a National Network

    PubMed Central

    Haudek, Kevin C.; Kaplan, Jennifer J.; Knight, Jennifer; Long, Tammy; Merrill, John; Munn, Alan; Nehm, Ross; Smith, Michelle; Urban-Lurain, Mark

    2011-01-01

    Concept inventories, consisting of multiple-choice questions designed around common student misconceptions, are designed to reveal student thinking. However, students often have complex, heterogeneous ideas about scientific concepts. Constructed-response assessments, in which students must create their own answer, may better reveal students’ thinking, but are time- and resource-intensive to evaluate. This report describes the initial meeting of a National Science Foundation–funded cross-institutional collaboration of interdisciplinary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education researchers interested in exploring the use of automated text analysis to evaluate constructed-response assessments. Participants at the meeting shared existing work on lexical analysis and concept inventories, participated in technology demonstrations and workshops, and discussed research goals. We are seeking interested collaborators to join our research community. PMID:21633063

  3. Camping for Persons with Disabilities. Student Guide to Home Study. Camp Administration Series.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carter, Marcia Jean

    The home study student guide for "Camping for Persons with Disabilities" begins with a brief overview of the conduct of the course, the desired outcomes of camp director education, instructions on phases I and II of home study, a student needs assessment form, a reading checklist, a student vita form, an individualized plan of work, and…

  4. Experts by experience; the views of service user educators providing feedback on medical students' work based assessments.

    PubMed

    Muir, Delia; Laxton, Julie Clare

    2012-02-01

    Assessment tools were designed to provide health and social care students with multi-sourced, interprofessional feedback in practice. This includes feedback from service users. Third year medical students at the University of Leeds were given accesses to 4 assessment tools whilst in practice. Completed assessments were then sent to the university where service users and carers worked with university tutors to give further feedback and comment on the overall development of students. Three service users then took part in a focus group and one provided written feedback. Four key themes were identified from the focus group: • Preparation and support • The design of the tools • The process of using the tools in practice • Feedback. We found that the project provided both challenges and rewards for all involved. The service user educators involved were able to bring a different and valuable perspective to formative feedback. The combination of their personal and professional experiences, along with the preparation they had received, helped bridge the gap between service users in practice and university based tutors. The findings from this study went on to inform a review of the assessment tools and revised versions are now being used. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. The Return to Final Paper Examining in English National Curriculum Assessment and School Examinations: Issues of Validity, Accountability and Politics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Torrance, Harry

    2018-01-01

    There are sound educational and examining reasons for the use of coursework assessment and practical assessment of student work by teachers in schools for purposes of reporting examination grades. Coursework and practical work test a range of different curriculum goals to final papers and increase the validity and reliability of the result.…

  6. Sleep patterns of day-working, evening high-schooled adolescents of São Paulo, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Teixeira, Liliane Reis; Fischer, Frida Marina; de Andrade, Miriam Mendonça Morato; Louzada, Fernando Mazzili; Nagai, Roberta

    2004-03-01

    Children who grow up in developing countries of the world must work to help financially support their families, and they must also attend school. We investigated the impact of work on the sleep of working vs. nonworking high school students. Twenty-seven São Paulo, Brazil, public high school students (eight male and eight female working students plus six nonworking female and five nonworking male students) 14-18 yrs of age who attended school Monday-Friday between 19:00 to 22:30h participated. A comprehensive questionnaire about work and living conditions, health status, and diseases and their symptoms was also answered. The activity level and rest pattern (sleep at night and napping during the day) were continuously assessed by wrist actigraphy (Ambulatory Monitoring, USA). The main variables were analyzed by a two-factor ANOVA with application of the Tukey HSD test for multiple comparisons, and the length of sleep during weekdays vs. weekends was compared by Student t-test. Working students went to sleep earlier weekends [F(1,23)=6.1; p=0.02] and woke up earlier work days than nonworking students [F(1,23) = 17.3; p = 0.001]. The length of nighttime sleep during weekdays was shorter among all the working [F(1,23)= 16.7; p <0.001] than all the nonworking students. The sleep duration of boys was shorter than of girls during weekends [F(1,23)= 10.8; p <0.001]. During weekdays, the duration of napping by working and nonworking male students was shorter than nonworking female students. During weekdays working girls took the shortest naps [F(1,23)= 5.6; p = 0.03]. The most commonly reported sleep complaint during weekdays was difficulty waking up in the morning [F(1,23) = 6.5; p = 0.02]. During weekdays, the self-perceived sleep quality of working students was worse than nonworking students [F(1,23) = 6.2; p = 0.02]. The findings of this study show that work has negative effects on the sleep of adolescents, with the possible build-up of a chronic sleep debt with potential consequent impact on quality of life and school learning.

  7. Dental Students' Perceptions of Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal Disorders: Adapting the Job Factors Questionnaire for Dentistry.

    PubMed

    Presoto, Cristina D; Wajngarten, Danielle; Domingos, Patrícia A S; Campos, Juliana A D B; Garcia, Patrícia P N S

    2018-01-01

    The aims of this study were to adapt the Job Factors Questionnaire to the field of dentistry, evaluate its psychometric properties, evaluate dental students' perceptions of work/study risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders, and determine the influence of gender and academic level on those perceptions. All 580 students enrolled in two Brazilian dental schools in 2015 were invited to participate in the study. A three-factor structure (Repetitiveness, Work Posture, and External Factors) was tested through confirmatory factor analysis. Convergent validity was estimated using the average variance extracted (AVE), discriminant validity was based on the correlational analysis of the factors, and reliability was assessed. A causal model was created using structural equation modeling to evaluate the influence of gender and academic level on students' perceptions. A total of 480 students completed the questionnaire for an 83% response rate. The responding students' average age was 21.6 years (SD=2.98), and 74.8% were women. Higher scores were observed on the Work Posture factor items. The refined model presented proper fit to the studied sample. Convergent validity was compromised only for External Factors (AVE=0.47), and discriminant validity was compromised for Work Posture and External Factors (r 2 =0.69). Reliability was adequate. Academic level did not have a significant impact on the factors, but the women students exhibited greater perception. Overall, the adaptation resulted in a useful instrument for assessing perceptions of risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders. Gender was found to significantly influence all three factors, with women showing greater perception of the risk factors.

  8. Intelligent Performance Assessment of Students' Laboratory Work in a Virtual Electronic Laboratory Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Achumba, I. E.; Azzi, D.; Dunn, V. L.; Chukwudebe, G. A.

    2013-01-01

    Laboratory work is critical in undergraduate engineering courses. It is used to integrate theory and practice. This demands that laboratory activities are synchronized with lectures to maximize their derivable learning outcomes, which are measurable through assessment. The typical high costs of the traditional engineering laboratory, which often…

  9. Assessment of Online Discussion in Work-Integrated Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McNamara, Judith; Brown, Catherine

    2009-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine how online discussion can be used in work-integrated learning as a vehicle for students to demonstrate their learning in the workplace and to facilitate collaborative learning where face-to-face classes are not feasible. Design/methodology/approach: The paper evaluates the use of assessable online…

  10. Developing Engineering and Science Process Skills Using Design Software in an Elementary Education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fusco, Christopher

    This paper examines the development of process skills through an engineering design approach to instruction in an elementary lesson that combines Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). The study took place with 25 fifth graders in a public, suburban school district. Students worked in groups of five to design and construct model bridges based on research involving bridge building design software. The assessment was framed around individual student success as well as overall group processing skills. These skills were assessed through an engineering design packet rubric (student work), student surveys of learning gains, observation field notes, and pre- and post-assessment data. The results indicate that students can successfully utilize design software to inform constructions of model bridges, develop science process skills through problem based learning, and understand academic concepts through a design project. The final result of this study shows that design engineering is effective for developing cooperative learning skills. The study suggests that an engineering program offered as an elective or as part of the mandatory curriculum could be beneficial for developing students' critical thinking, inter- and intra-personal skills, along with an increased their understanding and awareness for scientific phenomena. In conclusion, combining a design approach to instruction with STEM can increase efficiency in these areas, generate meaningful learning, and influence student attitudes throughout their education.

  11. The 1996 High Schools That Work Assessment: Good News and Bad News for Health Occupations Programs. Research Brief.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bottoms, Gene; Presson, Alice

    The academic achievement of students in health occupations programs at High Schools That Work (HSTW) sites in 1996 was compared to academic performance levels at HSTW sites in 1994. Health occupations students at HSTW sites improved their average reading scores from 269 in 1993 to 278 in 1996. During the study period, the gap widened between HSTW…

  12. NAEP 1997 Arts Report Card: Eighth-Grade Findings from the National Assessment of Educational Progress. [CD-ROM].

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Assessment of Educational Progress, Princeton, NJ.

    This "NAEP Arts Report Card" for music, theater, visual arts, and dance is in the form of a CD-ROM. This version includes recordings, videos, and other materials used as stimuli for students, extensive examples of student works of art and performances, and explanations of how these works of art and performances were scored. The report's…

  13. Autonomy, competence, and social relatedness in task interest within project-based education.

    PubMed

    Minnaert, Alexander; Boekaerts, Monique; de Brabander, Cornelis

    2007-10-01

    To prepare students for instructive collaboration, it is necessary to have insight into students' psychological needs and interest development. The framework of self-determination theory was used to conduct a field experiment involving 114 students in vocational education. These students followed a practical business course which required they work in small learning groups. During the course, students were asked to complete the Quality of Working in Groups Instrument, an online measure of how strong autonomy, competence, social relatedness, and task interest are fulfilled. SEM showed that students' psychological needs were jointly and uniquely related to task interest over time. The significance of this on-line test for the assessment of interest within project-based education is discussed.

  14. Talking Physics: Two Case Studies on Short Answers and Self-explanation in Learning Physics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Badeau, Ryan C.

    This thesis explores two case studies into the use of short answers and self-explanation to improve student learning in physics. The first set of experiments focuses on the role of short answer questions in the context of computer-based instruction. Through a series of six experiments, we compare and evaluate the performance of computer-assessed short answer questions versus multiple choice for training conceptual topics in physics, controlling for feedback between the two formats. In addition to finding overall similar improvements on subsequent student performance and retention, we identify unique differences in how students interact with the treatments in terms of time spent on feedback and performance on follow-up short answer assessment. In addition, we identify interactions between the level of interactivity of the training, question format, and student attitudinal ratings of each respective training. The second case study focuses on the use of worked examples in the context of multi-concept physics problems - which we call "synthesis problems." For this part of the thesis, four experiments were designed to evaluate the effectiveness of two instructional methods employing worked examples on student performance with synthesis problems; these instructional techniques, analogical comparison and self-explanation, have previously been studied primarily in the context of single-concept problems. As such, the work presented here represents a novel focus on extending these two techniques to this class of more complicated physics problem. Across the four experiments, both self-explanation and certain kinds of analogical comparison of worked examples significantly improved student performance on a target synthesis problem, with distinct improvements in recognition of the relevant concepts. More specifically, analogical comparison significantly improved student performance when the comparisons were invoked between worked synthesis examples. In contrast, similar comparisons between corresponding pairs of worked single-concept examples did not significantly improve performance. On a more complicated synthesis problem, self-explanation was significantly more effective than analogical comparison, potentially due to differences in how successfully students encoded the full structure of the worked examples. Finally, we find that the two techniques can be combined for additional benefit, with the trade-off of slightly more time-on-task.

  15. Blending Individual and Group Assessment: A Model for Measuring Student Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reiser, Elana

    2017-01-01

    Two sections of a college discrete mathematics class were taught using cooperative learning techniques throughout the semester. The 33 students attending these sections were randomly assigned into groups of three. Their final examination consisted of an individual and group blended examination where students worked in their groups and discussed…

  16. College Student Entrepreneurs: Motivations and Challenges.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seymour, Nicole

    It is difficult to assess the exact number of college student entrepreneurs, but various statistics show that entrepreneurship, is alive and well on college campuses. In some cases, college work is only an afterthought for collegiate entrepreneurs. One large motivator is the desire to make money. Many college student entrepreneurs do not expect to…

  17. Supporting Fourth-Grade Students' Word Identification Using Application Software

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moser, Gary P.; Morrison, Timothy G.; Wilcox, Brad

    2017-01-01

    A quasi-experimental study examined effects of a 10-week word structure intervention with fourth-grade students. During daily 10-15-minute practice periods, students worked individually with mobile apps focused on specific aspects of word identification. Pre- and post-treatment assessments showed no differences in rate and accuracy of oral reading…

  18. Exploring Secondary Students' Understanding of Chemical Kinetics through Inquiry-Based Learning Activities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chairam, Sanoe; Klahan, Nutsuda; Coll, Richard K.

    2015-01-01

    This research is trying to evaluate the feedback of Thai secondary school students to inquiry-based teaching and learning methods, exemplified by the study of chemical kinetics. This work used the multiple-choice questions, scientifically practical diagram and questionnaire to assess students' understanding of chemical kinetics. The findings…

  19. Testing the "Learning Journey" of MSW Students in a Rural Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wall, Misty L.; Rainford, Will

    2013-01-01

    Using a quasi-experimental one-group, pretest-posttest design with non-random convenience sampling, the researchers assessed 61 advanced standing MSW students who matriculated at a rural intermountain Northwest school of social work. Changes in students' knowledge and attitudes toward lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people were measured using…

  20. Investigating Toothpastes through Inquiry-Based Practical Work

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cheung, Derek

    2005-01-01

    This authentic inquiry-based chemistry experiment provides high school students with an opportunity to investigate the effect of toothpastes on the rate of tooth decay. Students need to design and carry out a fair test to compare the effects of different brands of toothpaste. The author has developed rubrics for assessing students' planning skills…

  1. Gauging Workplace Readiness: Assessing the Information Needs of Engineering Co-op Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jeffryes, Jon; Lafferty, Meghan

    2012-01-01

    Librarians at the Science and Engineering Library at the University of Minnesota surveyed engineering students participating in a work placement as part of the cooperative education program. The survey asked about students' on-the-job information usage, comfort level accessing different types of engineering literature, and experience learning to…

  2. Enquiry-Based Learning and Formative Assessment Environments: Student Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sambell, Kay

    2010-01-01

    This paper outlines case study research into first-year students' experiences of enquiry-based learning (EBL) on a year-long introductory theory module. Students were supported to carry out a series of authentic small-scale enquiries involving: (1) working in research teams; (2) gathering, disseminating and analysing data from the field; (3)…

  3. Effectiveness of a Formal Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medicine Program for Underrepresented Minority Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Giordani, Bruno; Edwards, Amy S.; Segal, Stuart S.; Gillum, Linda H.; Lindsay, Angela; Johnson, Nakia

    2001-01-01

    Assessed the effectiveness of an intense, year-long experience of course work, research, and personal development for underrepresented minority students before medical school. Program participants demonstrated competency in the first year of medical school consistent with traditional students even though they had lower MCAT scores and college…

  4. PISA 2015 Results: Students' Well-Being. Volume III

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    OECD Publishing, 2017

    2017-01-01

    The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) examines not just what students know in science, reading and mathematics, but what they can do with what they know. This report is the product of a collaborative effort between the countries participating in PISA, the national and international experts and institutions working within…

  5. South Asians in College Counseling

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ahmad-Stout, David J.; Nath, Sanjay R.

    2013-01-01

    The goal of this article is to provide information on the assessment and treatment of South Asian college students for mental health practitioners. We provide a brief historical review of the cultures from which these students come and the process of migration to the United States and also make recommendations for work with these students in the…

  6. Triangulating Teacher Perception, Classroom Observations, and Student Work to Evaluate Secondary Writing Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henderson, Daphne Carr; Rupley, William H.; Nichols, Janet Alys; Nichols, William Dee; Rasinski, Timothy V.

    2018-01-01

    Current professional development efforts in writing at the secondary level have not resulted in student improvement on large-scale writing assessments. To maximize funding resources and instructional time, school leaders need a way to determine professional development content for writing teachers that aligns with specific student outcomes. The…

  7. Multiple Goals Perspective in Adolescent Students with Learning Difficulties

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nunez, Jose Carlos; Gonzalez-Pienda, Julio Antonio; Rodriguez, Celestino; Valle, Antonio; Gonzalez-Cabanach, Ramon; Rosario, Pedro

    2011-01-01

    In the present work, the hypothesis of the existence of diverse motivational profiles in students with learning difficulties (LD) and the differential implications for intervention in the classroom are analyzed. Various assessment scales (academic goals, self-concept, and causal attributions) were administered to a sample of 259 students with LD,…

  8. The Predictive Validity of CBM Writing Indices for Eighth-Grade Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Amato, Janelle M.; Watkins, Marley W.

    2011-01-01

    Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is an alternative to traditional assessment techniques. Technical work has begun to identify CBM writing indices that are psychometrically sound for monitoring older students' writing proficiency. This study examined the predictive validity of CBM writing indices in a sample of 447 eighth-grade students.…

  9. Republication of "Functional Analysis of Classroom Variables for Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dunlap, Glen; Kern, Lee; dePerczel, Maria; Clarke, Shelley; Wilson, Diane; Childs, Karen E.; White, Ronnie; Falk, George D.

    2018-01-01

    Functional assessment and functional analysis are processes that have been applied successfully in work with people who have developmental disabilities, but they have been used rarely with students who experience emotional or behavioral disorders. In the present study, five students in elementary school programs for severe emotional disturbance…

  10. Comparison of Dental Students' Self-Directed, Faculty, and Software-Based Assessments of Dental Anatomy Wax-Ups: A Retrospective Study.

    PubMed

    Garrett, Pauline H; Faraone, Karen L; Patzelt, Sebastian B M; Keaser, Michael L

    2015-12-01

    Little is known about self-directed and self-reflective assessment in preclinical dental curricula. The aim of this study was to evaluate a visual dental anatomy teaching tool to train dental students to self-assess their dental anatomy wax carving practical examinations. The students self-assessed two waxing practical examinations (tooth #8 and tooth #19) using high-quality digital images in an assessment tool incorporated into a digital testing program. Student self-assessments were compared to the faculty evaluations and the results of a software-based evaluation tool (E4D Compare). Out of a total 130 first-year dental students at one U.S. dental school, wax-ups from 57 participants were available for this study. The assessment data were submitted to statistical analyses (p<0.05). For tooth #8, the student self-assessments were significantly different from the faculty and software assessments at a 400 micrometer level of tolerance (p=0.036), whereas the faculty assessment was not significantly different from the software assessment at a 300 micrometer level of tolerance (p=0.69). The evaluation of tooth #19 resulted in no significant differences between faculty members (p=0.94) or students (p=0.21) and the software at a level of tolerance of 400 micrometers. This study indicates that students can learn to self-assess their work using self-reflection in conjunction with faculty guidance and that it may be possible to use software-based evaluation tools to assist in faculty calibration and as objective grading tools.

  11. A Consensus Approach to Investigate Undergraduate Pharmacy Students’ Experience of Interprofessional Education

    PubMed Central

    Obara, Ilona; Paterson, Alastair; Nazar, Zachariah; Portlock, Jane; Husband, Andrew

    2017-01-01

    Objective. To assess the development of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors for collaborative practice among first-year pharmacy students following completion of interprofessional education. Methods. A mixed-methods strategy was employed to detect student self-reported change in knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Validated survey tools were used to assess student perception and attitudes. The Nominal Group Technique (NGT) was used to capture student reflections and provide peer discussion on the individual IPE sessions. Results. The validated survey tools did not detect any change in students’ attitudes and perceptions. The NGT succeeded in providing a milieu for participating students to reflect on their IPE experiences. The peer review process allowed students to compare their initial perceptions and reactions and renew their reflections on the learning experience. Conclusion. The NGT process has provided the opportunity to assess the student experience through the reflective process that was enriched via peer discussion. Students have demonstrated more positive attitudes and behaviors toward interprofessional working through IPE. PMID:28381886

  12. Language Arts: A Success Story.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hook, Mitzi Minnick; Kirkpatrick, Joyce

    1994-01-01

    Describes a storytelling project in the midst of a language arts unit on folk tales in a sixth-grade class, how the classroom teacher and the media specialist worked together, how the students' storytelling was assessed, and students' enthusiastic response. (SR)

  13. Engineering Students' Sustainability Approaches

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haase, S.

    2014-01-01

    Sustainability issues are increasingly important in engineering work all over the world. This article explores systematic differences in self-assessed competencies, interests, importance, engagement and practices of newly enrolled engineering students in Denmark in relation to environmental and non-environmental sustainability issues. The…

  14. Social Work Field Training for the Community: A Student Self-Directed Approach in the Environmental Domain in Jordan

    PubMed Central

    Al-Makhamreh, Sahar; Alnabulsi, Hana; Asfour, Hana

    2016-01-01

    This article outlines innovative field training methods that foster the abilities of undergraduate social work students so that they are able to empower the local community and raise awareness of environmental issues. In this study, students were engaged in a local community assessment that sought to understand their views on environmental and community impacts of the Synchrotron-Light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East (SESAME) Project on the lives of the host village's residents. A students' self-directed approach was applied for the fieldwork out of which interventions were developed ( Garrison, 1997). Quantitative data were gathered by eighteen students through a survey of 361 questionnaires targeting Allan society. In addition to students' field notes, pre and post focus groups were used to collect qualitative information. Study findings highlighted the effectiveness of students' self-directed projects in cultivating culturally competent practices; ensuring sustainable development; and providing evidence-based knowledge on social work practice involving environmental issues. PMID:27559202

  15. Social Work Field Training for the Community: A Student Self-Directed Approach in the Environmental Domain in Jordan.

    PubMed

    Al-Makhamreh, Sahar; Alnabulsi, Hana; Asfour, Hana

    2016-06-01

    This article outlines innovative field training methods that foster the abilities of undergraduate social work students so that they are able to empower the local community and raise awareness of environmental issues. In this study, students were engaged in a local community assessment that sought to understand their views on environmental and community impacts of the Synchrotron-Light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East (SESAME) Project on the lives of the host village's residents. A students' self-directed approach was applied for the fieldwork out of which interventions were developed ( Garrison, 1997). Quantitative data were gathered by eighteen students through a survey of 361 questionnaires targeting Allan society. In addition to students' field notes, pre and post focus groups were used to collect qualitative information. Study findings highlighted the effectiveness of students' self-directed projects in cultivating culturally competent practices; ensuring sustainable development; and providing evidence-based knowledge on social work practice involving environmental issues.

  16. Influence of community-based education on undergraduate health professions students' decision to work in underserved areas in Uganda.

    PubMed

    Kizito, Samuel; Baingana, Rhona; Mugagga, Kintu; Akera, Peter; Sewankambo, Nelson K

    2017-12-08

    Uganda is beset by a shortage of health workers and the few available are mal-distributed. Providing rural exposure through community-based education could positively influence students' perspectives towards work in rural areas. We aimed to assess the impact of Community-Based Education and Research (COBERS) on health professions students' attitudes towards working in rural areas. This was a before-and-after study among 525 students of 4 medical universities in Uganda. Data was collected using self-administered paper-based questionnaires. Logistic regression and Poisson regression respectively were used to assess intention and intended number of years of work in rural areas. Before COBERS, 228/518 (44.0%) students indicated that they intended to work in rural areas as compared to 245/506 (48.4%) after the COBERS placement. Before the COBERS placement, the factors that were associated with students considering to work in a rural area were: extra allowance (OR = 0.2; 95% CI 0.1-0.6), and availability of social amenities (OR = 0.2; 95% CI 0.1-0.7). After their COBERS placement, the factors were: access to long distance courses (OR = 2.0; 95% CI 1.0-3.7) and being posted to a facility in a rural area (OR = 15.0; 95% CI 6.5-35.5). Before the COBERS placement the factors that influenced how long students thought they would be willing to work in a rural environment were: reliable electricity (IRR = 0.6; 95% CI 0.3-1.0) and Internet (IRR = 1.5; 95% CI 1.0-2.3), high salary (IRR = 0.4; 95% CI 0.3-0.7), and having skills to practice in rural settings (IRR = 2.0; 95% CI 1.3-3.1). Reliable electricity (IRR = 0.5; 95% CI 0.3-0.8) and long distance courses (IRR = 2.1; 95% CI 1.4-3.1) were significant motivators after having undergone the COBERS placement. The majority of health professions students do not intend to work in rural areas after they graduate. Improving the welfare of health professionals working in rural areas could attract more health professionals to rural areas thus addressing the maldistribution of health workers in Uganda.

  17. Teamwork on Assessments Creates Powerful Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McTighe, Jay; Emberger, Marcella

    2006-01-01

    Teacher collaboration is a powerful form of professional learning. One focus for collaborative efforts is designing assessments. When teachers design assessments, give each other feedback through peer reviews, evaluate student work, and plan together for improvement, they are engaged in highly effective professional development. Assessments have…

  18. Peer assessment of student-produced mechanics lab report videos

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Douglas, Scott S.; Aiken, John M.; Lin, Shih-Yin; Greco, Edwin F.; Alicea-Muñoz, Emily; Schatz, Michael F.

    2017-12-01

    We examine changes in students' rating behavior during a semester-long sequence of peer evaluation laboratory exercises in an introductory mechanics course. We perform a quantitative analysis of the ratings given by students to peers' physics lab reports, and conduct interviews with students. We find that peers persistently assign higher ratings to lab reports than do experts, that peers begin the semester by giving high ratings most frequently and end the semester with frequent middle ratings, and that peers go through the semester without much change in the frequency of low ratings. We then use student interviews to develop a model for student engagement with peer assessment. This model is based on two competing influences which appear to shape peer evaluation behavior: a strong disinclination to give poor ratings with a complementary preference to give high ratings when in doubt, and an attempt to develop an expertlike criticality when assessing peers' work.

  19. Postural Assessment of Students Evaluating the Need of Ergonomic Seat and Magnification in Dentistry.

    PubMed

    Dable, Rajani A; Wasnik, Pradnya B; Yeshwante, Babita J; Musani, Smita I; Patil, Ashishkumar K; Nagmode, Sunilkumar N

    2014-12-01

    Dental students using conventional chairs need immediate change in their posture. Implementing an ergonomic posture is necessary as they are at high risk for developing musculoskeletal disorders. This study recommends the use of an ergonomic seat and magnification system to enhance the visibility and the posture of an operator. The aim of this study is to make a foray into the hazards caused by inappropriate posture of dental students while working. It also aims at creating a cognizance about the related health implications among the dental fraternity at large, and to understand the significance of adopting an ergonomic posture since the beginning of the professional course. In the present study, postures have been assessed by using rapid upper limb assessment (RULA). This method uses diagrams of body postures and three scoring tables to evaluate ones exposure to risk factors. Ninety students from II BDS (preclinical students in the second year of dental school) were assessed in three groups using three different seats with and without magnification system. The results recorded significantly higher RULA scores for the conventional seats without using the magnification system compared to the SSC (Salli Saddle Chair-an ergonomic seat) with the use of magnification system. A poor ergonomic posture can make the dental students get habituated to the wrong working style which might lead to MSDs (Musculoskeletal diseases). It is advisable to acclimatize to good habits at the inception of the course, to prevent MSDs later in life.

  20. The Greatest Learning Return on Your Pedagogical Investment: Alignment, Assessment or In-Class Instruction?

    PubMed

    Holt, Emily A; Young, Craig; Keetch, Jared; Larsen, Skylar; Mollner, Brayden

    2015-01-01

    Critical thinking is often considered an essential learning outcome of institutions in higher education. Previous work has proposed three pedagogical strategies to address this goal: more active, student-centered in-class instruction, assessments which contain higher-order cognitive questions, and greater alignment within a classroom (i.e., high agreement of the cognitive level of learning objectives, assessments, and in-class instruction). Our goals were to determine which of these factors, individually or the interactions therein, contributed most to improvements in university students' critical thinking. We assessed students' higher-order cognitive skills in introductory non-majors biology courses the first and last week of instruction. For each of the fifteen sections observed, we also measured the cognitive level of assessments and learning objectives, evaluated the learner-centeredness of each classroom, and calculated an alignment score for each class. The best model to explain improvements in students' high-order cognitive skills contained the measure of learner-centeredness of the class and pre-quiz scores as a covariate. The cognitive level of assessments, learning objectives, nor alignment explained improvements in students' critical thinking. In accordance with much of the current literature, our findings support that more student-centered classes had greater improvements in student learning. However, more research is needed to clarify the role of assessment and alignment in student learning.

  1. Team-based assessment of professional behavior in medical students.

    PubMed

    Raee, Hojat; Amini, Mitra; Momen Nasab, Ameneh; Malek Pour, Abdolrasoul; Jafari, Mohammad Morad

    2014-07-01

    Self and peer assessment provides important information about the individual's performance and behavior in all aspects of their professional environment work. The aim of this study is to evaluate the professional behavior and performance in medical students in the form of team based assessment. In a cross-sectional study, 100 medical students in the 7(th) year of education were randomly selected and enrolled; for each student five questionnaires were filled out, including one self-assessment, two peer assessments and two residents assessment. The scoring system of the questionnaires was based on seven point Likert scale.  After filling out the questions in the questionnaire, numerical data and written comments provided to the students were collected, analyzed and discussed. Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) of the questionnaires was assessed. A p<0.05 was considered as significant level. Internal consistency was acceptable (Cronbach's alpha 0.83). Interviews revealed that the majority of students and assessors interviewed found the method acceptable. The range of scores was 1-6 (Mean±SD=4.39±0.57) for the residents' assessment, 2-6 (Mean±SD= 4.49±0.53) for peer assessment, and 3-7 (Mean±SD=5.04±0.32) for self-assessment. There was a significant difference between self assessment and other methods of assessment. This study demonstrates that a team-based assessment is an acceptable and feasible method for peer and self-assessment of medical students' learning in a clinical clerkship, and has some advantages over traditional assessment methods. Further studies are needed to focus on the strengths and weaknesses.

  2. Using Student Writing and Lexical Analysis to Reveal Student Thinking about the Role of Stop Codons in the Central Dogma

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Prevost, Luanna B.; Smith, Michelle K.; Knight, Jennifer K.

    2016-01-01

    Previous work has shown that students have persistent difficulties in understanding how central dogma processes can be affected by a stop codon mutation. To explore these difficulties, we modified two multiple-choice questions from the Genetics Concept Assessment into three open-ended questions that asked students to write about how a stop codon…

  3. Weak self-directed learning skills hamper performance in cumulative assessment.

    PubMed

    Tio, René A; Stegmann, Mariken E; Koerts, Janke; van Os, Titus W D P; Cohen-Schotanus, Janke

    2016-01-01

    Self-regulated learning is an important determinant of academic performance. Previous research has shown that cumulative assessment encourages students to work harder and improve their results. However, not all students seem to respond as intended. We investigated the influence of students' behavioral traits on their responsiveness to a cumulative assessment strategy. The cumulative test results of a third-year integrated ten-week course unit were analyzed. The test was divided into three parts delivered at 4, 8 and 10 weeks. Low starters (below median) with low or high improvement (below or above the median) were identified and compared regarding their behavioral traits (assessed with the Temperament and Character Inventory questionnaire). A total of 295 students filled out the questionnaire. A percentage of 70% of the students below the median on the first two test parts improved during the final part. Students who were less responsive to improve their test results, scored low only on the TCI scale "self directedness" (t = 2.49; p = 0.011). Behavioral traits appear to influence student reactions to feedback on test results, with students with low self-directedness scores being particularly at risk. They can thus be identified and should receive special attention from student counselors.

  4. Ready to work or not quite? Self-perception of practical skills among medical students from Serbia ahead of graduation.

    PubMed

    Gazibara, Tatjana; Nurković, Selmina; Marić, Gorica; Kurtagić, Ilma; Kovačević, Nikolina; Kisić-Tepavčević, Darija; Pekmezović, Tatjana

    2015-08-01

    To assess final year medical students' self-perception of their practical skills. The study was conducted at the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade during compulsory practical sessions in the period December 2-9, 2013 and 390 students agreed to participate (response rate 77.8%). The questionnaire included questions on demographic characteristics, 21 questions on students' self-perception of their practical skills, and 1 question on students' self-perceived readiness to start working with patients. Cronbach's α for the entire scale was 0.891. Students felt most confident about measuring arterial pulse and blood pressure and taking patients' history (average score 10 for all three skills) and least confident about placing a urinary catheter (average score 1) and suturing a wound (average score 2). They rated their readiness to work with patients with 5.0 out of 10.0 points. The total score did not correlate with students' average mark (Spearman's ρ=0.039; P=0.460) and the average mark did not correlate with the self-perceived readiness to work with patients (Spearman's ρ=-0.048; P=0.365). Our study suggests that medical students lack confidence to perform various clinical procedures, particularly those related to surgical interventions. To improve students' confidence, clinical curriculum should include either more hours of practical work or ensure closer supervision of practical training in wards.

  5. An Analysis of Students' Perceptions of the Value and Efficacy of Instructors' Auditory and Text-Based Feedback Modalities across Multiple Conceptual Levels

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ice, Phil; Swan, Karen; Diaz, Sebastian; Kupczynski, Lori; Swan-Dagen, Allison

    2010-01-01

    This article used work from the writing assessment literature to develop a framework for assessing the impact and perceived value of written, audio, and combined written and audio feedback strategies across four global and 22 discrete dimensions of feedback. Using a quasi-experimental research design, students at three U.S. universities were…

  6. Does the Model Matter? Exploring the Relationship between Different Student Achievement-Based Teacher Assessments. CEDR Working Paper. WP #2012-6

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldhaber, Dan; Walch, Joe; Gabele, Brian

    2012-01-01

    Policymakers appear increasingly inclined to utilize measures of student achievement, often state assessment results, to inform high-stakes teacher personnel decisions. This has been spurred on by the federal government's Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) and Race to the Top (RttT) grant programs, each of which urge states and localities to tie teacher…

  7. Continued multidisciplinary project-based learning - implementation in health informatics.

    PubMed

    Wessel, C; Spreckelsen, C

    2009-01-01

    Problem- and project-based learning are approved methods to train students, graduates and post-graduates in scientific and other professional skills. The students are trained on realistic scenarios in a broader context. For students specializing in health informatics we introduced continued multidisciplinary project-based learning (CM-PBL) at a department of medical informatics. The training approach addresses both students of medicine and students of computer science. The students are full members of an ongoing research project and develop a project-related application or module, or explore or evaluate a sub-project. Two teachers guide and review the students' work. The training on scientific work follows a workflow with defined milestones. The team acts as peer group. By participating in the research team's work the students are trained on professional skills. A research project on a web-based information system on hospitals built the scenario for the realistic context. The research team consisted of up to 14 active members at a time, who were scientists and students of computer science and medicine. The well communicated educational approach and team policy fostered the participation of the students. Formative assessment and evaluation showed a considerable improvement of the students' skills and a high participant satisfaction. Alternative education approaches such as project-based learning empower students to acquire scientific knowledge and professional skills, especially the ability of life-long learning, multidisciplinary team work and social responsibility.

  8. Use of an Analytical Grading Rubric for Self-Assessment: A Pilot Study for a Periodontal Oral Competency Examination in Predoctoral Dental Education.

    PubMed

    Satheesh, Keerthana M; Brockmann, Lorraine B; Liu, Ying; Gadbury-Amyot, Cynthia C

    2015-12-01

    While educators agree that using self-assessment in education is valuable, a major challenge is the poor agreement often found between faculty assessment and student self-assessment. The aim of this study was to determine if use of a predefined grading rubric would improve reliability between faculty and dental student assessment on a periodontal oral competency examination. Faculty members used the grading rubric to assess students' performance on the exam. Immediately after taking the exam, students used the same rubric to self-assess their performance on it. Data were collected from all third- and/or fourth-year students in four classes at one U.S. dental school from 2011 to 2014. Since two of the four classes took the exam in both the third and fourth years, those data were compared to determine if those students' self-assessment skills improved over time. Statistical analyses were performed to determine agreement between the two faculty graders and between the students' and faculty assessments on each criterion in the rubric and the overall grade. Data from the upper and lower performing quartiles of students were sub-analyzed. The results showed that faculty reliability for the overall grades was high (K=0.829) and less so for individual criteria, while student-faculty reliability was weak to moderate for both overall grades (Spearman's rho=0.312) and individual criteria. Students in the upper quartile self-evaluated themselves more harshly than the faculty (p<0.0001), while the lower quartile students overestimated their performance (p=0.0445) compared to faculty evaluation. No significant improvement was found in assessment over time in the students who took the exam in the third and fourth years. This study found only limited support for the hypothesis that a grading rubric used by both faculty and students would increase correspondence between faculty and student assessment and points to a need to reexamine the rubric and instructional strategies to help students improve their ability to self-assess their work.

  9. [Medical intern or locum doctor--does job position affect learning?].

    PubMed

    Mars, Nina; Kalske, Jaakko; Halttunen-Nieminen, Mervi; Pitkäranta, Anne

    2015-01-01

    At the University of Helsinki, the licentiate degree in medicine involves internships that can be conducted as a medical intern or locum doctor. The students and their supervisors fill out a feedback form, which helps in assessing the students' improvement in various areas. Based on the feedback form between 2008 and 2013, students having worked as locum doctor rated better improvement in their diagnostic skills, writing medical records, interacting with the patient, and operating in the work community. Supervisor evaluations did not show a similar clear difference between the job positions.

  10. Assessment of General Education: An Unexpected (but Effective) Faculty Development Opportunity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hawthorne, Joan; Zerr, Ryan; Kelsch, Anne V.

    2018-01-01

    This chapter describes a collective faculty effort to administer, proctor, score, and interpret student work that created an unexpected opportunity for deep discussions of teaching, learning, and assessment.

  11. Coming to Terms with Student Outcomes Assessment: Faculty and Administrators' Journeys to Integrating Assessment in Their Work and Institutional Culture

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maki, Peggy L., Ed.

    2010-01-01

    "Assessment on college campuses has a sordid history, and it is fairly simple to find someone with a traumatic tale to tell. It is wise to respect that that reputation is deserved." "How do you modify the inner workings and culture of a massive institution with minimal resources and even less authority (other than GE course…

  12. 77 FR 70809 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Assessment Tools for Park-Based Youth Education and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-11-27

    ...) Usefulness of work experience. The SHRUB program provides education and in-depth involvement for students and... EcoHelpers SHRUBS program Total Teachers 12 8 0 20 Students 720 384 100 1,204 [[Page 70810

  13. Students and Scientists Take a "Lichen" To Air Quality Assessment in Ireland.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murphy, Anthony P.

    1998-01-01

    Describes a cooperative project in which students in a number of areas in Ireland collect environmental data for use by scientists working to solve real-life problems. Reports on the follow-up survey to the study. (DDR)

  14. Resources for the Visually Impaired.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oseroff, Andrew; And Others

    1987-01-01

    Suggestions for resource room teachers working with visually impaired learning disabled students include: consideration of students' unique learning needs; assessment of functional vision; use of assistive devices (such as closed-circuit television); classroom arrangement that facilitates organization and movement; and basic skills instruction…

  15. Evaluating Art.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    BCATA Journal for Art Teachers, 1990

    1990-01-01

    These journal articles examine the issues of evaluation and art education. In (1) "Self Evaluation for Secondary Art Students, Why Bother?" (Margaret Scarr), the article recommends that involving students in assessing their work contributes to learning. (2) "Evaluating for Success" (Arlene Smith) gives practical suggestions for…

  16. Determinants of Part-Time Work of High School Seniors.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hotchkiss, Lawrence

    1986-01-01

    Assesses effects on student part-time employment outcomes of personal characteristics (i.e., gender, race) and institutional characteristics (i.e., vocational high school, participation in cooperative education). Reports that supply theory explains student employment outcomes better than demand theory. (CH)

  17. A Diagnostic Assessment for Introductory Molecular and Cell Biology

    PubMed Central

    Wood, William B.; Martin, Jennifer M.; Guild, Nancy A.; Vicens, Quentin; Knight, Jennifer K.

    2010-01-01

    We have developed and validated a tool for assessing understanding of a selection of fundamental concepts and basic knowledge in undergraduate introductory molecular and cell biology, focusing on areas in which students often have misconceptions. This multiple-choice Introductory Molecular and Cell Biology Assessment (IMCA) instrument is designed for use as a pre- and posttest to measure student learning gains. To develop the assessment, we first worked with faculty to create a set of learning goals that targeted important concepts in the field and seemed likely to be emphasized by most instructors teaching these subjects. We interviewed students using open-ended questions to identify commonly held misconceptions, formulated multiple-choice questions that included these ideas as distracters, and reinterviewed students to establish validity of the instrument. The assessment was then evaluated by 25 biology experts and modified based on their suggestions. The complete revised assessment was administered to more than 1300 students at three institutions. Analysis of statistical parameters including item difficulty, item discrimination, and reliability provides evidence that the IMCA is a valid and reliable instrument with several potential uses in gauging student learning of key concepts in molecular and cell biology. PMID:21123692

  18. The Impact of High School Science Teachers' Beliefs, Curricular Enactments and Experience on Student Learning During an Inquiry-based Urban Ecology Curriculum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McNeill, Katherine L.; Silva Pimentel, Diane; Strauss, Eric G.

    2013-10-01

    Inquiry-based curricula are an essential tool for reforming science education yet the role of the teacher is often overlooked in terms of the impact of the curriculum on student achievement. Our research focuses on 22 teachers' use of a year-long high school urban ecology curriculum and how teachers' self-efficacy, instructional practices, curricular enactments and previous experience impacted student learning. Data sources included teacher belief surveys, teacher enactment surveys, a student multiple-choice assessment focused on defining and identifying science concepts and a student open-ended assessment focused on scientific inquiry. Results from the two hierarchical linear models indicate that there was significant variation between teachers in terms of student achievement. For the multiple-choice assessment, teachers who spent a larger percentage of time on group work and a smaller percentage of time lecturing had greater student learning. For the open-ended assessment, teachers who reported a higher frequency of students engaging in argument and sharing ideas had greater student learning while teachers who adapted the curriculum more had lower student learning. These results suggest the importance of supporting the active role of students in instruction, emphasising argumentation, and considering the types of adaptations teachers make to curriculum.

  19. How Best to Assess Students Taking Work Placements? An Empirical Investigation from Australian Urban and Regional Planning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jackson, John; Jones, Martyn; Steele, Wendy; Coiacetto, Eddo

    2017-01-01

    Work placements (including internships) are common in urban and regional planning education but the relevant literature has largely overlooked their assessment and academic standards. To address this gap, the paper presents a study of this topic undertaken within the Australian context. The research involved systematically scoping the status of…

  20. Service-Learning Enhances Physical Therapy Students' Ability to Examine Fall Risk in Older Adults.

    PubMed

    Nordon-Craft, Amy; Schwarz, Brandy; Kowalewski, Victoria; Hartos, Jessica; Jurado Severance, Jennifer; Bugnariu, Nicoleta

    2017-01-01

    Service-learning (SL) is one educational methodology that provides students opportunities to practice and refine affective, cognitive and psychomotor skills in a community-based setting. The aims of this study were: 1) to investigate the impact of SL on physical therapy (PT) students' attitudes and perceived clinical competence when working with older adults, and 2) to evaluate the difference between perceptions of students who developed and implemented the SL activity vs those who implemented only. Eighty PT students, (from two consecutive cohorts) enrolled in a first-year geriatrics course, participated in this study. The first cohort designed and implemented the SL activities, while the second cohort only implemented these activities. Student self-perceived anxiety, confidence, knowledge and skills were assessed by pre- and post-SL surveys using a 5- point Likert-like scale. Both cohorts reported similar anxiety and confidence levels pre-SL. For both cohorts, with the exception of one item, all responses to anxiety items significantly decreased from pre- to post-SL. All students' confidence levels for assessing and mitigating fall risk in older adults increased post-SL (p<0.01). Moreover, students in cohort 1, who designed and delivered SL activities, expressed self-perceived improvement in their ability to interpret results of evaluations, to determine type and severity of balance impairments, and to serve a geriatric population (p<0.05) compared to students in cohort 2 who only implemented the activities. Embedding SL into a geriatrics course decreased self-perceived anxiety and improved student confidence regarding working with older adults. Also, empowering students to be actively involved in the design and implementation of SL increased self-perceived ability in interpreting results from assessments.

  1. The I Have a Dream/Coro Summer Work Partnership Project: Pilot Training Program. Initial Assessment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    White, Emily; And Others

    In the summer of 1991, 24 students, members of an I Have a Dream (IHAD) program, took part in a pilot program to introduce them to the work force through internships augmented by a training program. The Coro Foundation was contacted by IHAD to run the training program, which was adapted to the needs of disadvantaged students entering 10th grade.…

  2. Validating the Japanese translation of the Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation and comparing performance levels of American and Japanese students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ishimoto, Michi; Thornton, Ronald K.; Sokoloff, David R.

    2014-12-01

    This study assesses the Japanese translation of the Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation (FMCE). Researchers are often interested in comparing the conceptual ideas of students with different cultural backgrounds. The FMCE has been useful in identifying the concepts of English-speaking students from different backgrounds. To identify effectively the conceptual ideas of Japanese students and to compare them to those of their English-speaking counterparts, more work is required. Because of differences between the Japanese and English languages, and between the Japanese and American educational systems, it is important to assess the Japanese translation of the FMCE, a conceptual evaluation originally developed in English for American students. To assess its appropriateness, we examined the performance of a large sample of students on the translated version of the FMCE and then compared the results to those of English-speaking students. The data comprise the pretest results of 1095 students, most of whom were first-year students at a midlevel engineering school between 2003 and 2012. Basic statistics and the classical test theory indices of the translated FMCE indicate that its reliability and discrimination are appropriate to assess Japanese students' concepts about force and motion. In general, the preconcepts of Japanese students assessed with the Japanese translation of the FMCE are quite similar to those of American students assessed with the FMCE, thereby supporting the validity of the translated version. However, our findings do show (1) that only a small percentage of Japanese students grasped Newtonian concepts and (2) that the percentage of Japanese students who used two different concept models together to answer some questions seems to be higher than that of American students.

  3. A National Study To Assess Payments and Benefits to Cooperating Teachers Working with Teacher Training Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barker, Bruce O.; And Others

    The major purpose of this study was to find out how much money colleges and universities pay public school cooperating teachers who supervise student teachers, education students' early field experiences, or pre-student teaching. Two secondary purposes were to determine what other incentives, besides monetary remuneration, are granted and the role…

  4. Making Inclusion Work for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Evidence-Based Guide

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Tristram

    2011-01-01

    An indispensable resource for K-12 educators and autism specialists, this highly practical book shows how to include students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in general education settings. Tristram Smith and his associates present a research-based, step-by-step process for assessing students at a range of skill levels, planning and…

  5. The Grades Game

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fleenor, Andy; Lamb, Sarah; Anton, Jennifer; Stinson, Todd; Donen, Tony

    2011-01-01

    It can be quite alarming (and eye-opening) to see exactly how many of the grades students receive are based on their behaviors rather than their learning. Students should be assessed on what they know and can use rather than on their behavior. The reality, unfortunately, is that the opposite is often the case. Grades for students who work hard are…

  6. Developing a Diagnosis System of Work-Related Capabilities for Students: A Computer-Assisted Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liao, C. H.; Yang, M. H.; Yang, B. C.

    2013-01-01

    A gap exists between students' employment needs and higher education offerings. Thus, developing the capability to meet the learning needs of students in supporting their future aspirations should be facilitated. To bridge this gap in practice, this study uses multiple methods (i.e., nominal group technique and instructional systems development)…

  7. Formative Assessment and Increased Student Involvement Increase Grades in an Upper Secondary School Biology Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Granbom, Martin

    2016-01-01

    This study shows that formative methods and increased student participation has a positive influence on learning measured as grades. The study was conducted during the course Biology A in a Swedish Upper Secondary School. The students constructed grade criteria and defined working methods and type of examination within a given topic, Gene…

  8. Exploring Marine Biodiversity through Inquiry with Primary School Students: A Successful Journey?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jesus-Leibovitz, Luísa; Faria, Cláudia; Baioa, Ana Margarida; Borges, Rita

    2017-01-01

    In this work, we present a marine ecology inquiry-based activity, implemented with 164 primary school students. The main goal was to evaluate the activity's impact on students' understanding about biodiversity and scientific procedures. We also aimed to analyse the potential use of personal meaning maps (PMMs) to assess the impact of the activity…

  9. Working Together To Become Proficient Readers. Early Impact of the Talent Development Middle School's Student Team Literature Program. Report No. 15.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mac Iver, Douglas J.; Plank, Stephen B.; Balfanz, Robert

    The Talent Development Model of Middle School Reform includes a "Student Team Literature" (STL) program that relies on: (1) curricular materials designed to assist students to study great literature; (2) recommended instructional practices, peer assistance processes, and assessments; and (3) staff development, mentoring, and advising to…

  10. The Impact of No Child Left Behind on Student Achievement. NBER Working Paper No. 15531

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dee, Thomas; Jacob, Brian

    2009-01-01

    The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act compelled states to design school-accountability systems based on annual student assessments. The effect of this Federal legislation on the distribution of student achievement is a highly controversial but centrally important question. This study presents evidence on whether NCLB has influenced student…

  11. Incorporating Active Learning Techniques into a Genetics Class

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, W. Theodore; Jabot, Michael E.

    2011-01-01

    We revised a sophomore-level genetics class to more actively engage the students in their learning. The students worked in groups on quizzes using the Immediate Feedback Assessment Technique (IF-AT) and active-learning projects. The IF-AT quizzes allowed students to discuss key concepts in small groups and learn the correct answers in class. The…

  12. How to Use Cooperative Learning for Assessing Students' Emotional Competences: A Practical Example at the Tertiary Level

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martínez Lirola, María

    2016-01-01

    Cooperative learning allows students acquisition of competences that are essential for the labour market such as leadership, critical thinking, communication, and so on. For this reason, different cooperative activities were designed in a language subject in English Studies so that students could work in groups and acquire those competences. This…

  13. Translating Head Motion into Attention - Towards Processing of Student's Body-Language

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Raca, Mirko; Kidzinski, Lukasz; Dillenbourg, Pierre

    2015-01-01

    Evidence has shown that student's attention is a crucial factor for engagement and learning gain. Although it can be accurately assessed ad-hoc by an experienced teacher, continuous contact with all students in a large class is difficult to maintain and requires training for novice practitioners. We continue our previous work on investigating…

  14. Making Meaning of MSW Students' Statistical Abilities: The Role of Self-Efficacy and Knowledge-Based Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mirick, Rebecca G.; Davis, Ashley

    2017-01-01

    Although statistics and research are key components of social work education, students are often described as reluctant consumers and users of statistics. Self-efficacy theory has been used to understand students' engagement with the statistical knowledge needed for practice. This quantitative study explores the relationship between self-efficacy,…

  15. Student Learning and Evaluation in Analytical Chemistry Using a Problem-Oriented Approach and Portfolio Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boyce, Mary C.; Singh, Kuki

    2008-01-01

    This paper describes a student-focused activity that promotes effective learning in analytical chemistry. Providing an environment where students were responsible for their own learning allowed them to participate at all levels from designing the problem to be addressed, planning the laboratory work to support their learning, to providing evidence…

  16. Students' Attitudes towards Group-Based Project Exams in Two Engineering Programmes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dahl, Bettina; Kolmos, Anette

    2015-01-01

    At Aalborg University, engineering students spend half the time each semester in groups working on projects in a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum. The projects are assessed through group exams, except for between 2007 and 2013 when the law forbade group-based project exams. Prior to 2007, a survey showed that students preferred the…

  17. Transition to College and Students with High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder: Strategy Considerations for School Counselors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dipeolu, Abiola O.; Storlie, Cassandra; Johnson, Carol

    2014-01-01

    There are limited school counseling resources that address the unique post high school transition issues faced by students with High-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (HASD). While many school counselors have excellent skills in assessment, advising, and career planning, it is worthwhile to expand these to include working with students with…

  18. Identifying the Elements of Physics Courses that Impact Student Learning: Curriculum, Instructor, Peers, and Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    West, Emily Lincoln Ashbaugh

    2009-01-01

    Prior research across hundreds for introductory physics courses has demonstrated that traditional physics instruction does not generally lead to students learning physics concepts in a meaningful way, but that interactive-engagement physics courses do sometimes promote a great deal more student learning. In this work I analyze a reform effort in a…

  19. Stress and the Beliefs of Meditation among Community College Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wallentiny, Pamela L.

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to assess stress levels in community college students and their beliefs of meditation. Community college students tend to report high levels of stress due to demographic factors, such low economic status, need to work at least part time, and need for remedial classes. Many of these demographic factors are particularly…

  20. Not Driven by High-Stakes Tests: Exploring Science Assessment and College Readiness of Students from an Urban Portfolio Community High School

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fleshman, Robin Earle

    This case study seeks to explore three research questions: (1) What science teaching and learning processes, perspectives, and cultures exist within the science classroom of an urban portfolio community high school? (2) In what ways does the portfolio-based approach prepare high school students of color for college level science coursework, laboratory work, and assessment? (3) Are portfolio community high school students of color college ready? Is there a relationship between students' science and mathematics performance and college readiness? The overarching objectives of the study are to learn, understand, and describe an urban portfolio community high school as it relates to science assessment and college readiness; to understand how the administration, teachers, and alumni perceive the use of portfolios in science learning and assessment; and to understand how alumni view their preparation and readiness for college and college science coursework, laboratory work, and assessments. The theoretical framework of this study encompasses four theories: critical theory, contextual assessment, self-regulated learning, and ethic of care. Because the urban high school studied partnered with a community-based organization (CBO), it identifies as a community school. Therefore, I provide context regarding the concept, culture, and services of community schools. Case study is the research design I used to explore in-depth this urban portfolio community high school, which involved mixed methods for data collection and analysis. In total, six alumni/current college students, five school members (administrators and teachers), and three CBO members (administrators, including myself) participated in the study. In addition to school artefacts and student portfolios collected, classroom and portfolio panel presentation observations and 13 semi-structured interviews were conducted to understand the portfolio-based approach as it pertains to science learning and assessment and college science readiness. Data from the transcripts of two graduating classes were analyzed and the interview transcripts were coded and analyzed as well. Analysis of qualitative data revealed key findings: (1) the school's Habits of Mind, authentic scientific inquiry, self-regulated learning triggers and strategies, and teacher feedback practices driven by an ethic of care supported students' science learning and portfolio assessment; and (2) the cyclical and extensive portfolio processes of writing, revision, and submission well prepared alumni for college science laboratory work and coursework, to a certain extent, but not for the traditional assessments administered in college science courses. Analysis of quantitative data revealed that, if based solely on the City University of New York's Regents score criteria for college readiness, the majority of students from these two graduating classes studied would not have been considered college ready even though all participants, including interviewed alumni, believed the school prepared them for college. The majority of these students, however, were transitioning to college readiness based on their Regents-level science and mathematics coursework. Findings of this study have implications for science assessment, professional development in science, education policy reform, and high school partnerships with CBOs and postsecondary institutions as they pertain to college and college science readiness for students of color in urban portfolio community high schools.

  1. E-Labs - Learning with Authentic Data

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bardeen, Marjorie G.; Wayne, Mitchell

    the success teachers have had providing an opportunity for students to: • Organize and conduct authentic research. • Experience the environment of scientific collaborations. • Possibly make real contributions to a burgeoning scientific field. We've created projects that are problem-based, student driven and technology dependent. Students reach beyond classroom walls to explore data with other students and experts and share results, publishing original work to a worldwide audience. Students can discover and extend the research of other students, modeling the processes of modern, large-scale research projects. From start to finish e-Labs are student-led, teacher-guided projects. Students need only a Webmore » browser to access computing techniques employed by professional researchers. A Project Map with milestones allows students to set the research plan rather than follow a step-by-step process common in other online projects. Most importantly, e-Labs build the learning experience around the students' own questions and let them use the very tools that scientists use. Students contribute to and access shared data, most derived from professional research databases. They use common analysis tools, store their work and use metadata to discover, replicate and confirm the research of others. This is where real scientific collaboration begins. Using online tools, students correspond with other research groups, post comments and questions, prepare summary reports, and in general participate in the part of scientific research that is often left out of classroom experiments. Teaching tools such as student and teacher logbooks, pre- and post-tests and an assessment rubric aligned with learner outcomes help teachers guide student work. Constraints on interface designs and administrative tools such as registration databases give teachers the "one-stop-shopping" they seek for multiple e-Labs. Teaching and administrative tools also allow us to track usage and assess the impact on student learning.« less

  2. 20 CFR 670.760 - How will Job Corps coordinate with other agencies?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... students; (2) Participant assessment; (3) Pre-employment and work maturity skills training; (4) Work-based learning; (5) Job search, occupational, and basic skills training; and (6) Provision of continued services...

  3. 20 CFR 670.760 - How will Job Corps coordinate with other agencies?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... students; (2) Participant assessment; (3) Pre-employment and work maturity skills training; (4) Work-based learning; (5) Job search, occupational, and basic skills training; and (6) Provision of continued services...

  4. 20 CFR 670.760 - How will Job Corps coordinate with other agencies?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... students; (2) Participant assessment; (3) Pre-employment and work maturity skills training; (4) Work-based learning; (5) Job search, occupational, and basic skills training; and (6) Provision of continued services...

  5. Factors Affecting Prepharmacy Students' Perceptions of the Professional Role of Pharmacists

    PubMed Central

    Plake, Kimberly S.; Newton, Gail D.; Mason, Holly L.

    2010-01-01

    Objective To assess prepharmacy students' perceptions of the professional role of pharmacists prior to enrollment in pharmacy school, and the association between perceptions and student demographics. Methods A 58-question survey instrument regarding pharmacists' roles, work experiences, and demographics was developed and administered to students (N = 127) enrolled in an organic chemistry laboratory experience at Purdue University. Results Theory of planned behavior subscales (attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control) were influenced by students' grade point average, gender, and application to pharmacy school, while unpaid work experience affected professional commitment. Students evaluated work experience related to their pharmacy studies more positively than non-pharmacy-related areas in the theory of planned behavior subscales. Conclusions Evaluating students' perceptions may be beneficial in helping pharmacy educators design their curricula, as well as allowing admissions committees to select the most qualified students to promote the development of positive perceptions toward the professional role of pharmacists. Grade point average (GPA) and application to pharmacy school were associated with significant differences for the theory of planned behavior and professional commitment subscales. PMID:21301595

  6. Influence of parental education on Honduran medical students' labour perspectives: rural work and emigration.

    PubMed

    Zambrano, Lysien I; Pereyra-Elías, Reneé; Reyes-García, Selvin Z; Fuentes, Itzel; Mayta-Tristán, Percy

    2015-01-01

    We sought to evaluate the intentions of Honduran medical students to emigrate or to work in a rural setting, and their association with parental education. We performed a cross-sectional, analytic study at a Honduran medical school. Student participants completed a structured questionnaire, which assessed their intentions to emigrate or work in a rural setting after finishing medical school and the highest level of education achieved by their parents. We calculated crude and adjusted prevalence ratios with their respective 95% confidence intervals. Of 868 surveys distributed, 564 were completed. The mean age of the participants was 21 (standard deviation 3) years, and 62.2% were female. Of the respondents, 16.6% intended to emigrate to work and 11.2% intended to work in a rural setting. Higher paternal education (i.e., technical, university and postgraduate training) was associated with a higher rate of intention to emigrate. Students whose fathers underwent postgraduate education were less likely to intend to work in a rural setting. For maternal education, only the postgraduate level was associated with the outcomes in some of the tested models. The frequency of students intending to emigrate was relatively low. However, the frequency of students being willing to work in rural settings was also low. Students whose parents had higher levels of education were more likely to intend to work abroad and less likely to intend to work in a rural area. These factors should be considered in medical schools' selection processes to improve retention and ensure adequate distribution of physicians.

  7. Health advocacy for refugees

    PubMed Central

    Pottie, Kevin; Hostland, Sara

    2007-01-01

    PROBLEM BEING ADDRESSED Canadian family physicians serve a patient population that is increasingly diverse, both culturally and linguistically. Family medicine needs to take a leadership role in developing social accountability and cultural sensitivity among physicians. OBJECTIVE OF PROGRAM To train medical students to work with newly arriving refugees, to foster competence in handling cultural issues, to raise awareness of global health, and to engage medical students in work with underserviced populations in primary care. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The program is composed of an Internet-based training module and a self-assessment quiz focused on global and refugee health, a workshop to increase competence in cultural matters, an experience working with at least 1 refugee family at a shelter for newly arriving refugees, family physician mentorship, and a debriefing workshop at the end of the experience. Students who complete this program are eligible for further electives at a refugee health clinic. CONCLUSION The program has been received enthusiastically by students, refugees, and family physicians. Working with refugees provides a powerful introduction to issues related to global health and competence in cultural matters. The program also provides an opportunity for medical students to work alongside family physicians and nurtures their interest in working with disadvantaged populations. PMID:18000269

  8. Let's Go to the Zoo: Guiding Elementary Students through Research; Ladders of Collaboration; Information Literacy and Assessment: Web Resources Too Good To Miss; Top Secret: Collaborative Efforts Really Do Make a Difference; What Is Collaboration to You?; Volunteering for Information Literacy; Getting an Early Start on Using Technology for Research; Collaborations: Working with Restrictions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Futch, Lynn; Asper, Vicki; Repman, Judi; Tschamler, Addie; Thomas, Melody; Kearns, Jodi; Farmer, Lesley S. J.; Buzzeo, Toni

    2002-01-01

    Includes eight articles that address the role of the elementary school librarian in developing information literacy, focusing on collaboration between media specialists and classroom teachers. Highlights include student research, including a research planning sheet; Web resources on information literacy and assessment; and helping students use…

  9. Formative assessment to develop oral communication competency using YouTube: self- and peer assessment in engineering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nikolic, Sasha; Stirling, David; Ros, Montserrat

    2018-07-01

    Obtaining oral communication competency is an important skill for engineering students to prepare them for interacting and working in any professional setting. For engineers, it is also important to be able to present technical information to non-technical audiences. To ensure oral competency, a non-graded formative assessment approach using video with self- and peer assessment was introduced into a final-year engineering thesis course. A low workload approach was used due to growing student numbers and higher pressures on academic staff. A quasi-experimental design was used to investigate the differences between traditional delivery, self-assessment and combined self-assessment with peer feedback. The study found that the formative models were seen by students to help develop their presentation skills. However, the results showed no significant improvement compared to the traditional method. This could be due to previous presentation practice within the degree or more probable, the lack of incentive for weaker students to engage and improve due to the ungraded nature of the activity.

  10. An analysis of high school students' perceptions and academic performance in laboratory experiences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mirchin, Robert Douglas

    This research study is an investigation of student-laboratory (i.e., lab) learning based on students' perceptions of experiences using questionnaire data and evidence of their science-laboratory performance based on paper-and-pencil assessments using Maryland-mandated criteria, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) criteria, and published laboratory questions. A 20-item questionnaire consisting of 18 Likert-scale items and 2 open-ended items that addressed what students liked most and least about lab was administered to students before labs were observed. A pre-test and post-test assessing laboratory achievement were administered before and after the laboratory experiences. The three labs observed were: soda distillation, stoichiometry, and separation of a mixture. Five significant results or correlations were found. For soda distillation, there were two positive correlations. Student preference for analyzing data was positively correlated with achievement on the data analysis dimension of the lab rubric. A student preference for using numbers and graphs to analyze data was positively correlated with achievement on the analysis dimension of the lab rubric. For the separating a mixture lab data the following pairs of correlations were significant. Student preference for doing chemistry labs where numbers and graphs were used to analyze data had a positive correlation with writing a correctly worded hypothesis. Student responses that lab experiences help them learn science positively correlated with achievement on the data dimension of the lab rubric. The only negative correlation found related to the first result where students' preference for computers was inversely correlated to their performance on analyzing data on their lab report. Other findings included the following: students like actual experimental work most and the write-up and analysis of a lab the least. It is recommended that lab science instruction be inquiry-based, hands-on, and that students be tested for lab content acquisition. The final conclusion of the study is that students expressed a preference for working in groups and working with materials and equipment as opposed to individual, non-group work and analyzing data.

  11. Musculoskeletal pain reports among Mashhad dental students, Iran.

    PubMed

    Movahhed, Taraneh; Ajami, Behjatalmolook; Soltani, Mostafa; Shakeri, Mohammad Taghi; Dehghani, Mahboobe

    2013-01-15

    Dental practitioners are susceptible to Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs). The symptoms may begin from education courses. The aim of this study was to assess prevalence of musculoskeletal pain reports and correlated factors among the Mashhad Dental School students, Iran. A total of 177 undergraduate and postgraduate dental students, who were involved in educational clinical training, completed a questionnaire focusing on pain reports of different body anatomical regions. Variables such as gender, academic grade, academic year, clinical working hour, regular exercise times and also pain characteristics including pain duration intensity and frequency were evaluated. As results 82% of undergraduate students and 90% of postgraduate students reported body pain in at least one region. The most prevalent pain locations were: chest/shoulder (46.9%), head/neck (41.8%), middle back (33.9%) and right hand (25.4%). Severity of reported pain was increased due to performing dental work, increased working stress and working fatigue. Regular exercise was associated with alleviated some pain characteristics. As conclusions musculoskeletal pain reports were highly prevalent among dental students. Attention to prevention of musculoskeletal disorders should be considered as priority in dental schools. For dental students exercise training courses for strengthening muscles of shoulder/chest, neck and back are necessary.

  12. Assessment of the Accuracy of Pharmacy Students’ Compounded Solutions Using Vapor Pressure Osmometry

    PubMed Central

    McPherson, Timothy B.

    2013-01-01

    Objective. To assess the effectiveness of using a vapor pressure osmometer to measure the accuracy of pharmacy students’ compounding skills. Design. Students calculated the theoretical osmotic pressure (mmol/kg) of a solution as a pre-laboratory exercise, compared their calculations with actual values, and then attempted to determine the cause of any errors found. Assessment. After the introduction of the vapor pressure osmometer, the first-time pass rate for solution compounding has varied from 85% to 100%. Approximately 85% of students surveyed reported that the instrument was valuable as a teaching tool because it objectively assessed their work and provided immediate formative assessment. Conclusions. This simple technique of measuring compounding accuracy using a vapor pressure osmometer allowed students to see the importance of quality control and assessment in practice for both pharmacists and technicians. PMID:23610476

  13. Teaching science through literature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barth, Daniel

    2007-12-01

    The hypothesis of this study was that a multidisciplinary, activity rich science curriculum based around science fiction literature, rather than a conventional text book would increase student engagement with the curriculum and improve student performance on standards-based test instruments. Science fiction literature was chosen upon the basis of previous educational research which indicated that science fiction literature was able to stimulate and maintain interest in science. The study was conducted on a middle school campus during the regular summer school session. Students were self-selected from the school's 6 th, 7th, and 8th grade populations. The students used the science fiction novel Maurice on the Moon as their only text. Lessons and activities closely followed the adventures of the characters in the book. The student's initial level of knowledge in Earth and space science was assessed by a pre test. After the four week program was concluded, the students took a post test made up of an identical set of questions. The test included 40 standards-based questions that were based upon concepts covered in the text of the novel and in the classroom lessons and activities. The test also included 10 general knowledge questions that were based upon Earth and space science standards that were not covered in the novel or the classroom lessons or activities. Student performance on the standards-based question set increased an average of 35% for all students in the study group. Every subgroup disaggregated by gender and ethnicity improved from 28-47%. There was no statistically significant change in the performance on the general knowledge question set for any subgroup. Student engagement with the material was assessed by three independent methods, including student self-reports, percentage of classroom work completed, and academic evaluation of student work by the instructor. These assessments of student engagement were correlated with changes in student performance on the standards-based assessment tests. A moderate correlation was found to exist between the level of student engagement with the material and improvement in performance from pre to post test.

  14. Portfolio Assessment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dagavarian, Debra A.

    The portfolio assessment process at Thomas A. Edison State College is described in this report. Through portfolio assessment, the school helps students identify and gain credit for college-level skills and knowledge acquired through work, volunteer activities, independent reading, military or corporate training, and life experiences that may be…

  15. [Portfolio in nursing school: myth or reality].

    PubMed

    Garnier, Chantal; Marchand, Claire

    2012-09-01

    The portfolio is a new tool that has been introduced for the setting up of a new program concerning the nurse training. It aims at the would-be nurse to improve their self-reliance and make them assess themselves through a critical and reflexive approach. Indeed, the portfolio is mostly made up of sheets that the student has to fill in when describing and analysing several professional conditions. This study is about the assessment of the relevance in the portfolio that each nurse student owns in order to make them improve their reflexive practical. The work will, thus, suggest different ways of thinking and improving the use of the tool. 30 portfolios were chosen randomly among the 2nd year students, because 180 analysis were assessed thanks to a grid. 10 viewpoints from volunteer students were gathered after several semi directive interviews. The qualitative and evaluative analysis shows that the students develop the reflexive practical throughout their trainings. It seems, indeed, relevant to choose the portfolio in order to help the students to develop this way of working. According to them, there are several positive points such as the distance towards an event, an awareness-raising of the acquisition, feedbacks about the quality of the text by the trainer and an ability to assess oneself. Yet, even though it was created 18 months ago, there are some limits such as the too short period of mentoring and feedback, the lack of time for the students to write their analysis, the fact that it is not a practical tool, and the unclear description of assessment criteria. In order to fulfil the needs, some solutions are to be found. The portfolio is clearly helpful for the students who wish to increase/improve gradually their reflexive practice. Thus, the trainer's role is crucial, when he is a supervisor.

  16. 77 FR 4577 - Information Collection Activities: Assessment Tools for Park-Based Youth Education and Employment...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-30

    ...) Usefulness of work experience. The SHRUB program provides education and in-depth involvement for students and... Youth EcoHelpers SHRUBS program Total Teachers 15 3 0 18 Students 340 135 80 555 Annual Burden Hours...

  17. Measuring the Economic Value of Pre-MBA Work Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yeaple, Ronald N.; Johnston, Mark W.; Whittingham, Keith L.

    2010-01-01

    Pre-MBA work experience is required for admission to many graduate schools of business. In the present study, MBA graduates with a wide range of pre-MBA work experience were surveyed to assess the economic value of such work experience. No evidence was found of a systematic financial advantage to students from working for several years before…

  18. Examining Increased Flexibility in Assessment Formats

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Irwin, Brian; Hepplestone, Stuart

    2012-01-01

    There have been calls in the literature for changes to assessment practices in higher education, to increase flexibility and give learners more control over the assessment process. This article explores the possibilities of allowing student choice in the format used to present their work, as a starting point for changing assessment, based on…

  19. Development of a group work assessment pedagogy using constructive alignment theory.

    PubMed

    Croy, Suzanne R

    2018-02-01

    The purpose of this paper is to explore group work assessment underpinned by constructive alignment theory to develop a new assessment pedagogy. A review was undertaken of an existing module 'Mental Health Nursing 1', with student nurses participating in the BSc (Hons) Nursing Programme. Constructive alignment theory requires teachers to adopt a deep approach to learning where module learning outcomes are aligned with the teaching environment and modes of assessment. As the module progressed, reviewing the Mental Health Nursing 1 module became an excellent opportunity to begin to understand how constructive alignment theory can inform a group work assessment pedagogy. Working using a constructively aligned assessment process became a valuable learning experience for the module leader whilst at the same time revealed a gap in the research around the impact of constructively aligned teaching and group work assessment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Reducing Subjectivity in Special Education Referrals by Educators Working with Latino Students: Using Functional Behavioral Assessment as a Pre-Referral Practice in Student Support Teams

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moreno, Gerardo; Gaytan, Francisco X.

    2013-01-01

    Over the past several decades, the Latino population throughout the USA has demonstrated significant growth and exceeded that of other ethnic minority groups. This influx is particularly evident in the student enrollment of US schools as the number of Latino students has increased by approximately 10 million within the past 10 years. With this…

  1. Assessing the Distribution of Fiscal and Personnel Resources across Schools. A Report Prepared for Pasadena Unified School District. SSFR Research Report #01 (PUSD)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chambers, Jay G.; Levin, Jesse; Brodziak, Iliana; Chan, Derek

    2010-01-01

    As a starting point for their analysis of equity, the authors begin their work here with an examination of the relationship between student performance, as measured by the California Academic Performance Index (API), and student needs, as measured by the percentage of students from low-income families (i.e., the percent of students eligible for…

  2. Automatic testing and assessment of neuroanatomy using a digital brain atlas: method and development of computer- and mobile-based applications.

    PubMed

    Nowinski, Wieslaw L; Thirunavuukarasuu, Arumugam; Ananthasubramaniam, Anand; Chua, Beng Choon; Qian, Guoyu; Nowinska, Natalia G; Marchenko, Yevgen; Volkau, Ihar

    2009-10-01

    Preparation of tests and student's assessment by the instructor are time consuming. We address these two tasks in neuroanatomy education by employing a digital media application with a three-dimensional (3D), interactive, fully segmented, and labeled brain atlas. The anatomical and vascular models in the atlas are linked to Terminologia Anatomica. Because the cerebral models are fully segmented and labeled, our approach enables automatic and random atlas-derived generation of questions to test location and naming of cerebral structures. This is done in four steps: test individualization by the instructor, test taking by the students at their convenience, automatic student assessment by the application, and communication of the individual assessment to the instructor. A computer-based application with an interactive 3D atlas and a preliminary mobile-based application were developed to realize this approach. The application works in two test modes: instructor and student. In the instructor mode, the instructor customizes the test by setting the scope of testing and student performance criteria, which takes a few seconds. In the student mode, the student is tested and automatically assessed. Self-testing is also feasible at any time and pace. Our approach is automatic both with respect to test generation and student assessment. It is also objective, rapid, and customizable. We believe that this approach is novel from computer-based, mobile-based, and atlas-assisted standpoints.

  3. Content Analysis of Research Projects Submitted by Undergraduate Students (2000-2009) at the Zimbabwe Open University: Implications for Quality Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kangai, Caleb; Bukaliya, Richard; Musika, Farirai; Babra, Mapuranga

    2011-01-01

    One of the issues that have continued to attract the attention of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) educators, scholars and researchers at the Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) is the question of quality in the assessment of students' research work. This study was part of a series of studies, into issues of quality, currently being conducted at the…

  4. "A Is for Assessment"... Strategies for A-Level Marking to Motivate and Enable Students of All Abilities to Progress

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Facey, Jane

    2011-01-01

    Jane Facey was unsatisfied with the way in which her A-Level students responded to typical assessment practice. This would normally involve their teacher marking their work and then providing them with written feedback. In looking to move beyond this, Facey drew upon a wide range of research and practice which has sought to develop the way in…

  5. Cross-National Variations in Student Employment and Academic Performance: The Roles of National Context and International Law*

    PubMed Central

    Byun, Soo-yong; Henck, Adrienne; Post, David

    2014-01-01

    Most existing research indicates that working students perform more poorly than do full-time students on standardized achievement tests. However, we know there are wide international variations in this gap. This article shows that national and international contexts help to explain the gap in the academic performance between working and non-working middle-school students. We combined data from the 2003 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) eighth-grade assessment with the country specific information on socioeconomic and educational conditions, as well as the timing of each country's ratification of an international treaty regulating child labor. Our multilevel analyses show that, while student employment was generally negatively associated with academic performance, this negative association is smaller in countries that by 1995 had ratified the International Labour Organization's Convention No. 138 on child labor. These findings highlight the role of national and international policy in structuring the consequences of student employment for academic performance. PMID:25632163

  6. Unifying Computer-Based Assessment across Conceptual Instruction, Problem-Solving, and Digital Games

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, William L.; Baker, Ryan S.; Rossi, Lisa M.

    2014-01-01

    As students work through online learning systems such as the Reasoning Mind blended learning system, they often are not confined to working within a single educational activity; instead, they work through various different activities such as conceptual instruction, problem-solving items, and fluency-building games. However, most work on assessing…

  7. [Design and validation of a scale to assess Latin American medical students' perception on the labour of the first level of health care].

    PubMed

    Mayta-Tristán, Percy; Mezones-Holguín, Edward; Pereyra-Elías, Reneé; Montenegro-Idrogo, Juan J; Mejia, Christian R; Dulanto-Pizzorni, Andrés; Muñoz, Sergio R

    2013-04-01

    To design and validate a scale to assess Latin American medical students' perception on first level of health care (FLHC). An observational, analytic and multicentre study was carried out in two phases: i) A self-administered questionnaire regarding perceptions on FLHClabor was designed. ii) This questionnaire was applied to to medical students from 18 universities of eight Spanish-speaking Latin American countries. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed through a principal components analysis with orthogonal varimax rotation. Sample adequacy was evaluated. Factor extraction was based on Kaiser's criteria, Cattell's Scree test and the explained variance (>5%). Internal consistency was measured with Cronbach's alpha. 423 students were included in the analysis; 53.4% were from Peruvian universities. After the EFA, the questionnaire conserved 11 items, which were distributed in three domains, that explaining together 55.47% of the total variance: i) Perceptions concerning the FLHC physician; ii) Perceptions concerning the FiLC labor and iii) Perceptions about the economic consequences of working in FLHC. The scale is composed by three domains and can be used to assess the perceptions of the medical work on first level of health care of Spanish-speaking Latin American medical students.

  8. Assessment of Understanding: Student Teachers' Preparation, Implementation and Reflection of a Lesson Plan for Science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Juhler, Martin Vogt

    2018-06-01

    Research finds that student teachers often fail to make observable instructional goals, without which a secure bridge between instruction and assessment is precluded. This is one reason that recent reports state that teacher education needs to become better at helping student teachers to develop their thinking about and skills in assessing pupils' learning. Currently in Europe, the Lesson Study method and the Content Representation tool, which both have a specific focus on assessment, have started to address this problem. This article describes and discusses an intervention in which Lesson Study was used in combination with Content Representation in student teachers' field practice. Empirical materials from one group of student teachers were analyzed to illustrate how the student teachers worked with assessment during the planning of a lesson, how they implemented it in a research lesson, and how they used the gathered observations to make claims about assessment aims. The findings suggest that the student teachers placed greater emphasis on assessment through the intervention. However, it is also found that more attention should have been dedicated to the planning phase and that the group did not manage to keep a research focus throughout the Lesson Study process. This suggests that it properly would be beneficial with several planning sessions prior to the research lesson, as well as having an expert teacher leading the Lesson Study.

  9. Assessment of Understanding: Student Teachers' Preparation, Implementation and Reflection of a Lesson Plan for Science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Juhler, Martin Vogt

    2017-05-01

    Research finds that student teachers often fail to make observable instructional goals, without which a secure bridge between instruction and assessment is precluded. This is one reason that recent reports state that teacher education needs to become better at helping student teachers to develop their thinking about and skills in assessing pupils' learning. Currently in Europe, the Lesson Study method and the Content Representation tool, which both have a specific focus on assessment, have started to address this problem. This article describes and discusses an intervention in which Lesson Study was used in combination with Content Representation in student teachers' field practice. Empirical materials from one group of student teachers were analyzed to illustrate how the student teachers worked with assessment during the planning of a lesson, how they implemented it in a research lesson, and how they used the gathered observations to make claims about assessment aims. The findings suggest that the student teachers placed greater emphasis on assessment through the intervention. However, it is also found that more attention should have been dedicated to the planning phase and that the group did not manage to keep a research focus throughout the Lesson Study process. This suggests that it properly would be beneficial with several planning sessions prior to the research lesson, as well as having an expert teacher leading the Lesson Study.

  10. Introducing Patchwork Assessment to a Social Psychology Module: The Utility of Feedback

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wesson, Caroline J.

    2013-01-01

    Patchwork text assessment offers an alternative to traditional forms of assessment that are often focused on single assessment outcomes. Embedded within patchwork text assessment is formative assessment whereby short pieces of work, or patches, are shared with staff or peers for feedback which students can reflect upon and use to amend their work…

  11. Clinical nurse leaders' and academics' perspectives in clinical assessment of final-year nursing students: A qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Wu, Xi Vivien; Enskär, Karin; Pua, Lay Hoon; Heng, Doreen Gek Noi; Wang, Wenru

    2017-09-01

    The nature of nursing practice is diverse; therefore, clinical assessment is a complex process. This study explores the perceptions of clinical nurse leaders and academics on clinical assessment for undergraduate nursing education during transition to practice. An explorative qualitative approach was applied. Eight nurse managers, six clinical nurse educators, and eight academics from two tertiary hospitals and a university in Singapore participated in four focus group discussions. Thematic analysis was conducted. Four overriding themes were revealed: the need for a valid and reliable clinical assessment tool, preceptors' competency in clinical assessment, challenges encountered by the students in clinical assessment, and the need for close academic and clinical collaboration to support preceptors and students. Closer academic-clinical partnership is recommended to review the clinical education curriculum. Clinical and educational institutions need to work closely to design a learning program to enhance preceptors' competence in clinical pedagogy and assessment. Furthermore, a stress management program could build students' resiliency in coping with unfamiliar clinical environments. Ongoing support needs to be provided for both preceptors and students to enrich the preceptorship and learning experiences. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  12. A comparison of the perceptions and aspirations of third-year physiotherapy students trained in three educational settings in Poland.

    PubMed

    Gotlib, Joanna; Białoszewski, Dariusz; Sierdziński, Janusz; Jarosz, Mirosław J; Majcher, Piotr; Barczyk, Katarzyna; Bauer, Aleksandra; Cabak, Anna; Grzegorczyk, Joanna; Płaszewski, Maciej; Kułak, Wojciech; Nowotny-Czupryna, Olga; Prokopowicz, Katarzyna

    2010-03-01

    In Poland, physiotherapy is offered at three types of school: medical universities, universities of physical education, and schools that do not specialise in either the medical sciences or physical education. This study explored the knowledge of students who were completing their physiotherapy studies about working in Poland and other countries of the European Union (EU), and about their vocational plans. Students were asked, through self-assessment, about aspects of the professional skills they had gained. Quantitative questionnaire-based study of students in three university settings. Eleven university-level schools in Poland offering studies in physiotherapy and representing three orientations: medical sciences (MS), physical education (PE) and other universities (OU). The study sample comprised of 954 third-year Bachelor programme students. The differences in university profiles did not influence the vocational plans of the students, with more than 70% (668/954) declaring that they would look for work outside Poland: 76% (725/954) in the UK and 69% (658/954) in Germany. Most students stated that finding work as a physiotherapist is difficult in Poland (686/954,72%) and easy in other EU countries (763/954, 80%). Differences in university profiles had an effect on the students' assessments of their professional skills, as students from universities without a long-standing tradition of training in physiotherapy declared that they were less well prepared to work as physiotherapists; the difference was statistically significant for 12 of the 16 domains examined (P<0.05). In the light of these results, an increased influx of Polish physiotherapists, trained according to European standards, into EU countries, especially the UK and Germany, is to be expected in the near future. The physiotherapists will predominantly be graduates of medical and sports-oriented state universities. It appears advisable to launch, under the auspices of an EU programme, an integrated employment information system for physiotherapists that would offer updated information on current demand in individual EU countries.

  13. JPRS Report, Soviet Union, Military Affairs.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1988-03-28

    work. Below are published the statements of the participants in the "round-table" discussion and excerpts from the questionnaires of the students... questionnaires that we recently distributed among the fourth-year students. Therein we asked them to assess the level of their preparedness for work in the...admitted that I had not studied such a vehicle. The people apparently under- stood my sincerity and so my authority was not under- mined. I received

  14. Two Models for Public Health Nursing Clinical Education.

    PubMed

    Williams, Jessica R; Halstead, Valerie; Mitchell, Emma McKim

    2016-05-01

    To evaluate the impact of two baccalaureate public health nursing (PHN) clinical education models, that vary on level of engagement with community agencies, on student perceptions of PHN. Two group, pretest/posttest design. Two cohorts of baccalaureate nursing students (traditional n = 62, accelerated n = 64) were included. The traditional students worked with one agency over an 8-week period. The accelerated students worked with several agencies over the same period. Eighty-seven students provided complete data at both time points, and were included in analyses. Students answered questions at the beginning and end of the Spring 2014 semester to assess knowledge, confidence, satisfaction, and career intention related to PHN. At baseline, traditional students reported significantly higher confidence working independently and less intention to choose PHN as a career. Both cohorts reported a significant increase in knowledge and independence from pretest to posttest. At posttest, the accelerated group showed a significant decline in likelihood of choosing a PHN career. In developing PHN clinical curriculum, careful consideration should be given to the level of engagement with the community and faculty. Future work should continue exploring different PHN clinical education models to ensure students are effectively prepared in this area of nursing. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. The role of assessment infrastructures in crafting project-based science classrooms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    D'Amico, Laura Marie

    In project-based science teaching, teachers engage students in the practice of conducting meaningful investigations and explanations of natural phenomena, often in collaboration with fellow students or adults. Reformers suggest that this approach can provide students with more profitable learning experiences; but for many teachers, a shift to such instruction can be difficult to manage. As some reform-minded teachers have discovered, classroom assessment can serve as a vital tool for meeting the challenges associated with project science activity. In this research, classroom assessment was viewed as an infrastructure that both students and teachers rely upon as a mediational tool for classroom activity and communications. The study explored the classroom assessment infrastructures created by three teachers involved in the Learning through Collaborative Visualization (CoVis) Project from 1993--94 to 1995--96. Each of the three teachers under study either created a new course or radically reformulated an old one in an effort to incorporate project-based science pedagogy and supporting technologies. Data in the form of interviews, classroom observations, surveys, student work, and teacher records was collected. From these data, an interpretive case study was developed for each course and its accompanying assessment infrastructure. A set of cross-case analyses was also constructed, based upon common themes that emerged from all three cases. These themes included: the assessment challenges based on the nature of project activity, the role of technology in the teachers' assessment infrastructure designs, and the influence of the wider assessment infrastructure on their course and assessment designs. In combination, the case studies and cross-case analyses describe the synergistic relationship between the design of pedagogical reforms and classroom assessment infrastructures, as well as the effectiveness of all three assessment designs. This work contributes to research and practice associated with assessment and pedagogical reform in three ways. First, it provides a theoretical frame for the relationship between assessment and pedagogical reform. Second, it provides a set of taxonomies which outline both the challenges of project-based science activity and typical assessment strategies to meet them. Finally, it provides a set of cautions and recommendations for designing classroom assessment infrastructures in support of project-based science.

  16. An Assessment of School-to-Work Transition in a Vocational and Technical High School in Ankara, Turkey.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olkun, Sinan; Simsek, Hasan

    The school-to-work transition process of a vocational-technical high school in Ankara, Turkey was assessed from the perspectives of graduates and employers. Data were collected through interviews with 126 of the school's graduates and 18 of their employers. Results showed that in students' vocational choice, future employment anxiety was more…

  17. Student learning outcomes and attitudes when biotechnology lab partners are of different academic levels.

    PubMed

    Miller, Heather B; Witherow, D Scott; Carson, Susan

    2012-01-01

    The North Carolina State University Biotechnology Program offers laboratory-intensive courses to both undergraduate and graduate students. In "Manipulation and Expression of Recombinant DNA," students are separated into undergraduate and graduate sections for the laboratory, but not the lecture, component. Evidence has shown that students prefer pairing with someone of the same academic level. However, retention of main ideas in peer learning environments has been shown to be greater when partners have dissimilar abilities. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that there will be enhanced student learning when lab partners are of different academic levels. We found that learning outcomes were met by both levels of student, regardless of pairing. Average undergraduate grades on every assessment method increased when undergraduates were paired with graduate students. Many of the average graduate student grades also increased modestly when graduate students were paired with undergraduates. Attitudes toward working with partners dramatically shifted toward favoring working with students of different academic levels. This work suggests that offering dual-level courses in which different-level partnerships are created does not inhibit learning by students of different academic levels. This format is useful for institutions that wish to offer "boutique" courses in which student enrollment may be low, but specialized equipment and faculty expertise are needed.

  18. Student Learning Outcomes and Attitudes When Biotechnology Lab Partners Are of Different Academic Levels

    PubMed Central

    Miller, Heather B.; Witherow, D. Scott; Carson, Susan

    2012-01-01

    The North Carolina State University Biotechnology Program offers laboratory-intensive courses to both undergraduate and graduate students. In “Manipulation and Expression of Recombinant DNA,” students are separated into undergraduate and graduate sections for the laboratory, but not the lecture, component. Evidence has shown that students prefer pairing with someone of the same academic level. However, retention of main ideas in peer learning environments has been shown to be greater when partners have dissimilar abilities. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that there will be enhanced student learning when lab partners are of different academic levels. We found that learning outcomes were met by both levels of student, regardless of pairing. Average undergraduate grades on every assessment method increased when undergraduates were paired with graduate students. Many of the average graduate student grades also increased modestly when graduate students were paired with undergraduates. Attitudes toward working with partners dramatically shifted toward favoring working with students of different academic levels. This work suggests that offering dual-level courses in which different-level partnerships are created does not inhibit learning by students of different academic levels. This format is useful for institutions that wish to offer “boutique” courses in which student enrollment may be low, but specialized equipment and faculty expertise are needed. PMID:22949428

  19. Assessing Cultural Competence in Graduating Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kohli, Hermeet K.; Kohli, Amarpreet S.; Huber, Ruth; Faul, Anna C.

    2010-01-01

    Twofold purpose of this study was to develop a framework to understand cultural competence in graduating social work students, and test that framework for appropriateness and predictability using multivariate statistics. Scale and predictor variables were collected using an online instrument from a nationwide convenience sample of graduating…

  20. The 36% Problem

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scott, Gray

    2016-01-01

    Student learning assessments--from the institutional level to "Academically Adrift"--routinely overlook the ways that plagiarism and cheating may contribute to poor outcome performance. The blind spot is a curious one. Faculty have long warned students that they must complete work honestly if they are to learn. Cognitive research offers…

  1. EQUALS Investigations: Remote Rulers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mayfield, Karen; Whitlow, Robert

    EQUALS is a teacher education program that helps elementary and secondary educators acquire methods and materials to attract minority and female students to mathematics. It supports a problem-solving approach to mathematics which has students working in groups, uses active assessment methods, and incorporates a broad mathematics curriculum…

  2. EQUALS Investigations: Growth Patterns.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mayfield, Karen; Whitlow, Robert

    EQUALS is a teacher education program that helps elementary and secondary educators acquire methods and materials to attract minority and female students to mathematics. The EQUALS program supports a problem-solving approach to mathematics which has students working in groups, uses active assessment methods, and incorporates a broad mathematics…

  3. Assessment-Oriented Learning and Adult Work--An International Study.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Higher Education in Europe, 1984

    1984-01-01

    A recently begun longitudinal study of a trend toward credentialism or qualifications-orientation among adult students in six countries (India, Japan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, and England) is described. The development of measures of student learning orientations for different cultures is discussed. (MSE)

  4. Focusing on Student Academic Outcomes. A Working Paper.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alexander, Joanne M.; Stark, Joan S.

    Current methods and instruments for assessing college student academic outcomes are identified and described, and possible outcome measures of NCRIPTAL's (National Center for Research to Improve Postsecondary Teaching and Learning) are suggested. Section I defines college outcomes from several perspectives, including pressures for outcome…

  5. Data, Our GPS

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Rich; Johnson, Marcus; Thompson, Karen D.

    2012-01-01

    A low-performing California school district experienced a dramatic turnaround when faculty members began studying student assessment data and working together to ensure students had the support they needed. Sanger Unified School District began its reform journey in 2004 when district leaders launched an effort to focus deliberately on student…

  6. Grand Challenges and Opportunities in Mathematics Education Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stephan, Michelle L.; Chval, Kathryn B.; Wanko, Jeffrey J.; Civil, Marta; Fish, Michael C.; Herbel-Eisenmann, Beth; Konold, Clifford; Wilkerson, Trena L.

    2015-01-01

    Mathematics education researchers seek answers to important questions that will ultimately result in the enhancement of mathematics teaching, learning, curriculum, and assessment, working toward ensuring that all students attain mathematics proficiency and increasing the numbers of students from all racial, ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic groups…

  7. Intimate examination teaching with volunteers: implementation and assessment at the University of Antwerp.

    PubMed

    Hendrickx, Kristin; De Winter, Benedicte Y; Wyndaele, Jean-Jacques; Tjalma, Wiebren A A; Debaene, Luc; Selleslags, Bert; Mast, Frieda; Buytaert, Philippe; Bossaert, Leo

    2006-10-01

    Teaching intimate physical examinations in medical schools generates practical, didactical and ethical problems. At the University of Antwerp, a unique program with intimate examination assistants (IEA) was implemented for fifth year's undergraduate students. They learn gynaecological and urological skills in healthy volunteers. Technical, communicative and attitude aspects are taken into account. Description of the implementation of the project. Assessment of the project by questionnaires, written reflections and round table conferences. The results provide detailed information about the student's perceptions of each component of the program as well as the perceptions of the IEA's and the teachers. The multilevel evaluation of the program supports the surplus value of working with IEA's in medical education. The eye-catcher in this program is the integration of clinical skills with communicative skills and attention for students' attitude. Working with IEA's for intimate examinations represents a benefit in medical education by lowering the student's threshold to perform the intimate physical examination on both men and women during their fulltime clerkships.

  8. Exploring Differences in Industry Supervisors' Ratings of Student Performance on WIL Placements and the Relative Importance of Skills: Does Remuneration Matter?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Milne, Lisa; Caldicott, Julia

    2016-01-01

    Assessment in work integrated learning (WIL) programs typically involves workplace supervisors rating student performance against criteria based on employability skills. Yet investigations of differences in employer ratings that may impact on student outcomes are rare. This paper reports on a pilot study that examined supervisor evaluations of the…

  9. Academic Resilience: What Schools and Countries Do to Help Disadvantaged Students Succeed in PISA. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 167

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Agasisti, Tommaso; Avvisati, Francesco; Borgonovi, Francesca; Longobardi, Sergio

    2018-01-01

    Resilience refers to the capacity of individuals to prosper despite encountering adverse circumstances. This paper defines academic resilience as the ability of 15-year-old students from disadvantaged backgrounds to perform at a certain level in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in reading, mathematics and science that…

  10. Teachers Harness the Power of Assessment: Collaborative Use of Student Data Gauges Performance and Guides Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Herman, Phillip; Wardrip, Peter; Hall, Ashley; Chimino, Amy

    2012-01-01

    Improving systematic use of student data to inform the work of teachers, schools, and districts has become a hot topic in education reform. Learning Forward's Standards for Professional Learning stress better use of data, and particularly student performance data, within an integrated approach to improving practice. While better use of data by…

  11. Assessing the Impact of Learning Environments on Students' Approaches to Learning: Comparing Conventional and Action Learning Designs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilson, Keithia; Fowler, Jane

    2005-01-01

    This study investigated whether students' approaches to learning were influenced by the design of university courses. Pre- and post-evaluations of the approaches to learning of the same group of students concurrently enrolled in a conventional course (lectures and tutorials) and an action learning-based course (project work, learning groups) were…

  12. The Effects of a Traditional and Technology-Based After-School Program on 6th Grade Student's Mathematics Skills

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hu, Xiangen; Craig, Scotty D.; Bargagliotti, Anna E.; Graesser, Arthur C.; Okwumabua, Theresa; Anderson, Celia; Cheney, Kyle R.; Sterbinsky, Allan

    2012-01-01

    This study investigated the effectiveness of the Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS) system as a method of strategic intervention in after-school settings to improve the mathematical skills of struggling 6th grade students. Students were randomly assigned to after-school classrooms in which they either worked with ALEKS to improve…

  13. Solving Real World Problems with Alternate Reality Gaming: Student Experiences in the Global Village Playground Capstone Course Design

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dondlinger, Mary Jo; McLeod, Julie K.

    2015-01-01

    The Global Village Playground (GVP) was a capstone learning experience designed to address institutional assessment needs while providing an integrated and authentic learning experience for students aimed at fostering complex problem solving, as well as critical and creative thinking. In the GVP, students work on simulated and real-world problems…

  14. Current and Future School Psychologists' Preparedness to Work with LGBT Students: Role of Education and Gay-Straight Alliances

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arora, Prerna G.; Kelly, Jennifer; Goldstein, Thalia R.

    2016-01-01

    This study sought to assess current and future school psychologists' attitudes toward and preparedness to address the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students in schools. Two-hundred seventy-nine school psychologists (n = 162, 58%) and school psychology graduate students (n = 117, 42%) were included in the study.…

  15. Junior High School Students' Career Plans for the Future: A Canadian Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bardick, Angela D.; Bernes, Kerry B.; Magnusson, Kris C.; Witko, Kim D.

    2006-01-01

    This study uses the Comprehensive Career Needs Survey to assess the career plans of junior high school students in Southern Alberta, Canada. Junior high students are asked (a) what they plan to do after they leave high school; (b) their confidence in finding an occupation they enjoy, obtaining training or education, and finding work in their…

  16. Putting More "Modern" in Modern Physics Education: A Knowledge Building Approach Using Student Questions and Ideas about the Universe

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wagner, Glenn

    2017-01-01

    Student-generated questions and ideas about our universe are the start of a rich and highly motivating learning environment. Using their curiosity-driven questions and ideas, students form Knowledge Building groups or "communities" where they plan, set goals, design questions for research, and assess the progress of their work, tasks…

  17. Reforming Developmental Education to Better Support Students' Postsecondary Success in the Common Core Era. Core to College Evaluation. Policy Brief

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bracco, Kathy Reeves; Austin, Kim; Bugler, Daniel; Finkelstein, Neal

    2015-01-01

    When students first enroll in college, they are required to demonstrate readiness for college-level work. Course placement depends on standardized assessments, and students who do not attain a satisfactory score are typically assigned to developmental (e.g. remedial) education courses. The theory behind this approach has been that remedial…

  18. Eratosthenes Visits Middle School: Assessing the Ability of Students to Work with Models of the Earth

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Torres, Sergio; Powers, Judith L.

    2009-01-01

    In the exciting, "out of this world" activity described here, students measure the Earth using meter sticks while measuring their shadows in two distant locations. To obtain the size of the Earth, students discover the connection between the measurements of the shadows and a model of the spherical Earth following the method developed by…

  19. A Study Assessing the Potential of Negative Effects in Interdisciplinary Math–Biology Instruction

    PubMed Central

    Madlung, Andreas; Bremer, Martina; Himelblau, Edward; Tullis, Alexa

    2011-01-01

    There is increasing enthusiasm for teaching approaches that combine mathematics and biology. The call for integrating more quantitative work in biology education has led to new teaching tools that improve quantitative skills. Little is known, however, about whether increasing interdisciplinary work can lead to adverse effects, such as the development of broader but shallower skills or the possibility that math anxiety causes some students to disengage in the classroom, or, paradoxically, to focus so much on the mathematics that they lose sight of its application for the biological concepts in the center of the unit at hand. We have developed and assessed an integrative learning module and found disciplinary learning gains to be equally strong in first-year students who actively engaged in embedded quantitative calculations as in those students who were merely presented with quantitative data in the context of interpreting biological and biostatistical results. When presented to advanced biology students, our quantitative learning tool increased test performance significantly. We conclude from our study that the addition of mathematical calculations to the first year and advanced biology curricula did not hinder overall student learning, and may increase disciplinary learning and data interpretation skills in advanced students. PMID:21364099

  20. Developing Entrepreneurial Skills in Pharmacy Students

    PubMed Central

    Hanna, Lezley-Anne; Haughey, Sharon; Hughes, Carmel

    2015-01-01

    Objective. To create, implement, and evaluate a workshop that teaches undergraduate pharmacy students about entrepreneurship. Design. Workshops with 3 hours of contact time and 2 hours of self-study time were developed for final-year students. Faculty members and students evaluated peer assessment, peer development, communication, critical evaluation, creative thinking, problem solving, and numeracy skills, as well as topic understanding. Student evaluation of the workshops was done primarily via a self-administered, 9-item questionnaire. Assessment. One hundred thirty-four students completed the workshops. The mean score was 50.9 out of 65. Scores ranged from 45.9 to 54.1. The questionnaire had a 100% response rate. Many students agreed that workshops about entrepreneurship were a useful teaching method and that key skills were fostered. Conclusion. Workshops effectively delivered course content about entrepreneurship and helped develop relevant skills. This work suggests students value instruction on entrepreneurship. PMID:27168619

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