WorldWideScience

Sample records for learning potential assessment

  1. E-assessment for learning? Exploring the potential of computer-marked assessment and computer-generated feedback, from short-answer questions to assessment analytics.

    OpenAIRE

    Jordan, Sally

    2014-01-01

    This submission draws on research from twelve publications, all addressing some aspect of the broad research question: “Can interactive computer-marked assessment improve the effectiveness of assessment for learning?” \\ud \\ud The work starts from a consideration of the conditions under which assessment of any sort is predicted to best support learning, and reviews the broader literature of assessment and feedback before considering the potential of computer-based assessment, focusing on relat...

  2. Assessing the Potential of Mathematics Textbooks to Promote Deep Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shield, Malcolm; Dole, Shelley

    2013-01-01

    Curriculum documents for mathematics emphasise the importance of promoting depth of knowledge rather than shallow coverage of the curriculum. In this paper, we report on a study that explored the analysis of junior secondary mathematics textbooks to assess their potential to assist in teaching and learning aimed at building and applying deep…

  3. Learning Potential in Narrative Writing: Measuring the Psychometric Properties of an Assessment Tool.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gurgel, Léia G; de Oliveira, Mônica M C; Joly, Maria C R A; Reppold, Caroline T

    2017-01-01

    Objective: The Computerized and Dynamic Writing Test (TIDE) is designed to examine the learning potential of adolescents in narrative writing. This was a validation study of the TIDE based on its internal structure. Learning potential is responsible for cognitive modifiabilty according to the Theory of Cognitive Structural Modifiability (CSM) developed by Feüerstein. Method: Included 304 participants between 10 and 17 years of age from schools in the South of Brazil. The data collection involved student groups that were divided according to age and school grade. Each participant reponded to the TIDE for an average of 50 min in the school's computer lab. The participants' selection criteria were: being regularly enrolled in the fifth to eighth grade and providing an informed consent form signed by a responsible caregiver. The exclusion criteria included: neurological problems, having been held back in school for two or more years, not cooperating, not completing the test for any reason and physical conditions impeding the assessment. Results: The Kendall test indicated agreement between two evaluators, who corrected the participants' first and second texts that resulted from applying the TIDE. The TIDE is divided into three modules. Factor analysis was applied to the first module (pre-test), which revealed a division in two factors, and to the second module (instructional module), which was divided in three factors. The reliability of the TIDE items was verified using Cronbach's Alpha with coefficients >0.7. The analysis of the third module (post-test) was based on McNemar's Test and showed statistically significant results that demonstrated an evolution in the participants' learning potential. Conclusion: The TIDE proved to be valid and is considered a relevant tool for speech, language, hearing, psychological and educational assessment. The original nature of the tool presented here is highlighted, based on the dynamic assessment method, offering data on a

  4. Learning Potential in Narrative Writing: Measuring the Psychometric Properties of an Assessment Tool

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Léia G. Gurgel

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The Computerized and Dynamic Writing Test (TIDE is designed to examine the learning potential of adolescents in narrative writing. This was a validation study of the TIDE based on its internal structure. Learning potential is responsible for cognitive modifiabilty according to the Theory of Cognitive Structural Modifiability (CSM developed by Feüerstein.Method: Included 304 participants between 10 and 17 years of age from schools in the South of Brazil. The data collection involved student groups that were divided according to age and school grade. Each participant reponded to the TIDE for an average of 50 min in the school's computer lab. The participants' selection criteria were: being regularly enrolled in the fifth to eighth grade and providing an informed consent form signed by a responsible caregiver.The exclusion criteria included: neurological problems, having been held back in school for two or more years, not cooperating, not completing the test for any reason and physical conditions impeding the assessment.Results: The Kendall test indicated agreement between two evaluators, who corrected the participants' first and second texts that resulted from applying the TIDE. The TIDE is divided into three modules. Factor analysis was applied to the first module (pre-test, which revealed a division in two factors, and to the second module (instructional module, which was divided in three factors. The reliability of the TIDE items was verified using Cronbach's Alpha with coefficients >0.7. The analysis of the third module (post-test was based on McNemar's Test and showed statistically significant results that demonstrated an evolution in the participants' learning potential.Conclusion: The TIDE proved to be valid and is considered a relevant tool for speech, language, hearing, psychological and educational assessment. The original nature of the tool presented here is highlighted, based on the dynamic assessment method, offering data

  5. Learning Potential Assessment and Adaptation to the Educational Context: The Usefulness of the ACFS for Assessing Immigrant Preschool Children

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calero, M. Dolores; Mata, Sara; Carles, Rosario; Vives, Carmen; Lopez-Rubio, Sonia; Fernandez-Parra, Antonio; Navarro, Elena

    2013-01-01

    The objective of this study was to test the usefulness of dynamic assessment for determining cognitive abilities such as classification, auditory and visual memory, pattern sequences, perspective taking, verbal planning, learning potential, and metacognition in immigrant preschool children with and without competence in the dominant language…

  6. An Argument for Formative Assessment with Science Learning Progressions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alonzo, Alicia C.

    2018-01-01

    Learning progressions--particularly as defined and operationalized in science education--have significant potential to inform teachers' formative assessment practices. In this overview article, I lay out an argument for this potential, starting from definitions for "formative assessment practices" and "learning progressions"…

  7. Measuring learning potential in people with schizophrenia: A comparison of two tasks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rempfer, Melisa V; McDowd, Joan M; Brown, Catana E

    2017-12-01

    Learning potential measures utilize dynamic assessment methods to capture performance changes following training on a cognitive task. Learning potential has been explored in schizophrenia research as a predictor of functional outcome and there have been calls for psychometric development in this area. Because the majority of learning potential studies have utilized the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), we extended this work using a novel measure, the Rey Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCFT). This study had the following aims: 1) to examine relationships among different learning potential indices for two dynamic assessment tasks, 2) to examine the association between WCST and ROCFT learning potential measures, and 3) to address concurrent validity with a performance-based measure of functioning (Test of Grocery Shopping Skills; TOGSS). Eighty-one adults with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder completed WCST and ROCFT learning measures and the TOGSS. Results indicated the various learning potential computational indices are intercorrelated and, similar to other studies, we found support for regression residuals and post-test scores as optimal indices. Further, we found modest relationships between the two learning potential measures and the TOGSS. These findings suggest learning potential includes both general and task-specific constructs but future research is needed to further explore this question. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Characterizing College Science Assessments: The Three-Dimensional Learning Assessment Protocol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laverty, James T; Underwood, Sonia M; Matz, Rebecca L; Posey, Lynmarie A; Carmel, Justin H; Caballero, Marcos D; Fata-Hartley, Cori L; Ebert-May, Diane; Jardeleza, Sarah E; Cooper, Melanie M

    2016-01-01

    Many calls to improve science education in college and university settings have focused on improving instructor pedagogy. Meanwhile, science education at the K-12 level is undergoing significant changes as a result of the emphasis on scientific and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas. This framework of "three-dimensional learning" is based on the literature about how people learn science and how we can help students put their knowledge to use. Recently, similar changes are underway in higher education by incorporating three-dimensional learning into college science courses. As these transformations move forward, it will become important to assess three-dimensional learning both to align assessments with the learning environment, and to assess the extent of the transformations. In this paper we introduce the Three-Dimensional Learning Assessment Protocol (3D-LAP), which is designed to characterize and support the development of assessment tasks in biology, chemistry, and physics that align with transformation efforts. We describe the development process used by our interdisciplinary team, discuss the validity and reliability of the protocol, and provide evidence that the protocol can distinguish between assessments that have the potential to elicit evidence of three-dimensional learning and those that do not.

  9. Characterizing College Science Assessments: The Three-Dimensional Learning Assessment Protocol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Underwood, Sonia M.; Matz, Rebecca L.; Posey, Lynmarie A.; Carmel, Justin H.; Caballero, Marcos D.; Fata-Hartley, Cori L.; Ebert-May, Diane; Jardeleza, Sarah E.; Cooper, Melanie M.

    2016-01-01

    Many calls to improve science education in college and university settings have focused on improving instructor pedagogy. Meanwhile, science education at the K-12 level is undergoing significant changes as a result of the emphasis on scientific and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas. This framework of “three-dimensional learning” is based on the literature about how people learn science and how we can help students put their knowledge to use. Recently, similar changes are underway in higher education by incorporating three-dimensional learning into college science courses. As these transformations move forward, it will become important to assess three-dimensional learning both to align assessments with the learning environment, and to assess the extent of the transformations. In this paper we introduce the Three-Dimensional Learning Assessment Protocol (3D-LAP), which is designed to characterize and support the development of assessment tasks in biology, chemistry, and physics that align with transformation efforts. We describe the development process used by our interdisciplinary team, discuss the validity and reliability of the protocol, and provide evidence that the protocol can distinguish between assessments that have the potential to elicit evidence of three-dimensional learning and those that do not. PMID:27606671

  10. Using Machine Learning to Advance Personality Assessment and Theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bleidorn, Wiebke; Hopwood, Christopher James

    2018-05-01

    Machine learning has led to important advances in society. One of the most exciting applications of machine learning in psychological science has been the development of assessment tools that can powerfully predict human behavior and personality traits. Thus far, machine learning approaches to personality assessment have focused on the associations between social media and other digital records with established personality measures. The goal of this article is to expand the potential of machine learning approaches to personality assessment by embedding it in a more comprehensive construct validation framework. We review recent applications of machine learning to personality assessment, place machine learning research in the broader context of fundamental principles of construct validation, and provide recommendations for how to use machine learning to advance our understanding of personality.

  11. Learning Potential Among the Moderately and Severely Retarded. Studies in Learning Potential, Volume 3, Number 52.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamilton, James L.; Budoff, Milton

    The study investigated the feasibility of M. Budoff and M. Friedman's (1964) learning potential paradigm as an assessment approach with 40 moderately and severely mentally retarded persons (aged 12 to 22 years). Ss were tested three times: initially, after one week, and after one month with a match-to-sample block design test. Twenty of the Ss…

  12. Enhancing students' learning in problem based learning: validation of a self-assessment scale for active learning and critical thinking

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Khoiriyah, U.; Roberts, C.; Jorm, C.; Vleuten, C.P. van der

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Problem based learning (PBL) is a powerful learning activity but fidelity to intended models may slip and student engagement wane, negatively impacting learning processes, and outcomes. One potential solution to solve this degradation is by encouraging self-assessment in the PBL

  13. Achieving Our Potential: An Action Plan for Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) in Canada

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morrissey, Mary; Myers, Douglas; Belanger, Paul; Robitaille, Magali; Davison, Phil; Van Kleef, Joy; Williams, Rick

    2008-01-01

    This comprehensive publication assesses the status of prior learning assessment and recognition (PLAR) across Canada and offers insights and recommendations into the processes necessary for employers, post-secondary institutions and government to recognize and value experiential and informal learning. Acknowledging economic trends in Canada's job…

  14. The potential impact of computer-aided assessment technology in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The potential impact of computer-aided assessment technology in higher education. ... Further more 'Increased number of students in Higher Education and the ... benefits, limitations, impacts on student learning and strategies for developing ...

  15. Dynamic Assessment, Potential Giftedness and Mathematics Achievement in Elementary School

    Science.gov (United States)

    Popa, Nicoleta Laura; Pauc, Ramona Loredana

    2015-01-01

    Dynamic assessment is currently discussed in educational literature as one of the most promising practices in stimulating learning among various groups of students, including gifted and potentially gifted students. The present study investigates effects of dynamic assessment on mathematics achievement among elementary school students, with…

  16. Intrinsic motivation and metacognition as predictors of learning potential in patients with remitted schizophrenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tas, Cumhur; Brown, Elliot C; Esen-Danaci, Aysen; Lysaker, Paul H; Brüne, Martin

    2012-08-01

    Previous research has suggested that neurocognitive functioning predicts best the potential of patients with schizophrenia to acquire newly learned material, which, in turn may impact patients' social functioning. Recent studies have also shown that intrinsic motivation and metacognitive abilities play a decisive role in social functioning in schizophrenia. Accordingly, the present study sought to examine the relationship between intelligence, motivation, metacognition, and learning during a cognitive remediation experimental training. We hypothesized that metacognition and intrinsic motivation would have a strong relationship and independently predict learning potential. Thirty-two patients with schizophrenia who fulfilled the criteria of functional remission were recruited. In a pre-training-post experimental design, patients' learning potential was assessed using previously defined cognitive remediation training for WCST. Intrinsic motivation was examined using Intrinsic Motivation Inventory for schizophrenia; mastery, a domain of metacognition, was measured using the Metacognitive Assessment Scale. Metacognition significantly correlated with subdomains of intrinsic motivation. Patients with higher intrinsic motivation and preserved metacognition improved more in the learning paradigm compared to poorly motivated patients and patients with reduced metacognitive abilities. In particular, "mastery" was determined as an independent predictor of learning potential. Motivation and metacognition are important predictors of learning in schizophrenia. Psychological interventions in schizophrenia may therefore consider incorporating techniques to stimulate metacognitive and motivational abilities as well as developing individualized training programs. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Kindling fires: examining the potential for cumulative learning in a Journalism curriculum

    KAUST Repository

    Kilpert, Leigh

    2013-01-01

    This study investigated context-dependency of learning as an indicator for students\\' potential to continue learning after graduation. We used Maton\\'s theoretical concepts of \\'cumulative\\' and \\'segmented\\' learning, and \\'semantic gravity\\', to look for context-independent learning in students\\' assessments in a Journalism curriculum. We postulated whether the curriculum constrained or enabled cumulative learning. Students\\' responses to assessments were coded by their degree of context-dependency, or semantic gravity. We found that, firstly, students are overly successful in producing context-dependent answers but struggle to deliver context-independent responses. Secondly, students were not effective when they used higher level knowledge principles without the foundation of lower level ones. Lastly, the marking criteria were encouraging markers to reward context-dependent answers over context-independent ones. This study has implications for educators interested in curriculum design that enables cumulative learning in discipline specific contexts. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

  18. Recent machine learning advancements in sensor-based mobility analysis: Deep learning for Parkinson's disease assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eskofier, Bjoern M; Lee, Sunghoon I; Daneault, Jean-Francois; Golabchi, Fatemeh N; Ferreira-Carvalho, Gabriela; Vergara-Diaz, Gloria; Sapienza, Stefano; Costante, Gianluca; Klucken, Jochen; Kautz, Thomas; Bonato, Paolo

    2016-08-01

    The development of wearable sensors has opened the door for long-term assessment of movement disorders. However, there is still a need for developing methods suitable to monitor motor symptoms in and outside the clinic. The purpose of this paper was to investigate deep learning as a method for this monitoring. Deep learning recently broke records in speech and image classification, but it has not been fully investigated as a potential approach to analyze wearable sensor data. We collected data from ten patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease using inertial measurement units. Several motor tasks were expert-labeled and used for classification. We specifically focused on the detection of bradykinesia. For this, we compared standard machine learning pipelines with deep learning based on convolutional neural networks. Our results showed that deep learning outperformed other state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms by at least 4.6 % in terms of classification rate. We contribute a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of deep learning for sensor-based movement assessment and conclude that deep learning is a promising method for this field.

  19. Enhancing students' learning in problem based learning: validation of a self-assessment scale for active learning and critical thinking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khoiriyah, Umatul; Roberts, Chris; Jorm, Christine; Van der Vleuten, C P M

    2015-08-26

    Problem based learning (PBL) is a powerful learning activity but fidelity to intended models may slip and student engagement wane, negatively impacting learning processes, and outcomes. One potential solution to solve this degradation is by encouraging self-assessment in the PBL tutorial. Self-assessment is a central component of the self-regulation of student learning behaviours. There are few measures to investigate self-assessment relevant to PBL processes. We developed a Self-assessment Scale on Active Learning and Critical Thinking (SSACT) to address this gap. We wished to demonstrated evidence of its validity in the context of PBL by exploring its internal structure. We used a mixed methods approach to scale development. We developed scale items from a qualitative investigation, literature review, and consideration of previous existing tools used for study of the PBL process. Expert review panels evaluated its content; a process of validation subsequently reduced the pool of items. We used structural equation modelling to undertake a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the SSACT and coefficient alpha. The 14 item SSACT consisted of two domains "active learning" and "critical thinking." The factorial validity of SSACT was evidenced by all items loading significantly on their expected factors, a good model fit for the data, and good stability across two independent samples. Each subscale had good internal reliability (>0.8) and strongly correlated with each other. The SSACT has sufficient evidence of its validity to support its use in the PBL process to encourage students to self-assess. The implementation of the SSACT may assist students to improve the quality of their learning in achieving PBL goals such as critical thinking and self-directed learning.

  20. Assessing students' readiness towards e-learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahim, Nasrudin Md; Yusoff, Siti Hawa Mohd; Latif, Shahida Abd

    2014-07-01

    The usage of e-Learning methodology has become a new attraction for potential students as shown by some higher learning institutions in Malaysia. As such, Universiti Selangor (Unisel) should be ready to embark on e-Learning teaching and learning in the near future. The purpose of the study is to gauge the readiness of Unisel's students in e-Learning environment. A sample of 110 students was chosen to participate in this study which was conducted in January 2013. This sample consisted of students from various levels of study that are foundation, diploma and degree program. Using a structured questionnaire, respondents were assessed on their basic Internet skills, access to technology required for e-Learning and their attitude towards characteristics of successful e-Learning student based on study habits, abilities, motivation and time management behaviour. The result showed that respondents did have access to technology that are required for e-Learning environment, and respondents were knowledgeable regarding the basic Internet skills. The finding also showed that respondents' attitude did meet all characteristics of successful e-Learning student. Further analysis showed that there is no significant relationshipeither among gender, level of study or faculty with those characteristics. As a conclusion, the study shows that current Unisel's students are ready to participate in e-Learning environment if the institution decided to embark on e-Learning methodology.

  1. Assessing Assessment: In Pursuit of Meaningful Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rootman-le Grange, Ilse; Blackie, Margaret A. L.

    2018-01-01

    The challenge of supporting the development of meaningful learning is prevalent in chemistry education research. One of the core activities used in the learning process is assessments. The aim of this paper is to illustrate how the semantics dimension of Legitimation Code Theory can be a helpful tool to critique the quality of assessments and…

  2. Learning potentials of the ubiquitous internet

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dalsgaard, Christian; Pedersen, Nicholai Friis; Aaen, Janus Holst

    The aim of this paper is to identify the key learning potentials of the ubiquitous internet. Rather than focusing on mobile technology or the mobility of the learner, the paper emphasises the ubiquity of internet access as a paramount catalyst for new learning in the digital age. From...... a sociocultural perspective the paper discusses different ways in which the use of mobile devices can extend and augment the context of the learner. The learning potentials of the ubiquitous internet relate to the opportunities to extend the context of the learner on three levels: 1) personalisation...

  3. Towards a Quality Assessment Method for Learning Preference Profiles in Negotiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hindriks, Koen V.; Tykhonov, Dmytro

    In automated negotiation, information gained about an opponent's preference profile by means of learning techniques may significantly improve an agent's negotiation performance. It therefore is useful to gain a better understanding of how various negotiation factors influence the quality of learning. The quality of learning techniques in negotiation are typically assessed indirectly by means of comparing the utility levels of agreed outcomes and other more global negotiation parameters. An evaluation of learning based on such general criteria, however, does not provide any insight into the influence of various aspects of negotiation on the quality of the learned model itself. The quality may depend on such aspects as the domain of negotiation, the structure of the preference profiles, the negotiation strategies used by the parties, and others. To gain a better understanding of the performance of proposed learning techniques in the context of negotiation and to be able to assess the potential to improve the performance of such techniques a more systematic assessment method is needed. In this paper we propose such a systematic method to analyse the quality of the information gained about opponent preferences by learning in single-instance negotiations. The method includes measures to assess the quality of a learned preference profile and proposes an experimental setup to analyse the influence of various negotiation aspects on the quality of learning. We apply the method to a Bayesian learning approach for learning an opponent's preference profile and discuss our findings.

  4. Technology learning for fuel cells. An assessment of past and potential cost reductions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schoots, K.; Van der Zwaan, B.C.C.; Kramer, G.J.

    2010-01-01

    Fuel cells have gained considerable interest as a means to efficiently convert the energy stored in gases like hydrogen and methane into electricity. Further developing fuel cells in order to reach cost, safety and reliability levels at which their widespread use becomes feasible is an essential prerequisite for the potential establishment of a 'hydrogen economy'. A major factor currently obviating the extensive use of fuel cells is their relatively high costs. At present we estimate these at about 1100 EUR(2005)W for an 80 kW fuel cell system but notice that specific costs vary markedly with fuel cell system power capacity. We analyze past fuel cell cost reductions for both individual manufacturers and the global market. We determine learning curves, with fairly high uncertainty ranges, for three different types of fuel cell technology - AFC, PAFC and PEMFC - each manufactured by a different producer. For PEMFC technology we also calculate a global learning curve, characterised by a learning rate of 21% with an error margin of 4%. Given their respective uncertainties, this global learning rate value is in agreement with those we find for different manufacturers. In contrast to some other new energy technologies, R and D still plays a major role in today's fuel cell improvement process and hence probably explains a substantial part of our observed cost reductions. The remaining share of these cost reductions derives from learning-by-doing proper. Since learning-by-doing usually involves a learning rate of typically 20%, the residual value for pure learning we find for fuel cells is relatively low. In an ideal scenario for fuel cell technology we estimate a bottom-line for specific (80 kW system) manufacturing costs of 95 EUR(2005)W. Although learning curves observed in the past constitute no guarantee for sustained cost reductions in the future, when we assume global total learning at the pace calculated here as the only cost reduction mechanism, this ultimate cost

  5. Assessing learning at the workplace

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Evers, Arnoud

    2018-01-01

    • Defining learning at the workplace • Assessing learning at the workplace • Facilitating learning at the workplace: - Structure - Culture - Leadership - Personal factors • Conclusions • Discussion

  6. Deep assessment: an exploratory study of game-based, multimodal learning in Epidemic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer Jenson

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available n this study, we examine what and how intermediate age students learned from playing in a health-focused game-based digital learning environment, Epidemic. Epidemic is a playful interactive environment designed to deliver factual knowledge, invite critical understanding, and encourage effective self-care practices in dealing with viral contagious diseases, using a social networking interface to integrate both serious games and game-like multimodal design projects. Epidemic invites a playful approach to its deadly serious core concern – communicable disease – in order to see what happens when students are encouraged to critically approach information from multiple or contradictory perspectives. To identify what participants learned while interacting within Epidemic, we deployed two instructional and assessment models, noting the differences each instructional approach could potentially make, and what approach to assessment might help us evaluate game-based learning. We found that each approach provided importantly different perspectives on what and how students learned, and on the very meaning of student success. Recognizing that traditional assessment tools based in print-cultural literacy may prove increasingly ill-suited for assessing emergent multimodal literacies in game-based learning environments, this study seeks to contribute to a growing body of work on the development of novel assessments for learning.

  7. Conceptualizing impact assessment as a learning process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sánchez, Luis E.; Mitchell, Ross

    2017-01-01

    This paper explores how project developers and their consultants, government regulators and stakeholders can learn from the impact assessment (IA) process, thus potentially improving its effectiveness and enhancing project sustainability. Despite the benefits that learning can bring to an organization, failure to learn appears commonplace both within the IA process and, once approved, subsequent industrial development. To nurture organizational learning through IA, enabling structures that foster information sharing and interpretation and enhance organizational memory are needed. In this paper learning outcomes are grouped into three categories: acquisition of knowledge and skills, developing new behaviors and developing sustainability-oriented norms and values. Means to achieve such outcomes include education and training, experiential learning, learning through public participation (social learning) and a ‘learning organization approach’. Societal expectations increasingly demand not only projects that ‘pass’ the review criteria of regulators, financiers and the community, but IA processes capable of delivering sustainable outcomes that include learning and sharing of knowledge. It is proposed that learning be treated as a purposeful – not as an accidental – outcome of IA, and facilitated by adopting a ‘learning organization approach’ coupled with best practice such as early stakeholder engagement. - Highlights: • Proponents are challenged to develop projects that deliver sustainable outcomes. • Passing the test of government approval may be insufficient to obtain a social license. • Learning by all stakeholders is vital to meet these challenges. • Learning outcomes have to go beyond instrumental learning to reach new behaviors, norms and values. • A “learning organization approach” can promote mutual learning and improve project design.

  8. Conceptualizing impact assessment as a learning process

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sánchez, Luis E., E-mail: lsanchez@usp.br [Escola Politécnica, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Mello Moraes, 2373, 05508-900 São Paulo (Brazil); Mitchell, Ross, E-mail: ross.mitchell@ualberta.net [Shell International Exploration & Production BV (Netherlands)

    2017-01-15

    This paper explores how project developers and their consultants, government regulators and stakeholders can learn from the impact assessment (IA) process, thus potentially improving its effectiveness and enhancing project sustainability. Despite the benefits that learning can bring to an organization, failure to learn appears commonplace both within the IA process and, once approved, subsequent industrial development. To nurture organizational learning through IA, enabling structures that foster information sharing and interpretation and enhance organizational memory are needed. In this paper learning outcomes are grouped into three categories: acquisition of knowledge and skills, developing new behaviors and developing sustainability-oriented norms and values. Means to achieve such outcomes include education and training, experiential learning, learning through public participation (social learning) and a ‘learning organization approach’. Societal expectations increasingly demand not only projects that ‘pass’ the review criteria of regulators, financiers and the community, but IA processes capable of delivering sustainable outcomes that include learning and sharing of knowledge. It is proposed that learning be treated as a purposeful – not as an accidental – outcome of IA, and facilitated by adopting a ‘learning organization approach’ coupled with best practice such as early stakeholder engagement. - Highlights: • Proponents are challenged to develop projects that deliver sustainable outcomes. • Passing the test of government approval may be insufficient to obtain a social license. • Learning by all stakeholders is vital to meet these challenges. • Learning outcomes have to go beyond instrumental learning to reach new behaviors, norms and values. • A “learning organization approach” can promote mutual learning and improve project design.

  9. Validity in assessment of prior learning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wahlgren, Bjarne; Aarkrog, Vibe

    2015-01-01

    , the article discusses the need for specific criteria for assessment. The reliability and validity of the assessment procedures depend on whether the competences are well-defined, and whether the teachers are adequately trained for the assessment procedures. Keywords: assessment, prior learning, adult...... education, vocational training, lifelong learning, validity...

  10. Knowledge brokerage - potential for increased capacities and shared power in impact assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosario Partidario, Maria; Sheate, William R.

    2013-01-01

    Constructive and collaborative planning theory has exposed the perceived limitations of public participation in impact assessment. At strategic levels of assessment the established norm can be misleading and practice is illusive. For example, debates on SEA effectiveness recognize insufficiencies, but are often based on questionable premises. The authors of this paper argue that public participation in strategic assessment requires new forms of information and engagement, consistent with the complexity of the issues at these levels and that strategic assessments can act as knowledge brokerage instruments with the potential to generate more participative environments and attitudes. The paper explores barriers and limitations, as well as the role of knowledge brokerage in stimulating the engagement of the public, through learning-oriented processes and responsibility sharing in more participative models of governance. The paper concludes with a discussion on building and inter-change of knowledge, towards creative solutions to identified problems, stimulating learning processes, largely beyond simple information transfer mechanisms through consultative processes. The paper argues fundamentally for the need to conceive strategic assessments as learning platforms and design knowledge brokerage opportunities explicitly as a means to enhance learning processes and power sharing in IA. - Highlights: ► Debates on SEA recognize insufficiencies on public participation ► We propose new forms of engagement consistent with complex situations at strategic levels of decision-making ► Constructive and collaborative planning theories help explain how different actors acquire knowledge and the value of knowledge exchange ► Strategic assessments can act as knowledge brokerage instruments ► The paper argues for strategic assessments as learning platforms as a means to enhance learning processes and power sharing in IA.

  11. Precision Learning Assessment: An Alternative to Traditional Assessment Techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caltagirone, Paul J.; Glover, Christopher E.

    1985-01-01

    A continuous and curriculum-based assessment method, Precision Learning Assessment (PLA), which integrates precision teaching and norm-referenced techniques, was applied to a math computation curriculum for 214 third graders. The resulting districtwide learning curves defining average annual progress through the computation curriculum provided…

  12. Technology enhanced peer learning and peer assessment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Henriksen, Christian Bugge; Bregnhøj, Henrik; Rosthøj, Susanne

    2016-01-01

    This paper explores the application of learning designs featuring formalised and structured technology enhanced peer learning. These include student produced learning elements, peer review discussions and peer assessment in the BSc/MSc level summer course Restoration of European Ecosystems...... and Freshwaters (REEF), the Master thesis preparation seminars for the Master of Public Health (MPH) and the MOOC course Global Environmental Management (GEM). The application of student produced learning elements and peer review discussions is investigated by analyzing quotes from course evaluations...... and performing focus group interviews. The application of peer assessment is investigated by analyzing the agreement of peer assessment between students assessing the same assignment. Our analyses confirm previous research on the value of peer learning and peer assessment and we argue that there could also...

  13. Learning Safety Assessment from Accidents in a University Environment

    OpenAIRE

    Jensen, Niels; Jørgensen, Sten Bay

    2013-01-01

    This contribution describes how a chemical engineering department started learning from accidents during experimental work and ended up implementing an industrially inspired system for risk assessment of new and existing experimental setups as well as a system for assessing potential risk from the chemicals used in the experimental work. These experiences have led to recent developments which focus increasingly on the a theoretical basis for modeling and reasoning on safety as well as operati...

  14. Development and Evaluation of a Computer-Based Learning Environment for Teachers: Assessment of Learning Strategies in Learning Journals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Inga Glogger

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Training teachers to assess important components of self-regulated learning such as learning strategies is an important, yet somewhat neglected, aspect of the integration of self-regulated learning at school. Learning journals can be used to assess learning strategies in line with cyclical process models of self-regulated learning, allowing for rich formative feedback. Against this background, we developed a computer-based learning environment (CBLE that trains teachers to assess learning strategies with learning journals. The contents of the CBLE and its instructional design were derived from theory. The CBLE was further shaped by research in a design-based manner. Finally, in two evaluation studies, student teachers (N1=44; N2=89 worked with the CBLE. We analyzed satisfaction, interest, usability, and assessment skills. Additionally, in evaluation study 2, effects of an experimental variation on motivation and assessment skills were tested. We found high satisfaction, interest, and good usability, as well as satisfying assessment skills, after working with the CBLE. Results show that teachers can be trained to assess learning strategies in learning journals. The developed CBLE offers new perspectives on how to support teachers in fostering learning strategies as central component of effective self-regulated learning at school.

  15. Stimulating Learning with Integrated Assessments in Construction Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Imriyas Kamardeen

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Quality of learning students experience is heavily dependent on the effectiveness of course design. Assessments are a key component in course design and students determine their level of involvement in a learning activity based on whether it is assessed or not. Assessments are therefore a powerful tool that lecturers can utilise to drive learning. However, designing effective assessments to stimulate learning is challenging in the presence of disciplinary, contextual dimensions. A case study approach is adopted to demonstrate how effective integrated assessment schemes may be developed and implemented for construction education. The scheme in the case study amalgamated case-based learning, online quizzes and adaptive eTests to provide a variety of assessments, aligned with lecture topics and contemporary real-word scenarios. It was found that the presence of both formative and summative tasks in the assessment scheme complemented each other, kept students constantly motivated and engaged in learning, and resulted in a good learning experience for them. The study provide evidence, and valuable insights and tips for lecturers in similar degree programs as to how they could modify pedagogical styles in their courses for better learning experiences for students and improved teaching ratings for themselves. Keywords: Pedagogy, Integrated assessment, Case-based learning, Online quiz, Adaptive eLearning

  16. Stimulating Learning with Integrated Assessments in Construction Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Imriyas Kamardeen

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Quality of learning students experience is heavily dependent on the effectiveness of course design. Assessments are a key component in course design and students determine their level of involvement in a learning activity based on whether it is assessed or not. Assessments are therefore a powerful tool that lecturers can utilise to drive learning. However, designing effective assessments to stimulate learning is challenging in the presence of disciplinary, contextual dimensions. A case study approach is adopted to demonstrate how effective integrated assessment schemes may be developed and implemented for construction education. The scheme in the case study amalgamated case-based learning, online quizzes and adaptive eTests to provide a variety of assessments, aligned with lecture topics and contemporary real-word scenarios. It was found that the presence of both formative and summative tasks in the assessment scheme complemented each other, kept students constantly motivated and engaged in learning, and resulted in a good learning experience for them. The study provide evidence, and valuable insights and tips for lecturers in similar degree programs as to how they could modify pedagogical styles in their courses for better learning experiences for students and improved teaching ratings for themselves.   Keywords: Pedagogy, Integrated assessment, Case-based learning, Online quiz, Adaptive eLearning

  17. Assessment of Learning Strategies: Self-Report Questionnaire or Learning Task

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kikas, Eve; Jõgi, Anna-Liisa

    2016-01-01

    Two types of assessment instruments were developed to assess middle school students' learning strategies, and their effectiveness in predicting various learning outcomes was examined. The participants were 565 middle school students. Three subscales (rehearsal, organization, elaboration) from the "Motivated Strategies for Learning…

  18. Bootcamp EMMA MOOC Assessment for learning in practice

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Firssova, Olga; Brouns, Francis

    2016-01-01

    Formative assessment or assessment for learning is a relevant theme for teachers and educationalists. Formative assessment is a valuable tool for supporting the learning process. It is applied during learning and offers you more and better opportunities to guide your students. Formative assessment

  19. Knowledge brokerage - potential for increased capacities and shared power in impact assessment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rosario Partidario, Maria, E-mail: mrp@civil.ist.utl.pt [Instituto Superior Tecnico, Lisbon, Portugal, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 LISBOA (Portugal); Sheate, William R., E-mail: w.sheate@imperial.ac.uk [Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Collingwood Environmental Planning Ltd, London, 1E, The Chandlery, 50 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7QY (United Kingdom)

    2013-02-15

    Constructive and collaborative planning theory has exposed the perceived limitations of public participation in impact assessment. At strategic levels of assessment the established norm can be misleading and practice is illusive. For example, debates on SEA effectiveness recognize insufficiencies, but are often based on questionable premises. The authors of this paper argue that public participation in strategic assessment requires new forms of information and engagement, consistent with the complexity of the issues at these levels and that strategic assessments can act as knowledge brokerage instruments with the potential to generate more participative environments and attitudes. The paper explores barriers and limitations, as well as the role of knowledge brokerage in stimulating the engagement of the public, through learning-oriented processes and responsibility sharing in more participative models of governance. The paper concludes with a discussion on building and inter-change of knowledge, towards creative solutions to identified problems, stimulating learning processes, largely beyond simple information transfer mechanisms through consultative processes. The paper argues fundamentally for the need to conceive strategic assessments as learning platforms and design knowledge brokerage opportunities explicitly as a means to enhance learning processes and power sharing in IA. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Debates on SEA recognize insufficiencies on public participation Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We propose new forms of engagement consistent with complex situations at strategic levels of decision-making Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Constructive and collaborative planning theories help explain how different actors acquire knowledge and the value of knowledge exchange Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Strategic assessments can act as knowledge brokerage instruments Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The paper argues for strategic assessments as learning

  20. A theory of improvement for teachers' professional development in assessment for learning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Benthum, N.; Gulikers, J.T.M.; Jong, de F.; Mulder, M.

    2012-01-01

    To strengthen the practice of Competence-based Education (CBE) it’s needed to realise the potential of Assessment for Learning (AfL). However, teachers are usually not trained in designing assessment practices in CBE and professionalization in AfL is complicated. It’s needed to design a Theory of

  1. Increasing Student Metacognition and Learning through Classroom-Based Learning Communities and Self-Assessment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amy Siegesmund

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Student overconfidence challenges success in introductory biology. This study examined the impact of classroom learning communities and self-assessment on student metacognition and subsequent impact on student epistemological beliefs, behaviors, and learning. Students wrote weekly self-assessments reflecting on the process of learning and received individual feedback. Students completed a learning strategies inventory focused on metacognition and study behaviors at the beginning and end of the semester and a Student Assessment of their Learning Gains (SALG at the end of the semester. Results indicated significant changes in both metacognition and study behaviors over the course of the semester, with a positive impact on learning as determined by broad and singular measures. Self-assessments and SALG data demonstrated a change in student beliefs and behaviors. Taken together, these findings argue that classroom learning communities and self-assessment can increase student metacognition and change student epistemological beliefs and behaviors.

  2. Dynamic assessment of word learning skills of pre-school children with primary language impairment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camilleri, Bernard; Law, James

    2014-10-01

    Dynamic assessment has been shown to have considerable theoretical and clinical significance in the assessment of socially disadvantaged and culturally and linguistically diverse children. In this study it is used to enhance assessment of pre-school children with primary language impairment. The purpose of the study was to determine whether a dynamic assessment (DA) has the potential to enhance the predictive capacity of a static measure of receptive vocabulary in pre-school children. Forty pre-school children were assessed using the static British Picture Vocabulary Scale (BPVS), a DA of word learning potential and an assessment of non-verbal cognitive ability. Thirty-seven children were followed up 6 months later and re-assessed using the BPVS. Although the predictive capacity of the static measure was found to be substantial, the DA increased this significantly especially for children with static scores below the 25th centile. The DA of children's word learning has the potential to add value to the static assessment of the child with low language skills, to predict subsequent receptive vocabulary skills and to increase the chance of correctly identifying children in need of ongoing support.

  3. LEARNING ASSESSMENT VIEWS AND PERCEPTIONS OF FINNISH TEACHERS AND INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN POSTGRADUATE PHYSICS STUDIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roni Tinell

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The way teachers view assessment has a considerable impact on their practice of assessment. Student perceptions of assessment, in turn, affect the ways in which they take advantage of its potential to direct their learning processes and to develop metacognitive skills. In this research, physics teachers and international postgraduate students at a Finnish university were surveyed for their views of assessment. The teachers were found to use assessment in a restricted fashion, which indicates that their conceptions of assessment are also limited in scope. The international students appeared to have a loose grasp of the concepts pertaining to assessment. Furthermore, clear differences were found in the purposes ascribed to assessment by the teachers and students. The implications of the findings are discussed and suggestions are made for the development of assessment practices to ensure a better use of its potential as a tool for achieving learning objectives.

  4. Approaching Assessment from a Learning Perspective: Elevating Assessment beyond Technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simms, Michele; George, Beena

    2014-01-01

    Assessment is a key process in assuring quality education but how is it linked to the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL)? How can we join teaching and learning to the assessment process rather than view it as a stand-alone component in course and/or program development? This paper explores the relationship between assessment and the SoTL…

  5. Assessing Learned Helplessness in Poor Readers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winograd, Peter; Niquette, Garland

    1988-01-01

    Feelings of helplessness can impact on learning to read. This research review illustrates problems in assessing learned helplessness, including instrumentation inadequacies, lack of comprehensive causal schemes, context specificity, etc. Observations of and discussions with the child are recommended in the assessment process. Guidelines for…

  6. Investigating the potential of e-Learning in healthcare postgraduate curricula: a structural equation model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katharaki, Maria; Daskalakis, Stelios; Mantas, John

    2010-01-01

    The objective of this paper is to assess the future adaptability of e-Learning platforms within postgraduate modules. An ongoing empirical assessment was conducted amongst postgraduate students, based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The current paper presents the outcomes from the second phase of a survey, involving fifty six participants. Data analysis was performed using a structural equation model, based on partial least squares. Results highlighted the very strong effect of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use to attitude towards using e-Learning platforms. Consequently, attitude towards use proved to be a very strong predictor of behavioral intention. Perceived usefulness, on the contrary, did not prove to have an effect to behavioral intention. Implications on the potential of using e-Learning platforms are discussed along with limitations and future directions of the study.

  7. Solution to reinforcement learning problems with artificial potential field

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    XIE Li-juan; XIE Guang-rong; CHEN Huan-wen; LI Xiao-li

    2008-01-01

    A novel method was designed to solve reinforcement learning problems with artificial potential field. Firstly a reinforcement learning problem was transferred to a path planning problem by using artificial potential field(APF), which was a very appropriate method to model a reinforcement learning problem. Secondly, a new APF algorithm was proposed to overcome the local minimum problem in the potential field methods with a virtual water-flow concept. The performance of this new method was tested by a gridworld problem named as key and door maze. The experimental results show that within 45 trials, good and deterministic policies are found in almost all simulations. In comparison with WIERING's HQ-learning system which needs 20 000 trials for stable solution, the proposed new method can obtain optimal and stable policy far more quickly than HQ-learning. Therefore, the new method is simple and effective to give an optimal solution to the reinforcement learning problem.

  8. Assessment for learning in innovation and entrepreneurship education

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Radmila M.

    2017-01-01

    Purpose This chapter exemplifies how assessment is performed in innovation and entrepreneurship (I&E) at the university education and how educators apply and view formative assessment as an important tool in enhancing students’ learning outcomes. Methodology/approach A case study methodology...... to conduct assessment that stimulates students learning in I&E-education. Originality/value Considering that the research on how assessment in I&E-education impacts students learning is limited, this study provides important contribution by identifying links between formative assessment types and enhancement...... responsible educators focusing on alignment between learning goals, assessment forms and criteria, and feedback. Findings The analysis shows that educators emphasize the importance of formative and learner-centered assessment forms alongside summative, credit-giving assessment. Educators experience...

  9. Meeting the requirements of both classroom-based and systemic assessment of mathematics proficiency: The potential of Rasch measurement theory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tim Dunne

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available The challenges inherent in assessing mathematical proficiency depend on a number of factors, amongst which are an explicit view of what constitutes mathematical proficiency, an understanding of how children learn and the purpose and function of teaching. All of these factors impact on the choice of approach to assessment. In this article we distinguish between two broad types of assessment, classroom-based and systemic assessment. We argue that the process of assessment informed by Rasch measurement theory (RMT can potentially support the demands of both classroom-based and systemic assessment, particularly if a developmental approach to learning is adopted, and an underlying model of developing mathematical proficiency is explicit in the assessment instruments and their supporting material. An example of a mathematics instrument and its analysis which illustrates this approach, is presented. We note that the role of assessment in the 21st century is potentially powerful. This influential role can only be justified if the assessments are of high quality and can be selected to match suitable moments in learning progress and the teaching process. Users of assessment data must have sufficient knowledge and insight to interpret the resulting numbers validly, and have sufficient discernment to make considered educational inferences from the data for teaching and learning responses.

  10. Triangulating Assessment of Online Collaborative Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lock, Jennifer; Johnson, Carol

    2015-01-01

    Collaboration plays an integral role in the construction of knowledge in online learning environments. A supportive foundation for learning can be created through the intentional design of formative and summative assessments that embrace self-, peer-, and instructor assessment practices. The purpose of this article is to: (1) examine current…

  11. Test-enhanced learning: the potential for testing to promote greater learning in undergraduate science courses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brame, Cynthia J; Biel, Rachel

    2015-01-01

    Testing within the science classroom is commonly used for both formative and summative assessment purposes to let the student and the instructor gauge progress toward learning goals. Research within cognitive science suggests, however, that testing can also be a learning event. We present summaries of studies that suggest that repeated retrieval can enhance long-term learning in a laboratory setting; various testing formats can promote learning; feedback enhances the benefits of testing; testing can potentiate further study; and benefits of testing are not limited to rote memory. Most of these studies were performed in a laboratory environment, so we also present summaries of experiments suggesting that the benefits of testing can extend to the classroom. Finally, we suggest opportunities that these observations raise for the classroom and for further research. © 2015 C. J. Brame and R. Biel. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2015 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

  12. Evaluation of a potential nuclear fuel repository criticality: Lessons learned

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wilson, J.R.; Evans, D.

    1995-10-01

    This paper presents lessons learned from a Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) of the potential for a criticality in a repository containing spent nuclear fuel with high enriched uranium. The insights gained consisted of remarkably detailed conclusions about design issues, failure mechanisms, frequencies and source terms for events up to 10,000 years in the future. Also discussed are the approaches taken by the analysts in presenting this very technical report to a nontechnical and possibly antagonistic audience.

  13. Evaluation of a potential nuclear fuel repository criticality: Lessons learned

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilson, J.R.; Evans, D.

    1995-01-01

    This paper presents lessons learned from a Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) of the potential for a criticality in a repository containing spent nuclear fuel with high enriched uranium. The insights gained consisted of remarkably detailed conclusions about design issues, failure mechanisms, frequencies and source terms for events up to 10,000 years in the future. Also discussed are the approaches taken by the analysts in presenting this very technical report to a nontechnical and possibly antagonistic audience

  14. Systemic Assessment as a new tool for assessing students learning ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Systemic Assessment [SA] has been shown to be highly effective new tool in raising the level of students academic achievements, improve their ability to learn by enhancing the process of teaching and learning, and converts students from surface to deep learning. It also allow teacher to monitor students learning ...

  15. Public policies: right to learn and formative assessment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio Chizzotti

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper deals with the right to learn in school type education and considers the assessment as assurance of teaching and learning quality. It deals with the current evaluation processes and discriminatory misconceptions of merely summative assessments, which tend to qualify students. This text evaluates the punitive bias of meritocratic grading of learning and argues that only formative assessment can ensure the right to learn

  16. Human Spaceflight Conjunction Assessment: Lessons Learned

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Jason T.

    2011-01-01

    This viewgraph presentation reviews the process of a human space flight conjunction assessment and lessons learned from the more than twelve years of International Space Station (ISS) operations. Also, the application of these lessons learned to a recent ISS conjunction assessment with object 84180 on July 16, 2009 is also presented.

  17. Learning on the move: the potential impact of new mobile technologies on students’ learning

    OpenAIRE

    Ersoy, Alp Idil

    2014-01-01

    This study explores the potential use of mobile learning in higher education with a focus on student and academic staff requirements of a potential mobile application. The research examines the stakeholders’ new technology acceptance behaviour within a post-1992 university and examines how new mobile technologies are able to contribute to enhancement of the learning experience of students and additionally the roles of educators in facilitating enhancement of the learning experience.\\ud \\ud A ...

  18. Learning Safety Assessment from Accidents in a University Environment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Niels; Jørgensen, Sten Bay

    2013-01-01

    This contribution describes how a chemical engineering department started learning from accidents during experimental work and ended up implementing an industrially inspired system for risk assessment of new and existing experimental setups as well as a system for assessing potential risk from...... the chemicals used in the experimental work. These experiences have led to recent developments which focus increasingly on the a theoretical basis for modeling and reasoning on safety as well as operational aspects within a common framework. Presently this framework is being extended with barrier concepts both...

  19. Learning Analytics: Potential for Enhancing School Library Programs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boulden, Danielle Cadieux

    2015-01-01

    Learning analytics has been defined as the measurement, collection, analysis, and reporting of data about learners and their contexts, for purposes of understanding and optimizing learning and the environments in which it occurs. The potential use of data and learning analytics in educational contexts has caught the attention of educators and…

  20. Technology enhanced peer learning and peer assessment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Henriksen, Christian Bugge; Bregnhøj, Henrik; Rosthøj, Susanne

    2016-01-01

    This paper explores the application of learning designs featuring formalised and structured technology enhanced peer learning. These include student produced learning elements, peer review discussions and peer assessment in the BSc/MSc level summer course Restoration of European Ecosystems and Fr...... be a huge benefit from developing learning design patterns that facilitate informal peer learning and reinforce knowledge sharing practices.......This paper explores the application of learning designs featuring formalised and structured technology enhanced peer learning. These include student produced learning elements, peer review discussions and peer assessment in the BSc/MSc level summer course Restoration of European Ecosystems...... and Freshwaters (REEF), the Master thesis preparation seminars for the Master of Public Health (MPH) and the MOOC course Global Environmental Management (GEM). The application of student produced learning elements and peer review discussions is investigated by analyzing quotes from course evaluations...

  1. Tracing Assessment for learning Capability in Teachers (TACT)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Otrel-Cass, Kathrin; Agerbo, Jette Nørgaard; Skipper-Jørgensen, Anette

    2018-01-01

    education program. This chapter presents preliminary survey and focus group interviews data after tracing 21 pre-service teachers over two years. Our findings reflected a picture of Danish student teachers who value in particular formative assessment practices, while summative assessment is acknowledged......The focus on assessment literate teachers who know how to construct, administer assessments and communicate learning outcomes on student learning raises questions on how student teachers can develop the necessary skills to assess their students' learning. This is so important since...... there is evidence that beginning teachers continue to feel under prepared to assess student learning. This chapter presents findings of a study conducted in Denmark with the aim of investigating how student teacher candidates develop the capacities to become ‘assessment literate' over the course of their teacher...

  2. Kinespell: Kinesthetic Learning Activity and Assessment in a Digital Game-Based Learning Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cariaga, Ada Angeli; Salvador, Jay Andrae; Solamo, Ma. Rowena; Feria, Rommel

    Various approaches in learning are commonly classified into visual, auditory and kinesthetic (VAK) learning styles. One way of addressing the VAK learning styles is through game-based learning which motivates learners pursue knowledge holistically. The paper presents Kinespell, an unconventional method of learning through digital game-based learning. Kinespell is geared towards enhancing not only the learner’s spelling abilities but also the motor skills through utilizing wireless controllers. It monitors player’s performance through integrated assessment scheme. Results show that Kinespell may accommodate the VAK learning styles and is a promising alternative to established methods in learning and assessing students’ performance in Spelling.

  3. Assessing for Learning: Some Dimensions Underlying New Approaches to Educational Assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biggs, John

    1995-01-01

    Different models of performance assessment arise from interactions of three dimensions of assessment: the measurement versus the standards model of testing, quantitative and qualitative assumptions concerning the nature of learning, and whether learning and testing are situated or decontextualized. Addresses difficulties in implementing…

  4. The potential of capstone learning experiences in addressing ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The potential of capstone learning experiences in addressing perceived shortcomings in LLB training in South Africa. ... A literature review on capstone courses and learning experiences (collectively referred to ... AJOL African Journals Online.

  5. Students’ Perception about Learning Assessment in Higher Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Holmes Rodríguez-Espinosa

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available This research aimed to know university students’ perception about learning assessment carried out by their teachers, their level of objectivity and skill, among other aspects. The study was conducted in Medellin, Colombia, between January and July 2015. A final sample size of 400 university students from public and private institutions, randomly selected, was used. The data analysis was carried out by using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA with orthogonal-type canonical contrast, factor analysis, and one-dimensional type frequency analysis. It was found that university students have a good perception about the assessment practices of their teachers. Likewise, highly significant differences between men and women in their perception of learning assessment were identified. Students consider that learning assessment practices have contributed to improve their learning and are in accordance with the learning objectives. Nevertheless, most students have felt that their teachers are not objective in evaluation and they often use questions that confuse students, and very theoretical questions without application to practice. A lack of non-traditional assessment practices, such as peer assessment, self-assessment as well as virtual platforms use for assessments, was found. These findings imply the need to improve teacher training on assessment skills to allow them to plan evaluation as a strategy to improve learning, involving students in an active way.

  6. Assessment of (Computer-Supported) Collaborative Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strijbos, J. -W.

    2011-01-01

    Within the (Computer-Supported) Collaborative Learning (CS)CL research community, there has been an extensive dialogue on theories and perspectives on learning from collaboration, approaches to scaffold (script) the collaborative process, and most recently research methodology. In contrast, the issue of assessment of collaborative learning has…

  7. Peer/Self Assessment and Student Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ndoye, Abdou

    2017-01-01

    Effective and durable learning achievements can result from students' engagement in their own learning. This study explored students' perceptions of the mechanisms and processes through which peer and self-assessment can contribute to their learning. More specifically, the study investigated students' perceived ways in which peer and…

  8. Development of a machine learning potential for graphene

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rowe, Patrick; Csányi, Gábor; Alfè, Dario; Michaelides, Angelos

    2018-02-01

    We present an accurate interatomic potential for graphene, constructed using the Gaussian approximation potential (GAP) machine learning methodology. This GAP model obtains a faithful representation of a density functional theory (DFT) potential energy surface, facilitating highly accurate (approaching the accuracy of ab initio methods) molecular dynamics simulations. This is achieved at a computational cost which is orders of magnitude lower than that of comparable calculations which directly invoke electronic structure methods. We evaluate the accuracy of our machine learning model alongside that of a number of popular empirical and bond-order potentials, using both experimental and ab initio data as references. We find that whilst significant discrepancies exist between the empirical interatomic potentials and the reference data—and amongst the empirical potentials themselves—the machine learning model introduced here provides exemplary performance in all of the tested areas. The calculated properties include: graphene phonon dispersion curves at 0 K (which we predict with sub-meV accuracy), phonon spectra at finite temperature, in-plane thermal expansion up to 2500 K as compared to NPT ab initio molecular dynamics simulations and a comparison of the thermally induced dispersion of graphene Raman bands to experimental observations. We have made our potential freely available online at [http://www.libatoms.org].

  9. Assessment of learning powered mobility use--applying grounded theory to occupational performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nilsson, Lisbeth; Durkin, Josephine

    2014-01-01

    Collaboration by two grounded theory researchers, who each had developed a learning continuum instrument, led to the emergence of a new tool for assessment of learning powered mobility use. We undertook a rigorous process of comparative reanalysis that included merging, modifying, and expanding our previous research findings. A new instrument together with its facilitating strategies emerged in the course of revisits to our existing rich account of data taken from real environment powered mobility practice over an extensive time period. Instrument descriptors, categories, phases, and stages allow a facilitator to assess actual phase and plot actual occupational performance and provide a learner with the just right challenge through the learning process. Facilitating strategies are described for each of the phases and provide directions for involvement during learner performance. The learning approach is led by a belief system that the intervention is user-led, working in partnership and empowering the learner. The new assessment tool is inclusive of every potential powered mobility user because it focuses on the whole continuum of the learning process of powered mobility use from novice to expert. The new tool was appraised by clinicians and has been used successfully in clinical practice in the United Kingdom and Sweden.

  10. DISTANCE LEARNING: POTENTIAL APPLICATION AND DEVELOPMENT OUTLOOK

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yulija Mihajlovna Tsarapkina

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The article is devoted to the actual problem of distance education potential and prospects research in the Russian education system. According to the UNESCO estimates, if the current trend continues, then the number of people with a firm desire to receive an education would increase from 165 millions to 263 millions [7, 12]. Thus 98 million qualified students worldwide will be excluded from higher education due to a shortage of university seats. The purpose of the study is to analyze the historical and present state of the problem, to identify the potential and prospects of the development in distance learning within higher education. The methodological base of the research has become common methods of pedagogical sciences: pedagogical observation, survey, questionnaire, testing, comparative analysis, pedagogical experiment. The analytical review has shown several problem areas within distance learning, such as student’s motivation while distance course learning and training efficiency as compared to full-time university training. Combination of full-time training and distance learning leads to 31% enhancement of training efficiency and shows a sustainable increase of student’s motivation.

  11. Precise synaptic efficacy alignment suggests potentiation dominated learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christoph eHartmann

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Recent evidence suggests that parallel synapses from the same axonal branch onto the same dendritic branch have almost identical strength. It has been proposed that this alignment is only possible through learning rules that integrate activity over long time spans. However, learning mechanisms such as spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP are commonly assumed to be temporally local. Here, we propose that the combination of temporally local STDP and a multiplicative synaptic normalization mechanism is sufficient to explain the alignment of parallel synapses.To address this issue, we introduce three increasingly complex models: First, we model the idealized interaction of STDP and synaptic normalization in a single neuron as a simple stochastic process and derive analytically that the alignment effect can be described by a so-called Kesten process. From this we can derive that synaptic efficacy alignment requires potentiation-dominated learning regimes. We verify these conditions in a single-neuron model with independent spiking activities but more realistic synapses. As expected, we only observe synaptic efficacy alignment for long-term potentiation-biased STDP. Finally, we explore how well the findings transfer to recurrent neural networks where the learning mechanisms interact with the correlated activity of the network. We find that due to the self-reinforcing correlations in recurrent circuits under STDP, alignment occurs for both long-term potentiation- and depression-biased STDP, because the learning will be potentiation dominated in both cases due to the potentiating events induced by correlated activity. This is in line with recent results demonstrating a dominance of potentiation over depression during waking and normalization during sleep. This leads us to predict that individual spine pairs will be more similar in the morning than they are after sleep depriviation.In conclusion, we show that synaptic normalization in conjunction with

  12. Diagnostic assessment of deep learning algorithms for detection of lymph node metastases in women with breast cancer

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bejnordi, Babak Ehteshami; Veta, Mitko; van Diest, Paul Johannes; Van Ginneken, Bram; Karssemeijer, Nico; Litjens, Geert; van der Laak, Jeroen A.W.M.; Hermsen, Meyke; Manson, Quirine F.; Balkenhol, Maschenka; Geessink, Oscar; Stathonikos, Nikolaos; Van Dijk, Marcory C.R.F.; Bult, Peter; Beca, Francisco; Beck, Andrew H.; Wang, Dayong; Khosla, Aditya; Gargeya, Rishab; Irshad, Humayun; Zhong, Aoxiao; Dou, Qi; Li, Quanzheng; Chen, Hao; Lin, Huang Jing; Heng, Pheng Ann; Haß, Christian; Bruni, Elia; Wong, Quincy; Halici, Ugur; Öner, Mustafa Ümit; Cetin-Atalay, Rengul; Berseth, Matt; Khvatkov, Vitali; Vylegzhanin, Alexei; Kraus, Oren; Shaban, Muhammad; Rajpoot, Nasir; Awan, Ruqayya; Sirinukunwattana, Korsuk; Qaiser, Talha; Tsang, Yee Wah; Tellez, David; Annuscheit, Jonas; Hufnagl, Peter; Valkonen, Mira; Kartasalo, Kimmo; Latonen, Leena; Ruusuvuori, Pekka; Liimatainen, Kaisa

    2017-01-01

    IMPORTANCE: Application of deep learning algorithms to whole-slide pathology imagescan potentially improve diagnostic accuracy and efficiency. OBJECTIVE: Assess the performance of automated deep learning algorithms at detecting metastases in hematoxylin and eosin-stained tissue sections of lymph

  13. Can teachers use assessment to improve learning?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paul Black

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available This article discusses two different purposes of assessment: formative assessment is designed to support pupils’ learning, whilst summative assessment is designed to review what has been learnt, perhaps to record it in certificates or diplomas. Formative assessment is concerned with the frequent interactions between teacher and pupils which are essential if the teacher’s plans can be matched to the learning needs of the pupils. Teachers who are accustomed to simply telling pupils, rather than engaging them in dialogue, find it hard to change. Pupils also have to change from passive reception to active engagement in the learning. Formative work can be undermined if pupils or teachers are worry too much about summative tests; such worry can lead them to focus entirely on practising for the tests and not on the good habits of learning which would in fact be the best preparation for doing well in them.

  14. Assessing Learning in a Sociology Department: What Do Students Say That They Learn?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bandini, Julia; Shostak, Sara; Cunningham, David; Cadge, Wendy

    2016-01-01

    Assessment plays a central role in evaluating and strengthening student learning in higher education, and sociology departments, in particular, have increasingly become interested in engaging in assessment activities to better understand students' learning. This qualitative study builds on previous research on assessment by asking what students in…

  15. Modelling the pre-assessment learning effects of assessment: evidence in the validity chain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cilliers, Francois J; Schuwirth, Lambert W T; van der Vleuten, Cees P M

    2012-11-01

    We previously developed a model of the pre-assessment learning effects of consequential assessment and started to validate it. The model comprises assessment factors, mechanism factors and learning effects. The purpose of this study was to continue the validation process. For stringency, we focused on a subset of assessment factor-learning effect associations that featured least commonly in a baseline qualitative study. Our aims were to determine whether these uncommon associations were operational in a broader but similar population to that in which the model was initially derived. A cross-sectional survey of 361 senior medical students at one medical school was undertaken using a purpose-made questionnaire based on a grounded theory and comprising pairs of written situational tests. In each pair, the manifestation of an assessment factor was varied. The frequencies at which learning effects were selected were compared for each item pair, using an adjusted alpha to assign significance. The frequencies at which mechanism factors were selected were calculated. There were significant differences in the learning effect selected between the two scenarios of an item pair for 13 of this subset of 21 uncommon associations, even when a p-value of value. For a subset of uncommon associations in the model, the role of most assessment factor-learning effect associations and the mechanism factors involved were supported in a broader but similar population to that in which the model was derived. Although model validation is an ongoing process, these results move the model one step closer to the stage of usefully informing interventions. Results illustrate how factors not typically included in studies of the learning effects of assessment could confound the results of interventions aimed at using assessment to influence learning. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2012.

  16. THE POTENTIAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY EDUCATION APPS IN THE FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. L. Oliveira

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Introduction and objectives: Apps can be designed to provide usage data, and most of them do. These data are usually used to map users interests and to deliver more effective ads that are more likely to result in clicks, and sales. We have applied some of these metrics to understand how can it be used to map students’ behavior and to promote a formative assessment using educational software. The purpose of a formative assessment is to monitor student learning to provide ongoing feedback that can be used by instructors and students to improve the teaching and learning process. Thus, this modality aims to help both students and instructors to identify strengths and weaknesses that need to be developed. This study aimed to describe the potential of educational apps in the formative assessment process. Material and Methods: We have implemented assessment tools embedded in three apps (ARMET, The Cell and 3D Class used to teach: 1 Metabolic Pathways; 2 Scale of the cellular structures, and 3 Concepts from techniques used in a Biochemistry Lab course. The implemented tools allow to verify on what issues there were recurring mistakes, the total number of mistakes presented, which questions they most achieved, how long they took to perform the activity and other relevant information. Results and conclusion: Educational apps can provide transparent and coherent evaluation metrics to enable instructors to systematize more consistent criteria and indicators, reducing the subjectivity of the formative assessment process and the time spent for preparation, tabulation and analysis of assessment data. This approach allows instructors to understand better where students struggle, giving to them a more effective feedback. It also helps instructor to plan interventions to help students to perform better and to achieve the learning objectives.

  17. Assessment for Learning as Support for Student Self-Regulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heritage, Margaret

    2018-01-01

    Assessment for learning (AfL) is integral to teaching and learning, and has as its central foci (i) pedagogical intervention in the immediacy of student learning, and (ii) the students' agency in the learning and assessment process. The role that students adopt in AfL is consistent with the idea of self-regulated learning, which involves students…

  18. E-learning in medical education: the potential environmental impact.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walsh, Kieran

    2018-03-01

    Introduction There is a growing interest in the use of e-learning in medical education. However until recently there has been little interest in the potential environmental benefits of e-learning. This paper models various environmental outcomes that might emerge from the use of an e-learning resource (BMJ Learning) in CPD. Methods We modeled the use of e-learning as a component of CPD and evaluated the potential impact of this use on the learner's carbon footprint. We looked at a number of models - all from the perspective of a General Practitioner (GP). We assumed that all GPs completed 50 h or credits of CPD per year. Results High users of e-learning can reduce their carbon footprint - mainly by reducing their travel to face-to-face events (reducing printing also has a small beneficial effect). A high user of e-learning can reduce the carbon footprint that relates to their CPD by 18.5 kg. Discussion As global warming continues to pose a risk to human and environmental health, we feel that doctors have a duty to consider learning activities (such as e-learning) that are associated with a lower carbon footprint.

  19. Assessment of learning components of management training course ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Assessment of learning components of any training course provides a benchmark through which training institutions or organizers could assess the effectiveness of the training. The study assessed learning components of agricultural research management training course organized for senior research managers in Nigeria.

  20. Risk assessment of atmospheric emissions using machine learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. Cervone

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available Supervised and unsupervised machine learning algorithms are used to perform statistical and logical analysis of several transport and dispersion model runs which simulate emissions from a fixed source under different atmospheric conditions.

    First, a clustering algorithm is used to automatically group the results of different transport and dispersion simulations according to specific cloud characteristics. Then, a symbolic classification algorithm is employed to find complex non-linear relationships between the meteorological input conditions and each cluster of clouds. The patterns discovered are provided in the form of probabilistic measures of contamination, thus suitable for result interpretation and dissemination.

    The learned patterns can be used for quick assessment of the areas at risk and of the fate of potentially hazardous contaminants released in the atmosphere.

  1. Using Assessment for Learning Mathematics with Mobile Tablet Based Solutions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ghislain Maurice Norbert Isabwe

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available This article discusses assessment for learning in mathematics subjects. Teachers of large classes face the challenge of regularly assessing studentsཿ ongoing mathematical learning achievements. Taking the complexity of assessment and feedback for learning as a background, we have developed a new approach to the assessment for learning mathematics at university level. We devised mobile tablet technology supported assessment processes, and we carried out user studies in both Rwanda and Norway. Results of our study indicated that students found it fruitful to be involved in assessing other studentsཿ mathematics work, i.e. assessing fellow studentsཿ answers to mathematical tasks. By being involved in the assessment process, the students expected mathematical learning gains. Their providing and obtaining of feedback to/from their fellow students using technology supported tools were highly appreciated as regards their own mathematical learning process.

  2. Assessment for Learning in Inquiry Based Science Education

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fornaguera, Cristina Carulla

    The study looks at assessment for learning and Inquiry Based Science Education —IBSE— as concepts established in a diversity of geographical areas, where the traditional summative assessment shapes what most individuals share as being experienced as assessment. Based on Leontiev and Radford...... the analytical process. The main contribution was the analysis and the results of researcher movement from a view of assessment considering learning as a psychological process in the mind, independent of the everyday life of individuals, towards one considering the inseparability of collective and individual...... as identifying and differentiating forms of researching assessment, changing the researcher’s perspective on research, and imagining a new theoretical approach to assessment for learning....

  3. Real-time Color Codes for Assessing Learning Process

    OpenAIRE

    Dzelzkalēja, L; Kapenieks, J

    2016-01-01

    Effective assessment is an important way for improving the learning process. There are existing guidelines for assessing the learning process, but they lack holistic digital knowledge society considerations. In this paper the authors propose a method for real-time evaluation of students’ learning process and, consequently, for quality evaluation of teaching materials both in the classroom and in the distance learning environment. The main idea of the proposed Color code method (CCM) is to use...

  4. Authentic assessment For autonomous learning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vinke, A.A.; Hummels, C.C.M.

    2010-01-01

    Industrial Design at Eindhoven University of Technology focuses on designing intelligent systems, products and related services for societal transformation. Our holistic and integrative approach to learning clearly shows in the end-ofterm assessments. Students are not assessed at the level of

  5. FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT MODEL OF LEARNING SUCCESS ACHIEVEMENTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mikhailova Elena Konstantinovna

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available The paper is devoted to the problem of assessment of the school students’ learning success achievements. The problem is investigated from the viewpoint of assessing the students’ learning outcomes that is aimed to ensure the teachers and students with the means and conditions to improve the educational process and results.

  6. Learning Assessment in physical education: the relationship between assessment practices of teachers and learning approaches

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marco Vinicio Gutiérrez

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available This article shows the result of an investigation that studied teachers’ assessment practices in Physical Education in public schools from Suba in Bogota and the relationship between these practices with both superfluous and superficial learning approaches. It is organized into two sections; the first presents a classification of the evaluation practices, and the second establishes the relationship between these practices with the superficial and profound learning approaches. This article nourishes itself from a mixed-method research approach wherein the sample consisted of 68 teachers from whom data was collected using a survey. This data was then analyzed using the statistical software R. The results show the object, the purpose, procedures and ways in which teachers develop their assessment practice in physical education, and as well show a trend towards promoting meaningful and profound learning.

  7. A comparison of the efficacy of test-driven learning versus self-assessment learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Xiaohua; Canty, Anne

    2013-01-01

    Objective We compared self-assessment and test-driven learning in two groups of students who studied the same subject. Methods This was a randomized comparative experimental study. The subjects were 259 first-quarter students who were divided into a test group and a self-assessment group based on the methods they used for their learning assessments. We measured the scores and difficulty levels of 3 formal written exams. Students' attitudes toward self-assessment or test-driven learning were surveyed. Results The mean scores of exam 1, exam 2, and a summative exam were 34 (±6), 32 (±8), and 44 (±6) for the self-assessment group, respectively, with corresponding scores of 33 (±6), 33 (±7), 43 (±6) for the test group. There were no significant differences in the mean scores on all 3 tests between the two groups (p > .05). Of the students in the self-assessment group, 64% scored at least 90%, whereas 47% of students in the test group answered at least 90% of the questions correctly (p self-assessment and tests could have a significant impact on students' learning, but each offers different strengths and weaknesses. PMID:23957317

  8. Reversal of long-term potentiation-like plasticity processes after motor learning disrupts skill retention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cantarero, Gabriela; Lloyd, Ashley; Celnik, Pablo

    2013-07-31

    Plasticity of synaptic connections in the primary motor cortex (M1) is thought to play an essential role in learning and memory. Human and animal studies have shown that motor learning results in long-term potentiation (LTP)-like plasticity processes, namely potentiation of M1 and a temporary occlusion of additional LTP-like plasticity. Moreover, biochemical processes essential for LTP are also crucial for certain types of motor learning and memory. Thus, it has been speculated that the occlusion of LTP-like plasticity after learning, indicative of how much LTP was used to learn, is essential for retention. Here we provide supporting evidence of it in humans. Induction of LTP-like plasticity can be abolished using a depotentiation protocol (DePo) consisting of brief continuous theta burst stimulation. We used transcranial magnetic stimulation to assess whether application of DePo over M1 after motor learning affected (1) occlusion of LTP-like plasticity and (2) retention of motor skill learning. We found that the magnitude of motor memory retention is proportional to the magnitude of occlusion of LTP-like plasticity. Moreover, DePo stimulation over M1, but not over a control site, reversed the occlusion of LTP-like plasticity induced by motor learning and disrupted skill retention relative to control subjects. Altogether, these results provide evidence of a link between occlusion of LTP-like plasticity and retention and that this measure could be used as a biomarker to predict retention. Importantly, attempts to reverse the occlusion of LTP-like plasticity after motor learning comes with the cost of reducing retention of motor learning.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  10. Virtual communities as educational potential of collaborative learning through ICT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M.ª Ángeles REBOLLO CATALÁN

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents some results of an educational innovation based on the use of ICT as a learning environment. The main aim of this study is to describe an experience based collaborative learning in virtual communities of learning and reciprocal teaching and assessing students’ knowledge. For that, we design an educational proposal with three didactic units, which includes a kit of tasks and resources for learning. This study adopts a quantitative and qualitative methodology, applying attitudes scales, interviews and analysis of messages from online discussion forums. The study involved 56 students in first year of Pedagogy. We apply a Likert scale and a semantic differential about the learning experience and the methodology used. Also we conducted semi-structured group interviews to understand the perceptions and students’ evaluations about the methodology. The results show a very positive assessment about the learning experience and the methodology used. Peer interaction is focused on resolving technical queries, although there are also other forms of collaboration focused on joint interpretation and understanding of learning activities and assessment of the learning process. The results show that the intervention centers on teacher feedback and monitoring of learning tasks, reinforcing positive actions of the students and guiding the learning process. Finally, as to the benefits received by students, the results show that not only is development of social and communication skills, but also conceptual and emotional changes related to the subject.

  11. Improving Open Access through Prior Learning Assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    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…

  12. Assessing orientations to learning to teach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oosterheert, Ida E; Vermunt, Jan D; Denessen, E

    2002-03-01

    An important purpose of teacher education is that student teachers develop and change their existing knowledge on learning and teaching. Research on how student teachers variously engage in this process is scarce. In a previous study of 30 student teachers, we identified five different orientations to learning to teach. Our aim was to extend the results of the previous study by developing an instrument to assess orientations to learning to teach at a larger scale. The development and psychometric properties of the instrument are discussed. The results with respect to how student teachers learn are compared to the results of the qualitative study. Participants in this study were 169 secondary student teachers from three institutes which had all adopted an initial in-service model of learning to teach. On the basis of extensive qualitative study, a questionnaire was developed to assess individual differences in learning to teach. Factor-, reliability-, and nonparametric scalability analyses were performed to identify reliable scales. Cluster analysis was used to identify groups of students with similar orientations to learning to teach. Eight scales covering cognitive, regulative and affective aspects of student teachers' learning were identified. Cluster analysis indicates that the instrument discriminates well between student teachers. Four of the five previously found patterns were found again. The four orientations found in relatively uniform learning environments indicate that student teachers need differential support in their learning. Although the instrument measures individual differences in a reliable way, it is somewhat one-sided in the sense that items representing constructive ways of learning dominate. New items forming a broader range of scales should be created.

  13. Greek Young Adults with Specific Learning Disabilities Seeking Learning Assessments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonti, Eleni; Bampalou, Christina E.; Kouimtzi, Eleni M.; Kyritsis, Zacharias

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to investigate the reasons why Greek young adults with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) seek learning assessments. The study sample consisted of 106 adults meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria for SLD. Data were collected through self-report records (clinical interview) of adults…

  14. Assessment for Learning Tasks and the Peer Assessment Process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lauf, Lorraine; Dole, Shelley

    2010-01-01

    A program of Assessment for Learning (AfL) was implemented with 107 Year 12 students as part of their preparation for a major external test. Students completed extended mathematics tasks and selected student responses were used for peer assessment purposes. This paper reports on two of the AfL elements, namely task selection and peer assessment as…

  15. Constructing a Grounded Theory of E-Learning Assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alonso-Díaz, Laura; Yuste-Tosina, Rocío

    2015-01-01

    This study traces the development of a grounded theory of assessment in e-learning environments, a field in need of research to establish the parameters of an assessment that is both reliable and worthy of higher learning accreditation. Using grounded theory as a research method, we studied an e-assessment model that does not require physical…

  16. Assessing Approaches to Learning in School Readiness

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Otilia C. Barbu

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available This study examines the psychometric properties of two assessments of children’s approaches to learning: the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA and a 13-item approaches to learning rating scale (AtL derived from the Arizona Early Learning Standards (AELS. First, we administered questionnaires to 1,145 randomly selected parents/guardians of first-time kindergarteners. Second, we employed confirmatory factor analysis (CFA with parceling for DECA to reduce errors due to item specificity and prevent convergence difficulties when simultaneously estimating DECA and AtL models. Results indicated an overlap of 55% to 72% variance between the domains of the two instruments and suggested that the new AtL instrument is an easily administered alternative to the DECA for measuring children’s approaches to learning. This is one of the first studies that investigated DECA’s approaches to learning dimension and explored the measurement properties of an instrument purposely derived from a state’s early learning guidelines.

  17. Assessing Assessment Quality: Criteria for Quality Assurance in Design of (Peer) Assessment for Learning--A Review of Research Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tillema, Harm; Leenknecht, Martijn; Segers, Mien

    2011-01-01

    The interest in "assessment for learning" (AfL) has resulted in a search for new modes of assessment that are better aligned to students' learning how to learn. However, with the introduction of new assessment tools, also questions arose with respect to the quality of its measurement. On the one hand, the appropriateness of traditional,…

  18. Formative assessment : Enriching teaching and learning with formative assesment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Diggelen, M.R.; Morgan, C.M.; Funk, M.; Bruns, M.

    2016-01-01

    Formative assessment is a valuable aspect in teaching and learning, and is proven to be an e ective learning method. There is evidence that adding formative assessment to your teaching increases students’ learning results (Black and William, 1998), but in practice many of the possibilities are left

  19. The Effect of Learning Based on Technology Model and Assessment Technique toward Thermodynamic Learning Achievement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makahinda, T.

    2018-02-01

    The purpose of this research is to find out the effect of learning model based on technology and assessment technique toward thermodynamic achievement by controlling students intelligence. This research is an experimental research. The sample is taken through cluster random sampling with the total respondent of 80 students. The result of the research shows that the result of learning of thermodynamics of students who taught the learning model of environmental utilization is higher than the learning result of student thermodynamics taught by simulation animation, after controlling student intelligence. There is influence of student interaction, and the subject between models of technology-based learning with assessment technique to student learning result of Thermodynamics, after controlling student intelligence. Based on the finding in the lecture then should be used a thermodynamic model of the learning environment with the use of project assessment technique.

  20. Bayesian network learning for natural hazard assessments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogel, Kristin

    2016-04-01

    Even though quite different in occurrence and consequences, from a modelling perspective many natural hazards share similar properties and challenges. Their complex nature as well as lacking knowledge about their driving forces and potential effects make their analysis demanding. On top of the uncertainty about the modelling framework, inaccurate or incomplete event observations and the intrinsic randomness of the natural phenomenon add up to different interacting layers of uncertainty, which require a careful handling. Thus, for reliable natural hazard assessments it is crucial not only to capture and quantify involved uncertainties, but also to express and communicate uncertainties in an intuitive way. Decision-makers, who often find it difficult to deal with uncertainties, might otherwise return to familiar (mostly deterministic) proceedings. In the scope of the DFG research training group „NatRiskChange" we apply the probabilistic framework of Bayesian networks for diverse natural hazard and vulnerability studies. The great potential of Bayesian networks was already shown in previous natural hazard assessments. Treating each model component as random variable, Bayesian networks aim at capturing the joint distribution of all considered variables. Hence, each conditional distribution of interest (e.g. the effect of precautionary measures on damage reduction) can be inferred. The (in-)dependencies between the considered variables can be learned purely data driven or be given by experts. Even a combination of both is possible. By translating the (in-)dependences into a graph structure, Bayesian networks provide direct insights into the workings of the system and allow to learn about the underlying processes. Besides numerous studies on the topic, learning Bayesian networks from real-world data remains challenging. In previous studies, e.g. on earthquake induced ground motion and flood damage assessments, we tackled the problems arising with continuous variables

  1. Using Learning Analytics to Assess Student Learning in Online Courses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Florence; Ndoye, Abdou

    2016-01-01

    Learning analytics can be used to enhance student engagement and performance in online courses. Using learning analytics, instructors can collect and analyze data about students and improve the design and delivery of instruction to make it more meaningful for them. In this paper, the authors review different categories of online assessments and…

  2. Limitless Learning: Assessing Social Media Use for Global Workplace Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Breunig, Karl Joachim

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: This empirical paper aims to assess how social media can foster workplace learning within a globally dispersed project environment. In general, there are few studies on the use of social media in organizations, and many of these emphasize on issues related to knowledge transfer. Although learning traditionally has been as acquisition of…

  3. Semantic modeling of portfolio assessment in e-learning environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lucila Romero

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In learning environment, portfolio is used as a tool to keep track of learner’s progress. Particularly, when it comes to e-learning, continuous assessment allows greater customization and efficiency in learning process and prevents students lost interest in their study. Also, each student has his own characteristics and learning skills that must be taken into account in order to keep learner`s interest. So, personalized monitoring is the key to guarantee the success of technology-based education. In this context, portfolio assessment emerge as the solution because is an easy way to allow teacher organize and personalize assessment according to students characteristic and need. A portfolio assessment can contain various types of assessment like formative assessment, summative assessment, hetero or self-assessment and use different instruments like multiple choice questions, conceptual maps, and essay among others. So, a portfolio assessment represents a compilation of all assessments must be solved by a student in a course, it documents progress and set targets. In previous work, it has been proposed a conceptual framework that consist of an ontology network named AOnet which is a semantic tool conceptualizing different types of assessments. Continuing that work, this paper presents a proposal to implement portfolios assessment in e-learning environments. The proposal consists of a semantic model that describes key components and relations of this domain to set the bases to develop a tool to generate, manage and perform portfolios assessment.

  4. Designing Assessment for Autonomous Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hay, Marie; Mathers, Lucy

    2012-01-01

    This paper aims to disseminate and evaluate an autonomous learning framework developed through collaborative research with first- and second-year undergraduate students at De Montfort University. Central to the framework is the involvement of students in the assessment of their peers and themselves using dialogue about the assessment and feedback…

  5. Surveying Assessment in Experiential Learning: A Single Campus Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas Yates

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to determine the methods of experiential assessment in use at a Canadian university and the extent to which they are used. Exploring experiential assessment will allow identification of commonly used methods and facilitate the development of best practices of assessment in the context of experiential learning (EL at an institutional level. The origins of EL are found in the work of Dewey (1938, later modified by Kolb and Fry (1975. Experiential methods include: experiential education, service learning problem-based learning and others such as action learning, enquiry-based learning, and case studies. Faculty currently involved in EL at the participating university were invited to complete an online survey about their teaching and assessment methods. This paper will share the results and analysis of the EL inventory survey.

  6. Assessment of prior learning in vocational education and training

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wahlgren, Bjarne; Aarkrog, Vibe

    ’ knowledge, skills and competences during the students’ performances and the methods that the teachers apply in order to assess the students’ prior learning in relation to the regulations of the current VET-program. In particular the study focuses on how to assess not only the students’ explicated knowledge......The article deals about the results of a study of the assessment of prior learning among adult workers who want to obtain formal qualifications as skilled workers. The study contributes to developing methods for assessing prior learning including both the teachers’ ways of eliciting the students...... and skills but also their competences, i.e. the way the students use their skills and knowledge to perform in practice. Based on a description of the assessment procedures the article discusses central issues in relation to the assessment of prior learning. The empirical data have been obtained in the VET...

  7. Exploring Moodle Functionality for Managing Open Distance Learning E-Assessments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Indira KONERU

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Current and emerging technologies enable Open Distance Learning (ODL institutions integrate e-Learning in innovative ways and add value to the existing teaching-learning and assessment processes. ODL e-Assessment systems have evolved from Computer Assisted / Aided Assessment (CAA systems through intelligent assessment and feedback systems. E-Assessment (electronic assessment connotes using electronic technology and tools to design and administer assessments, collect and store students’ assessment evidences, grade performance, provide feedback and generate reports. The widely recognized advantages of e-Assessment over traditional, paper-based assessment include: lower long term costs, instant feedback to students, greater flexibility with respect to location and timing, improved reliability with machine marking, improved impartiality, and enhanced question styles that incorporate interactivity and multimedia. The advent of Learning Management Systems (LMS, such as Moodle (Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment paved the way for integrated advanced services for: interactive dialogue, controlling knowledge at different stages of distance process and e-Assessment systems. Moodle provides the complete integrated environment for handling all aspects of e-Assessment from authoring questions through to reports for course teams (Butcher, 2008. This study explores how Moodle functionality: supports diagnostic, formative, summative and competency-based assessments and facilitates ODL institutions design, administer and manage e-Assessments.

  8. Advanced Level Biology Teachers' Attitudes towards Assessment and Their Engagement in Assessment for Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bramwell-Lalor, Sharon; Rainford, Marcia

    2015-01-01

    This paper reports on a Mixed Methods study involving an investigation into the attitudes of advanced level biology teachers towards assessment and describes the teachers' experiences while being engaged in Assessment for Learning (AfL) practices such as sharing of learning objectives and peer- and self-assessment. Quantitative data were collected…

  9. The effects of neurologic assessment E-learning in nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Ji Yeon; Issenberg, S Barry; Roh, Young Sook

    2017-10-01

    A firm understanding of the preliminary assessment of a patient with neurological disorders is needed for ensuring optimal patient outcomes. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of using e-learning on neurologic assessment knowledge, ability, and self-confidence among nurses. This study used a non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design. Nurses working in the neurology and neurosurgery wards, Republic of Korea PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of 50 nurses was assigned to either the experimental group (n=24) or the control group (n=26). The experimental group participated in the self-directed e-learning program related to neurologic assessment, and control group underwent self-directed learning with handout. Knowledge, ability, and self-confidence were measured at pretest and posttest. There were no significant differences in knowledge (U=270, p=0.399) and self-confidence (U=241.5, p=0.171) between the two groups. Nurses in the experimental group showed higher neurologic assessment ability compared with those in the control group (U=199, p=0.028). Self-directed neurologic assessment e-learning induced improvement in the neurologic assessment ability among nurses. Self-directed e-learning can be applied for improving competencies in neurologic assessment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Perceptual learning of acoustic noise generates memory-evoked potentials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrillon, Thomas; Kouider, Sid; Agus, Trevor; Pressnitzer, Daniel

    2015-11-02

    Experience continuously imprints on the brain at all stages of life. The traces it leaves behind can produce perceptual learning [1], which drives adaptive behavior to previously encountered stimuli. Recently, it has been shown that even random noise, a type of sound devoid of acoustic structure, can trigger fast and robust perceptual learning after repeated exposure [2]. Here, by combining psychophysics, electroencephalography (EEG), and modeling, we show that the perceptual learning of noise is associated with evoked potentials, without any salient physical discontinuity or obvious acoustic landmark in the sound. Rather, the potentials appeared whenever a memory trace was observed behaviorally. Such memory-evoked potentials were characterized by early latencies and auditory topographies, consistent with a sensory origin. Furthermore, they were generated even on conditions of diverted attention. The EEG waveforms could be modeled as standard evoked responses to auditory events (N1-P2) [3], triggered by idiosyncratic perceptual features acquired through learning. Thus, we argue that the learning of noise is accompanied by the rapid formation of sharp neural selectivity to arbitrary and complex acoustic patterns, within sensory regions. Such a mechanism bridges the gap between the short-term and longer-term plasticity observed in the learning of noise [2, 4-6]. It could also be key to the processing of natural sounds within auditory cortices [7], suggesting that the neural code for sound source identification will be shaped by experience as well as by acoustics. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Statistical assessment of the learning curves of health technologies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramsay, C R; Grant, A M; Wallace, S A; Garthwaite, P H; Monk, A F; Russell, I T

    2001-01-01

    (1) To describe systematically studies that directly assessed the learning curve effect of health technologies. (2) Systematically to identify 'novel' statistical techniques applied to learning curve data in other fields, such as psychology and manufacturing. (3) To test these statistical techniques in data sets from studies of varying designs to assess health technologies in which learning curve effects are known to exist. METHODS - STUDY SELECTION (HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT LITERATURE REVIEW): For a study to be included, it had to include a formal analysis of the learning curve of a health technology using a graphical, tabular or statistical technique. METHODS - STUDY SELECTION (NON-HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT LITERATURE SEARCH): For a study to be included, it had to include a formal assessment of a learning curve using a statistical technique that had not been identified in the previous search. METHODS - DATA SOURCES: Six clinical and 16 non-clinical biomedical databases were searched. A limited amount of handsearching and scanning of reference lists was also undertaken. METHODS - DATA EXTRACTION (HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT LITERATURE REVIEW): A number of study characteristics were abstracted from the papers such as study design, study size, number of operators and the statistical method used. METHODS - DATA EXTRACTION (NON-HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT LITERATURE SEARCH): The new statistical techniques identified were categorised into four subgroups of increasing complexity: exploratory data analysis; simple series data analysis; complex data structure analysis, generic techniques. METHODS - TESTING OF STATISTICAL METHODS: Some of the statistical methods identified in the systematic searches for single (simple) operator series data and for multiple (complex) operator series data were illustrated and explored using three data sets. The first was a case series of 190 consecutive laparoscopic fundoplication procedures performed by a single surgeon; the second

  12. Follow-groups, Enhancing Learning Potential at Project Exams

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tollestrup, Christian H. T.

    2016-01-01

    In the Problem Based, Project Oriented Learning Program of Industrial Design Engineering at AAU students work and are examined/evaluated in groups. Following a period of a 6 years of ban on group-based exams by the government, the return of the group-based exam at Universities in 2014 has...... and the supervisor. Having the group based exam re-introduced sparked the interest for even further utilizing the exam situation for enhancing the learning outcome for each project and at the same time promote a more open atmosphere. Can the students learn even more and/or put their own project learning...... into perspective by seeing other project exams? So in order to investigate whether there was a possibility to further enhance the learning potential and understanding of the learning outcome the study board for the Architecture & Design program opened for a trial period for 2 semesters for voluntarily organizing...

  13. Autism: Too eager to learn? Event related potential findings of increased dependency on intentional learning in a serial reaction time task.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zwart, Fenny S; Vissers, Constance Th W M; van der Meij, Roemer; Kessels, Roy P C; Maes, Joseph H R

    2017-09-01

    It has been suggested that people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have an increased tendency to use explicit (or intentional) learning strategies. This altered learning may play a role in the development of the social communication difficulties characterizing ASD. In the current study, we investigated incidental and intentional sequence learning using a Serial Reaction Time (SRT) task in an adult ASD population. Response times and event related potentials (ERP) components (N2b and P3) were assessed as indicators of learning and knowledge. Findings showed that behaviorally, sequence learning and ensuing explicit knowledge were similar in ASD and typically developing (TD) controls. However, ERP findings showed that learning in the TD group was characterized by an enhanced N2b, while learning in the ASD group was characterized by an enhanced P3. These findings suggest that learning in the TD group might be more incidental in nature, whereas learning in the ASD group is more intentional or effortful. Increased intentional learning might serve as a strategy for individuals with ASD to control an overwhelming environment. Although this led to similar behavioral performances on the SRT task, it is very plausible that this intentional learning has adverse effects in more complex social situations, and hence contributes to the social impairments found in ASD. Autism Res 2017, 10: 1533-1543. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. Moving interprofessional learning forward through formal assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stone, Judy

    2010-04-01

    There is increasing agreement that graduates who finish tertiary education with the full complement of skills and knowledge required for their designated profession are not 'work-ready' unless they also acquire interpersonal, collaborative practice and team-working capabilities. Health workers are unable to contribute to organisational culture in a positive way unless they too attain these capabilities. These capabilities have been shown to improve health care in terms of patient safety, worker satisfaction and health service efficiency. Given the importance of interprofessional learning (IPL) which seeks to address these capabilities, why is IPL not consistently embedded into the education of undergraduates, postgraduates and vocationally qualified personnel through formal assessment? This paper offers an argument for the formal assessment of IPL. It illustrates how the interests of the many stakeholders in IPL can benefit from, and contribute to, the integration of IPL into mainstream professional development and tertiary education. It offers practical examples of assessment in IPL which could drive learning and offer authentic, contextual teaching and learning experiences to undergraduates and health workers alike. Assessment drives learning and without formal assessment IPL will continue to be viewed as an optional topic of little relative importance for learners. In order to make the next step forward, IPL needs to be recognised and endorsed through formal assessment, both at the tertiary education level and within the workplace environment. This is supported by workforce initiatives and tertiary education policy which can be used to specify the capabilities or generic skills necessary for effective teamwork and collaborative practice.

  15. Assessing College-Level Learning Difficulties and "At Riskness" for Learning Disabilities and ADHD: Development and Validation of the Learning Difficulties Assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kane, Steven T.; Walker, John H.; Schmidt, George R.

    2011-01-01

    This article describes the development and validation of the "Learning Difficulties Assessment" (LDA), a normed and web-based survey that assesses perceived difficulties with reading, writing, spelling, mathematics, listening, concentration, memory, organizational skills, sense of control, and anxiety in college students. The LDA is designed to…

  16. Integrating knowledge exchange and the assessment of dryland management alternatives - A learning-centered participatory approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bautista, Susana; Llovet, Joan; Ocampo-Melgar, Anahí; Vilagrosa, Alberto; Mayor, Ángeles G; Murias, Cristina; Vallejo, V Ramón; Orr, Barron J

    2017-06-15

    The adoption of sustainable land management strategies and practices that respond to current climate and human pressures requires both assessment tools that can lead to better informed decision-making and effective knowledge-exchange mechanisms that facilitate new learning and behavior change. We propose a learning-centered participatory approach that links land management assessment and knowledge exchange and integrates science-based data and stakeholder perspectives on both biophysical and socio-economic attributes. We outline a structured procedure for a transparent assessment of land management alternatives, tailored to dryland management, that is based on (1) principles of constructivism and social learning, (2) the participation of stakeholders throughout the whole assessment process, from design to implementation, and (3) the combination of site-specific indicators, identified by local stakeholders as relevant to their particular objectives and context conditions, and science-based indicators that represent ecosystem services of drylands worldwide. The proposed procedure follows a pattern of eliciting, challenging, and self-reviewing stakeholder perspectives that aims to facilitate learning. The difference between the initial baseline perspectives and the final self-reviewed stakeholder perspectives is used as a proxy of learning. We illustrate the potential of this methodology by its application to the assessment of land uses in a Mediterranean fire-prone area in East Spain. The approach may be applied to a variety of socio-ecological systems and decision-making and governance scales. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. E-learning enables parents to assess an infantile hemangioma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Graaf, Marlies; Knol, Mirjam J; Totté, Joan E E; van Os-Medendorp, Harmieke; Breugem, Corstiaan C; Pasmans, Suzanne G M A

    2014-05-01

    Infantile hemangiomas (IH) at risk for complications need to be recognized early. We sought to determine if parents are able to assess, after e-learning, whether their child has an IH, is at risk for complications, and needs to be seen (urgently) by a specialist. This was a prospective study of 158 parents participating in an IH e-learning module. Parents were asked to assess their child's skin abnormality. A dermatologist answered the same questions (by e-consult). The 2 assessments were compared. Parents showed a 96% concordance with the dermatologist for correct diagnosis after e-learning. Concordances were 79%, 75%, and 84% (P e-learning module. E-learning by parents could result in earlier presentation and treatment of high-risk IH. Copyright © 2014 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT IN DISTANCE EDUCATION: ENHANCING LEARNING THROUGH DIARIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christiane Heemann

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Assessment integrates the teaching and learning process and always has room for discussion in educational processes, requiring technical preparation and observation capacity from those involved. According to Perrenoud (2014, assessment for learning is a mediator in the process of curriculum construction and is closely related to the management of learning by the students. Assessment methods occupy a very important space in the pedagogical practices since assessment cannot be an act that expresses only a quantitative and formal concept. In Distance Education (DE, formative assessment also needs to be prioritized and avoid traditional evaluation which is performed through multiple-choice tests with self-correction. The use of diaries in Distance Education maintains the focus on the evaluation process and not only on the product, configuring itself as a permanent orientation of learning, both for the teacher and for the student, who jointly assume reciprocal commitments. This article presents an experiment conducted with diaries on an undergraduate course offered by Universidade Aberta do Brasil (UAB as a means of formative assessment in Distance Education.

  19. Customer's potential value: The role of learning

    OpenAIRE

    Komulainen, Hanna; Mainela, Tuija; Tähtinen, Jaana

    2013-01-01

    Current views on value creation emphasize the role of the customer, mutual investments, and value co-creation. Nevertheless, at present the customer-focused research concentrates on value expectations and value experiences as outcomes but disregards the analysis of potential value that is dependent on the customer's activity and learning in the process. The present study explores customer perceived value as a multidimensional phenomenon incorporating expected, realized, and potential dimensio...

  20. Formative assessment in an online learning environment to support flexible on-the-job learning in complex professional domains

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tamara van Gog; Desirée Joosten-ten Brinke; F. J. Prins; Dominique Sluijsmans

    2010-01-01

    This article describes a blueprint for an online learning environment that is based on prominent instructional design and assessment theories for supporting learning in complex domains. The core of this environment consists of formative assessment tasks (i.e., assessment for learning) that center on

  1. Development Mathematic Assessment to Increase Mathematical Prerequisite Ability on The Student with Learning Disabilities in Inclusive Elementary School

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robiansyah, S. T. U.; Nanang, F.; Hidayat

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to introduce about mathematic assessment is a process of obtaining data or information about the mastery of a student's mathematical skills as an ingredient in preparing a learning program. With this mathematics assessment can be known obstacles, difficulties and needs of students especially in the field of mathematic, so that the learning program will be in accordance with the potential students because it is tailored to what is required of students. This research study was conducted at elementary school of inclusive precisely at SDN Sukagalih I Bandung City based learning in setting of inclusive education. This research study is motivated by the existence of a first-grade student who has disabilities learning in mathematics, the ability of the mathematical prerequisite mastery of the classification of objects by color. The results of the research can provide a profile picture of student data information, the data obtained from the results of the development of systematic and formal mathematical assessment. After doing the development of mathematics assessment then the teacher gets important related information: 1. process the analysis of students’ learning needs, especially in the field of mathematics, 2. preparing the learning program planning according to student learning needs, 3. Designing procedural of method remedial program.

  2. Learning assessment for students with mental and behavioral disorders

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dræby, Anders

    The session aims at presenting a learning-based model for how to conduct a comprehensive psychological evaluation of the learning resources and challenges amongst students with mental and behavioral disorders. In the learning assessment model the learning resources and challenges of the students...

  3. Assessing the Value of Online Learning and Social Media in Pharmacy Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamilton, Leslie A; Franks, Andrea; Heidel, R Eric; McDonough, Sharon L K; Suda, Katie J

    2016-08-25

    Objective. To assess student preferences regarding online learning and technology and to evaluate student pharmacists' social media use for educational purposes. Methods. An anonymous 36-question online survey was administered to third-year student pharmacists enrolled in the Drug Information and Clinical Literature Evaluation course. Results. Four hundred thirty-one students completed the survey, yielding a 96% response rate. The majority of students used technology for academic activities, with 90% using smart phones and 91% using laptop computers. Fifty-eight percent of students also used social networking websites to communicate with classmates. Conclusion. Pharmacy students frequently use social media and some online learning methods, which could be a valuable avenue for delivering or supplementing pharmacy curricula. The potential role of social media and online learning in pharmacy education needs to be further explored.

  4. EEG potentials associated with artificial grammar learning in the primate brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Attaheri, Adam; Kikuchi, Yukiko; Milne, Alice E; Wilson, Benjamin; Alter, Kai; Petkov, Christopher I

    2015-09-01

    Electroencephalography (EEG) has identified human brain potentials elicited by Artificial Grammar (AG) learning paradigms, which present participants with rule-based sequences of stimuli. Nonhuman animals are sensitive to certain AGs; therefore, evaluating which EEG Event Related Potentials (ERPs) are associated with AG learning in nonhuman animals could identify evolutionarily conserved processes. We recorded EEG potentials during an auditory AG learning experiment in two Rhesus macaques. The animals were first exposed to sequences of nonsense words generated by the AG. Then surface-based ERPs were recorded in response to sequences that were 'consistent' with the AG and 'violation' sequences containing illegal transitions. The AG violations strongly modulated an early component, potentially homologous to the Mismatch Negativity (mMMN), a P200 and a late frontal positivity (P500). The macaque P500 is similar in polarity and time of occurrence to a late EEG positivity reported in human AG learning studies but might differ in functional role. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Effect of an educational game on university students' learning about action potentials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luchi, Kelly Cristina Gaviao; Montrezor, Luís Henrique; Marcondes, Fernanda K

    2017-06-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an educational game that is used for teaching the mechanisms of the action potentials in cell membranes. The game was composed of pieces representing the intracellular and extracellular environments, ions, ion channels, and the Na + -K + -ATPase pump. During the game activity, the students arranged the pieces to demonstrate how the ions move through the membrane in a resting state and during an action potential, linking the ion movement with a graph of the action potential. To test the effect of the game activity on student understanding, first-year dental students were given the game to play at different times in a series of classes teaching resting membrane potential and action potentials. In all experiments, students who played the game performed better in assessments. According to 98% of the students, the game supported the learning process. The data confirm the students' perception, indicating that the educational game improved their understanding about action potentials. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

  6. Do emergency medicine residents and faculty have similar learning styles when assessed with the Kolb learning style assessment tool?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fredette, Jenna; O'Brien, Corinne; Poole, Christy; Nomura, Jason

    2015-04-01

    Experiential learning theory and the Kolb Learning Style Inventory (Kolb LSI) have influenced educators worldwide for decades. Knowledge of learning styles can create efficient learning environments, increase information retention, and improve learner satisfaction. Learning styles have been examined in medicine previously, but not specifically with Emergency Medicine (EM) residents and attendings. Using the Kolb LSI, the learning styles of Emergency Medicine residents and attendings were assessed. The findings showed that the majority of EM residents and attendings shared the accommodating learning style. This result was different than prior studies that found the majority of medical professionals had a converging learning style and other studies that found attendings often have different learning styles than residents. The issue of learning styles among emergency medical residents and attendings is important because learning style knowledge may have an impact on how a residency program structures curriculum and how EM residents are successfully, efficiently, and creatively educated.

  7. Sustainable assessment of learning experiences based on projects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ignacio TRAVERSO RIBÓN

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available In a project-based learning experience, the detailed monitoring of the activities in which team members participate can be useful to evaluate their work. Using learning-oriented assessment procedures, supervisors can assess the teamwork abilities with a formative purpose. Evaluation strategies such as self-assessment, peer assessment and co-assessment are often used to make evaluation formative and sustainable. Conducting an assessment strategy is not easy for team members, since they need before to have a reasonable understanding of the evaluation process and criteria. This paper describes a learning-oriented evaluation methodology and an open data framework that can be applied to collaborative project settings. An evaluation rubric and a series of indicators that provide evidences about the developed skills have been elaborated and applied in a small-scale project-based course. Projects were managed and developed with the help of an open source software forge that contains a ticketing tool for planning and tracking of tasks, a version control repository to save the software outcomes, and using a wiki to host text deliverables. The experience provides evidences in favor of using the assessment method and open data framework to make teamwork evaluation more sustainable.

  8. Assessing Learning Quality: Reconciling Institutional, Staff and Educational Demands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biggs, John

    1996-01-01

    Two frameworks for educational assessment distinguished, which is quantitative, adequate for construing some kinds of learning, and qualitative, which is more appropriate for most objectives in higher education. The paper argues that institutions implicitly encourage quantitative assessment, thus encouraging a surface approach to learning although…

  9. Tools for the Assessment of Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pappas, Marjorie L.

    2007-01-01

    Assessment tools enable both learning and assessing. They also give library media specialists snapshots of evidence that demonstrates student understanding of the Information Literacy Standards. Over time the evidence provide a more complete picture of learners' ability to gather, evaluate, and use information to solve problems, make decisions,…

  10. Test-potentiated learning: three independent replications, a disconfirmed hypothesis, and an unexpected boundary condition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wissman, Kathryn T; Rawson, Katherine A

    2018-04-01

    Arnold and McDermott [(2013). Test-potentiated learning: Distinguishing between direct and indirect effects of testing. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 39, 940-945] isolated the indirect effects of testing and concluded that encoding is enhanced to a greater extent following more versus fewer practice tests, referred to as test-potentiated learning. The current research provided further evidence for test-potentiated learning and evaluated the covert retrieval hypothesis as an alternative explanation for the observed effect. Learners initially studied foreign language word pairs and then completed either one or five practice tests before restudy occurred. Results of greatest interest concern performance on test trials following restudy for items that were not correctly recalled on the test trials that preceded restudy. Results replicate Arnold and McDermott (2013) by demonstrating that more versus fewer tests potentiate learning when trial time is limited. Results also provide strong evidence against the covert retrieval hypothesis concerning why the effect occurs (i.e., it does not reflect differential covert retrieval during pre-restudy trials). In addition, outcomes indicate that the magnitude of the test-potentiated learning effect decreases as trial length increases, revealing an unexpected boundary condition to test-potentiated learning.

  11. Embedding of Authentic Assessment in Work-Integrated Learning Curriculum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bosco, Anna Maria; Ferns, Sonia

    2014-01-01

    Contemporary perspectives of higher education endorse a work integrated learning (WIL) approach to curriculum content, delivery and assessment. It is agreed that authenticity in learning relates to real-world experience, however, differentiating and strategically linking WIL provision and facilitation to assessment tasks and collation of authentic…

  12. USE OF FACEBOOK FOR LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT IN GEOGRAPHY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MARIA ELIZA DULAMĂ

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In this research was analysed 120 twelfth grade students’ behaviour, of “Iulian Pop” Economic High School in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, regarding the use of the Facebook social network for learning and assessment in Geography. Students were organised in five discussion groups on the social network Facebook. To achieve the research objectives, we analysed students' answers at a questionnaire and the contents of the dialogue between teacher and students and also between students. Students perceived positively the learning and assessment activities and they perceived their teacher as their equal. At the cognitive level, the activity was focused on clarifying certain aspects, revision, knowledge learning and assessment. The disadvantages of the learning activity in the Facebook discussion group were that the posted materials cannot be classified and can be found with difficulty.

  13. Evaluating potentialities and constrains of Problem Based Learning curriculum

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Guerra, Aida

    2013-01-01

    This paper presents a research design to evaluate Problem Based Learning (PBL) curriculum potentialities and constrains for future changes. PBL literature lacks examples of how to evaluate and analyse established PBL learning environments to address new challenges posed. The research design......) in the curriculum and a mean to choose cases for further case study (third phase)....

  14. Assessing Complex Learning Objectives through Analytics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horodyskyj, L.; Mead, C.; Buxner, S.; Semken, S. C.; Anbar, A. D.

    2016-12-01

    A significant obstacle to improving the quality of education is the lack of easy-to-use assessments of higher-order thinking. Most existing assessments focus on recall and understanding questions, which demonstrate lower-order thinking. Traditionally, higher-order thinking is assessed with practical tests and written responses, which are time-consuming to analyze and are not easily scalable. Computer-based learning environments offer the possibility of assessing such learning outcomes based on analysis of students' actions within an adaptive learning environment. Our fully online introductory science course, Habitable Worlds, uses an intelligent tutoring system that collects and responds to a range of behavioral data, including actions within the keystone project. This central project is a summative, game-like experience in which students synthesize and apply what they have learned throughout the course to identify and characterize a habitable planet from among hundreds of stars. Student performance is graded based on completion and accuracy, but two additional properties can be utilized to gauge higher-order thinking: (1) how efficient a student is with the virtual currency within the project and (2) how many of the optional milestones a student reached. In the project, students can use the currency to check their work and "unlock" convenience features. High-achieving students spend close to the minimum amount required to reach these goals, indicating a high-level of concept mastery and efficient methodology. Average students spend more, indicating effort, but lower mastery. Low-achieving students were more likely to spend very little, which indicates low effort. Differences on these metrics were statistically significant between all three of these populations. We interpret this as evidence that high-achieving students develop and apply efficient problem-solving skills as compared to lower-achieving student who use more brute-force approaches.

  15. Making Intercultural Language Learning Visible and Assessable

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moloney, Robyn; Harbon, Lesley

    2010-01-01

    While languages education (Liddicoat, 2002) is being transformed by intercultural language learning theory, there is little illustration of either how students are achieving intercultural learning or how to assess it. This article reports on a study of high school language students in Sydney, Australia. Its findings make visible student…

  16. Innovative Assessment Paradigm to Enhance Student Learning in Engineering Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Maaddawy, Tamer

    2017-01-01

    Incorporation of student self-assessment (SSA) in engineering education offers opportunities to support and encourage learner-led-learning. This paper presents an innovative assessment paradigm that integrates formative, summative, and SSA to enhance student learning. The assessment innovation was implemented in a senior-level civil engineering…

  17. Assessment for Complex Learning Resources: Development and Validation of an Integrated Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gudrun Wesiak

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Today’s e-learning systems meet the challenge to provide interactive, personalized environments that support self-regulated learning as well as social collaboration and simulation. At the same time assessment procedures have to be adapted to the new learning environments by moving from isolated summative assessments to integrated assessment forms. Therefore, learning experiences enriched with complex didactic resources - such as virtualized collaborations and serious games - have emerged. In this extension of [1] an integrated model for e-assessment (IMA is outlined, which incorporates complex learning resources and assessment forms as main components for the development of an enriched learning experience. For a validation the IMA was presented to a group of experts from the fields of cognitive science, pedagogy, and e-learning. The findings from the validation lead to several refinements of the model, which mainly concern the component forms of assessment and the integration of social aspects. Both aspects are accounted for in the revised model, the former by providing a detailed sub-model for assessment forms.

  18. E-learning and nursing assessment skills and knowledge - An integrative review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDonald, Ewan W; Boulton, Jessica L; Davis, Jacqueline L

    2018-07-01

    This review examines the current evidence on the effectiveness of digital technologies or e-based learning for enhancing the skills and knowledge of nursing students in nursing assessment. This integrative review identifies themes emerging from e-learning and 'nursing assessment' literature. Literature reviews have been undertaken in relation to digital learning and nursing education, including clinical skills, clinical case studies and the nurse-educator role. Whilst perceptions of digital learning are well covered, a gap in knowledge persists for understanding the effectiveness of e-learning on nursing assessment skills and knowledge. This is important as comprehensive assessment skills and knowledge are a key competency for newly qualified nurses. The MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library and ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health Source electronic databases were searched for the period 2006 to 2016. Hand searching in bibliographies was also undertaken. Selection criteria for this review included: FINDINGS: Twenty articles met the selection criteria for this review, and five major themes for e-based learning were identified (a) students become self-evaluators; (b) blend and scaffold learning; (c) measurement of clinical reasoning; (d) mobile technology and Facebook are effective; and (e) training and preparation is vital. Although e-based learning programs provide a flexible teaching method, evidence suggests e-based learning alone does not exceed face-to-face patient simulation. This is particularly the case where nursing assessment learning is not scaffolded. This review demonstrates that e-based learning and traditional teaching methods used in conjunction with each other create a superior learning style. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Developing a Competency-Based Assessment Approach for Student Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunning, Pamela T.

    2014-01-01

    Higher education accrediting bodies are increasing the emphasis on assessing student learning outcomes as opposed to teaching methodology. The purpose of this article is to describe the process used by Troy University's Master of Public Administration program to change their assessment approach from a course learning objective perspective to a…

  20. Assessing the Value of E-Learning Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levy, Yair

    2006-01-01

    "Assessing the Value of E-Learning Systems" provides an extensive literature review pulling theories from the field of information systems, psychology and cognitive sciences, distance and online learning, as well as marketing and decision sciences. This book provides empirical evidence for the power of measuring value in the context of e-learning…

  1. Assessment and E-Learning: Current Issues and Future Trends

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cowie, Neil; Sakui, Keiko

    2015-01-01

    This paper describes different ways in which digital technology can be used for language learning. It then identifies some key trends connecting assessment and technology in language learning and higher education: the use of automated systems to enhance traditional assessment practices; the use of Web 2.0 tools to facilitate new assessment…

  2. Psychological theory and pedagogical effectiveness: the learning promotion potential framework.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomlinson, Peter

    2008-12-01

    After a century of educational psychology, eminent commentators are still lamenting problems besetting the appropriate relating of psychological insights to teaching design, a situation not helped by the persistence of crude assumptions concerning the nature of pedagogical effectiveness. To propose an analytical or meta-theoretical framework based on the concept of learning promotion potential (LPP) as a basis for understanding the basic relationship between psychological insights and teaching strategies, and to draw out implications for psychology-based pedagogical design, development and research. This is a theoretical and meta-theoretical paper relying mainly on conceptual analysis, though also calling on psychological theory and research. Since teaching consists essentially in activity designed to promote learning, it follows that a teaching strategy has the potential in principle to achieve particular kinds of learning gains (LPP) to the extent that it embodies or stimulates the relevant learning processes on the part of learners and enables the teacher's functions of on-line monitoring and assistance for such learning processes. Whether a teaching strategy actually does realize its LPP by way of achieving its intended learning goals depends also on the quality of its implementation, in conjunction with other factors in the situated interaction that teaching always involves. The core role of psychology is to provide well-grounded indication of the nature of such learning processes and the teaching functions that support them, rather than to directly generate particular ways of teaching. A critically eclectic stance towards potential sources of psychological insight is argued for. Applying this framework, the paper proposes five kinds of issue to be attended to in the design and evaluation of psychology-based pedagogy. Other work proposing comparable ideas is briefly reviewed, with particular attention to similarities and a key difference with the ideas of Oser

  3. A Perspective on Student Learning Outcome Assessment at Qatar University

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Thani, Shaikha Jabor; Abdelmoneim, Ali; Daoud, Khaled; Cherif, Adel; Moukarzel, Dalal

    2014-01-01

    This paper provides a unique perspective on the student learning outcome assessment process as adopted and implemented at Qatar University from 2006 to 2012. The progress of the student learning outcome assessment and continuous improvement efforts at the university and the initiatives taken to establish a culture of assessment and evidence-based…

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  5. Multiple-choice pretesting potentiates learning of related information.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Little, Jeri L; Bjork, Elizabeth Ligon

    2016-10-01

    Although the testing effect has received a substantial amount of empirical attention, such research has largely focused on the effects of tests given after study. The present research examines the effect of using tests prior to study (i.e., as pretests), focusing particularly on how pretesting influences the subsequent learning of information that is not itself pretested but that is related to the pretested information. In Experiment 1, we found that multiple-choice pretesting was better for the learning of such related information than was cued-recall pretesting or a pre-fact-study control condition. In Experiment 2, we found that the increased learning of non-pretested related information following multiple-choice testing could not be attributed to increased time allocated to that information during subsequent study. Last, in Experiment 3, we showed that the benefits of multiple-choice pretesting over cued-recall pretesting for the learning of related information persist over 48 hours, thus demonstrating the promise of multiple-choice pretesting to potentiate learning in educational contexts. A possible explanation for the observed benefits of multiple-choice pretesting for enhancing the effectiveness with which related nontested information is learned during subsequent study is discussed.

  6. Addressing uncertainty in atomistic machine learning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Peterson, Andrew A.; Christensen, Rune; Khorshidi, Alireza

    2017-01-01

    Machine-learning regression has been demonstrated to precisely emulate the potential energy and forces that are output from more expensive electronic-structure calculations. However, to predict new regions of the potential energy surface, an assessment must be made of the credibility of the predi......Machine-learning regression has been demonstrated to precisely emulate the potential energy and forces that are output from more expensive electronic-structure calculations. However, to predict new regions of the potential energy surface, an assessment must be made of the credibility...... of the predictions. In this perspective, we address the types of errors that might arise in atomistic machine learning, the unique aspects of atomistic simulations that make machine-learning challenging, and highlight how uncertainty analysis can be used to assess the validity of machine-learning predictions. We...... suggest this will allow researchers to more fully use machine learning for the routine acceleration of large, high-accuracy, or extended-time simulations. In our demonstrations, we use a bootstrap ensemble of neural network-based calculators, and show that the width of the ensemble can provide an estimate...

  7. Forum: Learning Outcomes in Communication. Assessment and NCA's Student Learning Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mello, Brad; Brammer, Leila R.; White, Cindy; Hernandez, Trisha; Bach, Betsy

    2016-01-01

    Among faculty, assessment is frequently discussed as an added burden that does little to improve student learning, existing to appease administrators and accreditors. In fact, at one of the author's institutions, a faculty listserv post argued that assessment was a corporate and political move to standardize all education and destroy faculty…

  8. Assessment of Learning in Digital Interactive Social Networks: A Learning Analytics Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Mark; Gochyyev, Perman; Scalise, Kathleen

    2016-01-01

    This paper summarizes initial field-test results from data analytics used in the work of the Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills (ATC21S) project, on the "ICT Literacy--Learning in digital networks" learning progression. This project, sponsored by Cisco, Intel and Microsoft, aims to help educators around the world enable…

  9. Using Education Diplomacy to Help 15 Learning Champions Rethink Educational Assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Kate

    2018-01-01

    Learning assessment is essential for education systems to provide quality and equitable education. Education partners, both national and international, are supporting education systems around the world in their efforts to develop and implement holistic learning assessment strategies and mechanisms. In many cases, examining how learning is being…

  10. How employees perceive organizational learning: construct validation of the 25-item short form of the strategic learning assessment map (SF-SLAM)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mainert, Jakob; Niepel, Christoph; Lans, T.; Greiff, Samuel

    2018-01-01

    Purpose: The Strategic Learning Assessment Map (SLAM) originally assessed organizational learning (OL) at the level of the firm by addressing managers, who rated OL in the SLAM on five dimensions of individual learning, group learning, organizational learning, feed-forward learning, and feedback

  11. Electromechanical Assessment of Human Knee Articular Cartilage with Compression-Induced Streaming Potentials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becher, Christoph; Ricklefs, Marcel; Willbold, Elmar; Hurschler, Christof; Abedian, Reza

    2016-01-01

    To assess the electromechanical properties of human knee articular cartilage with compression-induced streaming potentials for reliability among users and correlation with macroscopic and histological evaluation tools and sulfated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) content. Streaming potentials are induced in cartilage in response to loading when mobile positive ions in the interstitial fluid temporarily move away from negatively charged proteoglycans. Streaming potential integrals (SPIs) were measured with an indentation probe on femoral condyles of 10 human knee specimens according to a standardized location scheme. Interobserver reliability was measured using an interclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The learning curves of 3 observers were evaluated by regression analysis. At each SPI measurement location the degradation level of the tissue was determined by means of the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) score, Mankin score, and sGAG content. The computed ICC was 0.77 (0.70-0.83) indicating good to excellent linear agreement of SPI values among the 3 users. A significant positive linear correlation of the learning index values was observed for 2 of the 3 users. Statistically significant negative correlations between SPI and both ICRS and Mankin scores were observed (r = 0.502, P < 0.001, and r = 0.255, P = 0.02, respectively). No correlation was observed between SPI and sGAG content (r = 0.004, P = 0.973). SPI values may be used as a quantitative means of cartilage evaluation with sufficient reliability among users. Due to the significant learning curve, adequate training should be absolved before routine use of the technique.

  12. Assessment of Prior Learning in Adult Vocational Education and Training

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vibe Aarkrog

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available The article deals about the results of a study of school-based Assessment of Prior Learning of adults who have enrolled as students in a VET college in order to qualify for occupations as skilled workers. Based on examples of VET teachers’ methods for assessing the students’ prior learning in the programs for gastronomes, respectively child care assistants the article discusses two issues in relation to Assessment of Prior Learing: the encounter of practical experience and school-based knowledge and the validity and reliability of the assessment procedures. Through focusing on the students’ knowing that and knowing why the assessment is based on a scholastic perception of the students’ needs for training, reflecting one of the most important challenges in Assessment of Prior Learning: how can practical experience be transformed into credits for the knowledge parts of the programs? The study shows that by combining several Assessment of Prior Learning methods and comparing the teachers’ assessments the teachers respond to the issues of validity and reliability. However, validity and reliability might be even further strengthened, if the competencies are well defined, if the education system is aware of securing a reasonable balance between knowing how, knowing that, and knowing why, and if the teachers are adequately trained for the assessment procedures.

  13. What Starts to Happen to Assessment When Teachers Learn about Their Children's Informal Learning?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bourke, Roseanna; O'Neill, John; Loveridge, Judith

    2018-01-01

    Classroom assessment practices are greatly influenced by national and local policies on assessment. Typically, these include accountability requirements for schools to evidence and report their students' learning in the form of specific learning outcomes, calibrated against national benchmark standards of achievement and progression. An…

  14. Implications of an assessment of potential organic contamination of ground water at an inactive uranium mill

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Price, J.B.

    1986-01-01

    Laws and regulations concerning remedial actions at inactive uranium mills explicitly recognize radiological and nonradiological hazards and may implicitly recognize the potential presence of hazardous wastes at these mill sites. Ground-water studies at the sites have placed an increasing emphasis on screening for priority pollutants. The Grand Junction, Colorado, mill site was deemed to have a high potential for the presence of organic compounds in ground water, and was chosen as a prototype for assessing the presence of organic compounds in ground water at inactive sites. Lessons learned from the assessment of organics at the Grand Junction site were used to develop a screening procedure for other inactive mill sites

  15. Comprehensive, Mixed-Methods Assessment of a Blended Learning Model for Geospatial Literacy Instruction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brodeur, J. J.; Maclachlan, J. C.; Bagg, J.; Chiappetta-Swanson, C.; Vine, M. M.; Vajoczki, S.

    2013-12-01

    Geospatial literacy -- the ability to conceptualize, capture, analyze and communicate spatial phenomena -- represents an important competency for 21st Century learners in a period of 'Geospatial Revolution'. Though relevant to in-course learning, these skills are often taught externally, placing time and resource pressures on the service providers - commonly libraries - that are relied upon to provide instruction. The emergence of online and blended modes of instruction has presented a potential means of increasing the cost-effectiveness of such activities, by simultaneously reducing instructional costs, expanding the audience for these resources, and addressing student preferences for asynchronous learning and '24-7' access. During 2011 and 2012, McMaster University Library coordinated the development, implementation and assessment of blended learning modules for geospatial literacy instruction in first-year undergraduate Social Science courses. In this paper, we present the results of a comprehensive mixed-methods approach to assess the efficacy of implementing blended learning modules to replace traditional (face-to-face), library-led, first-year undergraduate geospatial literacy instruction. Focus groups, personal interviews and an online survey were used to assess modules across dimensions of: student use, satisfaction and accessibility requirements (via Universal Instructional Design [UID] principles); instructor and teaching staff perception of pedagogical efficacy and instructional effectiveness; and, administrator cost-benefit assessment of development and implementation. Results showed that both instructors and students identified significant value in using the online modules in a blended-learning setting. Reaffirming assumptions of students' '24/7' learning preferences, over 80% of students reported using the modules on a repeat basis. Students were more likely to use the modules to better understand course content than simply to increase their grade in

  16. Integration of living values into physics learning based on local potentials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarah, S.; Prasetyo, Z. K.; Wilujeng, I.

    2018-05-01

    Living values are the principles and beliefs that influence the way of life and behavior of people in society. These values are defined to determine the individuals’ characteristics in the physical, intellectual, social-emotional, and spiritual dimensions. Such values could be acquired through physics learning. Therefore, the study concerned here was aimed at determining the difference in the living values acquired between students of the grade officially termed Grade X at a state senior high school referred to as SMAN 1 Selomerto, Central Java, Indonesia, who learned physics by using content based on local potentials and those who learned physics without using that content. A quasi-experiment with the control group pre-test post-test design was conducted to collect the data. The data were analyzed by using tests of normality, homogeneity, and different. The results indicate no difference in the living values acquired between students learning physics by using local-potential content and those learning physics without using that content.

  17. The Aesthetic Actualisation of Learning Potential with Media and ICT

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Buhl, Mie

    2006-01-01

    The article discusses the possibilities for using aesthetics as a concept for potentialities that are actualised with respect to education and learning with media and IT. In order to realise this, a new understanding of the concept of aesthetics as a reflexive framing of performative choice...... by an evolutionary model based on Niklas Luhmann's systems theory: when the concept of art changes, the concept of aesthetics also changes. This complex forms the basis for a discussion of how learning potential with media and IT can be actualised aesthetically....

  18. Assessing Interprofessional Education Collaborative Competencies in Service-Learning Course.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sevin, Alexa M; Hale, Kenneth M; Brown, Nicole V; McAuley, James W

    2016-03-25

    Objective. To investigate the effect of an interprofessional service-learning course on health professions students' self-assessment of Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) competencies. Design. The semester-long elective course consisted of two components: a service component where students provided patient care in an interprofessional student-run free clinic and bi-weekly workshops in which students reflected on their experiences and discussed roles, team dynamics, communication skills, and challenges with underserved patient populations. Assessment. All fifteen students enrolled in the course completed a validated 42-question survey in a retrospective post-then-pre design. The survey instrument assessed IPEC competencies in four domains: Values and Ethics, Roles and Responsibilities, Interprofessional Communication, and Teams and Teamwork. Students' self-assessment of IPEC competencies significantly improved in all four domains after completion of the course. Conclusion. Completing an interprofessional service-learning course had a positive effect on students' self-assessment of interprofessional competencies, suggesting service-learning is an effective pedagogical platform for interprofessional education.

  19. Marketing Prior Learning Assessment Programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heeger, Gerald A.

    1983-01-01

    Experiential learning programs must be marketed effectively if they are to succeed. The formulation of market strategy is discussed including: strategic planning; identification of a market target; and development of a market mix. A commitment to marketing academic programs is seen as a commitment to self-assessment. (MW)

  20. Learning and the transformative potential of citizen science.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bela, Györgyi; Peltola, Taru; Young, Juliette C; Balázs, Bálint; Arpin, Isabelle; Pataki, György; Hauck, Jennifer; Kelemen, Eszter; Kopperoinen, Leena; Van Herzele, Ann; Keune, Hans; Hecker, Susanne; Suškevičs, Monika; Roy, Helen E; Itkonen, Pekka; Külvik, Mart; László, Miklós; Basnou, Corina; Pino, Joan; Bonn, Aletta

    2016-10-01

    The number of collaborative initiatives between scientists and volunteers (i.e., citizen science) is increasing across many research fields. The promise of societal transformation together with scientific breakthroughs contributes to the current popularity of citizen science (CS) in the policy domain. We examined the transformative capacity of citizen science in particular learning through environmental CS as conservation tool. We reviewed the CS and social-learning literature and examined 14 conservation projects across Europe that involved collaborative CS. We also developed a template that can be used to explore learning arrangements (i.e., learning events and materials) in CS projects and to explain how the desired outcomes can be achieved through CS learning. We found that recent studies aiming to define CS for analytical purposes often fail to improve the conceptual clarity of CS; CS programs may have transformative potential, especially for the development of individual skills, but such transformation is not necessarily occurring at the organizational and institutional levels; empirical evidence on simple learning outcomes, but the assertion of transformative effects of CS learning is often based on assumptions rather than empirical observation; and it is unanimous that learning in CS is considered important, but in practice it often goes unreported or unevaluated. In conclusion, we point to the need for reliable and transparent measurement of transformative effects for democratization of knowledge production. © 2016 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.

  1. Transportation life cycle assessment (LCA) synthesis : life cycle assessment learning module series.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-03-12

    The Life Cycle Assessment Learning Module Series is a set of narrated, self-advancing slideshows on : various topics related to environmental life cycle assessment (LCA). This research project produced the first 27 of such modules, which : are freely...

  2. Imbalanced Learning for Functional State Assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Feng; McKenzie, Frederick; Li, Jiang; Zhang, Guangfan; Xu, Roger; Richey, Carl; Schnell, Tom

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents results of several imbalanced learning techniques applied to operator functional state assessment where the data is highly imbalanced, i.e., some function states (majority classes) have much more training samples than other states (minority classes). Conventional machine learning techniques usually tend to classify all data samples into majority classes and perform poorly for minority classes. In this study, we implemented five imbalanced learning techniques, including random undersampling, random over-sampling, synthetic minority over-sampling technique (SMOTE), borderline-SMOTE and adaptive synthetic sampling (ADASYN) to solve this problem. Experimental results on a benchmark driving lest dataset show thai accuracies for minority classes could be improved dramatically with a cost of slight performance degradations for majority classes,

  3. Assessment of Learning Gains in a Flipped Biochemistry Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ojennus, Deanna Dahlke

    2016-01-01

    The flipped classroom has become an increasingly popular pedagogical approach to teaching and learning. In this study, learning gains were assessed in a flipped biochemistry course and compared to gains in a traditional lecture. Although measured learning gains were not significantly different between the two courses, student perception of…

  4. Internal and External Factors Affecting Teachers' Adoption of Formative Assessment to Support Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Izci, Kemal

    2016-01-01

    Assessment forms an important part of instruction. Assessment that aims to support learning is known as formative assessment and it contributes student's learning gain and motivation. However, teachers rarely use assessment formatively to aid their students' learning. Thus reviewing the factors that limit or support teachers' practices of…

  5. Identifying potential misfit items in cognitive process of learning engineering mathematics based on Rasch model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ataei, Sh; Mahmud, Z; Khalid, M N

    2014-01-01

    The students learning outcomes clarify what students should know and be able to demonstrate after completing their course. So, one of the issues on the process of teaching and learning is how to assess students' learning. This paper describes an application of the dichotomous Rasch measurement model in measuring the cognitive process of engineering students' learning of mathematics. This study provides insights into the perspective of 54 engineering students' cognitive ability in learning Calculus III based on Bloom's Taxonomy on 31 items. The results denote that some of the examination questions are either too difficult or too easy for the majority of the students. This analysis yields FIT statistics which are able to identify if there is data departure from the Rasch theoretical model. The study has identified some potential misfit items based on the measurement of ZSTD where the removal misfit item was accomplished based on the MNSQ outfit of above 1.3 or less than 0.7 logit. Therefore, it is recommended that these items be reviewed or revised to better match the range of students' ability in the respective course.

  6. Assessing propensity to learn from safety-related events

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Drupsteen, L.; Wybo, J.L.

    2015-01-01

    Most organisations aim to use experience from the past to improve safety, for instance through learning from safety-related incidents and accidents. Whether an organisation is able to learn successfully can however only be determined afterwards. So far, there are no proactive measures to assess

  7. Pengembangan problem based learning dengan assessment for learning berbantuan smartphone dalam pembelajaran matematika

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Ridlo Yuwono

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available [Bahasa]: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menghasilkan model Problem Based Learning (PBL menggunakan penilaian Assessment for Learning (AfL berbantuan smartphone, disingkat PBL-AfL-S yang valid, praktis dan efektif untuk mendukung implementasi kurikulum 2013 di SMA. Tahap-tahap pengembangan model PBL-AfL-S terdiri dari penelitian pendahuluan, pengembangan/prototiping, dan evaluasi. Kualitas model PBL-AfL-S mengacu pada kriteria kualitas menurut Nieveen (1999 yaitu valid, praktis, dan efektif. Model PBL-AfL-S diujicobakan di SMA Negeri 3 Klaten dalam dua tahap uji coba. Uji coba tahap I dilaksanakan di kelas XI-IPA 6 dan uji coba tahap II dilaksanakan di kelas XI-IPA 7. Instrumen penelitian terdiri dari: 1 Instrumen penilaian kevalidan komponen model dan perangkat pendukung pembelajaran, 2 Instrumen kepraktisan aktivitas guru dan siswa, dan 3 Instrumen keefektifan yang meliputi angket penilaian diri, lembar penilaian proyek, tes prestasi belajar, dan lembar respon siswa. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa model PBL-AfL-S dan perangkat pembelajarannya telah memenuhi kriteria valid, praktis dan efektif. Kata kunci: Pembelajaran; Masalah; Asesmen; Smartphone [English]: This study aims to develop a Problem Based Learning (PBL model using Assessment for Learning (AFL with smartphone, abbreviated as PBL-AfL-S as valid, practical and effective to support the implementation of the 2013 curriculum in High School. The stages of developing the PBL-AfL-S model consist of preliminary research, development or prototyping, and evaluation. The quality criteria of PBL-AfL-S refer to Nieveen (1999, i.e. valid, practical, and effective. The PBL-AfL-S model was piloted in SMA Negeri 3 Klaten in two phases. Tryout 1 was conducted in class XI-IPA 6 and tryout 2 was in class XI-IPA 7. The research instruments consist of: 1 The validity instrument of the model and its learning support tools, 2 the practicality of the teacher’s and students’ activity, and 3 The

  8. Machine learning algorithms for mode-of-action classification in toxicity assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yile; Wong, Yau Shu; Deng, Jian; Anton, Cristina; Gabos, Stephan; Zhang, Weiping; Huang, Dorothy Yu; Jin, Can

    2016-01-01

    Real Time Cell Analysis (RTCA) technology is used to monitor cellular changes continuously over the entire exposure period. Combining with different testing concentrations, the profiles have potential in probing the mode of action (MOA) of the testing substances. In this paper, we present machine learning approaches for MOA assessment. Computational tools based on artificial neural network (ANN) and support vector machine (SVM) are developed to analyze the time-concentration response curves (TCRCs) of human cell lines responding to tested chemicals. The techniques are capable of learning data from given TCRCs with known MOA information and then making MOA classification for the unknown toxicity. A novel data processing step based on wavelet transform is introduced to extract important features from the original TCRC data. From the dose response curves, time interval leading to higher classification success rate can be selected as input to enhance the performance of the machine learning algorithm. This is particularly helpful when handling cases with limited and imbalanced data. The validation of the proposed method is demonstrated by the supervised learning algorithm applied to the exposure data of HepG2 cell line to 63 chemicals with 11 concentrations in each test case. Classification success rate in the range of 85 to 95 % are obtained using SVM for MOA classification with two clusters to cases up to four clusters. Wavelet transform is capable of capturing important features of TCRCs for MOA classification. The proposed SVM scheme incorporated with wavelet transform has a great potential for large scale MOA classification and high-through output chemical screening.

  9. Analysis and Assessment of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Conversations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Trausan-Matu, Stefan

    2008-01-01

    Trausan-Matu, S. (2008). Analysis and Assessment of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Conversations. Workshop presentation at the symposium Learning networks for professional. November, 14, 2008, Heerlen, Nederland: Open Universiteit Nederland.

  10. Student Engagement and Blended Learning: Making the Assessment Connection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaughan, Norman

    2014-01-01

    There is an increased focus on student engagement and blended approaches to learning in higher education. This article demonstrates how collaborative learning applications and a blended approach to learning can be used to design and support assessment activities that increase levels of student engagement with course concepts, their peers, faculty…

  11. Assessing Performance and Learning in Interprofessional Health Care Teams.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ekmekci, Ozgur; Sheingold, Brenda; Plack, Margaret; LeLacheur, Susan; Halvaksz, Jennifer; Lewis, Karen; Schlumpf, Karen; Greenberg, Larrie

    2015-01-01

    Teamwork has become an integral part of health care delivery. Such emphasis on teamwork has generated the need to systematically measure and improve the learning and performance of health care teams. The purpose of this study was to develop a comprehensive assessment instrument, the Interprofessional Education and Practice Inventory (IPEPI), to evaluate learning and performance in interprofessional health care teams. The 12-month study commenced in three 4-month phases: (1) a panel of 25 national and international experts participated in the Delphi process to identify factors influencing team learning and team performance; (2) the research team analyzed the findings from the two Delphi rounds to develop the IPEPI; and (3) a cohort of 27 students at the university engaged in clinical simulations to test and refine the IPEPI. Findings suggest key factors that significantly influence team learning and performance include whether the group is able to foster a climate of mutual respect, adopt effective communication strategies, develop a sense of trust, and invite contributions from others. Additionally, in assessing organizational factors, participants indicated those factors that significantly influence team learning and performance include whether the organization is patient-centered, creates a culture of safety (not blame), and supports individual and team learning. These findings highlight the critical role assessment plays in enhancing not just interprofessional education or interprofessional practice, but in essence advancing interprofessional education and practice--which requires an integrated examination of how health care professionals learn and perform in teams.

  12. The Magic Bullet: A Tool for Assessing and Evaluating Learning Potential in Games

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becker, Katrin

    2011-01-01

    This paper outlines a simple and effective model that can be used to evaluate and design educational digital games. It also facilitates the formulation of strategies for using existing games in learning contexts. The model categorizes game goals and learning objectives into one or more of four possible categories. An overview of the model is…

  13. Cooperative activity and its potential for learning in tertiary education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cirila Peklaj

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available A learning situation can be structured in different ways, as an individual, competitive, or cooperative activity. Each of these structures can be used for different purposes and can lead to different learning outcomes. This paper focuses on cooperative activity and its potential for learning in tertiary education. After defining cooperative activity (or, in a broader sense, learning in interaction and introducing the CAMS theoretical framework to analyse cooperative activity, the main discussion focuses on the theoretical reasons for the usefulness of group learning and on the research of effects of cooperative learning on cognitive (metacognitive, affective-motivational and social processes in university students. The key elements that should be established for successful cooperation are also discussed. At the end, a new direction in using cooperative activity in learning—computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL, which emerged with rapid technology development in the last two decades—is presented and discussed.

  14. Bootcamp EMMA MOOC Assessment for learning in practice

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Firssova, Olga; Brouns, Francis

    2016-01-01

    At the EDEN Conference an introduction to the EMMA platform will be combined with learning activities relevant to the topic of Formative Assessment. EDEN conference participants will have an opportunity to join the MOOC prior to the conference or at the conference. A range of learning activities

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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 academic performance, helping them in development of critical skills for analysis of their own work.

  16. Educational innovation, learning technologies and Virtual culture potential'

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Riley

    2002-12-01

    Full Text Available Learning technologies are regularly associated with innovative teaching but will they contribute to profound innovations in education itself? This paper addresses the question by building upon Merlin.Donald's co-evolutionary theory of mind, cognition and culture. He claimed that the invention of technologies for storing and sharing external symbol systems, such as writing, gave rise to a 'theoretic culture' with rich symbolic representations and a resultant need for formal education. More recently, Shaffer and Kaput have claimed that the development of external and shared symbol-processing technologies is giving rise to an emerging 'virtual culture'. They argue that mathematics curricula are grounded in theoretic culture and should change to meet the novel demands of 'virtual culture' for symbol-processing and representational fluency. The generic character of their cultural claim is noted in this paper and it is suggested that equivalent pedagogic arguments are applicable across the educational spectrum. Hence, four general characteristics of virtual culture are proposed, against which applications of learning technologies can be evaluated for their innovative potential. Two illustrative uses of learning technologies are evaluated in terms of their 'virtual culture potential' and some anticipated questions about this approach are discussed towards the end of the paper.

  17. Contribution of continuous assessment to student learning in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The study seeks to find out whether continuous assessment contributes to students' performance mathematics. The objectives of this study were to find out whether; Students see continuous assessment as a motivating factor in their learning, there is any workload involved in filling of continuous assessment termly, ...

  18. Integrated reactive self-assessment for programmatic learning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Corcoran, W.R.

    1996-01-01

    This paper presents a generalized method for using reactive self-assessment. The application is to programmatic learning involving the integration of reactive self-assessment results over a period of time. This paper also presents some of the results of one application of the process. Self-assessment, in general, is the assessment conducted or sponsored by an individual or organization of its own activities for the purpose of detecting improvement opportunities, either of the corrective or the enhancement types. Reactive self-assessment is a self-assessment activity conducted in reaction to a shortfall event. An integrative reactive self-assessment is a self-assessment that integrates a set of reactive self-assessment results. Programmatic learning is increasing the knowledge base in a program area. Self-assessment, in general, and reactive self-assessment, in particular, are required by federal quality requirements. One such program area is nuclear power plant testing, which is also required by federal quality requirements. Any program area could have been selected, but this one was selected because it was involved in the Chernobyl accident, the most consequential nuclear power accident up until the time of this writing. Other consequential accidents involving nuclear power plant testing were the Browns Ferry fire and the Salem overspeed event. (The author, of course, does not conduct nuclear power plant testing but is doing a self-assessment as if he were acting for an organization that did testing.)

  19. Does learning style influence academic performance in different forms of assessment?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilkinson, Tracey; Boohan, Mairead; Stevenson, Michael

    2014-03-01

    Educational research on learning styles has been conducted for some time, initially within the field of psychology. Recent research has widened to include more diverse disciplines, with greater emphasis on application. Although there are numerous instruments available to measure several different dimensions of learning style, it is generally accepted that styles differ, although the qualities of more than one style may be inherent in any one learner. But do these learning styles have a direct effect on student performance in examinations, specifically in different forms of assessment? For this study, hypotheses were formulated suggesting that academic performance is influenced by learning style. Using the Honey and Mumford Learning Style Questionnaire, learning styles of a cohort of first year medical and dental students at Queen's University Belfast were assessed. Pearson correlation was performed between the score for each of the four learning styles and the student examination results in a variety of subject areas (including anatomy) and in different types of assessments - single best answer, short answer questions and Objective Structured Clinical Examinations. In most of the analyses, there was no correlation between learning style and result and in the few cases where the correlations were statistically significant, they generally appeared to be weak. It seems therefore from this study that although the learning styles of students vary, they have little effect on academic performance, including in specific forms of assessment. © 2013 Anatomical Society.

  20. Potential Students' Perceptions on Online Learning as Innovation ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The study was conducted in consideration of increasing African education institutions' interest to offer online learning. The interest has been triggered by the great opportunities available with online education provision and contemporary global trends in such provision. An understanding of potential online students' ...

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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…

  2. Learning potentials and educational challenges of massive open online courses (MOOCs) in lifelong learning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Buhl, Mie; Andreasen, Lars Birch

    2018-01-01

    The MOOC phenomenon contains the potential to draw a large and diverse audience with varying demands of learning possibilities. The characteristics of MOOCs are of interest from a lifelong learning perspective because they offer a possible solution to a rapid and increasing need for education...... worldwide. The very first MOOCs were not originally referred to as such; they were only labelled ‘‘massive open online courses’’ (MOOCs) in retrospect, in an attempt to describe what was distinctive and new about the ones which had already been held (Cormier 2008). These new types of courses explored new...... and interaction among participants of a course. These first MOOCs opened up new discussions of pedagogy and didactics and were potentially challenging formerly established ways of organising education and competence development....

  3. Assessing Higher Education Learning Outcomes in Brazil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pedrosa, Renato H. L.; Amaral, Eliana; Knobel, Marcelo

    2013-01-01

    Brazil has developed an encompassing system for quality assessment of higher education, the National System of Higher Education Evaluation (SINAES), which includes a test for assessing learning outcomes at the undergraduate level, the National Exam of Student Performance (ENADE). The present system has been running since 2004, and also serves as…

  4. Developing an Assessment of Learning Process: The Importance of Pre-Testing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheran, Michelle; Sarbaum, Jeffrey

    2012-01-01

    Colleges and universities are increasingly being held accountable for assessing and reporting student learning. Recently there has been increased focus on using assessment to improve learning over time. In this paper we present a simple, step-by-step assessment process that will deliver meaningful results to achieve these ends. We emphasize the…

  5. e-Learning in Advanced Life Support-What factors influence assessment outcome?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thorne, C J; Lockey, A S; Kimani, P K; Bullock, I; Hampshire, S; Begum-Ali, S; Perkins, G D

    2017-05-01

    To establish variables which are associated with favourable Advanced Life Support (ALS) course assessment outcomes, maximising learning effect. Between 1 January 2013 and 30 June 2014, 8218 individuals participated in a Resuscitation Council (UK) e-learning Advanced Life Support (e-ALS) course. Participants completed 5-8h of online e-learning prior to attending a one day face-to-face course. e-Learning access data were collected through the Learning Management System (LMS). All participants were assessed by a multiple choice questionnaire (MCQ) before and after the face-to-face aspect alongside a practical cardiac arrest simulation (CAS-Test). Participant demographics and assessment outcomes were analysed. The mean post e-learning MCQ score was 83.7 (SD 7.3) and the mean post-course MCQ score was 87.7 (SD 7.9). The first attempt CAS-Test pass rate was 84.6% and overall pass rate 96.6%. Participants with previous ALS experience, ILS experience, or who were a core member of the resuscitation team performed better in the post-course MCQ, CAS-Test and overall assessment. Median time spent on the e-learning was 5.2h (IQR 3.7-7.1). There was a large range in the degree of access to e-learning content. Increased time spent accessing e-learning had no effect on the overall result (OR 0.98, P=0.367) on simulated learning outcome. Clinical experience through membership of cardiac arrest teams and previous ILS or ALS training were independent predictors of performance on the ALS course whilst time spent accessing e-learning materials did not affect course outcomes. This supports the blended approach to e-ALS which allows participants to tailor their e-learning experience to their specific needs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Criteria for assessing learning material for distance education ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This article proposes eight broad criteria for assessing learning material for distance education institutions such as the University of South Africa (Unisa) where learning material in print format is the main teaching method. To this end, the article analyses and evaluates the major trends in the international and national fields ...

  7. Assessment of learning gains in a flipped biochemistry classroom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ojennus, Deanna Dahlke

    2016-01-01

    The flipped classroom has become an increasingly popular pedagogical approach to teaching and learning. In this study, learning gains were assessed in a flipped biochemistry course and compared to gains in a traditional lecture. Although measured learning gains were not significantly different between the two courses, student perception of learning gains did differ and indicates a higher level of satisfaction with the flipped lecture format. © 2015 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

  8. Assessment of first-year medical students' perceptions of teaching and learning through team-based learning sessions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Obad, Adam S; Peeran, Ahmed A; Shareef, Mohammad Abrar; Alsheikh, Wissal J; Kalagi, Dana A; AlAmodi, Abdulhadi A; Khan, Tehreem A; Shaikh, Abdul Ahad; Ganguly, Paul; Yaqinuddin, Ahmed

    2016-12-01

    Team-based learning (TBL) is an emerging teaching and learning strategy being employed in medical schools. The College of Medicine at Alfaisal University has adopted a TBL approach as an instructional method for first-year medical students. The aim of the present study was to describe the TBL method employed at Alfaisal University College of Medicine and to assess first-year medical students' perceptions of this learning modality for the anatomy- and physiology-based blocks/courses in organ systems form of curriculum. A five-point Likert scale questionnaire was structured based on Kirkpatrick's theory and assessed three major domains: reaction, learning, and behavior. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Cronbach's α-coefficient tests were used to assess the validity and reliability of the construct, respectively. CFA showed an adequate validity of the survey and Cronbach's α revealed an acceptable internal uniformity (0.69). A total of 185 respondents rated reaction, learning, and behavior toward introduction of TBL as 3.53 ± 1.01, 3.59 ± 1.12, and 3.57 ± 1.12, respectively. Excellent students rated TBL highly in all major domains compared with borderline students (reaction, behavior, and learning domains with P values of teaching and learning strategy for functional anatomy, and prior involvement in teamwork and academic performance correlates with higher ratings of TBL. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

  9. Learning potentials and pitfalls working with animation aesthetics as leisure-time pedagogues

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ringskou, Lea Thomsen; Ahm, Jacob Noer

    of ethnographic participant observations, accompanied by qualitative semi-structured focus group interviews.Findings:Aesthetic animation learning processes involve more playful and creative learning processes, acknowledging both sound, pictures, body and movement as signs of learning. Especially movement......, as a central part of animations aesthetics, offers both potentials and pittfalls when it comes to the learning processes of the children and calls for pedagogical attention. Overall, the research project constructs knowledge about the pedagogy emerging when working with the learning processes of animation...

  10. The potential of social learning in relation to leadership training

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Moesby-Jensen, Cecilie K.

    in the healthcare sector in Denmark. The findings presented in the paper are based on participant observations, interviews, surveys and documentary material collected from 12 managers and the 160 staff members they supervise. Analyses of the data lead to recommendations for further integration of social learning......This paper discusses the potential of social learning in relation to leadership training courses, by presenting an empirical case study of the intended and unintended consequences of learning that occurred as a result of a specific leadership training course for public middle managers...

  11. Pedagogic Effects of Cooperative Learning Assessment in the Chemistry I Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Champion, Jennifer

    Over the last 30 years, there has been ongoing research and debate concerning the implementation and effectiveness of cooperative learning in the classroom. The problem is determining the fair assignment of individual grades while using cooperative work. Teachers have limited time to compile, equate, and convert group grades for each student. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to examine the impact of cooperative learning assessment on student achievement. This study aimed to determine the relationship between teacher-assigned/group-elected laboratory positions (independent variable) and academic achievement (dependent variable) while using the cards on the table approach of cooperative learning assessment. Participants consisted of 2 classes of Chemistry I students enrolled in a small rural school system. Alternative assessment practices such as the cards on the table approach of cooperative learning assessment were examined and discussed. Results of ANCOVA analyses indicated no significance difference in the adjusted scores between teacher-assigned versus group-elected laboratory positions within structured laboratory groups on the academic achievement of Chemistry I students as measured by a standardized pretest/posttest while using the cooperative learning assessment. Conducting paired samples t tests revealed the group-assigned students improved significantly from pretest to posttest while the teacher-assigned students had no significant improvements. The study may affect positive social change by helping teachers develop guidelines for fair assessment of individual grades from cooperative learning activities and to enrich the academic repertoire of students, increasing their awareness of accountability and collaboration.

  12. Assessing Creative Thinking in Design-Based Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doppelt, Yaron

    2009-01-01

    Infusing creative thinking competence through the design process of authentic projects requires not only changing the teaching methods and learning environment, but also adopting new assessment methods, such as portfolio assessment. The participants in this study were 128 high school pupils who have studied MECHATRONICS from 10th to 12th grades…

  13. Mathematics authentic assessment on statistics learning: the case for student mini projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fauziah, D.; Mardiyana; Saputro, D. R. S.

    2018-03-01

    Mathematics authentic assessment is a form of meaningful measurement of student learning outcomes for the sphere of attitude, skill and knowledge in mathematics. The construction of attitude, skill and knowledge achieved through the fulfilment of tasks which involve active and creative role of the students. One type of authentic assessment is student mini projects, started from planning, data collecting, organizing, processing, analysing and presenting the data. The purpose of this research is to learn the process of using authentic assessments on statistics learning which is conducted by teachers and to discuss specifically the use of mini projects to improving students’ learning in the school of Surakarta. This research is an action research, where the data collected through the results of the assessments rubric of student mini projects. The result of data analysis shows that the average score of rubric of student mini projects result is 82 with 96% classical completeness. This study shows that the application of authentic assessment can improve students’ mathematics learning outcomes. Findings showed that teachers and students participate actively during teaching and learning process, both inside and outside of the school. Student mini projects also provide opportunities to interact with other people in the real context while collecting information and giving presentation to the community. Additionally, students are able to exceed more on the process of statistics learning using authentic assessment.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  15. Individual differences in the learning potential of human beings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stern, Elsbeth

    2017-01-01

    To the best of our knowledge, the genetic foundations that guide human brain development have not changed fundamentally during the past 50,000 years. However, because of their cognitive potential, humans have changed the world tremendously in the past centuries. They have invented technical devices, institutions that regulate cooperation and competition, and symbol systems, such as script and mathematics, that serve as reasoning tools. The exceptional learning ability of humans allows newborns to adapt to the world they are born into; however, there are tremendous individual differences in learning ability among humans that become obvious in school at the latest. Cognitive psychology has developed models of memory and information processing that attempt to explain how humans learn (general perspective), while the variation among individuals (differential perspective) has been the focus of psychometric intelligence research. Although both lines of research have been proceeding independently, they increasingly converge, as both investigate the concepts of working memory and knowledge construction. This review begins with presenting state-of-the-art research on human information processing and its potential in academic learning. Then, a brief overview of the history of psychometric intelligence research is combined with presenting recent work on the role of intelligence in modern societies and on the nature-nurture debate. Finally, promising approaches to integrating the general and differential perspective will be discussed in the conclusion of this review.

  16. Assessment, Student Learning and Classroom Practice: A Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amua-Sekyi, Ekua Tekyiwa

    2016-01-01

    Assessment in its various forms has always been a central part of educational practice. Evidence gleaned from the empirical literature suggests that assessment, especially high stakes external assessment has effect on how teachers teach and consequently, how students learn. Through focus group discussions, this paper draws upon the experiences of…

  17. An analysis of mathematical connection ability based on student learning style on visualization auditory kinesthetic (VAK) learning model with self-assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Apipah, S.; Kartono; Isnarto

    2018-03-01

    This research aims to analyze the quality of VAK learning with self-assessment toward the ability of mathematical connection performed by students and to analyze students’ mathematical connection ability based on learning styles in VAK learning model with self-assessment. This research applies mixed method type with concurrent embedded design. The subject of this research consists of VIII grade students from State Junior High School 9 Semarang who apply visual learning style, auditory learning style, and kinesthetic learning style. The data of learning style is collected by using questionnaires, the data of mathematical connection ability is collected by performing tests, and the data of self-assessment is collected by using assessment sheets. The quality of learning is qualitatively valued from planning stage, realization stage, and valuation stage. The result of mathematical connection ability test is analyzed quantitatively by mean test, conducting completeness test, mean differentiation test, and mean proportional differentiation test. The result of the research shows that VAK learning model results in well-qualified learning regarded from qualitative and quantitative sides. Students with visual learning style perform the highest mathematical connection ability, students with kinesthetic learning style perform average mathematical connection ability, and students with auditory learning style perform the lowest mathematical connection ability.

  18. Assessing reflective thinking and approaches to learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunn, Louise; Musolino, Gina M

    2011-01-01

    Facilitation of reflective practice is critical for the ongoing demands of health care practitioners. Reflective thinking concepts, grounded in the work of Dewey and Schön, emphasize critical reflection to promote transformation in beliefs and learning necessary for reflective practice. The Reflective Thinking Questionnaire (QRT) and Revised Study Process Questionnaire (RSPQ-2F) assess skill aspects of professional reasoning, with promise for measuring changes over time. The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and responsiveness and the model validity of reflective thinking and approaches to learning measures for U.S. health professions students enrolled in entry-level occupational (MOT) and physical therapy (DPT) programs. This measurement study addressed reliability and responsiveness of two measures, the QRT and RSPQ-2F, for graduate health professionals. A convenience sample of 125 MOT and DPT students participated in the two-measure, test-retest investigation, with electronic data collection. Outcomes support the stability of the four-scale QRT (ICC 0.63 to 0.82) and the two-scale RSPQ-2F (ICC 0.91 and 0.87). Descriptive data supporting responsiveness are presented. With noted limitations, the results support the use of the QRT and RSPQ-2F measures to assess changes in reflective thinking and approaches to learning. Measurement of these learning outcomes furthers our understanding and knowledge about instructional strategies, development of professional reasoning, and fostering of self-directed learning within MOT and DPT programs.

  19. Tablet computers and eBooks. Unlocking the potential for personal learning environments?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kalz, Marco

    2012-01-01

    Kalz, M. (2012, 9 May). Tablet computers and eBooks. Unlocking the potential for personal learning environments? Invited presentation during the annual conference of the European Association for Distance Learning (EADL), Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands.

  20. Development and Assessment of an E-learning Course on Pediatric Cardiology Basics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliveira, Ana Cristina; Mattos, Sandra; Coimbra, Miguel

    2017-05-10

    Early detection of congenital heart disease is a worldwide problem. This is more critical in developing countries, where shortage of professional specialists and structural health care problems are a constant. E-learning has the potential to improve capacity, by overcoming distance barriers and by its ability to adapt to the reduced time of health professionals. The study aimed to develop an e-learning pediatric cardiology basics course and evaluate its pedagogical impact and user satisfaction. The sample consisted of 62 health professionals, including doctors, nurses, and medical students, from 20 hospitals linked via a telemedicine network in Northeast Brazil. The course was developed using Moodle (Modular Object Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment; Moodle Pty Ltd, Perth, Australia) and contents adapted from a book on this topic. Pedagogical impact evaluation used a pre and posttest approach. User satisfaction was evaluated using Wang's questionnaire. Pedagogical impact results revealed differences in knowledge assessment before and after the course (Z=-4.788; Pe-learning course on Moodle and the evaluation of its impact, confirming that e-learning is a viable tool to improve training in neonatal congenital heart diseases. ©Ana Cristina Oliveira, Sandra Mattos, Miguel Coimbra. Originally published in JMIR Medical Education (http://mededu.jmir.org), 10.05.2017.

  1. Outcomes-Based Assessment and Learning: Trialling Change in a Postgraduate Civil Engineering Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Maaddawy, Tamer; Deneen, Christopher

    2017-01-01

    This paper aims to demonstrate how assessment tasks can function within an outcomes-based learning framework to evaluate student attainment of learning outcomes. An outcomes-based learning framework designed to integrate teaching, learning, and assessment activities was developed and implemented in a civil engineering master-level course. The…

  2. Learning Environments’ Activity Potential for Preschoolers (LEAPP): Study Rationale and Design

    OpenAIRE

    Tucker, Patricia; Vanderloo, Leigh M.; Newnham-Kanas, Courtney; Burke, Shauna M.; Irwin, Jennifer D.; Johnson, Andrew M.; van Zandvoort, Melissa M.

    2013-01-01

    Background The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the study protocol for the Learning Environments’ Activity Potential for Preschoolers (LEAPP) study, the goal of which is to describe the activity levels of preschoolers attending various early learning venues and explore which attributes of these facilities (e.g. curriculum, policies, equipment, etc.) support activity participation. Design and methods This cross-sectional study aimed to recruit approximately 30 early learning ...

  3. Performance assessment in algebra learning process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lestariani, Ida; Sujadi, Imam; Pramudya, Ikrar

    2017-12-01

    The purpose of research to describe the implementation of performance assessment on algebra learning process. The subject in this research is math educator of SMAN 1 Ngawi class X. This research includes descriptive qualitative research type. Techniques of data collecting are done by observation method, interview, and documentation. Data analysis technique is done by data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion. The results showed any indication that the steps taken by the educator in applying the performance assessment are 1) preparing individual worksheets and group worksheets, 2) preparing rubric assessments for independent worksheets and groups and 3) making performance assessments rubric to learners’ performance results with individual or groups task.

  4. Idea Sharing: Assessment in a Cooperative Learning Class

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tamah, Siti Mina

    2014-01-01

    With the trend to incorporate cooperative learning in the classroom practices, another mode of assessing students is required. In other words, how can a teacher enforce Individual Accountability and Positive Interdependence in assessing his or her students? This paper is intended to provide a model of assessing students who are accustomed to…

  5. Assessing Student Behaviors and Motivation for Actively Learning Biology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Michael Edward

    Vision and Change states that one of the major changes in the way we design biology courses should be a switch in approach from teacher-centered learning to student-centered learning and identifies active learning as a recommended methods. Studies show performance benefits for students taking courses that use active learning. What is unknown is why active learning is such an effective instructional tool and the limits of this instructional method’s ability to influence performance. This dissertation builds a case in three steps for why active learning is an effective instructional tool. In step one, I assessed the influence of different types of active learning (clickers, group activities, and whole class discussions) on student engagement behavior in one semester of two different introductory biology courses and found that active learning positively influenced student engagement behavior significantly more than lecture. For step two, I examined over four semesters whether student engagement behavior was a predictor of performance and found participation (engagement behavior) in the online (video watching) and in-class course activities (clicker participation) that I measure were significant predictors of performance. In the third, I assessed whether certain active learning satisfied the psychological needs that lead to students’ intrinsic motivation to participate in those activities when compared over two semesters and across two different institutions of higher learning. Findings from this last step show us that student’s perceptions of autonomy, competency, and relatedness in doing various types of active learning are significantly higher than lecture and consistent across two institutions of higher learning. Lastly, I tie everything together, discuss implications of the research, and address future directions for research on biology student motivation and behavior.

  6. Automatic selection of atomic fingerprints and reference configurations for machine-learning potentials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Imbalzano, Giulio; Anelli, Andrea; Giofré, Daniele; Klees, Sinja; Behler, Jörg; Ceriotti, Michele

    2018-06-01

    Machine learning of atomic-scale properties is revolutionizing molecular modeling, making it possible to evaluate inter-atomic potentials with first-principles accuracy, at a fraction of the costs. The accuracy, speed, and reliability of machine learning potentials, however, depend strongly on the way atomic configurations are represented, i.e., the choice of descriptors used as input for the machine learning method. The raw Cartesian coordinates are typically transformed in "fingerprints," or "symmetry functions," that are designed to encode, in addition to the structure, important properties of the potential energy surface like its invariances with respect to rotation, translation, and permutation of like atoms. Here we discuss automatic protocols to select a number of fingerprints out of a large pool of candidates, based on the correlations that are intrinsic to the training data. This procedure can greatly simplify the construction of neural network potentials that strike the best balance between accuracy and computational efficiency and has the potential to accelerate by orders of magnitude the evaluation of Gaussian approximation potentials based on the smooth overlap of atomic positions kernel. We present applications to the construction of neural network potentials for water and for an Al-Mg-Si alloy and to the prediction of the formation energies of small organic molecules using Gaussian process regression.

  7. Goal rationalities as a framework for evaluating the learning potential of the workplace.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nieuwenhuis, Loek; van Woerkom, M.

    2007-01-01

    There is conflicting empirical evidence regarding the learning potential of the workplace. Some studies conclude that workplaces should be seen as strong learning environments, whereas others show evidence of the ineffectiveness of the workplace as a learning environment. In this article, we argue

  8. Strategies for service-learning assessment in dental hygiene education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burch, Sharlee

    2013-10-01

    A large body of literature exists on the instructional pedagogy known as service-learning. Service-learning is a teaching and learning approach characterized by the dental hygiene student's practical application of academic studies and occurs within a community setting, to the benefit of both the student and community. Dental hygiene educators use service-learning to enhance student knowledge and application of oral health curriculum. This manuscript reports on the importance of service-learning assessment to the National Dental Hygiene Research Agenda as well as the future of the profession of dental hygiene and the successful strategies in service-learning evaluation available for utilization by dental hygiene educators.

  9. Conceptualizing learning for sustainability through environmental assessment: critical reflections on 15 years of research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sinclair, A. John; Diduck, Alan; Fitzpatrick, Patricia

    2008-01-01

    Numerous scholars are now directing their attention to the education and learning implications of participatory resource and environmental governance because of the potential implications of these for generating the social mobilization necessary to achieve sustainability trajectories. Our work, and that of other researchers, establishes that public participation in environmental assessment (EA) provides fertile ground for considering the intricacies of governance as they relate to participation, and for examining the education and learning implications of participation. Since EA law requires in many cases that public voices be part of the decision process, it has resulted in the creation of fascinating, state-sanctioned, deliberative spaces for civic interactions. Our purpose here is to share, and build upon, a framework that conceptualizes the relationships among participation, education, learning and sustainability in an EA context. We do so by considering findings from studies we have undertaken on participation in EA in Canada since the early 90's. Our approach was interactive and collaborative. We each considered in detail the key results of our earlier work as they relate to education, learning and EA process design. The findings illuminate aspects of the conceptual framework for which there is considerable empirical evidence, such as the link between meaningful participation and critical education and the diversity of individual learning outcomes associated with public participation in EA. The findings also highlight those parts of the framework for which the empirical evidence is relatively sparse, such as the range of possible social learning outcomes, their congruence with sustainability criteria, and the roles of monitoring and cumulative and strategic assessments in shaping EA into an adaptive, learning system

  10. Using Self-Assessment to Support Individualized Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacDonald, Betty

    2012-01-01

    Self-assessment is frequently used to enable students to "reflect" on a learning experience. Often only the person involved in the "reflection" knows the criteria used to underpin the process. Here the author explains how, when the self-assessment is given some structure some tangible benefits can be observed. While the approach might not be a…

  11. Contract Learning as an Approach to Individualizing EFL Education in the Context of Assessment for Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zandi, Hamed; Kaivanpanah, Shiva; Alavi, Sayyed Mohammad

    2015-01-01

    Contract learning as an approach to individualizing education in the context of assessment for learning is relatively underexplored in English as a Foreign Language instruction. The present study used a mixed-methods design to investigate its efficacy to provide feedback to students and improve self-directed learning. Furthermore, it studied…

  12. The Development of the Assessment for Learning Model of Mathematics for Rajamangala University of Technology Rattanakosin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wannaree Pansiri

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The objectives of this research were 1 to develop the assessment for learning model of Mathematics for Rajamangala University 2 to study the effectivness of assessment for learning model of Mathematics for Rajamagala University of Technology Rattanakosin. The research target group consisted of 72 students from 3 classes and 3 General Mathematics teachers. The data was gathered from observation, worksheets, achievement test and skill of assessment for learning, questionnaire of the assessment for learning model of Mathematics. The statistics that used in this research were Frequency, Percentage, Mean, Standard Deviation, and Growth Score. The results of this research were 1. The assessment of learning model of Mathematics for Rajamangala University of Technology Rattanakosin consisted of 3 components ; 1. Pre-assessment which consisted of 4 activities ; a Preparation b Teacher development c Design and creation the assessment plan and instrument for assessment and d Creation of the learning experience plan 2. The component for assessment process consisted of 4 steps which were a Identifying the learning objectives and criteria b Identifying the learning experience plan and assessment follow the plan c Learning reflection and giving feedback and d Learner development based on information and improve instruction and 3. Giving feedback component. 2. The effective of assessment for learning model found that most students had good score in concentration, honest, responsibilities, group work, task presentation, worksheets, and doing exercises. The development knowledge of learning and knowledge and skill of assessment for learning of lecturers were fairly good. The opinion to the assessment for learning of learners and assessment for learning model of Mathematics of teachers found that was in a good level.

  13. Developing an Intelligent Diagnosis and Assessment E-Learning Tool for Introductory Programming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Chenn-Jung; Chen, Chun-Hua; Luo, Yun-Cheng; Chen, Hong-Xin; Chuang, Yi-Ta

    2008-01-01

    Recently, a lot of open source e-learning platforms have been offered for free in the Internet. We thus incorporate the intelligent diagnosis and assessment tool into an open software e-learning platform developed for programming language courses, wherein the proposed learning diagnosis assessment tools based on text mining and machine learning…

  14. E pluribus unum: the potential of collaborative learning to enhance Microbiology teaching in higher education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rutherford, Stephen

    2015-12-01

    Collaborative learning, where students work together towards a shared understanding of a concept, is a well-established pedagogy, and one which has great potential for higher education (HE). Through discussion and challenging each other's ideas, learners gain a richer appreciation for a subject than with solitary study or didactic teaching methods. However, collaborative learning does require some scaffolding by the teacher in order to be successful. Collaborative learning can be augmented by the use of Web 2.0 collaborative technologies, such as wikis, blogs and social media. This article reviews some of the uses of collaborative learning strategies in Microbiology teaching in HE. Despite the great potential of collaborative learning, evidence of its use in Microbiology teaching is, to date, limited. But the potential for collaborative learning approaches to develop self-regulated, deep learners is considerable, and so collaborative learning should be considered strongly as a viable pedagogy for HE. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  15. Safety assessments for potential exposures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dunn, D.I.

    2012-04-01

    Safety Assessment of potential exposures have been carried out in major practices, namely: industrial radiography, gamma irradiators and electron accelerators used in industry and research, and radiotherapy. This paper focuses on reviewing safety assessment methodologies and using developed software to analyse radiological accidents, also review, and discuss these past accidents.The primary objective of the assessment is to assess the adequacy of planned or existing measures for protection and safety and to identify any additional measures that should be put in place. As such, both routine use of the source and the probability and magnitude of potential exposures arising from accidents or incidents should be considered. Where the assessment indicates that there is a realistic possibility of an accident affecting workers or members of the public or having consequences for the environment, the registrant or licensee should prepare a suitable emergency plan. A safety assessment for normal operation addresses all the conditions under which the radiation source operates as expected, including all phases of the lifetime of the source. Due account needs to be taken of the different factors and conditions that will apply during non-operational phases, such as installation, commissioning and maintenance. (author)

  16. MOODLE XML TO IMS QTI ASSESSMENT TEST PORTABILITY ON LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

    OpenAIRE

    Kautsar, Irwan Alnarus; Kubota, Shin-Ichiro; Musashi, Yasuo; Sugitani, Kenichi

    2013-01-01

    Learning Management Systems (i.e. LMS) is one of the most popular solutions towards the e-Learning objective in different universities all around the world, where this environments are used to not only deliver contents but to perform assessments, tests and other tasks related to learning. Although, there are popular LMS such as Moodle, and more developed, such as Chamilo, there is no assessment/test portability among their LMS. Each assessment export formats make difficult to transfer well do...

  17. Exploring the Potential Impact of Serious Games on Social Learning and Stakeholder Collaborations for Transboundary Watershed Management of the St. Lawrence River Basin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wietske Medema

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available The meaningful participation of stakeholders in decision-making is now widely recognized as a crucial element of effective water resource management, particularly with regards to adapting to climate and environmental change. Social learning is increasingly being cited as an important component of engagement if meaningful participation is to be achieved. The exact definition of social learning is still a matter under debate, but is taken to be a process in which individuals experience a change in understanding that is brought about by social interaction. Social learning has been identified as particularly important in transboundary contexts, where it is necessary to reframe problems from a local to a basin-wide perspective. In this study, social learning is explored in the context of transboundary water resource management in the St. Lawrence River Basin. The overarching goal of this paper is to explore the potential role of serious games to improve social learning in the St. Lawrence River. To achieve this end, a two-pronged approach is followed: (1 Assessing whether social learning is currently occurring and identifying what the barriers to social learning are through interviews with the region’s water resource managers; (2 Undertaking a literature review to understand the mechanisms through which serious games enhance social learning to understand which barriers serious games can break down. Interview questions were designed to explore the relevance of social learning in the St. Lawrence River basin context, and to identify the practices currently employed that impact on social learning. While examples of social learning that is occurring have been identified, preliminary results suggest that these examples are exceptions rather than the rule, and that on the whole, social learning is not occurring to its full potential. The literature review of serious games offers an assessment of such collaborative mechanisms in terms of design principles

  18. Where’s the Transformation? Unlocking the Potential of Technology-Enhanced Assessment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Trudy Sweeney

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available This study provides insight into technology-enhanced assessment (TEA in diverse higher education contexts. The effectiveness of using technology for assessment in higher education is still equivocal, particularly in regard to evidence of improvements in student learning. This empirical research explores the affordances that technology offers to assessment for transforming student learning. A systematic literature review, guided by an analytic survey tool, was used to identify and interrogate recent scholarly articles published in 19 international journals. From a total of 1713 articles, 139 articles were identified as being focused on the use of technology for assessment. The analytic tool guided the rigorous exploration of the literature regarding the types of technology being used, the educational goal, the type of assessment, and the degree of “transformation” afforded by the technology. Results showed that, in the sample investigated, TEA is used most frequently for formative peer learning, as part of the task design and feedback stages of the assessment cycle, and that social media has been a major affordance for this. Results are discussed with a view to fostering a future culture of inquiry and scholarship around TEA in higher education.

  19. Contradictory Explorative Assessment. Multimodal Teacher/Student Interaction in Scandinavian Digital Learning Environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kjällander, Susanne

    2018-01-01

    Assessment in the much-discussed digital divide in Scandinavian technologically advanced schools, is the study object of this article. Interaction is studied to understand assessment; and to see how assessment can be didactically designed to recognise students' learning. With a multimodal, design theoretical perspective on learning teachers' and…

  20. Medical Community of Inquiry: A Diagnostic Tool for Learning, Assessment, and Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rakefet Ackerman

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim/Purpose: These days educators are expected to integrate technological tools into classes. Although they acquire relevant skills, they are often reluctant to use these tools. Background:\tWe incorporated online forums for generating a Community of Inquiry (CoI in a faculty development program. Extending the Technology, Pedagogy, and Content Knowledge (TPACK model with Assessment Knowledge and content analysis of forum discourse and reflection after each CoI, we offer the Diagnostic Tool for Learning, Assessment, and Research (DTLAR. Methodology: This study spanned over two cycles of a development program for medical faculty. Contribution: This study demonstrates how the DTLAR supports in-depth examination of the benefits and challenges of using CoIs for learning and teaching. Findings: Before the program, participants had little experience with, and were reluctant to use, CoIs in classes. At the program completion, many were willing to adopt CoIs and appreciated this method’s contribution. Both CoIs discourse and reflections included positive attitudes regarding cognitive and teacher awareness categories. However, negative attitudes regarding affective aspects and time-consuming aspects of CoIs were exposed. Participants who experienced facilitating a CoI gained additional insights into its usefulness. Recommendations for Practitioners\t: The DTLAR allows analyzing adaption of online forums for learning and teaching. Recommendation for Researchers: The DTLAR allows analyzing factors that affect the acceptance of online fo-rums for learning and teaching. Impact on Society\t: While the tool was implemented in the context of medical education, it can be readily applied in other adult learning programs. Future Research: The study includes several design aspects that probably affected the improve-ment and challenges we found. Future research is called for providing guidelines for identifying boundary conditions and potential for further

  1. Application of active learning modalities to achieve medical genetics competencies and their learning outcome assessments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hagiwara N

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Nobuko Hagiwara Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA Abstract: The steadily falling costs of genome sequencing, coupled with the growing number of genetic tests with proven clinical validity, have made the use of genetic testing more common in clinical practice. This development has necessitated nongeneticist physicians, especially primary care physicians, to become more responsible for assessing genetic risks for their patients. Providing undergraduate medical students a solid foundation in genomic medicine, therefore, has become all the more important to ensure the readiness of future physicians in applying genomic medicine to their patient care. In order to further enhance the effectiveness of instructing practical skills in medical genetics, the emphasis of active learning modules in genetics curriculum at medical schools has increased in recent years. This is because of the general acceptance of a better efficacy of active learner-centered pedagogy over passive lecturer-centered pedagogy. However, an objective standard to evaluate students’ skill levels in genomic medicine achieved by active learning is currently missing. Recently, entrustable professional activities (EPAs in genomic medicine have been proposed as a framework for developing physician competencies in genomic medicine. EPAs in genomic medicine provide a convenient guideline for not only developing genomic medicine curriculum but also assessing students’ competency levels in practicing genomic medicine. In this review, the efficacy of different types of active learning modules reported for medical genetics curricula is discussed using EPAs in genomic medicine as a common evaluation standard for modules’ learning outcomes. The utility of the EPAs in genomic medicine for designing active learning modules in undergraduate medical genetics curricula is also discussed. Keywords

  2. Potentials of Industrie 4.0 and Machine Learning for Mechanical Joining

    OpenAIRE

    Jäckel, Mathias

    2017-01-01

    -Sensitivity analysis of the influence of component properties and joining parameters on the joining result for self-pierce riveting -Possibilities to link mechanical joining technologies with the automotive process chain for quality and flexibility improvements -Potential of using machine learning to reduce automotive product development cycles in relation to mechanical joining -Datamining for machine learning at mechanical joining

  3. Systematically reviewing the potential of concept mapping technologies to promote self-regulated learning in primary and secondary science education

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stevenson, Matt P.; Hartmeyer, Rikke; Bentsen, Peter

    2017-01-01

    We systematically searched five databases to assess the potential of concept mapping-based technologies to promote self-regulated learning in science education. Our search uncovered 17 relevant studies that investigated seven different types of learning technologies. We performed a narrative....... Computer software was particularly useful for developing cognitive strategies through ease of use. Teaching agents were particularly useful for developing metacognitive strategies by coupling visualisation of knowledge patterns with performance monitoring, aided by a teaching metaphor. Finally, mobile...... devices and teaching agents were most effective in enhancing motivation. Effects on knowledge gains remain unclear due to small sample sizes....

  4. Development of E-learning prototype for MUET assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mit Anak Mawan, Amylia; Mohamed, Rozlini; Othman, Muhaini; Yusof, Munirah Mohd

    2017-08-01

    This paper aims to discuss the development of E-learning prototype for MUET assessment in Fakulti Sains Komputer dan Teknologi Maklumat (FSKTM), Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) namely, MUET Online System. The system is considered as a learning centre to study MUET examination that follows the MUET syllabus. The system will be used to assist students in making preparation before sitting for MUET examination. Before student can gain access to the system, students need to sign up and pay some fees before they are enrolled into virtual MUET class. The class will be guided by the English language lecturer from Faculty of Science, Technology and Human Development (FSTPI), UTHM as teacher. The system provides learning modules, quiz and test section. At the end of learning session students’ performance are assessed through quizzes and test measure the level of student understands. The teacher will evaluate the student’s mark and provide advices to the student. Therefore, the MUET Online System will be able to improve student knowledge in English language and subsequently help student to obtain the best result in MUET by providing more guided references and practices.

  5. Does Formative Assessment Improve Student Learning and Performance in Soil Science?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kopittke, Peter M.; Wehr, J. Bernhard; Menzies, Neal W.

    2012-01-01

    Soil science students are required to apply knowledge from a range of disciplines to unfamiliar scenarios to solve complex problems. To encourage deep learning (with student performance an indicator of learning), a formative assessment exercise was introduced to a second-year soil science subject. For the formative assessment exercise, students…

  6. Energy potential of region and its quantitative assessment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tatyana Aleksandrovna Kovalenko

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of the article is the development of the concept of the energy potential of the region (EPR, the analysis of the existing structure of relationships for the EPR elements in Ukraine and improvement of a quantitative assessment of energy potential of the region (country. The methods of an assessment of the existing condition of energy potential of the territory are the subject matter of the research. As a result of the analysis of concept’s definitions of energy potential of the region, it has further development and included the consumer potential of energy resources and capacity of management. The structure of relationships between elements of energy potential is developed for the Ukraine region. The new economic indicator — the realized energy potential is offered for an EPR assessment. By means of this indicator, the assessment of energy potential for the different countries of the world and a number of Ukraine areas of is performed.

  7. Systemic assessment as a new tool to assess student learning

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    IICBA01

    students' systemic thinking level developed in organic chemistry is strongly related to a deeper understanding of the relevant chemistry concepts (7) .In this regards we will illustrate five types of SAQ,s in heterocyclic chemistry based on systemics to assess students at synthesis and analysis learning levels. We experiment ...

  8. Teamwork Skills Assessment for Cooperative Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strom, Paris S.; Strom, Robert D.

    2011-01-01

    Teamwork skills are required at work, but teacher efforts in many countries to track achievement within this context have been hindered by lack of assessment tools and input from students. The Teamwork Skills Inventory relies on peer and self-evaluation to establish accountability, identify competencies, and detect learning needs. Twenty-five…

  9. How assessment and reflection relate to more effective learning in adaptive management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Harry Biggs

    2011-05-01

    Two other studies in the Kruger National Park, which have examined learning specifically, are also discussed. One of them suggests that in a complex environment, learning necessarily has a dual nature, with each component of seven contrasting pairs of the aspects of learning in partial tension with the other. We use these dualities to further probe assessment, reflection, inter-relatedness and learning in the cases presented. Each contrasting aspect of a ‘learning duality’ turns out to emphasise either assessment or reflection, which reinforces the idea that both are needed to facilitate sufficient learning for successful adaptive management. We hope this analysis can act as a springboard for further study, practice and reflection on these important and often underrated components of adaptive management. Conservation implications: The better understanding of assessment and reflection as being largely separate but complementary actions will assist adaptive management practitioners to give explicit attention to both, and to relate them better to each other.

  10. LIFELONG LEARNING THROUGH SECOND LIFE: CURRENT TRENDS, POTENTIALS AND LIMITATIONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nil GOKSEL-CANBEK

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Lifelong Learning (LLL has been a remarkable response to people-centered educational demand of 21st century. In order to provide effective formal, non-formal, and informal learning, immersive educational activities undertaken throughout life should be aimed to create a learning society in which people can experience individual and collective learning with no constrains of time or location. The concept of lifelong learning within the context of distance immersive education encompasses diverse 3D activities. The three dimensional, Web-based structured activities supported by distance learning technologies can be viewed as interactive tools which foster LLL. In this perspective, Second Life (SL can be regarded as one of the learning simulation milieus that allow learners to participate in various educational LLL activities in individual or group forms. The following paper examines how SL, taking advantage of its simulative nature and the possibility for creative interaction among participants, which are also common in games, allows the learners to participate in immersive constructivist learning activities. The article will also touch on the current uses of SL as a tool for LLL, as well as its potentials for further development according to the current trends in adult education. Further, the authors will discuss its limitations and will make suggestions towards a more complete pedagogical use.

  11. Beyond blended learning! Undiscovered potentials for e-learning in organizational learning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bang, Jørgen; Dalsgaard, Christian; Kjær, Arne

    2007-01-01

    The basic question raised in this article is: Is pure e-learning able to support learning in organizations better today than 4-5 years ago? Based on two case studies on blended learning courses for company training, the article discusses whether use of new Web 2.0 and social software tools may help...... overcome previous limitations of e-learning....

  12. Assessing team effectiveness and affective learning in a datathon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piza, Felipe Maia de Toledo; Celi, Leo Anthony; Deliberato, Rodrigo Octavio; Bulgarelli, Lucas; de Carvalho, Fabricio Rodrigues Torres; Filho, Roberto Rabello; de La Hoz, Miguel Angel Armengol; Kesselheim, Jennifer Cohn

    2018-04-01

    Datathons are increasingly organized in the healthcare field. The goal is to assemble people with different backgrounds to work together as a team and engage in clinically relevant research or develop algorithms using health-related datasets. Criteria to assess the return of investment on such events have traditionally included publications produced, patents for prediction, classification, image recognition and other types of software, and start-up companies around the application of machine learning in healthcare. Previous studies have not evaluated whether a datathon can promote affective learning and effective teamwork. Fifty participants of a health datathon event in São Paulo, Brazil at Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein (HIAE) were divided into 8 groups. A survey with 25 questions, using the Affective Learning Scale and Team-Review Questionnaire, was administered to assess team effectiveness and affective learning during the event. Multivariate regression models and Pearson's correlation tests were performed to evaluate the effect of affective learning on teamwork. Majority of the participants were male 76% (37/49); 32% (16/49) were physicians. The mean score for learning (scale from 1 to 10) was 8.38, while that for relevance of the perceived teamwork was 1.20 (scale from 1 to 5; "1" means most relevant). Pearson's correlation between the learning score and perception of teamwork showed moderate association (r = 0.36, p = 0.009). Five learning and 10 teamwork variables were on average positively graded in the event. The final regression model includes all learning and teamwork variables. Effective leadership was strongly correlated with affective learning (β = -0.27, p Effective leadership, team accomplishment, criticism, individual development and creativity were the variables significantly associated with higher levels of affective learning. It is feasible to enhance affective knowledge and the skill to work in a team during a datathon. We

  13. Modelling Blended Solutions for Higher Education: Teaching, Learning, and Assessment in the Network and Mobile Technology Era

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bocconi, Stefania; Trentin, Guglielmo

    2014-01-01

    The article addresses the role of network and mobile technologies in enhancing blended solutions with a view to (a) enriching the teaching/learning processes, (b) exploiting the opportunities it offers for their observability, and hence for their monitoring and formative/summative assessment. It will also discuss how such potential can only be…

  14. Got Game? A Choice-Based Learning Assessment of Data Literacy and Visualization Skills

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2016-01-01

    In partnership with both formal and informal learning institutions, researchers have been building a suite of online games, called choicelets, to serve as interactive assessments of learning skills, e.g. critical thinking or seeking feedback. Unlike more traditional assessments, which take a retrospective, knowledge-based view of learning,…

  15. Health Sciences Students' Self-Assessment of Information and Communication Technology Skills and Attitude Toward e-Learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buabbas, Ali Jassem; Al-Shawaf, Hamza Mohammad Hassan; Almajran, Abdullah Abdulaziz

    2016-06-20

    In medical education, information and communication technology (ICT) knowledge and skills have become a necessity and an integral part of preparing tomorrow's doctors to be sufficiently competent to use informatics resources effectively and efficiently for the best practice of medicine. This research aimed to study the literacy of the preprofessional students in ICT before and after taking the basic informatics course at the Health Sciences Center at Kuwait University, to understand their potential and their attitudes toward using ICT, including e-learning. A validated questionnaire was used to collect data from 200 students in 2 stages: before and after the informatics course on the preprofessional program. In addition, the tutors' observational assessments of the students' achievements during the informatics course were obtained. The response rate of students before the course was 85.5% (171/200) and after was 77% (154/200). Of 200 students, 85% were female, and 15% were male. This disproportional representation of genders was due to the fact that 85% of registered students were female. Approximately 59% (101/171) of the students assessed themselves before the course as computer literate; afterward, this increased to 70.1% (108/154). Students who were still computer illiterate (29.2%; 45/154) mostly used the excuse of a lack of time (60%; 27/45). In generic ICT skills, the highest levels were for word processing, email, and Web browsing, whereas the lowest levels were for spreadsheets and database. In specific ICT skills, most respondents were reported low levels for statistical package use and Web page design. The results found that there was a significant improvement between students' general ICT skills before and after the course. The results showed that there were significant improvement between how frequently students were using Medline (PLibrary (Pstudents who completed the course (72.8%; 110/151) chose the learning management system as the most useful e-learning

  16. Innovative Methodologies for 21st Century Learning, Teaching and Assessment: A Convenience Sampling Investigation into the Use of Social Media Technologies in Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kivunja, Charles

    2015-01-01

    The advent of the Web as a social technology has created opportunities for the creation of informal learning environments, which have potential for innovative methodologies in learning, teaching and assessment. However, as Wolfe (2001) admonishes, "contrary to the rhetoric of cheerleaders, the Web places greater demands on students than…

  17. Introduction and Assessment of a Blended-Learning Model to Teach Patient Assessment in a Doctor of Pharmacy Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prescott, William Allan; Woodruff, Ashley; Prescott, Gina M; Albanese, Nicole; Bernhardi, Christian; Doloresco, Fred

    2016-12-25

    Objective. To integrate a blended-learning model into a two-course patient assessment sequence in a doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) program and to assess the academic performance and perceptions of enrolled students. Design. A blended-learning model consisting of a flipped classroom format was integrated into a patient assessment (PA) course sequence. Course grades of students in the blended-learning (intervention) and traditional-classroom (control) groups were compared. A survey was administered to assess student perceptions. Assessment. The mean numeric grades of students in the intervention group were higher than those of students in the traditional group (PA1 course: 92.2±3.1 vs 90.0±4.3; and PA2 course: 90.3±4.9 vs 85.8±4.2). Eighty-six percent of the students in the intervention group agreed that the instructional methodologies used in this course facilitated understanding of the material. Conclusion. The blended-learning model was associated with improved academic performance and was well-received by students.

  18. Complementary use of life cycle assessment and risk assessment for engineered nanomaterials: Lessons learned from chemicals?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grieger, Khara D.; Laurent, Alexis; Miseljic, Mirko

    2013-01-01

    Successful strategies to handle the potential health and environmental risks of engineered nanomaterials (ENM) often rely upon the well-established frameworks of life cycle assessment (LCA) and risk assessment (RA). However, current research and specific guidance on how to actually apply these two...... scientific research efforts have taken into account some key lessons learned from past experiences with chemicals at the same time that many key challenges remain to applying these frameworks to ENM. In that setting, two main proposed approaches to use LCA and RA together for ENM are identified: i) LC......-based RA, similar to traditional RA applied in a life cycle perspective, and ii) RA-complemented LCA, similar to conventional LCA supplemented by RA in specific life cycle steps. This study finds that these two approaches for using LCA and RA together for ENM are similar to those made for chemicals...

  19. An Analysis of the Educational Potential of Augmented Reality Games for Learning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schmitz, Birgit; Specht, Marcus; Klemke, Roland

    2013-01-01

    Schmitz, B., Specht, M., & Klemke, R. (2012). An Analysis of the Educational Potential of Augmented Reality Games for Learning. In M. Specht, J. Multisilta, & M. Sharples (Eds.), Proceedings of the 11th World Conference on Mobile and Contextual Learning 2012 (pp. 140-147). October, 16-18, 2012,

  20. Assessing Preschool Teachers' Practices to Promote Self-Regulated Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adagideli, Fahretdin Hasan; Saraç, Seda; Ader, Engin

    2015-01-01

    Recent research reveals that in preschool years, through pedagogical interventions, preschool teachers can and should promote self-regulated learning. The main aim of this study is to develop a self-report instrument to assess preschool teachers' practices to promote self-regulated learning. A pool of 50 items was recruited through literature…

  1. Not Utilized Learning Potentials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kragelund, Linda

    2007-01-01

      When the Danish Nursing Education in 2002 became a Bachelor Degree the clinical part of the education was reduced. Therefore, it was necessary to optimize learning in practice.       I made a qualitative investigation to describe student nurses' learning processes in non-routine situations where...... they interact with psychiatric patients. The theoretical framework includes primarily P. Jarvis' concept disjuncture and A. Heller's theory about everyday life. The empirical part of the study is primarily based on qualitative semi-structured interviews with, observations of and obser-views with a volunteer......-conscious disjuncture, in development of the concept pseudo-everyday life activities and in a categorizing mo­del for and a theory about student nurses' learning processes. The theory includes relations between 4 types of  disjuncture, 3 types of content in the learning processes, and factors that provoke...

  2. E-learning teaches attendings "how to" objectively assess pediatric urology trainees' surgery skills for orchiopexy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandez, Nicolas; Maizels, Max; Farhat, Walid; Smith, Edwin; Liu, Dennis; Chua, Michael; Bhanji, Yasin

    2018-04-01

    Established methods to train pediatric urology surgery by residency training programs require updating in response to administrative changes such as new, reduced trainee duty hours. Therefore, new objective methods must be developed to teach trainees. We approached this need by creating e-learning to teach attendings objective assessment of trainee skills using the Zwisch scale, an established assessment tool. The aim of this study was to identify whether or not e-learning is an appropriate platform for effective teaching of this assessment tool, by assessing inter-rater correlation of assessments made by the attendings after participation in the e-learning. Pediatric orchiopexy was used as the index case. An e-learning tool was created to teach attending surgeons objective assessment of trainees' surgical skills. First, e-learning content was created which showed the assessment method videotape of resident surgery done in the operating room. Next, attendings were enrolled to e-learn this method. Finally, the ability of enrollees to assess resident surgery skill performance was tested. Namely, test video was made showing a trainee performing inguinal orchiopexy. All enrollees viewed the same online videos. Assessments of surgical skills (Zwisch scale) were entered into an online survey. Data were analyzed by intercorrelation coefficient kappa analysis (strong correlation was ICC ≥ 0.7). A total of 11 attendings were enrolled. All accessed the online learning and then made assessments of surgical skills trainees showed on videotapes. The e-learning comprised three modules: 1. "Core concepts," in which users learned the assessment tool methods; 2. "Learn to assess," in which users learned how to assess by watching video clips, explaining the assessment method; and 3. "Test," in which users tested their skill at making assessments by watching video clips and then actively inputting their ratings of surgical and global skills as viewed in the video clips (Figure

  3. Assessing Students' Learning of Internal Controls: Closing the Loop

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amer, T. S.; Mohrweis, Lawrence C.

    2009-01-01

    This study describes the multifaceted components of an assessment process. The paper explains a novel approach in which an advisory council participated in a "fun," hands-on activity to rank-order learning outcomes. The top ranked learning competency, as identified by the advisory council, was the need for students to gain a better…

  4. An intelligent service-based layered architecture for e learning and assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Javaid, Q.; Arif, F.

    2017-01-01

    The rapid advancement in ICT (Information and Communication Technology) is causing a paradigm shift in eLearning domain. Traditional eLearning systems suffer from certain shortcomings like tight coupling of system components, lack of personalization, flexibility, and scalability and performance issues. This study aims at addressing these challenges through an MAS (Multi Agent System) based multi-layer architecture supported by web services. The foremost objective of this study is to enhance learning process efficiency by provision of flexibility features for learning and assessment processes. Proposed architecture consists of two sub-system namely eLearning and eAssesssment. This architecture comprises of five distinct layers for each sub-system, with active agents responsible for miscellaneous tasks including content handling, updating, resource optimization, load handling and provision of customized environments for learners and instructors. Our proposed architecture aims at establishment of a facilitation level to learners as well as instructors for convenient acquisition and dissemination of knowledge. Personalization features like customized environments, personalized content retrieval and recommendations, adaptive assessment and reduced response time, are believed to significantly enhance learning and tutoring experience. In essence characteristics like intelligence, personalization, interactivity, usability, laidback accessibility and security, signify aptness of proposed architecture for improving conventional learning and assessment processes. Finally we have evaluated our proposed architecture by means of analytical comparison and survey considering certain quality attributes. (author)

  5. Assessment of learning needs and the development of an educational programme for registered nurses in advanced midwifery and neonatology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    AE Fichardt

    2000-09-01

    Full Text Available A key step in the development of any educational programme is learning needs assessment. This is however often neglected. The purpose of this research was to identify learning needs of potential students in order to develop a relevant educational programme for registered nurses in advanced midwifery and neonatology. A survey design was used, and the population of the study was the registered nurses in the Free State. Two thousand questionnaires were mailed to respondents, selected by means of simple random sampling. Advanced educational programmes emphasize the teaching of advanced knowledge and skills and accept that the students entering these programmes already have specific knowledge and skills included in the curricula for basic programmes. This is contrary to the findings of this study. The results underline the importance of learning needs assessment in the development of relevant educational programmes.

  6. Student journals: a means of assessing transformative learning in aging related courses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, Adrienne L; Pitman Brown, Pamela; Morales, Justin P

    2015-01-01

    In courses where topics are sensitive or even considered taboo for discussion, it can be difficult to assess students' deeper learning. In addition, incorporating a wide variety of students' values and beliefs, designing instructional strategies and including varied assessments adds to the difficulty. Journal entries or response notebooks can highlight reflection upon others' viewpoints, class readings, and additional materials. These are useful across all educational levels in deep learning and comprehension strategies assessments. Journaling meshes with transformative learning constructs, allowing for critical self-reflection essential to transformation. Qualitative analysis of journals in a death and dying class reveals three transformative themes: awareness of others, questioning, and comfort. Students' journal entries demonstrate transformative learning via communication with others through increased knowledge/exposure to others' experiences and comparing/contrasting others' personal beliefs with their own. Using transformative learning within gerontology and geriatrics education, as well as other disciplined aging-related courses is discussed.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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

  8. Social Learning through Participatory Integrated Catchment Risk Assessment in the Solomon Islands

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suzanne Hoverman

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available In developed countries a social learning approach has been shown to support Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM by fostering stakeholders' understanding of system complexity, recognition of mutual dependence, appreciation of others' perspectives, and development of the capacity to work together and to create mutual trust. Much less is known about social learning's potential in less developed small island states, particularly postconflict island states, where integration must navigate prescriptive management, limited resources, widely differing world views, a history of adversarial relationships, and unsuccessful attempts at government-community collaboration. This paper analyzes the transformative aspects of a social learning experience that occurred during research facilitating participatory integrated catchment management in the Pacific. The study elicited community and expert knowledge to create systems understanding to generate and analyze complex scenarios for integrated catchment risk assessment in the Kongulai catchment, Solomon Islands. Separate sequenced and then combined discussions led to facilitated exploration of others' subjective assessment of catchment risks and management options. Issues of transparency, trust, accountability, and mutual responsibility were explored in carefully created discursive spaces, assisted by the immediacy of personal contact and the absence of complex bureaucratic structures. Despite historical difficulties, through the use of bridging individuals, participants were generally able to transcend the constraints of their individual knowledge cultures, expand awareness and appreciation of the complexity of human-environment systems for IWRM, and envisage new opportunities for productively working together in integrated catchment management.

  9. Assessment in Open and Distance Learning System (ODL: A Challenge

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. V. S. Chaudhary

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Assessment is an integral part of the learning process. The traditional practice of assessment has changed to meet the need of the contemporary society. In this paper assessment strategies used in Open and Distance Education are discussed and constructive suggestions are given to meet the challenges of assessment. Recently we experience a paradigm shift in assessment both in face-to-face and ODL system. Content-based testing has shifted to performance-based assessment. Assessment is no longer used for grading and certification, rather it has linked with learning and skill development of the students. Instead of a single paper pencil test, a variety of techniques and methods are being increasingly conducted. In this context assessment in the ODL system has adopted a new shape to provide better assessment judgments to its students and at the same time helping teachers and administrators. Coping with the changing scenario in ODL we face challenges addressed extensively in this article.

  10. Focusing on first year assessment: Surface or deep approaches to learning?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sharn Donnison

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available This paper investigates the assessment and learning approaches that some first year students employ to assist them in their transition into their first year of study and extends our previous work on first year student engagement and timely academic support (Penn-Edwards & Donnison, 2011. It is situated within the First Year transition and student engagement literature and specifically speaks to concepts of learning within that body of literature. In this paper we argue that while students are in the transitional period of their studies, the use of assessment as a motivator for learning (surface approach is valid first year pedagogy and forms an initial learning stage in the student’s progress towards being lifelong learners. 

  11. Dissociation of Category-Learning Systems via Brain Potentials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert G Morrison

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Behavioral, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging evidence has suggested that categories can often be learned via either an explicit rule-based mechanism critically dependent on medial temporal and prefrontal brain regions, or via an implicit information-integration mechanism relying on the basal ganglia. In this study, participants viewed sine-wave gratings (i.e., Gabor patches that varied on two dimensions and learned to categorize them via trial-by-trial feedback. Two different stimulus distributions were used; one was intended to encourage an explicit rule-based process and the other an implicit information-integration process. We monitored brain activity with scalp electroencephalography (EEG while each participant (1 passively observed stimuli represented of both distributions, (2 categorized stimuli from one distribution, and, one week later, (3 categorized stimuli from the other distribution. Categorization accuracy was similar for the two distributions. Subtractions of Event-Related Potentials (ERPs for correct and incorrect trials were used to identify neural differences in rule-based and information-integration categorization processes. We identified an occipital brain potential that was differentially modulated by categorization condition accuracy at an early latency (150 - 250 ms, likely reflecting the degree of holistic processing. A stimulus-locked late positive complex associated with explicit memory updating was modulated by accuracy in the rule-based, but not the information-integration task. Likewise, a feedback-locked P300 ERP associated with expectancy was correlated with performance only in the rule-based, but not the information-integration condition. These results provide additional evidence for distinct brain mechanisms supporting rule-based versus implicit information-integration category learning and use.

  12. Developing and Assessing Teachers' Knowledge of Game-Based Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, Mamta; Foster, Aroutis

    2015-01-01

    Research focusing on the development and assessment of teacher knowledge in game-based learning is in its infancy. A mixed-methods study was undertaken to educate pre-service teachers in game-based learning using the Game Network Analysis (GaNA) framework. Fourteen pre-service teachers completed a methods course, which prepared them in game…

  13. Artificial Grammar Learning in Dyslexic and Nondyslexic Adults: Implications for Orthographic Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samara, Anna; Caravolas, Markéta

    2017-01-01

    Potential implicit orthographic learning deficits were investigated in adults with dyslexia. An artificial grammar learning paradigm served to assess dyslexic and typical readers' ability to exploit information about chunk frequency, letter-position patterns, and specific string similarity, all of which have analogous constructs in real…

  14. Curriculum learning designs: teaching health assessment skills for advanced nursing practitioners through sustainable flexible learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fitzgerald, Les; Wong, Pauline; Hannon, John; Solberg Tokerud, Marte; Lyons, Judith

    2013-10-01

    Innovative curriculum designs are vital for effective learning in contemporary nursing education where traditional modes of delivery are not adequate to meet the learning needs of postgraduate students. This instance of postgraduate teaching in a distributed learning environment offered the opportunity to design a flexible learning model for teaching advanced clinical skills. To present a sustainable model for flexible learning that enables specialist nurses to gain postgraduate qualifications without on-campus class attendance by teaching and assessing clinical health care skills in an authentic workplace setting. An action research methodology was used to gather evidence and report on the process of curriculum development of a core unit, Comprehensive Health Assessment (CHA), within 13 different postgraduate speciality courses. Qualitative data was collected from 27 teaching academics, 21 clinical specialist staff, and 7 hospital managers via interviews, focus groups and journal reflections. Evaluations from the initial iteration of CHA from 36 students were obtained. Data was analyzed to develop and evaluate the curriculum design of CHA. The key factors indicated by participants in the curriculum design process were coordination and structuring of teaching and assessment; integration of content development; working with technologies, balancing specialities and core knowledge; and managing induction and expectations. A set of recommendations emerged as a result of the action research process. These included: a constructive alignment approach to curriculum design; the production of a facilitator's guide that specifies expectations and unit information for academic and clinical education staff; an agreed template for content authors; and the inclusion of synchronous communication for real-time online tutoring. The highlight of the project was that it built curriculum design capabilities of clinicians and students which can sustain this alternative model of online

  15. Academic performance and perception of learning following a peer coaching teaching and assessment strategy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Catherine; Westwater-Wood, Sarah; Kerry, Roger

    2016-03-01

    Peer coaching has been associated with positive effects on learning. Specifically, these associations have been explored in complex healthcare professions. A social theory of learning has been proposed as a key component of the utility of peer coaching. Further, within the peer coaching model, assessment has been considered as an important driver. Empirical support for these dimensions of the model is lacking. To quantify assessment achievements and explore emergent attitudes and beliefs about learning related to a specific peer coaching model with integrated assessment. A longitudinal study based in a UK Higher Education Institute recorded assessment achievements and surveyed attitudes and beliefs in consecutive Year 1 undergraduate (physiotherapy) students (n = 560) between 2002 and 2012. A 6% improvement in academic achievement was demonstrated following the introduction of a peer coaching learning model. This was increased by a further 5% following the implementation of an integrated assessment. The improvement related to an overall averaged increase of one marking band. Students valued the strategy, and themes relating to the importance of social learning emerged from survey data. Peer coaching is an evidence-based teaching and learning strategy which can facilitate learning in complex subject areas. The strategy is underpinned by social learning theory which is supported by emergent student-reported attitudes.

  16. Supporting visual quality assessment with machine learning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gastaldo, P.; Zunino, R.; Redi, J.

    2013-01-01

    Objective metrics for visual quality assessment often base their reliability on the explicit modeling of the highly non-linear behavior of human perception; as a result, they may be complex and computationally expensive. Conversely, machine learning (ML) paradigms allow to tackle the quality

  17. Formative assessment promotes learning in undergraduate clinical ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Introduction. Clinical clerkships, typically situated in environments lacking educational structure, form the backbone of undergraduate medical training. The imperative to develop strategies that enhance learning in this context is apparent. This study explored the impact of longitudinal bedside formative assessment on ...

  18. Demographic and Psychometric Factors Related to Improved Performance on the Kohs Learning Potential Procedure. Studies in Learning Potential, Volume 3, Number 40.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Budoff, Milton; Corman, Louise

    Evaluated were variables effecting the differential performance of 627 educable mentally retarded Ss (mean age 14.5 years) on a test-train-retest task designed to measure learning potential. Family, social, health, schooling, and testing data were collected for the Ss of which 75% were students in public school special classes and 25% were…

  19. Taking Stock: Existing Resources for Assessing a New Vision of Science Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alonzo, Alicia C.; Ke, Li

    2016-01-01

    A new vision of science learning described in the "Next Generation Science Standards"--particularly the science and engineering practices and their integration with content--pose significant challenges for large-scale assessment. This article explores what might be learned from advances in large-scale science assessment and…

  20. Learning outcomes afforded by self-assessed, segmented video–print combinations

    OpenAIRE

    Jack Koumi

    2015-01-01

    Learning affordances of video and print are examined in order to assess the learning outcomes afforded by hybrid video–print learning packages. The affordances discussed for print are: navigability, surveyability and legibility. Those discussed for video are: design for constructive reflection, provision of realistic experiences, presentational attributes, motivational influences and teacher personalisation. The video affordances are examined through a framework of pedagogic design principles...

  1. Impact of Portfolio Assessment on Physics Students' Outcomes: Examination of Learning and Attitude

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gunay, Abdulkadir; Ogan-Bekiroglu, Feral

    2014-01-01

    In spite of the commendations for the use of portfolio assessment, there is still little evidence indicating that such assessment actually supports and encourages student learning. Hence, this research study aimed to empirically identify the effects of implementation of portfolio assessment on student learning and attitudes. True-experimental…

  2. Training self-assessment and task-selection skills : A cognitive approach to improving self-regulated learning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kostons, Danny; van Gog, Tamara; Paas, Fred

    For self-regulated learning to be effective, students need to be able to accurately assess their own performance on a learning task and use this assessment for the selection of a new learning task. Evidence suggests, however, that students have difficulties with accurate self-assessment and task

  3. Assessing the Roles of Student Engagement and Academic Emotions within Middle School Computer- Based Learning in College-Going Pathways

    Science.gov (United States)

    San Pedro, Maria Ofelia Z.

    2015-01-01

    This dissertation research focuses on assessing student behavior, academic emotions, and knowledge from a middle school online learning environment, and analyzing their potential effects on decisions about going to college. Using students' longitudinal data ranging from their middle school, to high school, to postsecondary years, I leverage…

  4. Integrating Machine Learning into a Crowdsourced Model for Earthquake-Induced Damage Assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rebbapragada, Umaa; Oommen, Thomas

    2011-01-01

    On January 12th, 2010, a catastrophic 7.0M earthquake devastated the country of Haiti. In the aftermath of an earthquake, it is important to rapidly assess damaged areas in order to mobilize the appropriate resources. The Haiti damage assessment effort introduced a promising model that uses crowdsourcing to map damaged areas in freely available remotely-sensed data. This paper proposes the application of machine learning methods to improve this model. Specifically, we apply work on learning from multiple, imperfect experts to the assessment of volunteer reliability, and propose the use of image segmentation to automate the detection of damaged areas. We wrap both tasks in an active learning framework in order to shift volunteer effort from mapping a full catalog of images to the generation of high-quality training data. We hypothesize that the integration of machine learning into this model improves its reliability, maintains the speed of damage assessment, and allows the model to scale to higher data volumes.

  5. The Potential of Capstone Learning Experiences in addressing perceived shortcomings in LLB Training in South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Geo Quinot

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Current debates about legal education in South Africa have revealed the perception that the LLB curriculum does not adequately integrate various outcomes, in particular outcomes relating to the development of skills in communication, problem solving, ethics, and in general a holistic view of the law in practice. One mechanism that has been mooted as a potential remedy to this situation is capstone courses, which will consolidate and integrate the four years of study in the final year and build a bridge to the world of practice. A literature review on capstone courses and learning experiences (collectively referred to as capstones indicates that these curriculum devices as modes of instruction offer particular pedagogical advantages. These include inculcating a strong perception of coherence across the curriculum and hence discipline in students, providing the opportunity for students to reflect on their learning during the course of the entire programme, creating an opportunity to engage with the complexity of law and legal practice, and guiding students through the transition from university to professional identity. An empirical analysis of the modes of instruction used in LLB curricula at 13 South African law faculties/schools indicates that there are six categories of existing modules or learning experiences that already exhibit elements of capstone-course design. These are clinics, internships, moots, research projects, topical capstones and capstone assessment. A further comparative study into foreign law curricula in especially Australia and the United States of America reveals four further noteworthy approaches to capstone-course design, namely problem-based learning, the virtual office, conferences and remedies courses. The empirical study suggests that capstones indeed hold the potential as learning experiences to address some of the challenges facing legal education in South Africa but that further development of this curriculum

  6. The Role of Self-Assessment in Foundation of Mathematics Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masriyah

    2018-01-01

    This research is motivated by the low performance of students who took Foundations of Mathematics course. This study was aimed to describe (1) the learning outcomes of students who learned Mathematics Foundation after learning axiomatic applying self-assessment; (2) the difficulty of students and the alternative solutions; and (3) the response of students toward Foundation of Mathematics learning taught by applying self-assessment. This research was a descriptive research. The subjects were 25 mathematics students who studied Foundation of Mathematics in odd semester of the 2015/2016 academic year. Data collection was done using questionnaires, and testing methods. Based on the results of data analysis, it can be concluded that the learning outcomes of students were categorized as “good.” Student responses were positive; the difficulties lied in the sub material: Classification of Axiom Systems and the requirements, Theorem and how the formation, and finite geometry. The alternatives deal with these difficulties are to give emphasis and explanation as needed on these materials, as well as provide some more exercises to reinforce their understanding.

  7. "Straitjacket" or "Springboard for Sustainable Learning"? The Implications of Formative Assessment Practices in Vocational Learning Cultures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davies, Jenifer; Ecclestone, Kathryn

    2008-01-01

    In contrast to theoretical and empirical insights from research into formative assessment in compulsory schooling, understanding the relationship between formative assessment, motivation and learning in vocational education has been a topic neglected by researchers. The Improving Formative Assessment project (IFA) addresses this gap, using a…

  8. Canonical Correlational Models of Students’ Perceptions of Assessment Tasks, Motivational Orientations, and Learning Strategies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hussain Alkharusi

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The present study aims at deriving correlational models of students' perceptions of assessment tasks, motivational orientations, and learning strategies using canonical analyses. Data were collected from 198 Omani tenth grade students. Results showed that high degrees of authenticity and transparency in assessment were associated with positive students' self-efficacy and task value. Also, high degrees of authenticity, transparency, and diversity in assessment were associated with a strong reliance on deep learning strategies; whereas a high degree of congruence with planned learning and a low degree of authenticity were associated with more reliance on surface learning strategies. Implications for classroom assessment practice and research were discussed.

  9. Immediate Judgments of Learning Predict Subsequent Recollection: Evidence from Event-Related Potentials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skavhaug, Ida-Maria; Wilding, Edward L.; Donaldson, David I.

    2013-01-01

    Judgments of learning (JOLs) are assessments of how well materials have been learned. Although a wide body of literature has demonstrated a reliable correlation between memory performance and JOLs, relatively little is known about the nature of this link. Here, we investigate the relationship between JOLs and the memory retrieval processes engaged…

  10. Facilitating peer based learning through summative assessment - An adaptation of the Objective Structured Clinical Assessment tool for the blended learning environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wikander, Lolita; Bouchoucha, Stéphane L

    2018-01-01

    Adapting a course from face to face to blended delivery necessitates that assessments are modified accordingly. In Australia the Objective Structured Clinical Assessment tool, as a derivative from the Objective Structured Clinical Examination, has been used in the face-to-face delivery mode as a formative or summative assessment tool in medicine and nursing since 1990. The Objective Structured Clinical Assessment has been used at Charles Darwin University to assess nursing students' simulated clinical skills prior to the commencement of their clinical placements since 2008. Although the majority of the course is delivered online, students attend a one-week intensive clinical simulation block yearly, prior to attending clinical placements. Initially, the Objective Structured Clinical Assessment was introduced as a lecturer assessed summative assessment, over time it was adapted to better suit the blended learning environment. The modification of the tool from an academic to peer assessed assessment tool, was based on the empirical literature, student feedback and a cross-sectional, qualitative study exploring academics' perceptions of the Objective Structured Clinical Assessment (Bouchoucha et al., 2013a, b). This paper presents an overview of the process leading to the successful adaptation of the Objective Structured Clinical Assessment to suit the requirements of a preregistration nursing course delivered through blended learning. This is significant as many universities are moving their curriculum to fully online or blended delivery, yet little attention has been paid to adapting the assessment of simulated clinical skills. The aim is to identify the benefits and drawbacks of using the peer assessed Objective Structured Clinical Assessment and share recommendations for successful implementation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Effectiveness of Adaptive Assessment versus Learner Control in a Multimedia Learning System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Ching-Huei; Chang, Shu-Wei

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of adaptive assessment versus learner control in a multimedia learning system designed to help secondary students learn science. Unlike other systems, this paper presents a workflow of adaptive assessment following instructional materials that better align with learners' cognitive…

  12. Framework for e-learning assessment in dental education: a global model for the future.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arevalo, Carolina R; Bayne, Stephen C; Beeley, Josie A; Brayshaw, Christine J; Cox, Margaret J; Donaldson, Nora H; Elson, Bruce S; Grayden, Sharon K; Hatzipanagos, Stylianos; Johnson, Lynn A; Reynolds, Patricia A; Schönwetter, Dieter J

    2013-05-01

    The framework presented in this article demonstrates strategies for a global approach to e-curricula in dental education by considering a collection of outcome assessment tools. By combining the outcomes for overall assessment, a global model for a pilot project that applies e-assessment tools to virtual learning environments (VLE), including haptics, is presented. Assessment strategies from two projects, HapTEL (Haptics in Technology Enhanced Learning) and UDENTE (Universal Dental E-learning), act as case-user studies that have helped develop the proposed global framework. They incorporate additional assessment tools and include evaluations from questionnaires and stakeholders' focus groups. These measure each of the factors affecting the classical teaching/learning theory framework as defined by Entwistle in a standardized manner. A mathematical combinatorial approach is proposed to join these results together as a global assessment. With the use of haptic-based simulation learning, exercises for tooth preparation assessing enamel and dentine were compared to plastic teeth in manikins. Equivalence for student performance for haptic versus traditional preparation methods was established, thus establishing the validity of the haptic solution for performing these exercises. Further data collected from HapTEL are still being analyzed, and pilots are being conducted to validate the proposed test measures. Initial results have been encouraging, but clearly the need persists to develop additional e-assessment methods for new learning domains.

  13. Is Blended e-Learning as Measured by an Achievement Test and Self-Assessment Better than Traditional Classroom Learning for Vocational High School Students?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chi-Cheng Chang

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of blended e-learning on electrical machinery performance (achievement test and self-assessment. Participants were two classes of 11th graders majoring in electrical engineering and taking the electrical machinery class at a vocational high school in Taiwan. The participants were randomly selected and assigned to either the experimental group (n = 33 which studied through blended e-learning or the control group (n = 32 which studied through traditional classroom learning. The experiment lasted for five weeks. The results showed that (a there were no significant differences in achievement test scores between blended e-learning and traditional learning; (b students in the experimental group obtained significantly higher scores on self-assessment than students in the control group; (c students’ scores on self-assessment were significantly higher after studying through blended e-learning than before. Overall, blended e-learning did not significantly affect students’ achievement test scores, but significantly affected their self-assessment scores.

  14. Mapping epistemic cultures and learning potential of participants in citizen science projects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vallabh, Priya; Lotz-Sisitka, Heila; O'Donoghue, Rob; Schudel, Ingrid

    2016-06-01

    The ever-widening scope and range of global change and interconnected systemic risks arising from people-environment relationships (social-ecological risks) appears to be increasing concern among, and involvement of, citizens in an increasingly diversified number of citizen science projects responding to these risks. We examined the relationship between epistemic cultures in citizen science projects and learning potential related to matters of concern. We then developed a typology of purposes and a citizen science epistemic-cultures heuristic and mapped 56 projects in southern Africa using this framework. The purpose typology represents the range of knowledge-production purposes, ranging from laboratory science to social learning, whereas the epistemic-cultures typology is a relational representation of scientist and citizen participation and their approach to knowledge production. Results showed an iterative relationship between matters of fact and matters of concern across the projects; the nexus of citizens' engagement in knowledge-production activities varied. The knowledge-production purposes informed and shaped the epistemic cultures of all the sampled citizen science projects, which in turn influenced the potential for learning within each project. Through a historical review of 3 phases in a long-term river health-monitoring project, we found that it is possible to evolve the learning curve of citizen science projects. This evolution involved the development of scientific water monitoring tools, the parallel development of pedagogic practices supporting monitoring activities, and situated engagement around matters of concern within social activism leading to learning-led change. We conclude that such evolutionary processes serve to increase potential for learning and are necessary if citizen science is to contribute to wider restructuring of the epistemic culture of science under conditions of expanding social-ecological risk. © 2016 Society for

  15. An Interview with Marcia Tate: Formative Assessment and Brain Based Learning

    OpenAIRE

    Shaughnessy, Michael

    2016-01-01

    In this interview, Dr. Marcia Tate discusses her work and focuses on critical issues in brain based learning, and the need for both formative and summative assessment. Tangential issues such as grade retention, and response to intervention are also discussed. It is hope that this interview will assist teachers in the instructional and learning process and aid in both formative and summative assessment.  

  16. Potential usefulness of an artificial neural network for assessing ventricular size

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fukuda, Haruyuki; Nakajima, Hideyuki; Usuki, Noriaki; Saiwai, Shigeo; Miyamoto, Takeshi; Inoue, Yuichi; Onoyama, Yasuto.

    1995-01-01

    An artificial neural network approach was applied to assess ventricular size from computed tomograms. Three layer, feed-forward neural networks with a back propagation algorithm were designed to distinguish between three degree of enlargement of the ventricles on the basis of patient's age and six items of computed tomographic information. Data for training and testing the neural network were created with computed tomograms of the brains selected at random from daily examinations. Four radiologists decided by mutual consent subjectively based on their experience whether the ventricles were within normal limits, slightly enlarged, or enlarged for the patient's age. The data for training was obtained from 38 patients. The data for testing was obtained from 47 other patients. The performance of the neural network trained using the data for training was evaluated by the rate of correct answers to the data for testing. The valid solution ratio to response of the test data obtained from the trained neural networks was more than 90% for all conditions in this study. The solutions were completely valid in the neural networks with two or three units at the hidden layer with 2,200 learning iterations, and with two units at the hidden layer with 11,000 learning iterations. The squared error decreased remarkably in the range from 0 to 500 learning iterations, and was close to a contrast over two thousand learning iterations. The neural network with a hidden layer having two or three units showed high decision performance. The preliminary results strongly suggest that the neural network approach has potential utility in computer-aided estimation of enlargement of the ventricles. (author)

  17. Learning Potential and Cognitive Modifiability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kozulin, Alex

    2011-01-01

    The relationship between thinking and learning constitutes one of the fundamental problems of cognitive psychology. Though there is an obvious overlap between the domains of thinking and learning, it seems more productive to consider learning as being predominantly acquisition while considering thinking as the application of the existent concepts…

  18. Boosting Vocabulary Learning through Self-Assessment in an English Language Teaching Context

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duque Micán, Adriana; Cuesta Medina, Liliana

    2017-01-01

    This study explores the influence of self-assessment of vocabulary competence on a group of students' oral fluency. Twenty-four young adult learners participated in a learning process that promoted their oral skills and vocabulary development. Self-assessment was mainly examined through the analysis of students' learning logs, field notes and…

  19. Low Latency Audio Video: Potentials for Collaborative Music Making through Distance Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riley, Holly; MacLeod, Rebecca B.; Libera, Matthew

    2016-01-01

    The primary purpose of this study was to examine the potential of LOw LAtency (LOLA), a low latency audio visual technology designed to allow simultaneous music performance, as a distance learning tool for musical styles in which synchronous playing is an integral aspect of the learning process (e.g., jazz, folk styles). The secondary purpose was…

  20. Assessing Grasp Stability Based on Learning and Haptic Data

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bekiroglu, Yasemin; Laaksonen, Janne; Jørgensen, Jimmy Alison

    2011-01-01

    a probabilistic learning framework to assess grasp stability and demonstrate that knowledge about grasp stability can be inferred using information from tactile sensors. Experiments on both simulated and real data are shown. The results indicate that the idea to exploit the learning approach is applicable...... data and machine-learning methods, including AdaBoost, support vector machines (SVMs), and hidden Markov models (HMMs). In particular, we study the effect of different sensory streams to grasp stability. This includes object information such as shape; grasp information such as approach vector; tactile...

  1. The Possibilities and Limitations of Assessment for Learning: Exploring the Theory of Formative Assessment and the Notion of "Closing the Learning Gap"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ninomiya, Shuichi

    2016-01-01

    Black and Wiliam (1998a, 1998b) demonstrate that formative assessment is one of the most effective strategies for promoting student learning. Since the publication of their reviews, formative assessment has gained increasing international prominence in both policy and practice. However, despite this early innovation, the theory and practice of…

  2. Language Learning Shifts and Attitudes towards Language Learning in an Online Tandem Program for Beginner Writers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tolosa, Constanza; Ordóñez, Claudia Lucía; Guevara, Diana Carolina

    2017-01-01

    We present findings of a project that investigated the potential of an online tandem program to enhance the foreign language learning of two groups of school-aged beginner learners, one learning English in Colombia and the other learning Spanish in New Zealand. We assessed the impact of the project on students' learning with a free writing…

  3. Pedagogical Voyeurism: Dialogic Critique of Documentation and Assessment of Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matusov, Eugene; Marjanovic-Shane, Ana; Meacham, Sohyun

    2016-01-01

    We challenge a common emphasis on documentation and assessment of learning for providing good education: from the mainstream of neoliberal accountability movement to the progressive Reggio Emilia schools. We develop these arguments through discussing: 1) immeasurableness of education and learning, 2) students' ownership/authorship of education and…

  4. Assessing Student Learning in Academic Advising Using Social Cognitive Theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erlich, Richard J.; Russ-Eft, Darlene F.

    2013-01-01

    We investigated whether the social cognitive theory constructs of self-efficacy and self-regulated learning apply to academic advising for measuring student learning outcomes. Community college students (N = 120) participated in an individual academic-advising session. We assessed students' post-intervention self-efficacy in academic planning and…

  5. Assessing Metacognition as a Learning Outcome in a Postsecondary Strategic Learning Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mytkowicz, Patricia; Goss, Diane; Steinberg, Bruce

    2014-01-01

    While metacognition is an important component of the learning process for college students, development of metacognitive knowledge and regulation is particularly important for students with LD and/or ADHD. The researchers used Schraw and Dennison's (1994) "Metacognitive Awareness Inventory" (MAI) to assess first year college students'…

  6. Research and Teaching: Assessing the Effect of Problem-Based Learning on Undergraduate Student Learning in Biomechanics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mandeville, David; Stoner, Mark

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the effect of using the problem-based learning (PBL) teaching strategy on student academic achievement and secondary learning outcomes when compared with the traditional lecture (TL) for an undergraduate Biomechanics course. Successive undergraduate Biomechanics courses--a TL cohort and a PBL cohort--were…

  7. Towards professionalism in music: self-assessed learning strategies of conservatory music students

    OpenAIRE

    Virkkula, Esa; Nissilä, Säde-Pirkko

    2017-01-01

    One of the current spearhead projects in Finnish education is learning to learn. Learning strategies have been examined from a variety of perspectives. They are policies that either promote or hinder learning. They are any behaviours or thoughts that facilitate encoding in such a way that knowledge integration and retrieval are enhanced. Strategies can be practiced and learnt. Direct and indirect learning strategies formed the model of defining music students’ self-assessed learning habits in...

  8. A framework to evaluate the educational potential of a digital artefact for math learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chiappini Giampaolo

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This article provides a methodology with two potential applications: to prove useful to maths teachers for analysing and evaluating the educational potential of different digital artefacts and to help designers of maths learning artefacts to evaluate their design during the implementation phase. The educational potential of an artefact is considered as an entity determined by actions and representations structure available within the artefact, the interpretation and behaviour of who uses it and the features of the activity in which it is used. The proposed methodology is based on the notions of affordance, narrative and cycle of expansive learning. The methodology has been applied on AlNuSet, a system designed for supporting the teaching and learning of algebra by means of modalities of interaction that are of visual, spatial and motor nature.

  9. Effects of Peer-Assessed Feedback, Goal Setting and a Group Contingency on Performance and Learning by 10-12-Year-Old Academy Soccer Players

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holt, Josh E.; Kinchin, Gary; Clarke, Gill

    2012-01-01

    Background: Coaches developing young talent in team sports must maximise practice and learning of essential game skills and accurately and continuously assess the performance and potential of each player. Relative age effects highlight an erroneous process of initial and on-going player assessment, based largely on subjective opinions of game…

  10. Applying Social Cognitive Theory to Academic Advising to Assess Student Learning Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erlich, Richard J.; Russ-Eft, Darlene

    2011-01-01

    Review of social cognitive theory constructs of self-efficacy and self-regulated learning is applied to academic advising for the purposes of assessing student learning. A brief overview of the history of student learning outcomes in higher education is followed by an explanation of self-efficacy and self-regulated learning constructs and how they…

  11. Health Sciences Students’ Self-Assessment of Information and Communication Technology Skills and Attitude Toward e-Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Shawaf, Hamza Mohammad Hassan; Almajran, Abdullah Abdulaziz

    2016-01-01

    Background In medical education, information and communication technology (ICT) knowledge and skills have become a necessity and an integral part of preparing tomorrow’s doctors to be sufficiently competent to use informatics resources effectively and efficiently for the best practice of medicine. Objective This research aimed to study the literacy of the preprofessional students in ICT before and after taking the basic informatics course at the Health Sciences Center at Kuwait University, to understand their potential and their attitudes toward using ICT, including e-learning. Methods A validated questionnaire was used to collect data from 200 students in 2 stages: before and after the informatics course on the preprofessional program. In addition, the tutors’ observational assessments of the students’ achievements during the informatics course were obtained. Results The response rate of students before the course was 85.5% (171/200) and after was 77% (154/200). Of 200 students, 85% were female, and 15% were male. This disproportional representation of genders was due to the fact that 85% of registered students were female. Approximately 59% (101/171) of the students assessed themselves before the course as computer literate; afterward, this increased to 70.1% (108/154). Students who were still computer illiterate (29.2%; 45/154) mostly used the excuse of a lack of time (60%; 27/45). In generic ICT skills, the highest levels were for word processing, email, and Web browsing, whereas the lowest levels were for spreadsheets and database. In specific ICT skills, most respondents were reported low levels for statistical package use and Web page design. The results found that there was a significant improvement between students’ general ICT skills before and after the course. The results showed that there were significant improvement between how frequently students were using Medline (Pstudents who completed the course (72.8%; 110/151) chose the learning

  12. The relationship between students’ perceptions of portfolio assessment practice and their approaches to learning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Segers, M.S.R.; Gijbels, D.; Thurlings, M.C.G.

    2008-01-01

    This study focuses on students’ learning approaches in the context of a competency-based program on Applied Sciences, with portfolio assessment as its core mode of assessment. The study examines students’ perceptions of these assessment practices and the relationships to their learning approaches.

  13. Challenges in relation to assessment of prior learning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wahlgren, Bjarne; Aarkrog, Vibe

    2013-01-01

    The paper deals about preliminary results from an on-going project: “From unskilled worker to skilled worker in record time”. The aim of the project is to qualify unskilled workers for skilled positions in record time by drafting up a plan for the training based on assessment of the students’ (the....... Observations and or with the students about the students’ workplace based experiences and learning and 2. Drafting up an individual study plan based on the individual student’s prior learning....

  14. Development and assessment of learning objects about intramuscular medication administration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lilian Mayumi Chinen Tamashiro

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: to develop and assess a learning object about intramuscular medication administration for nursing undergraduates and nurses.METHOD: a random, intentional and non-probabilistic sample was selected of nurses from a Brazilian social network of nursing and students from the Undergraduate Program at the University of São Paulo School of Nursing to serve as research subjects and assess the object.RESULTS: the participants, 8 nurses and 8 students, studied the object and answered an assessment instrument that included the following criteria: educational aspects (relevance of the theme, objectives and texts/hypertexts, interface of the environment (navigation, accessibility and screen design and didactic resources (interactivity and presentation of resources. In total, 128 significant answers were obtained, 124 (97% of which were positive, assessed as excellent and satisfactory, considered as a flexible, dynamic, objective resources that is appropriate to the nursing learning process.CONCLUSION: the educational technology shows a clear and easily understandable language and the teaching method could be applied in other themes, contributing to the education and training of nursing professionals, positively affecting nursing teaching, stimulating the knowledge, autonomous and independent learning, aligned with the new professional education requirements.

  15. Aligned assessment in support of high-level learning: A critical ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The article describes a specific formative assessment task in an ODL learning context and touches on issues of self-regulated learning and appropriation of student writing. Biggs' theory of constructive alignment, which underpins the assignment, requires an evaluation of the degree to which students construct meaning from ...

  16. Potential Role of Honey in Learning and Memory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zahiruddin Othman

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available The composition and physicochemical properties of honey are variable depending on its floral source and often named according to the geographical location. The potential medicinal benefits of Tualang honey, a multifloral jungle honey found in Malaysia, have recently been attracting attention because of its reported beneficial effects in various diseases. This paper reviews the effects of honey, particularly Tualang honey, on learning and memory. Information regarding the effects of Tualang honey on learning and memory in human as well as animal models is gleaned to hypothesize its underlying mechanisms. These studies show that Tualang honey improves morphology of memory-related brain areas, reduces brain oxidative stress, increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF and acetylcholine (ACh concentrations, and reduces acetylcholinesterase (AChE in the brain homogenates. Its anti-inflammatory roles in reducing inflammatory trigger and microglial activation have yet to be investigated. It is hypothesized that the improvement in learning and memory following Tualang honey supplementation is due to the significant improvement in brain morphology and enhancement of brain cholinergic system secondary to reduction in brain oxidative damage and/or upregulation of BDNF concentration. Further studies are imperative to elucidate the molecular mechanism of actions.

  17. Investigating a self-scoring interview simulation for learning and assessment in the medical consultation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bruen C

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Catherine Bruen,1 Clarence Kreiter,2 Vincent Wade,3 Teresa Pawlikowska1 1Health Professions Education Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland; 2Department of Family Medicine, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA; 3School of Computer Science and Statistics, Faculty of Engineering, Mathematics and Science, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland Abstract: Experience with simulated patients supports undergraduate learning of medical consultation skills. Adaptive simulations are being introduced into this environment. The authors investigate whether it can underpin valid and reliable assessment by conducting a generalizability analysis using IT data analytics from the interaction of medical students (in psychiatry with adaptive simulations to explore the feasibility of adaptive simulations for supporting automated learning and assessment. The generalizability (G study was focused on two clinically relevant variables: clinical decision points and communication skills. While the G study on the communication skills score yielded low levels of true score variance, the results produced by the decision points, indicating clinical decision-making and confirming user knowledge of the process of the Calgary–Cambridge model of consultation, produced reliability levels similar to what might be expected with rater-based scoring. The findings indicate that adaptive simulations have potential as a teaching and assessment tool for medical consultations. Keywords: medical education, simulation technology, competency assessment, generalizability theory

  18. Potential for Assessing Dynamic Problem-Solving at the Beginning of Higher Education Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Csapó, Benő; Molnár, Gyöngyvér

    2017-01-01

    There is a growing demand for assessment instruments which can be used in higher education, which cover a broader area of competencies than the traditional tests for disciplinary knowledge and domain-specific skills, and which measure students' most important general cognitive capabilities. Around the age of the transition from secondary to tertiary education, such assessments may serve several functions, including selecting the best-prepared candidates for certain fields of study. Dynamic problem-solving (DPS) is a good candidate for such a role, as tasks that assess it involve knowledge acquisition and knowledge utilization as well. The purpose of this study is to validate an online DPS test and to explore its potential for assessing students' DPS skills at the beginning of their higher education studies. Participants in the study were first-year students at a major Hungarian university (n = 1468). They took five tests that measured knowledge from their previous studies: Hungarian language and literature, mathematics, history, science and English as a Foreign Language (EFL). A further, sixth test based on the MicroDYN approach, assessed students' DPS skills. A brief questionnaire explored learning strategies and collected data on students' background. The testing took place at the beginning of the first semester in three 2-h sessions. Problem-solving showed relatively strong correlations with mathematics (r = 0.492) and science (r = 0.401), and moderate correlations with EFL (r = 0.227), history (r = 0.192), and Hungarian (r = 0.125). Weak but still significant correlations were found with certain learning strategies, positive correlations with elaboration strategies, and a negative correlation with memorization strategies. Significant differences were observed between male and female students; men performed significantly better in DPS than women. Results indicated the dominant role of the first phase of solving dynamic problems, as knowledge acquisition

  19. Potential for Assessing Dynamic Problem-Solving at the Beginning of Higher Education Studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Csapó, Benő; Molnár, Gyöngyvér

    2017-01-01

    There is a growing demand for assessment instruments which can be used in higher education, which cover a broader area of competencies than the traditional tests for disciplinary knowledge and domain-specific skills, and which measure students' most important general cognitive capabilities. Around the age of the transition from secondary to tertiary education, such assessments may serve several functions, including selecting the best-prepared candidates for certain fields of study. Dynamic problem-solving (DPS) is a good candidate for such a role, as tasks that assess it involve knowledge acquisition and knowledge utilization as well. The purpose of this study is to validate an online DPS test and to explore its potential for assessing students' DPS skills at the beginning of their higher education studies. Participants in the study were first-year students at a major Hungarian university ( n = 1468). They took five tests that measured knowledge from their previous studies: Hungarian language and literature, mathematics, history, science and English as a Foreign Language (EFL). A further, sixth test based on the MicroDYN approach, assessed students' DPS skills. A brief questionnaire explored learning strategies and collected data on students' background. The testing took place at the beginning of the first semester in three 2-h sessions. Problem-solving showed relatively strong correlations with mathematics ( r = 0.492) and science ( r = 0.401), and moderate correlations with EFL ( r = 0.227), history ( r = 0.192), and Hungarian ( r = 0.125). Weak but still significant correlations were found with certain learning strategies, positive correlations with elaboration strategies, and a negative correlation with memorization strategies. Significant differences were observed between male and female students; men performed significantly better in DPS than women. Results indicated the dominant role of the first phase of solving dynamic problems, as knowledge acquisition

  20. Potential for Assessing Dynamic Problem-Solving at the Beginning of Higher Education Studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benő Csapó

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available There is a growing demand for assessment instruments which can be used in higher education, which cover a broader area of competencies than the traditional tests for disciplinary knowledge and domain-specific skills, and which measure students' most important general cognitive capabilities. Around the age of the transition from secondary to tertiary education, such assessments may serve several functions, including selecting the best-prepared candidates for certain fields of study. Dynamic problem-solving (DPS is a good candidate for such a role, as tasks that assess it involve knowledge acquisition and knowledge utilization as well. The purpose of this study is to validate an online DPS test and to explore its potential for assessing students' DPS skills at the beginning of their higher education studies. Participants in the study were first-year students at a major Hungarian university (n = 1468. They took five tests that measured knowledge from their previous studies: Hungarian language and literature, mathematics, history, science and English as a Foreign Language (EFL. A further, sixth test based on the MicroDYN approach, assessed students' DPS skills. A brief questionnaire explored learning strategies and collected data on students' background. The testing took place at the beginning of the first semester in three 2-h sessions. Problem-solving showed relatively strong correlations with mathematics (r = 0.492 and science (r = 0.401, and moderate correlations with EFL (r = 0.227, history (r = 0.192, and Hungarian (r = 0.125. Weak but still significant correlations were found with certain learning strategies, positive correlations with elaboration strategies, and a negative correlation with memorization strategies. Significant differences were observed between male and female students; men performed significantly better in DPS than women. Results indicated the dominant role of the first phase of solving dynamic problems, as knowledge

  1. Assessment is for learning: Supporting feedback

    OpenAIRE

    McLaren, Susan

    2012-01-01

    This paper describes an action research, school situated project conducted withpartnership funding from Learning and Teaching Scotland, Scottish QualificationsAuthority and Becta, the UK government’s agency for communications technology in education. Based on e-scape (e-solutions for creative assessment in portfolio environments), developed by Goldsmiths, University of London, the Scottish project focussed on integrating innovative methods of capturing evidence of creative performance with pr...

  2. In it together: Organizational learning through participation in environmental assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fitzpatrick, Patricia

    2005-07-01

    Can organizations learn through participation in environmental assessment (EA)? This was the central research question of a study that explored the linkages among sustainable development, EA, public participation, and learning. To address this question, the research design involved a comparative case study of two concurrent but geographically separate projects, the Wuskwatim generation station and transmission lines projects (Wuskwatim projects), and the Snap Lake Diamonds Project (Snap Lake project). The Wuskwatim projects involve the construction of a low head dam and three 230 kV transmission line segments in Northern Manitoba, Canada. The Snap Lake Project involves the construction and operation of a diamond mine 220 km northwest of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, at the headwaters of the Lockhart River drainage system. The EAs of these proposed developments provided multiple opportunities for public (and organizational) involvement in the review, including comments on the scope of the assessment, information requests, and public hearings. Data collection included participant observation, semi-structured interviews with EA participants, and documentation generated through the course of the reviews. Data were organized using QSR Nvivo, a database software system. In this dissertation, three key contributions are made. The theoretical framework that draws together a number of separate but related fields of study---communicative action, discursive democracy, transformative learning, organizational learning---is the first contribution. The second is verification that organizations learn through participation in EA. Third, empirical support is presented far the assertion that transformative learning can address change beyond that experienced by the individual, to account for both policy-oriented and organizational learning. Related to the second contribution, results indicate that participants of EA engage in Teaming on multiple scales. Furthermore

  3. Critical steps in learning from incidents: using learning potential in the process from reporting an incident to accident prevention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drupsteen, Linda; Groeneweg, Jop; Zwetsloot, Gerard I J M

    2013-01-01

    Many incidents have occurred because organisations have failed to learn from lessons of the past. This means that there is room for improvement in the way organisations analyse incidents, generate measures to remedy identified weaknesses and prevent reoccurrence: the learning from incidents process. To improve that process, it is necessary to gain insight into the steps of this process and to identify factors that hinder learning (bottlenecks). This paper presents a model that enables organisations to analyse the steps in a learning from incidents process and to identify the bottlenecks. The study describes how this model is used in a survey and in 3 exploratory case studies in The Netherlands. The results show that there is limited use of learning potential, especially in the evaluation stage. To improve learning, an approach that considers all steps is necessary.

  4. Income Tax Preparation Assistance Service Learning Program: A Multidimensional Assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aldridge, Richard; Callahan, Richard A.; Chen, Yining; Wade, Stacy R.

    2015-01-01

    The authors present a multidimensional assessment of the outcomes and benefits of an income tax preparation assistance (ITPA) service learning program. They measure the perceived proximate benefits at the delivery of the service program, the actual learning outcome benefits prior to graduation, and the perceived long-term benefits from a…

  5. Linking Past and Present: John Dewey and Assessment for Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kucey, Sharen; Parsons, Jim

    2017-01-01

    This collection of extracts is drawn from an article originally published in the "Journal of Teaching and Learning" (2012). It provides an important reminder to understand Assessment for Learning in depth, by relating some of its key features to aspects of John Dewey's educational and political philosophy of democratic participation.

  6. The Challenge of Assessing Professional Competence in Work Integrated Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    McNamara, Judith

    2013-01-01

    A fundamental aspect of work integrated learning (WIL) is the development of professional competence, the ability of students to perform in the workplace. Alignment theory therefore suggests that the assessment of WIL should include an assessment of students' demonstration of professional competence in the workplace. The assessment of professional…

  7. Inhibition of amygdaloid dopamine D2 receptors impairs emotional learning measured with fear-potentiated startle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greba, Q; Gifkins, A; Kokkinidis, L

    2001-04-27

    Considerable advances have been made in understanding the neurocircuitry underlying the acquisition and expression of Pavlovian conditioned fear responses. Within the complex cellular and molecular processes mediating fearfulness, amygdaloid dopamine (DA), originating from cells in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of the midbrain, is thought to contribute to fear-motivated responding. Considering that blockade of DA D(2) receptors is a common mechanism of action for antipsychotic agents, we hypothesized that inhibition of D(2) receptors in the amygdala may be involved in the antiparanoid effects of these drugs. To assess the role of amygdaloid DA D(2) receptors in aversive emotionality, the D(2) receptor antagonist raclopride was infused into the amygdala prior to Pavlovian fear conditioning. Potentiated startle was used as a behavioral indicator of fear and anxiety. Classical fear conditioning and acoustic startle testing were conducted in a single session allowing for the concomitant assessment of shock reactivity with startle enhancement. Depending on dose, the results found conditioned fear acquisition and retention to be impaired following administration of raclopride into the amygdala. Additionally, the learning deficit was dissociated from shock detection and from fear expression assessed with the shock sensitization of acoustic startle. These findings further refine the known neural mechanisms of amygdala-based emotional learning and memory and were interpreted to suggest that, along with D(1) receptors, D(2) receptors in the amygdala may mediate the formation and the retention of newly-acquired fear associations.

  8. Learning Analytics Architecture to Scaffold Learning Experience through Technology-based Methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jannicke Madeleine Baalsrud Hauge

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available The challenge of delivering personalized learning experiences is often increased by the size of classrooms and online learning communities. Serious Games (SGs are increasingly recognized for their potential to improve education. However, the issues related to their development and their level of effectiveness can be seriously affected when brought too rapidly into growing online learning communities. Deeper insights into how the students are playing is needed to deliver a comprehensive and intelligent learning framework that facilitates better understanding of learners' knowledge, effective assessment of their progress and continuous evaluation and optimization of the environments in which they learn. This paper discusses current SOTA and aims to explore the potential in the use of games and learning analytics towards scaffolding and supporting teaching and learning experience. The conceptual model (ecosystem and architecture discussed in this paper aims to highlight the key considerations that may advance the current state of learning analytics, adaptive learning and SGs, by leveraging SGs as an suitable medium for gathering data and performing adaptations.

  9. Beyond static assessment of children's receptive vocabulary: the dynamic assessment of word learning (DAWL).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camilleri, Bernard; Botting, Nicola

    2013-01-01

    Children's low scores on vocabulary tests are often erroneously interpreted as reflecting poor cognitive and/or language skills. It may be necessary to incorporate the measurement of word-learning ability in estimating children's lexical abilities. To explore the reliability and validity of the Dynamic Assessment of Word Learning (DAWL), a new dynamic assessment of receptive vocabulary. A dynamic assessment (DA) of word learning ability was developed and adopted within a nursery school setting with 15 children aged between 3;07 and 4;03, ten of whom had been referred to speech and language therapy. A number of quantitative measures were derived from the DA procedure, including measures of children's ability to identify the targeted items and to generalize to a second exemplar, as well as measures of children's ability to retain the targeted items. Internal, inter-rater and test-retest reliability of the DAWL was established as well as correlational measures of concurrent and predictive validity. The DAWL was found to provide both quantitative and qualitative information which could be used to improve the accuracy of differential diagnosis and the understanding of processes underlying the child's performance. The latter can be used for the purpose of designing more individualized interventions. © 2013 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

  10. Using Learning and Motivation Theories to Coherently Link Formative Assessment, Grading Practices, and Large-Scale Assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shepard, L. A.; Penuel, W. R.; Pellegrino, J. W.

    2018-01-01

    To support equitable and ambitious teaching practices, classroom assessment design must be grounded in a research-based theory of learning. Compared to other theories, sociocultural theory offers a more powerful, integrative account of how motivational aspects of learning--such as self-regulation, self-efficacy, sense of belonging, and…

  11. Puzzling with potential : dynamic testing of analogical reasoning in children

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Stevenson, Claire Elisabeth

    2012-01-01

    Assessment procedures are frequent in children's school careers; however, measuring potential for learning has remained a puzzle. Dynamic testing is a method to assess cognitive potential that includes training in the assessment process. The goal of this thesis project was to develop a new dynamic

  12. The Greatest Learning Return on Your Pedagogical Investment: Alignment, Assessment or In-Class Instruction?

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  13. The Greatest Learning Return on Your Pedagogical Investment: Alignment, Assessment or In-Class Instruction?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emily A Holt

    Full Text Available 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.

  14. Hysteroscopic sterilization using a virtual reality simulator: assessment of learning curve.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janse, Juliënne A; Goedegebuure, Ruben S A; Veersema, Sebastiaan; Broekmans, Frank J M; Schreuder, Henk W R

    2013-01-01

    To assess the learning curve using a virtual reality simulator for hysteroscopic sterilization with the Essure method. Prospective multicenter study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). University and teaching hospital in the Netherlands. Thirty novices (medical students) and five experts (gynecologists who had performed >150 Essure sterilization procedures). All participants performed nine repetitions of bilateral Essure placement on the simulator. Novices returned after 2 weeks and performed a second series of five repetitions to assess retention of skills. Structured observations on performance using the Global Rating Scale and parameters derived from the simulator provided measurements for analysis. The learning curve is represented by improvement per procedure. Two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to analyze learning curves. Effect size (ES) was calculated to express the practical significance of the results (ES ≥ 0.50 indicates a large learning effect). For all parameters, significant improvements were found in novice performance within nine repetitions. Large learning effects were established for six of eight parameters (p learning curve established in this study endorses future implementation of the simulator in curricula on hysteroscopic skill acquisition for clinicians who are interested in learning this sterilization technique. Copyright © 2013 AAGL. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Assessing the impact of blended learning on student performance

    OpenAIRE

    Do Won Kwak; Flavio Menezes; Carl Sherwood

    2013-01-01

    This paper assesses quantitatively the impact on student performance of a blended learning experiment within a large undergraduate first year course in statistics for business and economics students. We employ a differences- in-difference econometric approach, which controls for differences in student characteristics and course delivery method, to evaluate the impact of blended learning on student performance. Although students in the course manifest a preference for live lectures over online...

  16. The potential use of mobile technology: enhancing accessibility and communication in a blended learning course

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tabisa Mayisela

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Mobile technology is increasingly being used to support blended learning beyond computer centres. It has been considered as a potential solution to the problem of a shortage of computers for accessing online learning materials (courseware in a blended learning course. The purpose of the study was to establish how the use of mobile technology could enhance accessibility and communication in a blended learning course. Data were solicitedfrom a purposive convenience sample of 36 students engaged in the blended learning course. The case study utilized a mixed-methods approach. An unstructured interview was conducted with the course lecturer and these data informed the design of the students' semi-structured questionnaire. It was found that students with access to mobile technology had an increased opportunity to access the courseware of the blended learning course. Mobile technology further enhanced student-to-student and student-to-lecturer communication by means of social networks. The study concludes that mobile technology has the potential to increase accessibility and communication in a blended learning course. Recommendations, limitations of the present study, and suggestionsforfuture research were made.

  17. An Automated System for Skeletal Maturity Assessment by Extreme Learning Machines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mansourvar, Marjan; Shamshirband, Shahaboddin; Raj, Ram Gopal; Gunalan, Roshan; Mazinani, Iman

    2015-01-01

    Assessing skeletal age is a subjective and tedious examination process. Hence, automated assessment methods have been developed to replace manual evaluation in medical applications. In this study, a new fully automated method based on content-based image retrieval and using extreme learning machines (ELM) is designed and adapted to assess skeletal maturity. The main novelty of this approach is it overcomes the segmentation problem as suffered by existing systems. The estimation results of ELM models are compared with those of genetic programming (GP) and artificial neural networks (ANNs) models. The experimental results signify improvement in assessment accuracy over GP and ANN, while generalization capability is possible with the ELM approach. Moreover, the results are indicated that the ELM model developed can be used confidently in further work on formulating novel models of skeletal age assessment strategies. According to the experimental results, the new presented method has the capacity to learn many hundreds of times faster than traditional learning methods and it has sufficient overall performance in many aspects. It has conclusively been found that applying ELM is particularly promising as an alternative method for evaluating skeletal age.

  18. An Automated System for Skeletal Maturity Assessment by Extreme Learning Machines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mansourvar, Marjan; Shamshirband, Shahaboddin; Raj, Ram Gopal; Gunalan, Roshan; Mazinani, Iman

    2015-01-01

    Assessing skeletal age is a subjective and tedious examination process. Hence, automated assessment methods have been developed to replace manual evaluation in medical applications. In this study, a new fully automated method based on content-based image retrieval and using extreme learning machines (ELM) is designed and adapted to assess skeletal maturity. The main novelty of this approach is it overcomes the segmentation problem as suffered by existing systems. The estimation results of ELM models are compared with those of genetic programming (GP) and artificial neural networks (ANNs) models. The experimental results signify improvement in assessment accuracy over GP and ANN, while generalization capability is possible with the ELM approach. Moreover, the results are indicated that the ELM model developed can be used confidently in further work on formulating novel models of skeletal age assessment strategies. According to the experimental results, the new presented method has the capacity to learn many hundreds of times faster than traditional learning methods and it has sufficient overall performance in many aspects. It has conclusively been found that applying ELM is particularly promising as an alternative method for evaluating skeletal age. PMID:26402795

  19. Prior learning assessment and quality assurance practice ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The use of RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) in higher education to assess RPL candidates for admission into programmes of study met with a lot of criticism from faculty academics. Lecturers viewed the possibility of admitting large numbers of under-qualified adult learners, as a threat to the institution's reputation, or an ...

  20. The Learning Loss Scale as an Assessment Tool: An Empirical Examination of Convergent Validity with Performative Measures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hooker, John; Denker, Katherine

    2014-01-01

    Higher education has placed an increasingly greater value on assessment. The Learning Loss Scale may be an appropriate tool to assess learning across disciplines. In this paper, we review the culture of assessment, conceptualizations of cognitive learning, the Learning Loss Scale, and a theoretical explanation, and then we test this measure to…

  1. Teacher's Ability to Develop Learning Materials Potentially Mathematical Discourse

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamdani Hamdani

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available In the process of learning in the field, the teacher still dominates the conversation while the students as a passive listener. As a result, not only the communication skills of students who are less developed, the understanding of student material is also lacking. Therefore it is necessary to research the ability of teachers in developing learning tools potentially mathematical discourse to improve students' mathematical communication skills. The research method used is descriptive. Research activities include: identification of problems through questionnaires, observation, and interviews; teacher training; teachers develop learning tools; validation; and enhancement of the device by the teacher. The subject of this research is the junior high school mathematics teacher from several districts in the border area of Sambas-Sarawak Regency. The results show that in every learning mathematics there is always a conversation between teachers and students, but rarely use the question "why" and "how". Most teacher-made lesson plans contain scenarios of conversations between teachers and students, but just plain questioning, have not led to a debate between each other so that understanding becomes deeper. Student worksheet made by the teacher in the form of a matter of the ordinary story, rarely load non-routine problem let alone open-ended.

  2. How much is too much assessment? Insight into assessment-driven student learning gains in large-scale undergraduate microbiology courses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jack T H; Schembri, Mark A; Hall, Roy A

    2013-01-01

    Designing and implementing assessment tasks in large-scale undergraduate science courses is a labor-intensive process subject to increasing scrutiny from students and quality assurance authorities alike. Recent pedagogical research has provided conceptual frameworks for teaching introductory undergraduate microbiology, but has yet to define best-practice assessment guidelines. This study assessed the applicability of Biggs' theory of constructive alignment in designing consistent learning objectives, activities, and assessment items that aligned with the American Society for Microbiology's concept-based microbiology curriculum in MICR2000, an introductory microbiology course offered at the University of Queensland, Australia. By improving the internal consistency in assessment criteria and increasing the number of assessment items explicitly aligned to the course learning objectives, the teaching team was able to efficiently provide adequate feedback on numerous assessment tasks throughout the semester, which contributed to improved student performance and learning gains. When comparing the constructively aligned 2011 offering of MICR2000 with its 2010 counterpart, students obtained higher marks in both coursework assignments and examinations as the semester progressed. Students also valued the additional feedback provided, as student rankings for course feedback provision increased in 2011 and assessment and feedback was identified as a key strength of MICR2000. By designing MICR2000 using constructive alignment and iterative assessment tasks that followed a common set of learning outcomes, the teaching team was able to effectively deliver detailed and timely feedback in a large introductory microbiology course. This study serves as a case study for how constructive alignment can be integrated into modern teaching practices for large-scale courses.

  3. Assessing the Learning Environment for Medical Students: An Evaluation of a Novel Survey Instrument in Four Medical Schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pololi, Linda H; Evans, Arthur T; Nickell, Leslie; Reboli, Annette C; Coplit, Lisa D; Stuber, Margaret L; Vasiliou, Vasilia; Civian, Janet T; Brennan, Robert T

    2017-06-01

    A practical, reliable, and valid instrument is needed to measure the impact of the learning environment on medical students' well-being and educational experience and to meet medical school accreditation requirements. From 2012 to 2015, medical students were surveyed at the end of their first, second, and third year of studies at four medical schools. The survey assessed students' perceptions of the following nine dimensions of the school culture: vitality, self-efficacy, institutional support, relationships/inclusion, values alignment, ethical/moral distress, work-life integration, gender equity, and ethnic minority equity. The internal reliability of each of the nine dimensions was measured. Construct validity was evaluated by assessing relationships predicted by our conceptual model and prior research. Assessment was made of whether the measurements were sensitive to differences over time and across institutions. Six hundred and eighty-six students completed the survey (49 % women; 9 % underrepresented minorities), with a response rate of 89 % (range over the student cohorts 72-100 %). Internal consistency of each dimension was high (Cronbach's α 0.71-0.86). The instrument was able to detect significant differences in the learning environment across institutions and over time. Construct validity was supported by demonstrating several relationships predicted by our conceptual model. The C-Change Medical Student Survey is a practical, reliable, and valid instrument for assessing the learning environment of medical students. Because it is sensitive to changes over time and differences across institution, results could potentially be used to facilitate and monitor improvements in the learning environment of medical students.

  4. Assessment of unskilled adults’ prior learning – fair to whom?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aarkrog, Vibe

    2014-01-01

    As in many other countries, Danish adult education policy focuses on how to encourage adults for education; the most important and challenging group of adults being those with few or no formal qualifications. Assessment of prior learning (APL) is perceived as an important tool for motivating adults...... the school system and curricular standards. Applying a theoretical frame that includes concepts of communities of practice (Wenger), the development from novice to expert (Dreyfus & Dreyfus), and Bernstein’s distinction between horizontal and vertical learning, the paper gives an account of the students......’ development in relation to assessment of their prior learning. The study includes a number of VET-programs. The paper focuses on one of them: Social and health care and clerical assistant. It addresses questions of what is a fair APL, perceived in relation to both the adults’ knowing in practice...

  5. The effects of student self-assessment on learning in removable prosthodontics laboratory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chambers, David W; LaBarre, Eugene E

    2014-05-01

    It has been consistently shown that there is a weak association between student self-assessment and faculty member assessment of student projects in preclinical technique laboratory settings and that students overestimate their performance. Greater overestimation is observed among students judged by faculty to be the weakest, and these students also use a wider range of scores. This study hypothesized that student self-assessment is a function of capacity to perform, accuracy of understanding grading standards, and psychological factors. Further it hypothesized that learning, defined as change in performance, is a function of ability and self-assessment. Dental students at one U.S. dental school self-assessed their performance on two projects in a removable prosthodontics laboratory course separated by a six-month period. Faculty evaluations of these projects were used to determine students' understanding of the criteria for the projects, and a standardized psychological test was used to assess the learning orientation of the students. A statistical correction was made for the artifact of regression toward the mean. The study found that self-assessment was a better predictor of future learning under these circumstances than was evaluation by faculty members.

  6. Learning of Precise Spike Times with Homeostatic Membrane Potential Dependent Synaptic Plasticity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christian Albers

    Full Text Available Precise spatio-temporal patterns of neuronal action potentials underly e.g. sensory representations and control of muscle activities. However, it is not known how the synaptic efficacies in the neuronal networks of the brain adapt such that they can reliably generate spikes at specific points in time. Existing activity-dependent plasticity rules like Spike-Timing-Dependent Plasticity are agnostic to the goal of learning spike times. On the other hand, the existing formal and supervised learning algorithms perform a temporally precise comparison of projected activity with the target, but there is no known biologically plausible implementation of this comparison. Here, we propose a simple and local unsupervised synaptic plasticity mechanism that is derived from the requirement of a balanced membrane potential. Since the relevant signal for synaptic change is the postsynaptic voltage rather than spike times, we call the plasticity rule Membrane Potential Dependent Plasticity (MPDP. Combining our plasticity mechanism with spike after-hyperpolarization causes a sensitivity of synaptic change to pre- and postsynaptic spike times which can reproduce Hebbian spike timing dependent plasticity for inhibitory synapses as was found in experiments. In addition, the sensitivity of MPDP to the time course of the voltage when generating a spike allows MPDP to distinguish between weak (spurious and strong (teacher spikes, which therefore provides a neuronal basis for the comparison of actual and target activity. For spatio-temporal input spike patterns our conceptually simple plasticity rule achieves a surprisingly high storage capacity for spike associations. The sensitivity of the MPDP to the subthreshold membrane potential during training allows robust memory retrieval after learning even in the presence of activity corrupted by noise. We propose that MPDP represents a biophysically plausible mechanism to learn temporal target activity patterns.

  7. Learning of Precise Spike Times with Homeostatic Membrane Potential Dependent Synaptic Plasticity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albers, Christian; Westkott, Maren; Pawelzik, Klaus

    2016-01-01

    Precise spatio-temporal patterns of neuronal action potentials underly e.g. sensory representations and control of muscle activities. However, it is not known how the synaptic efficacies in the neuronal networks of the brain adapt such that they can reliably generate spikes at specific points in time. Existing activity-dependent plasticity rules like Spike-Timing-Dependent Plasticity are agnostic to the goal of learning spike times. On the other hand, the existing formal and supervised learning algorithms perform a temporally precise comparison of projected activity with the target, but there is no known biologically plausible implementation of this comparison. Here, we propose a simple and local unsupervised synaptic plasticity mechanism that is derived from the requirement of a balanced membrane potential. Since the relevant signal for synaptic change is the postsynaptic voltage rather than spike times, we call the plasticity rule Membrane Potential Dependent Plasticity (MPDP). Combining our plasticity mechanism with spike after-hyperpolarization causes a sensitivity of synaptic change to pre- and postsynaptic spike times which can reproduce Hebbian spike timing dependent plasticity for inhibitory synapses as was found in experiments. In addition, the sensitivity of MPDP to the time course of the voltage when generating a spike allows MPDP to distinguish between weak (spurious) and strong (teacher) spikes, which therefore provides a neuronal basis for the comparison of actual and target activity. For spatio-temporal input spike patterns our conceptually simple plasticity rule achieves a surprisingly high storage capacity for spike associations. The sensitivity of the MPDP to the subthreshold membrane potential during training allows robust memory retrieval after learning even in the presence of activity corrupted by noise. We propose that MPDP represents a biophysically plausible mechanism to learn temporal target activity patterns.

  8. Design guidelines for self-assessment support for adult academic distance learning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Menendez Blanco, Maria; Van der Veer, Gerrit; Benvenuti, Laura; Kirschner, Paul A.

    2011-01-01

    Menendez Blanco, M., Van der Veer, G., Benvenuti, L., & Kirschner, P. A. (2011). Design guidelines for self-assessment support for adult academic distance learning. In H-J Shalin (Ed.), Constructing self-discovery learning spaces online: scaffolding and decision making technologies (pp. 169-198).

  9. Gaining Insight into Business Telecommunications Students through the Assessment of Learning Styles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sandman, Thomas E.

    2009-01-01

    The assessment of student learning styles can be of significant value for developing and evaluating an appropriate mix of pedagogical techniques and activities. With this in mind, learning style preferences were collected from over 300 undergraduate business telecommunications students. These set of data show that a breadth of learning style…

  10. Keep taking the tablets? Assessing the use of tablet devices in learning and teaching activities in the Further Education sector

    OpenAIRE

    Khristin Fabian; Donald MacLean

    2014-01-01

    This article summarises the methodology and outcomes of an interventionist/action research project to assess the benefits, and potential pitfalls, of the use of mobile devices in learning and teaching activities in a Further Education environment. A bank of 15 tablet devices were purchased and prepared for classroom use. Staff members were approached to scope potential activities and uses for the tablet devices. Three departments took part in the research activity: the Language School, Social...

  11. Assisted assessment of cognitive abilities in children with visual impairment and learning difficulties / Avaliação assistida de habilidades cognitivas em crianças com deficiência visual e com dificuldades de aprendizagem

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cecilia Guarnieri Batista

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available This investigation aims at discussing a procedure of assessment of the "potential developmental level", according to the Vygostky's conception, in children with visual impairment (low vision or blindness and with learning difficulties. In the 2 studies that are reported, the assessment procedure consisted of Verbal WISC administration, group assessment of school abilities and individual assisted assessment. The analysis was focused on the children with the lower IQ values. In the second study, the procedure also comprised the search for episodes of "smartness", indicating cognitive abilities, out of the formal assessment procedure. The discussion about modalities of assessment indicated possible sources of difficulty for the search of a reliable "potential developmental level" in children with learning difficulties.

  12. YouTube as a potential learning tool to help distinguish tonic-clonic seizures from nonepileptic attacks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muhammed, Louwai; Adcock, Jane E; Sen, Arjune

    2014-08-01

    Medical students are increasingly turning to the website YouTube as a learning resource. This study set out to determine whether the videos on YouTube accurately depict the type of seizures that a medical student may search for. Two consultant epileptologists independently assessed the top YouTube videos returned following searches for eight terms relating to different categories of seizures. The videos were rated for their technical quality, concordance of diagnosis with an epileptologist-assigned diagnosis, and efficacy as a learning tool for medical education. Of the 200 videos assessed, 106 (63%) met the inclusion criteria for further analysis. Technical quality was generally good and only interfered with the diagnostic process in 8.5% of the videos. Of the included videos, 40.6-46.2% were judged to depict the purported diagnosis with moderate agreement between raters (75% agreement, κ=0.50). Of the videos returned after searching "tonic-clonic seizure", 28.6-35.7% were judged to show nonepileptic seizures with almost perfect interrater agreement (92.9% agreement, κ=0.84). Of the videos returned following the search "pseudoseizure", 77.8-88.9% of videos were judged to show nonepileptic seizures with substantial agreement (88.9% agreement, κ=0.61). Across all search terms, 19.8-33% of videos were judged as potentially useful as a learning resource, with fair agreement between raters (75.5% agreement, κ=0.38). These findings suggest that the majority of videos on YouTube claiming to show specific seizure subtypes are inaccurate, and YouTube should not be recommended as a learning tool for students. However, a small group of videos provides excellent demonstrations of tonic-clonic and nonepileptic seizures, which could be used by an expert teacher to demonstrate the difference between epileptic and nonepileptic seizures. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Learning to assess in the academic workplace: Case study in the ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A study into how academics learn to assess student performance affirms the significance of context in understanding learning in the academic workplace. The study involved three case studies in academic departments with significant differences in the teaching, research and professional dimensions of academic life.

  14. Self-assessed learning style correlates to use of supplemental learning materials in an online course management system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halbert, Caitlin; Kriebel, Richard; Cuzzolino, Robert; Coughlin, Patrick; Fresa-Dillon, Kerin

    2011-01-01

    The benefit of online learning materials in medical education is not well defined. The study correlated certain self-identified learning styles with the use of self-selected online learning materials. First-year osteopathic medical students were given access to review and/or summary materials via an online course management system (CMS) while enrolled in a pre-clinical course. At the end of the course, students completed a self-assessment of learning style based on the Index of Learning Styles and a brief survey regarding their usage and perceived advantage of the online learning materials. Students who accessed the online materials earned equivalent grades to those who did not. However, the study found that students who described their learning styles as active, intuitive, global, and/or visual were more likely to use online educational resources than those who identified their learning style as reflective, sensing, sequential, and/or verbal. Identification of a student's learning style can help medical educators direct students to learning resources that best suit their individual needs.

  15. An Appraisal of Financial Authority Transfers' Prior-Knowledge in Adult Learning Assessment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Ettien

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available This research aimed at reviewing financial authority trainers prior knowledge in adult learners' learning assessment. For this aim, we tried to verify the fol-lowing research hypothesis: Ivorian financial authority trainers are able to assess adult learners correctly. Knowles andragogy principles are the comparison basis. We were positively impressed by trainers awareness of some of the principles of andragogy relative to their avoidance of summative assessment in favor of task-based assessment and problem-solving activities. However, the same trainers tendency to ignore the self-directedness nature of adult learners as well as their ability to engage in self-assessment made us believe that a sound training in adult learning assessment would help each of them become a better adult trainer.

  16. Strategies to Enhance Online Learning Teams. Team Assessment and Diagnostics Instrument and Agent-based Modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-08-12

    Strategies to Enhance Online Learning Teams Team Assessment and Diagnostics Instrument and Agent-based Modeling Tristan E. Johnson, Ph.D. Learning ...REPORT DATE AUG 2010 2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-2010 to 00-00-2010 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Strategies to Enhance Online Learning ...TeamsTeam Strategies to Enhance Online Learning Teams: Team Assessment and Diagnostics Instrument and Agent-based Modeling 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT

  17. The Impact of Cognitive Assessment on the Identity of People with Learning Disabilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davidson, Terence; Smith, Hilary; Burns, Jan

    2014-01-01

    Researchers and clinicians have hypothesised that cognitive assessments have the power to influence the self-identity of people with learning disabilities. This research aimed to explore the experience of a sample of people who had been given a cognitive assessment by a psychologist based in a team for people with learning disabilities. Five…

  18. The Use of Case Based Multiple Choice Questions for Assessing Large Group Teaching: Implications on Student's Learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christina Donnelly

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The practice of assessments in third level education is extremely important and a rarely disputed part of the university curriculum as a method to demonstrate a student’s learning. However, assessments to test a student’s knowledge and level of understanding are challenging to apply given recent trends which are showing that student numbers are increasing, student demographics are wide ranging and resources are being stretched. As a result of these emerging challenges, lecturers are required to develop a comprehensive assessment to effectively demonstrate student learning, whilst efficiently managing large class sizes. One form of assessment which has been used for efficient assessment is multiple choice questions (MCQs; however this method has been criticised for encouraging surface learning, in comparison to other methods such as essays or case studies. This research explores the impact of blended assessment methods on student learning. This study adopts a rigorous three-staged qualitative methodology to capture third level lecturers’ and students’ perception to (1 the level of learning when using MCQs; (2 the level of learning when blended assessment in the form of case based MCQs are used. The findings illuminate the positive impact of cased based MCQs as students and lecturers suggest that it leads to a higher level of learning and deeper information processing over that of MCQs without case studies. 2 The implications of this research is that this type of assessment contributes to the current thinking within literature on the use of assessments methods, as well as the blending of assessment methods to reach a higher level of learning. It further serves to reinforce the belief that assessments are the greatest influence on students’ learning, and the requirement for both universities and lecturers to reflect on the best form of assessment to test students’ level of understanding, whilst also balancing the real challenges of

  19. Exploring the Potential of a Location Based Augmented Reality Game for Language Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richardson, Donald

    2016-01-01

    This paper adds to the small but growing body of research into the potential of augmented reality games for teaching and learning English as a foreign language (EFL). It explores the extent to which such games enhance the language learning experience of advanced level EFL learners. The author draws on his work developing "Mission not really…

  20. The Potential Use of Mobile Technology: Enhancing Accessibility and Communication in a Blended Learning Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayisela, Tabisa

    2013-01-01

    Mobile technology is increasingly being used to support blended learning beyond computer centres. It has been considered as a potential solution to the problem of a shortage of computers for accessing online learning materials (courseware) in a blended learning course. The purpose of the study was to establish how the use of mobile technology…

  1. Keep Taking the Tablets? Assessing the Use of Tablet Devices in Learning and Teaching Activities in the Further Education Sector

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fabian, Khristin; MacLean, Donald

    2014-01-01

    This article summarises the methodology and outcomes of an interventionist/action research project to assess the benefits, and potential pitfalls, of the use of mobile devices in learning and teaching activities in a Further Education environment. A bank of 15 tablet devices were purchased and prepared for classroom use. Staff members were…

  2. Interpersonal Problem-Solving Skills, Executive Function and Learning Potential in Preadolescents with High/Low Family Risk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mata, Sara; Gómez-Pérez, M Mar; Molinero, Clara; Calero, M Dolores

    2017-10-30

    Situations generated by high family risk have a negative effect on personal development, especially during preadolescence. Growing up in the presence of risk factors can lead to negative consequences on mental health or on school performance. The objective of this study focuses on individual factors related to this phenomenon during preadolescence. Specifically, we seek to establish whether level of family risk (high vs. low risk) is related to interpersonal problem-solving skills, executive function and learning potential in a sample of preadolescents controlling age, sex, total IQ, verbal comprehension ability and the classroom influences. The participants were 40 children, 23 boys and 17 girls between the ages of 7 and 12, twenty of which had a record on file with the Social and Childhood Protection Services of Information deleted to maintain the integrity of the review process, and therefore, a high family risk situation. The other 20 participants had a low family risk situation. Results show that the preadolescents from high family risk performed worse on interpersonal solving-problem skills and executive function (p family risk. These results highlight the negative effects of high family risk situation in preadolescents and give value of taking into account protective factors such as learning potential when assessing preadolescents from high family risk.

  3. Which assessment features shape students' learning? A review study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Joosten-ten Brinke, Desirée; Sluijsmans, Dominique; Van der Vleuten, Cees

    2013-01-01

    Joosten-ten Brinke, D., Sluijsmans, D., & Van der Vleuten, C. (2012, 28 November). Which assessment features shape students’ learning? A review study. Presentation at the Eapril conference, Jyväskylä, Finland.

  4. Portfolio as a learning strategy and a tool for assessment - a Danish experience

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mogensen, Arne

    A short presentation of some Danish expereriences using portfolio in maths teaching in primary and lower secondary schools as a learning strategy AND a tool for assessment.......A short presentation of some Danish expereriences using portfolio in maths teaching in primary and lower secondary schools as a learning strategy AND a tool for assessment....

  5. Learning, assessment and professional identity development in public health training.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, Annette

    2016-06-01

    Professional identity formation is important for new recruits to training programmes. The integration of the accumulation of knowledge and assessment is a key aspect in its acquisition. This study assessed this interaction in Public Health Training in one English region. Semi-structured interviews were held with 15 registrars from the West Midlands Public Health Training Programme. Pre-interview questionnaires gathered background information. A thematic content analysis approach was taken. There was a lack of integration between academic and workplace learning, the professional examination process and professional identity development. Registrars considered sitting the examination and their workplace learning as two parallel processes. Passing the examination was considered a key part in the early development of a professional identity but this was replaced by the opinions of others by the third year of training. Having a Masters' in Public Health was less important but played a different role in their perceived acceptance by the wider Public Health workforce. The lack of integration between assessment and learning seemed to have a detrimental effect on professional identity development. A review of how these two aspects might combine in a more positive manner is needed.

  6. Implementing and Assessing Inquiry-Based Learning through the CAREER Award

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brudzinski, M. R.

    2011-12-01

    In order to fully attain the benefits of inquiry-based learning, instructors who typically employ the traditional lecture format need to make many adjustments to their approach. This change in styles can be intimidating and logistically difficult to overcome, both for instructors and students, such that a stepwise approach to this transformation is likely to be more manageable. In this session, I will describe a series of tools to promote inquiry-based learning that I am helping to implement and assess in classroom courses and student research projects. I will demonstrate the importance of integrating with existing institutional initiatives as well as recognizing how student development plays a key role in student engagement. Some of the features I will highlight include: defining both student learning outcomes and student development outcomes, converting content training to be self-directed and asynchronous, utilizing conceptests to help students practice thinking like scientists, and employing both objective pre/post assessment and student self-reflective assessment. Lastly, I will reflect on how the well-defined goal of teaching and research integration in the CAREER award solicitation resonated with me even as an undergraduate and helped inspire my early career.

  7. Potential of Mobile Learning in Teaching of ESL Academic Writing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaki, Arlina Ahmad; Yunus, Melor Md

    2015-01-01

    The potentials of mobile learning in teaching academic writing skills for ESL students are explored in this paper. Although there have been studies on MALL to improve writing skills, academic writing was never really touched. Few aspects are covered like the changes in educational technology, defining MALL, identifying issues in academic writing…

  8. An Investigation Into The Learning Styles, English Proficiency And Assessment Performance Of Medical Students

    OpenAIRE

    Toh Peng Yeow; Mark Kiak Min TAN; Li-Cher LOH; Julia BLITZ

    2010-01-01

    Appreciation of learning styles can be of use tohelp both educators and students to enhance theeffectiveness of an educational experience. It has beennoticed that some students at this College are not verygood at expressing themselves in either written orspoken English. Our study aimed to identify thestudent’s learning styles; assess whether there isany correlation between learning style, baselinedemographic data and self rated proficiency in Englishlanguage; and assess their associations wit...

  9. The development and evaluation of a holistic needs assessment and care planning learning package targeted at cancer nurses in the UK.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henry, R; Hartley, B; Simpson, M; Doyle, N

    2014-01-01

    A project team from the United Kingdom Oncology Nursing Society developed a blended e-learning website to facilitate nurses to further develop their confidence and competencies in a range of skills related to assessing the holistic needs of people with cancer. The project team identified three areas which were integral to an holistic needs assessment (HNA) implementation project. These were project support information, project management skills, and practical competencies delivered in a blended e-learning package containing a series of accessible video presentations, supporting documents, and practical activities. The team worked with internal and external partners to ensure that a robust and inspiring programme was created. www.hnaforcancer.com was launched in October 2012 as a blended learning programme that incorporates e-learning on core subjects. These subjects are packaged as videoed presentations with supporting learning material and can be accessed via the UKONS website. By the end of the programme participants were equipped to identify and explore the essential requirements for HNA and care planning, more able to recognise potential need, and initiate care to prevent or minimise the risk of complications. Participants had also developed confidence and competency in new skills, including basic project management.

  10. Beyond Assessment: Conducting Theoretically Grounded Research on Service-Learning in Gerontology Courses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kruger, Tina M; Pearl, Andrew J

    2016-01-01

    Service-learning is a useful pedagogical tool and high-impact practice, providing multiple benefits. Gerontology (and other) courses frequently include service-learning activities but lack theory-based, intentional research on outcomes. Here, the authors define service-learning and contextualize it in higher education, provide an overview of research and assessment in service-learning and gerontology courses, demonstrate the shortcomings of program evaluations, and offer suggestions for future research to advance and generate theory.

  11. An assessement of global energy resource economic potentials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mercure, Jean-François; Salas, Pablo

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents an assessment of global economic energy potentials for all major natural energy resources. This work is based on both an extensive literature review and calculations using natural resource assessment data. Economic potentials are presented in the form of cost-supply curves, in terms of energy flows for renewable energy sources, or fixed amounts for fossil and nuclear resources, with strong emphasis on uncertainty, using a consistent methodology that allow direct comparisons to be made. In order to interpolate through available resource assessment data and associated uncertainty, a theoretical framework and a computational methodology are given based on statistical properties of different types of resources, justified empirically by the data, and used throughout. This work aims to provide a global database for natural energy resources ready to integrate into models of energy systems, enabling to introduce at the same time uncertainty over natural resource assessments. The supplementary material provides theoretical details and tables of data and parameters that enable this extensive database to be adapted to a variety of energy systems modelling frameworks. -- Highlights: ► Global energy potentials for all major energy resources are reported. ► Theory and methodology for calculating economic energy potentials is given. ► An uncertainty analysis for all energy economic potentials is carried out.

  12. Assessing offshore wind potential

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adelaja, Adesoji; McKeown, Charles; Calnin, Benjamin; Hailu, Yohannes

    2012-01-01

    Quantifying wind potential is a pivotal initial step in developing and articulating a state’s policies and strategies for offshore wind industry development. This is particularly important in the Great Lakes States where lessons from other offshore environments are not directly applicable. This paper presents the framework developed for conducting a preliminary assessment of offshore wind potential. Information on lake bathymetry and wind resources were combined in simulating alternative scenarios of technically feasible turbine construction depths and distance concerns by stakeholders. These yielded estimates of developable offshore wind areas and potential power generation. While concerns about the visibility of turbines from shore reduce the power that can be generated, engineering solutions that increase the depths at which turbines can be sited increase such potential power output. This paper discusses the costs associated with technical limitations on depth and the social costs related to public sentiments about distance from the shoreline, as well as the possible tradeoffs. The results point to a very large untapped energy resource in the Michigan’s Great Lakes, large enough to prompt policy action from the state government. - Highlights: ▶ We build a theoretical framework for modeling offshore wind power production. ▶ Illustration of the impact of technology and social limitations on offshore wind energy development. ▶ Geospatial modeling of the offshore wind potential of the Great Lakes.

  13. The potential use of mobile technology: enhancing accessibility and communication in a blended learning course

    OpenAIRE

    Mayisela, Tabisa

    2013-01-01

    Mobile technology is increasingly being used to support blended learning beyond computer centres. It has been considered as a potential solution to the problem of a shortage of computers for accessing online learning materials (courseware) in a blended learning course. The purpose of the study was to establish how the use of mobile technology could enhance accessibility and communication in a blended learning course. Data were solicitedfrom a purposive convenience sample of 36 students engage...

  14. Learning never goes on holiday: an exploration of social tourism as a context for experiential learning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bos, L.D.H.; McCabe, S.; Johnson, S.

    2015-01-01

    This paper applies Experiential Learning Theory to examine learning experiences of UK children during a holiday to assess the potential of holidays as influencing factors in educational achievement and attainment. The paper presents findings from a study undertaken with low-income families who had

  15. Application of active learning modalities to achieve medical genetics competencies and their learning outcome assessments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hagiwara, Nobuko

    2017-01-01

    The steadily falling costs of genome sequencing, coupled with the growing number of genetic tests with proven clinical validity, have made the use of genetic testing more common in clinical practice. This development has necessitated nongeneticist physicians, especially primary care physicians, to become more responsible for assessing genetic risks for their patients. Providing undergraduate medical students a solid foundation in genomic medicine, therefore, has become all the more important to ensure the readiness of future physicians in applying genomic medicine to their patient care. In order to further enhance the effectiveness of instructing practical skills in medical genetics, the emphasis of active learning modules in genetics curriculum at medical schools has increased in recent years. This is because of the general acceptance of a better efficacy of active learner-centered pedagogy over passive lecturer-centered pedagogy. However, an objective standard to evaluate students' skill levels in genomic medicine achieved by active learning is currently missing. Recently, entrustable professional activities (EPAs) in genomic medicine have been proposed as a framework for developing physician competencies in genomic medicine. EPAs in genomic medicine provide a convenient guideline for not only developing genomic medicine curriculum but also assessing students' competency levels in practicing genomic medicine. In this review, the efficacy of different types of active learning modules reported for medical genetics curricula is discussed using EPAs in genomic medicine as a common evaluation standard for modules' learning outcomes. The utility of the EPAs in genomic medicine for designing active learning modules in undergraduate medical genetics curricula is also discussed.

  16. Potential and Limitations of the Internet Use in Learning Process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Pavlovic

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The main research objective of this paper is to point out potentials and limitations of the Internet in the process of learning in higher education, through review and analysis of literature. The results of this theoretical study emphasize positive aspects of the Internet use in the learning process of university students that arise from the Internet features such as high technical capabilities, power, speed, universality and accessibility, as well as high sensitivity of young people to the means of new media. The positive effects of the applica-tion of the Internet were pointed out in research studies that analysed the pro-cess of innovation in higher education, the changes in the culture of learning, or certain aspects of personality development of university students. In contrast, some studies pointed out the limitations that may occur when using the Internet in the learning process related primarily to the credibility of the infor-mation, light and entertaining content dominance, and dependence on technology. Accordingly, it is recommended to adopt the measures on a larger scale that will affect the greater use of the Internet in the process of acquiring knowledge, especially in the field of higher education.

  17. Assessing Scientific Practices Using Machine-Learning Methods: How Closely Do They Match Clinical Interview Performance?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beggrow, Elizabeth P.; Ha, Minsu; Nehm, Ross H.; Pearl, Dennis; Boone, William J.

    2014-02-01

    than the multiple-choice assessment. These findings demonstrate the great potential of machine-learning tools for assessing key scientific practices highlighted in the new Framework for Science Education.

  18. Language Assessment Literacy as Self-Awareness: "Understanding" the Role of Interpretation in Assessment and in Teacher Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scarino, Angela

    2013-01-01

    The increasing influence of sociocultural theories of learning on assessment practices in second language education necessitates an expansion of the knowledge base that teacher-assessors need to develop (what teachers need to know) and related changes in the processes of language teacher education (how they learn and develop it). Teacher assessors…

  19. An Ecological Approach to Understanding Assessment for Learning in Support of Student Writing Achievement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bronwen Cowie

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we report on a project conducted in a New Zealand primary school that aimed to enhance the writing achievement of primary school boys who were achieving just below the national standard for their age or level through the use of peer feedback and information and communication technologies (ICTs. The project involved a teacher collaborative inquiry approach where all seven teachers in the school and the school principal participated to achieve the project aim. We adopt an ecological approach as a lens to offer a holistic and comprehensive view of how peer assessment and use of ICTs can be facilitated to improve writing achievement. Data were collected through teacher interviews and written reflections of practice and student learning, teacher analysis of student work, team meeting notes, classroom observations, and student focus group interviews. Findings from the thematic analysis of textual data illustrate the potential of adopting an ecological approach to consider how teacher classroom practices are shaped by the school, community, and wider policy context. At the classroom level, our ecological analysis highlighted a productive synergy between commonplace writing pedagogy strategies and assessment for learning (AfL practices as part of teacher orchestration of an ensemble of interdependent routines, tools, and activities. Diversity, redundancy, and local adaptations of resources to provide multiple pathways and opportunities—social and material and digital—emerged as important in fostering peer assessment and ICT use in support of writing achievement. Importantly, these practices were made explicit and taken up across the school and in the parent community because of whole staff involvement in the project. The wider policy context allowed for and supported teachers developing more effective pedagogy to impact student learning outcomes. We propose that an ecological orientation offers the field a productive insight into the

  20. Increasing Skills in Writing Literature Study on Research-Based Learning Through Authentical Assessment Lecturing in Innovation Class of Social Science Learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naniek Sulistya Wardani

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to determine whether the improvement of literature review skills on research-based learning can be pursued through the authentic assessment of the lectures of the Innovation of Learning IPS of PGSD students. This type of research is a classroom action research, using a spiral model of C. Kemmis and Robin Mc. Taggart. The research procedure uses 2 cycles, each cycle consists of 3 stages namely, 1 action planning 2 implementation of action and observation, 3 reflection. The subjects of the study were all students of PGSD Class 2014 E of the subjects of Innovation of IPS Learning as much as 27 students consisting of 7 male students and 20 female students. Data collection techniques use observation and product assessment. Data analysis technique is a percentage technique that compares literacy review writing skills through authentic assessment in IPS lectures between cycles. The result of the research shows that there is an improvement of writing skill of study lecture study of IPS learning innovation, which is pursued through authentic assessment. This is evident from the improvement of writing skills worthy of achievement from cycle 1 to cycle 2 ie from 62.14% of 27 students increased to 72.60% of all students in cycle 2. Writing skills in research-based learning is a skill to express the idea of the problem , Organizing facts, concepts and principles, use of EYD grammar and grammar. Authentic assessment is an assessment consisting of connection aspects, reflection aspects, and feedback aspects

  1. Learning Progressions as Tools for Assessment and Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shepard, Lorrie A.

    2018-01-01

    This article addresses the teaching and learning side of the learning progressions literature, calling out for measurement specialists the knowledge most needed when collaborating with subject-matter experts in the development of learning progressions. Learning progressions are one of the strongest instantiations of principles from "Knowing…

  2. Assessment of triton potential energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Friar, J.L.; Payne, G.L.

    1995-01-01

    An assessment is made of the dominant features contributing to the triton potential energy, with the objective of understanding qualitatively their origins and sensitivities. Relativistic effects, short-range repulsion, and OPEP dominance are discussed. A determination of the importance of various regions of nucleon-nucleon separation is made numerically. (author)

  3. Project RAILS: Lessons Learned about Rubric Assessment of Information Literacy Skills

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belanger, Jackie; Zou, Ning; Mills, Jenny Rushing; Holmes, Claire; Oakleaf, Megan

    2015-01-01

    Rubric assessment of information literacy is an important tool for librarians seeking to show evidence of student learning. The authors, who collaborated on the Rubric Assessment of Informational Literacy Skills (RAILS) research project, draw from their shared experience to present practical recommendations for implementing rubric assessment in a…

  4. Peer assessment in architecture education

    OpenAIRE

    Teixeira de Sampayo, Mafalda; Sousa-Rodrigues, David; Jimenez-Romero, Cristian; Johnson, Jeffrey

    2014-01-01

    The role of peer assessment in education has become of particular interest in recent years, mainly because of its potential benefits in improving student’s learning and benefits in time management by allowing teachers and tutors to use their time more efficiently to get the results of student’s assessments quicker. Peer assessment has also relevant in the context of distance learning and massive open online courses (MOOCs).

  5. α1-Adrenoceptors in the hippocampal dentate gyrus involved in learning-dependent long-term potentiation during active-avoidance learning in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lv, Jing; Zhan, Su-Yang; Li, Guang-Xie; Wang, Dan; Li, Ying-Shun; Jin, Qing-Hua

    2016-11-09

    The hippocampus is the key structure for learning and memory in mammals and long-term potentiation (LTP) is an important cellular mechanism responsible for learning and memory. The influences of norepinephrine (NE) on the modulation of learning and memory, as well as LTP, through β-adrenoceptors are well documented, whereas the role of α1-adrenoceptors in learning-dependent LTP is not yet clear. In the present study, we measured extracellular concentrations of NE in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) region using an in-vivo brain microdialysis and high-performance liquid chromatography techniques during the acquisition and extinction of active-avoidance behavior in freely moving conscious rats. Next, the effects of prazosin (an antagonist of α1-adrenoceptor) and phenylephrine (an agonist of the α1-adrenoceptor) on amplitudes of field excitatory postsynaptic potential were measured in the DG region during the active-avoidance behavior. Our results showed that the extracellular concentration of NE in the DG was significantly increased during the acquisition of active-avoidance behavior and gradually returned to the baseline level following extinction training. A local microinjection of prazosin into the DG significantly accelerated the acquisition of the active-avoidance behavior, whereas a local microinjection of phenylephrine retarded the acquisition of the active-avoidance behavior. Furthermore, in all groups, the changes in field excitatory postsynaptic potential amplitude were accompanied by corresponding changes in active-avoidance behavior. Our results suggest that NE activation of α1-adrenoceptors in the hippocampal DG inhibits active-avoidance learning by modulation of synaptic efficiency in rats.

  6. Assessment of learning, memory and attention in developmental neurotoxicity regulatory studies: Introduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makris, Susan L; Vorhees, Charles V

    2015-01-01

    There are a variety of chemicals, including pharmaceuticals, that alter neurobehavior following developmental exposure and guidelines for the conduct of studies to detect such effects by statute in the United States and Europe. Guidelines for Developmental Neurotoxicity Testing (DNT) studies issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under prevailing law and European Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) recommendations to member countries provide that such studies include a series of neurobehavioral and neuropathological assessments. Among these are assessment of cognitive function, specifically learning and memory. After reviewing 69 DNT studies submitted to the EPA, tests of learning and memory were noted to have detected the lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAELs) less frequently than behavioral tests of locomotor activity and acoustic/auditory startle, but slightly more than for the developmental Functional Observational Battery (devFOB; which is less extensive than the full FOB), but the reasons for the lower LOAEL detection rate for learning and memory assessment could not be determined. A major concern identified in the review, however, was the adequacy of the methods employed in these studies rather than on the importance of learning and memory to the proper assessment of brain function. Accordingly, a symposium was conducted to consider how the guidelines for tests of learning and memory might be improved. Four laboratories with established histories investigating the effects of chemical exposures during development on learning, memory, and attention, were invited to review the topic and offer recommendations, both theoretical and practical, on approaches to improve the assessment of these vital CNS functions. Reviewers were asked to recommend methods that are grounded in functional importance to CNS integrity, well-validated, reliable, and amenable to the context of regulatory studies as well as to basic

  7. Synaptic potentiation onto habenula neurons in learned helplessness model of depression

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Bo; Piriz, Joaquin; Mirrione, Martine; Chung, ChiHye; Proulx, Christophe D.; Schulz, Daniela; Henn, Fritz; Malinow, Roberto

    2010-01-01

    The cellular basis of depressive disorders is poorly understood1. Recent studies in monkeys indicate that neurons in the lateral habenula (LHb), a nucleus that mediates communication between forebrain and midbrain structures, can increase their activity when an animal fails to receive an expected positive reward or receives a stimulus that predicts aversive conditions (i.e. disappointment or anticipation of a negative outcome)2, 3, 4. LHb neurons project to and modulate dopamine-rich regions such as the ventral-tegmental area (VTA)2, 5 that control reward-seeking behavior6 and participate in depressive disorders7. Here we show in two learned helplessness models of depression that excitatory synapses onto LHb neurons projecting to the VTA are potentiated. Synaptic potentiation correlates with an animal’s helplessness behavior and is due to an enhanced presynaptic release probability. Depleting transmitter release by repeated electrical stimulation of LHb afferents, using a protocol that can be effective on depressed patients8, 9, dramatically suppresses synaptic drive onto VTA-projecting LHb neurons in brain slices and can significantly reduce learned helplessness behavior in rats. Our results indicate that increased presynaptic action onto LHb neurons contributes to the rodent learned helplessness model of depression. PMID:21350486

  8. Opening the Learning Process: The Potential Role of Feature Film in Teaching Employment Relations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lafferty, George

    2016-01-01

    This paper explores the potential of feature film to encourage more inclusive, participatory and open learning in the area of employment relations. Evaluations of student responses in a single postgraduate course over a five-year period revealed how feature film could encourage participatory learning processes in which students reexamined their…

  9. Learning-Oriented Assessment Increases Performance and Written Skills in a Second Year Metabolic Biochemistry Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanderlelie, Jessica J.; Alexander, Heather. G.

    2016-01-01

    Assessment plays a critical role in learning and teaching and its power to enhance engagement and student outcomes is still underestimated in tertiary education. The current project considers the impact of a staged redesign of an assessment strategy that emphasized relevance of learning, formative assessment, student engagement, and feedback on…

  10. E-learning project assessment: A new approach through the analysis of learners’ posts on social media

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Caione

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available E-learning assessment is a key aspect in the overall e-learning process. There are several parameters to consider during the assessment. In recent years, several sets of factors, called Critical Success Factors, have been defined to provide a structural approach to assessment. They focus on many aspects but, in our view, they do not properly consider student satisfaction with courses. In e-learning applications, student opinion must be examined where it is expressed: on e-learning course social pages and/or social pages outside the platform but specific to the e-learning course. The problem is that these resources are unstructured and thus it is important to structure these resources before using them for assessment. In this paper, we discuss a proposal that can capture student opinion from social pages, combining several techniques, such as Natural Language Processing, Information Extraction; ontologies that help us to understand what and how students discuss about e-learning courses.

  11. Basolateral amygdala inactivation impairs learning-induced long-term potentiation in the cerebellar cortex.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lan Zhu

    Full Text Available Learning to fear dangerous situations requires the participation of basolateral amygdala (BLA. In the present study, we provide evidence that BLA is necessary for the synaptic strengthening occurring during memory formation in the cerebellum in rats. In the cerebellar vermis the parallel fibers (PF to Purkinje cell (PC synapse is potentiated one day following fear learning. Pretraining BLA inactivation impaired such a learning-induced long-term potentiation (LTP. Similarly, cerebellar LTP is affected when BLA is blocked shortly, but not 6 h, after training. The latter result shows that the effects of BLA inactivation on cerebellar plasticity, when present, are specifically related to memory processes and not due to an interference with sensory or motor functions. These data indicate that fear memory induces cerebellar LTP provided that a heterosynaptic input coming from BLA sets the proper local conditions. Therefore, in the cerebellum, learning-induced plasticity is a heterosynaptic phenomenon that requires inputs from other regions. Studies employing the electrically-induced LTP in order to clarify the cellular mechanisms of memory should therefore take into account the inputs arriving from other brain sites, considering them as integrative units. Based on previous and the present findings, we proposed that BLA enables learning-related plasticity to be formed in the cerebellum in order to respond appropriately to new stimuli or situations.

  12. Assessing MBA Student Teamwork under the AACSB Assurance of Learning Standards

    Science.gov (United States)

    Procino, Matthew C.

    2012-01-01

    Since the 2003 release of the AACSB's Assurance of Learning standards, outcomes assessment has been a required practice for business schools wishing to receive their endorsement. While most accredited institutions had been dabbling with the measurement of student learning, the new standards raised the bar considerably. It is now necessary to…

  13. The Effect of Collaborative Learning and Self-Assessment on Self-Regulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hatami, Ali

    2015-01-01

    In this study, the effects of teacher assistants' collaborative learning and learners' self-assessment on self-regulation and academic achievement at high levels have been investigated. Collaborative learning teaching method (Jigsaw and teacher assistant) is used for one group and the other group had also the same as well as learners'…

  14. Moving the Starting Line through Prior Learning Assessment (PLA). Research Brief

    Science.gov (United States)

    Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (NJ1), 2011

    2011-01-01

    Prior learning assessment (PLA) methods can help adult students earn college credit for what they already know. PLA can be an important offering by postsecondary degree programs because it can save students time and money. In addition, the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning's (CAEL's) "Fueling the Race to Postsecondary Success"…

  15. Using TRAILS to Assess Student Learning: A Step-by-Step Guide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Owen, Patricia L.

    2010-01-01

    School librarians nationwide seek to produce evidence of the library's impact on student learning and achievement. While classroom teachers demonstrate their impact through the use of standardized test scores including end-of-grade tests and SAT/ACT tests, school librarians have long used informal or in-class assessments to gauge student learning.…

  16. Learning capacity in adolescents with mild intellectual disabilities

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tiekstra, Marlous; Hessels, Marco G P; Minnaert, Alexander E M G

    2009-01-01

    Scores on a learning potential test (the Hessels Analogical Reasoning Test) were examined to assess how to provide a better estimate of the learning capacity of students with mild intellectual disabilities compared to IQ scores. As a criterion, a dynamic test of chemistry learning was used. 46

  17. Computer-assisted liver graft steatosis assessment via learning-based texture analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moccia, Sara; Mattos, Leonardo S; Patrini, Ilaria; Ruperti, Michela; Poté, Nicolas; Dondero, Federica; Cauchy, François; Sepulveda, Ailton; Soubrane, Olivier; De Momi, Elena; Diaspro, Alberto; Cesaretti, Manuela

    2018-05-23

    Fast and accurate graft hepatic steatosis (HS) assessment is of primary importance for lowering liver dysfunction risks after transplantation. Histopathological analysis of biopsied liver is the gold standard for assessing HS, despite being invasive and time consuming. Due to the short time availability between liver procurement and transplantation, surgeons perform HS assessment through clinical evaluation (medical history, blood tests) and liver texture visual analysis. Despite visual analysis being recognized as challenging in the clinical literature, few efforts have been invested to develop computer-assisted solutions for HS assessment. The objective of this paper is to investigate the automatic analysis of liver texture with machine learning algorithms to automate the HS assessment process and offer support for the surgeon decision process. Forty RGB images of forty different donors were analyzed. The images were captured with an RGB smartphone camera in the operating room (OR). Twenty images refer to livers that were accepted and 20 to discarded livers. Fifteen randomly selected liver patches were extracted from each image. Patch size was [Formula: see text]. This way, a balanced dataset of 600 patches was obtained. Intensity-based features (INT), histogram of local binary pattern ([Formula: see text]), and gray-level co-occurrence matrix ([Formula: see text]) were investigated. Blood-sample features (Blo) were included in the analysis, too. Supervised and semisupervised learning approaches were investigated for feature classification. The leave-one-patient-out cross-validation was performed to estimate the classification performance. With the best-performing feature set ([Formula: see text]) and semisupervised learning, the achieved classification sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 95, 81, and 88%, respectively. This research represents the first attempt to use machine learning and automatic texture analysis of RGB images from ubiquitous smartphone

  18. Resident Self-Assessment and Learning Goal Development: Evaluation of Resident-Reported Competence and Future Goals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Su-Ting T; Paterniti, Debora A; Tancredi, Daniel J; Burke, Ann E; Trimm, R Franklin; Guillot, Ann; Guralnick, Susan; Mahan, John D

    2015-01-01

    To determine incidence of learning goals by competency area and to assess which goals fall into competency areas with lower self-assessment scores. Cross-sectional analysis of existing deidentified American Academy of Pediatrics' PediaLink individualized learning plan data for the academic year 2009-2010. Residents self-assessed competencies in the 6 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competency areas and wrote learning goals. Textual responses for goals were mapped to 6 ACGME competency areas, future practice, or personal attributes. Adjusted mean differences and associations were estimated using multiple linear and logistic regression. A total of 2254 residents reported 6078 goals. Residents self-assessed their systems-based practice (51.8) and medical knowledge (53.0) competencies lowest and professionalism (68.9) and interpersonal and communication skills (62.2) highest. Residents were most likely to identify goals involving medical knowledge (70.5%) and patient care (50.5%) and least likely to write goals on systems-based practice (11.0%) and professionalism (6.9%). In logistic regression analysis adjusting for postgraduate year (PGY), gender, and degree type (MD/DO), resident-reported goal area showed no association with the learner's relative self-assessment score for that competency area. In the conditional logistic regression analysis, with each learner serving as his or her own control, senior residents (PGY2/3+s) who rated themselves relatively lower in a competency area were more likely to write a learning goal in that area than were PGY1s. Senior residents appear to develop better skills and/or motivation to explicitly turn self-assessed learning gaps into learning goals, suggesting that individualized learning plans may help improve self-regulated learning during residency. Copyright © 2015 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Technology Development, Implementation and Assessment: K-16 Pre-Service, In-Service and Distance Learning Initiatives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, William B., Jr.

    1999-01-01

    The technologies associated with distance learning are evolving rapidly, giving to educators a potential tool for enhancing the educational experiences of large numbers of students simultaneously. This enhancement, in order to be effective, must take into account the various agendas of teachers, administrators, state systems, and of course students. It must also make use of the latest research on effective pedagogy. This combination, effective pedagogy and robust information technology, is a powerful vehicle for communicating, to a large audience of school children the excitement of mathematics and science--an excitement that for the most part is now well-hidden. This project,"Technology Development, Implementation and Assessment," proposed to bring to bear on the education of learners in grades 3 - 8 in science and mathematics both advances in information technology and in effective pedagogy. Specifically, the project developed components NASA CONNECT video series--problem-based learning modules that focus on the scientific method and that incorporate problem-based learning scenarios tied to national mathematics and science standards. These videos serve two purposes; they engage students in the excitement of hands-on learning and they model for the teachers of these students the problem-based learning practices that are proving to be excellent ways to teach science and mathematics to school students. Another component of NASA CONNECT is the accompanying web-site.

  20. The implementation of portfolio assessment by the educators on the mathematics learning process in senior high school

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lestariani, Ida; Sujadi, Imam; Pramudya, Ikrar

    2018-05-01

    Portfolio assessment can shows the development of the ability of learners in a period through the work so that can be seen progress monitored learning of each learner. The purpose of research to describe and know the implementation of portfolio assessment on the mathematics learning process with the Senior High school math teacher class X as the subject because of the importance of applying the assessment for the progress of learning outcomes of learners. This research includes descriptive qualitative research type. Techniques of data collecting is done by observation method, interview and documentation. Data collection then validated using triangulation technique that is observation technique, interview and documentation. Data analysis technique is done by data reduction, data presentation and conclusion. The results showed that the steps taken by teachers in applying portfolio assessment obtained focused on learning outcomes. Student learning outcomes include homework and daily tests. Based on the results of research can be concluded that the implementation of portfolio assessment is the form of learning results are scored. Teachers have not yet implemented other portfolio assessment techniques such as student work.

  1. Making Sense of Game-Based User Data: Learning Analytics in Applied Games

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steiner, Christina M.; Kickmeier-Rus, Michael D.; Albert, Dietrich

    2015-01-01

    Digital learning games are useful educational tools with high motivational potential. With the application of games for instruction there comes the need of acknowledging learning game experiences also in the context of educational assessment. Learning analytics provides new opportunities for supporting assessment in and of educational games. We…

  2. Events of potential learning: how preschoolers produce curriculum at the computer during free play periods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mats Bevemyr

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The Swedish preschool curriculum emphasizes children’s learning through play. This means that children’s learning in everyday practice is accomplished through a complex mixture of teacher-led activities and activities the children themselves initiate. When learning is viewed as situated and constituted through social interaction (Lave & Wenger, 1991, almost all social events have learning potential. Consequently, from an educational and a curriculum point of view it is important to raise the question of how children’s learning can be made visible, and determine what kind of learning children’s own initiated (play activities imply. The focus of the paper is on children’s (aged 3-5 years “communities of practice” at the computer during “free play” period in two various Swedish preschools settings. Events of peer interaction are analyzed in detail to illustrate what kind of learning activities are going on at the computer, and to discuss these events of potential learning in relation to the curriculum goals and the educational practice. From a curriculum point of view, the analyses show that the children’s activities at the computer involve a variety of events that might provides for learning that can be viewed as goal-oriented. From the children’s point of view, the project of socialization seems to be the most prominent goal. A crucial point for educational success, however, is to understand not only what the object of learning is, rather what motivates children’s play apprenticeship in their own “communities of practice”.

  3. Promoting Prospective Elementary Teachers' Learning to Use Formative Assessment for Life Science Instruction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sabel, Jaime L.; Forbes, Cory T.; Zangori, Laura

    2015-06-01

    To support elementary students' learning of core, standards-based life science concepts highlighted in the Next Generation Science Standards, prospective elementary teachers should develop an understanding of life science concepts and learn to apply their content knowledge in instructional practice to craft elementary science learning environments grounded in students' thinking. To do so, teachers must learn to use high-leverage instructional practices, such as formative assessment, to engage students in scientific practices and connect instruction to students' ideas. However, teachers may not understand formative assessment or possess sufficient science content knowledge to effectively engage in related instructional practices. To address these needs, we developed and conducted research within an innovative course for preservice elementary teachers built upon two pillars—life science concepts and formative assessment. An embedded mixed methods study was used to evaluate the effect of the intervention on preservice teachers' (n = 49) content knowledge and ability to engage in formative assessment practices for science. Findings showed that increased life content knowledge over the semester helped preservice teachers engage more productively in anticipating and evaluating students' ideas, but not in identifying effective instructional strategies to respond to those ideas.

  4. Learning Receptive Fields and Quality Lookups for Blind Quality Assessment of Stereoscopic Images.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shao, Feng; Lin, Weisi; Wang, Shanshan; Jiang, Gangyi; Yu, Mei; Dai, Qionghai

    2016-03-01

    Blind quality assessment of 3D images encounters more new challenges than its 2D counterparts. In this paper, we propose a blind quality assessment for stereoscopic images by learning the characteristics of receptive fields (RFs) from perspective of dictionary learning, and constructing quality lookups to replace human opinion scores without performance loss. The important feature of the proposed method is that we do not need a large set of samples of distorted stereoscopic images and the corresponding human opinion scores to learn a regression model. To be more specific, in the training phase, we learn local RFs (LRFs) and global RFs (GRFs) from the reference and distorted stereoscopic images, respectively, and construct their corresponding local quality lookups (LQLs) and global quality lookups (GQLs). In the testing phase, blind quality pooling can be easily achieved by searching optimal GRF and LRF indexes from the learnt LQLs and GQLs, and the quality score is obtained by combining the LRF and GRF indexes together. Experimental results on three publicly 3D image quality assessment databases demonstrate that in comparison with the existing methods, the devised algorithm achieves high consistent alignment with subjective assessment.

  5. Teaching and Assessing Ethics as a Learning Objective: One School's Journey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Templin, Carl R.; Christensen, David

    2009-01-01

    This paper reports the results of a ten-year effort to establish ethics as a learning objective for all business students, to assess the effectiveness in achieving that learning objective and to incorporate ethical conduct as a part of the school's organizational culture. First, it addresses the importance of ethics instruction for all business…

  6. Design Students Perspectives on Assessment Rubric in Studio-Based Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eshun, Eric F.; Osei-Poku, Patrick

    2013-01-01

    This study examined students' perspectives on the use of assessment criteria and rubrics in graphic design studio at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana. This assessment strategy was introduced with the desire to improve students' participation and involvement in studio-based learning programme. At the end of the semester, a…

  7. ASSESSMENT OF E-LEARNING NEEDS AMONG STUDENTS OF COLLEGES OF EDUCATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamid Mohammad AZIMI

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available This study is a descriptive and survey type work. Main objective of this research is to explore e-learning system components needs among students of colleges of education (one year Bachelor of Education or B.Ed. degree programme affiliated by University of Mysore, India. Needs assessment is one of the main investigative tools used by institutions to the identification of actual needs, gaps, and hidden parts in the system and other activities. Through a comprehensive needs assessment process, an institution can establish its e-learning goals. Based on this view, a researcher made questionnaire was designed and validated by experts in teacher education, ICT and e-learning field. For reliability of the tool a pilot test was carried and the Alpha Cronbach value found .8980 and classified as having acceptable. Researcher tried to find out the most high and the lowest ranks in needs of students. Also gender, type of institutions on dependency to government financial aids, types of learning subjects as background variables were studied.

  8. Evaluating the Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Process in Undergraduate Parks and Recreation Academic Programs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ross, Craig M.; Young, Sarah J.; Sturts, Jill R.

    2012-01-01

    Institutions of higher education are increasingly being held more accountable for assessing student learning both in and out of their classrooms along with reporting results to their stakeholders. The purpose of this study, which examined assessment of student learning outcomes in undergraduate park and recreation academic programs, was two-fold:…

  9. eABLE: Embedding Social Media in Academic Curriculum as a Learning and Assessment Strategy to Enhance Students Learning and E-Professionalism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Megele, Claudia

    2015-01-01

    This paper outlines the redesign of an MSc module to enhance students' engagement and learning through embedding social media technologies into the academic curriculum as a learning and assessment strategy, and in a complementary manner that facilitated and enhanced the achievement of the module's learning outcomes. This paper describes the…

  10. A Methodology for the Assessment of Experiential Learning Lean: The Lean Experience Factory Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Zan, Giovanni; De Toni, Alberto Felice; Fornasier, Andrea; Battistella, Cinzia

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present a methodology to assess the experiential learning processes of learning lean in an innovative learning environment: the lean model factories. Design/methodology/approach: A literature review on learning and lean management literatures was carried out to design the methodology. Then, a case study…

  11. Improved Extreme Learning Machine and Its Application in Image Quality Assessment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li Mao

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Extreme learning machine (ELM is a new class of single-hidden layer feedforward neural network (SLFN, which is simple in theory and fast in implementation. Zong et al. propose a weighted extreme learning machine for learning data with imbalanced class distribution, which maintains the advantages from original ELM. However, the current reported ELM and its improved version are only based on the empirical risk minimization principle, which may suffer from overfitting. To solve the overfitting troubles, in this paper, we incorporate the structural risk minimization principle into the (weighted ELM, and propose a modified (weighted extreme learning machine (M-ELM and M-WELM. Experimental results show that our proposed M-WELM outperforms the current reported extreme learning machine algorithm in image quality assessment.

  12. Formative assessment and learning analytics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tempelaar, D.T.; Heck, A.; Cuypers, H.; van der Kooij, H.; van de Vrie, E.; Suthers, D.; Verbert, K.; Duval, E.; Ochoa, X.

    2013-01-01

    Learning analytics seeks to enhance the learning process through systematic measurements of learning related data, and informing learners and teachers of the results of these measurements, so as to support the control of the learning process. Learning analytics has various sources of information,

  13. Assessing the Impact of Voice-Over Screen-Captured Presentations Delivered Online on Dental Students' Learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schönwetter, Dieter J; Gareau-Wilson, Nicole; Cunha, Rodrigo Sanches; Mello, Isabel

    2016-02-01

    The traditional lecturing method is still one of the most common forms of delivering content to students in dental education, but innovative learning technologies have the potential to improve the effectiveness and quality of teaching dental students. What challenges instructors is the extent to which these learning tools have a direct impact on student learning outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a voice-over screen-captured learning tool by identifying a positive, nil, or negative impact on student learning as well as student engagement (affective, behavioral, and cognitive) when compared to the traditional face-to-face lecture. Extraneous variables thought to impact student learning were controlled by the use of baseline measures as well as random assignment of second-year dental students to one of two teaching conditions: voice-over screen-captured presentation delivered online and the traditional classroom lecture. A total of 28 students enrolled in the preclinical course in endodontics at a Canadian dental school participated in the study, 14 in each of the two teaching conditions. The results showed that, in most cases, the students who experienced the online lecture had somewhat higher posttest scores and perceived satisfaction levels than those in the face-to-face lecture group, but the differences did not achieve statistical significance except for their long-term recognition test scores. This study found that the students had comparable learning outcomes whether they experienced the face-to-face or the online lecture, but that the online lecture had a more positive impact on their long-term learning. The controls for extraneous variables used in this study suggest ways to improve research into the comparative impact of traditional and innovative teaching methods on student learning outcomes.

  14. Development of a harmonized approach to safety assessment of decommissioning: Lessons learned from international experience (DeSa project)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Percival, K.; Nokhamzon, J.-G.; Ferch, R.; Batandjieva, B.

    2006-01-01

    The number of nuclear facilities being or planned to be shutdown as they reach the end of their design life, due to accidents or other political and social factors has been increasing worldwide. This has led to an increase in the awareness of regulators and operators of the importance of development and implementation of adequate safety requirements and criteria for decommissioning of these facilities. A general requirement at international and national levels, even for new facilities to be commissioned, is the development of a decommissioning plan, which includes evaluation of potential radiological consequences to public and workers during planned and accidental decommissioning activities. Experience has been gained in the safety assessment of decommissioning at various sites with different complexities and hazard potentials. This experience shows that various approaches have been used in conducting safety assessments and that there is a need for harmonisation of these approaches and for transferring the good practice and lessons learned to other countries, in particular developing countries with limited financial and human resources. The IAEA launched an international project on Evaluation and Demonstration of Safety during Decommissioning (DeSa) in 2004 to provide a forum for exchange of lessons learned between site operators, regulators, safety assessors and other specialists in safety assessment of decommissioning of nuclear power plants, research reactors, laboratories, nuclear fuel cycle facilities, etc. This paper presents the lessons learned through the project up to date, i.e.; (i) a common approach to safety assessment is being applied worldwide with the following steps - establishment of assessment framework; description of the facility; definition of decommissioning activities; hazard identification and analysis; calculation of consequences; and analysis of results; (ii) a deterministic approach to safety assessment is most commonly applied; (iii) a

  15. The Structured Assessment Dialogue

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dolin, Jens; Bruun, Jesper; Nielsen, Sanne Schnell

    2018-01-01

    The two key purposes of assessment, formative and summative, are often in a contradictory position if they are used concurrently. The summative assessment of learning will often prevent the formative assessment for learning to be realised (Butler, J Educ Psychol 79(4):474, 1987), meaning...... assessment method involving three distinct phases: A 5-min student-teacher dialogue, a 5-min peer feedback phase and finally 2–3-min of student self-reflection. We describe the rationales for the SAD and analyse results from classroom implementations in Denmark and Finland. First, using focus group interview...... that the learning potential of the assessment will often be minimal. It is therefore a central challenge to find ways to combine the dual use of assessment. The structured assessment dialogue (SAD) is a candidate for such a combination. This chapter introduces the structured assessment dialogue – a short ritualised...

  16. Synaptic potentiation onto habenula neurons in the learned helplessness model of depression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Bo; Piriz, Joaquin; Mirrione, Martine; Chung, ChiHye; Proulx, Christophe D; Schulz, Daniela; Henn, Fritz; Malinow, Roberto

    2011-02-24

    The cellular basis of depressive disorders is poorly understood. Recent studies in monkeys indicate that neurons in the lateral habenula (LHb), a nucleus that mediates communication between forebrain and midbrain structures, can increase their activity when an animal fails to receive an expected positive reward or receives a stimulus that predicts aversive conditions (that is, disappointment or anticipation of a negative outcome). LHb neurons project to, and modulate, dopamine-rich regions, such as the ventral tegmental area (VTA), that control reward-seeking behaviour and participate in depressive disorders. Here we show that in two learned helplessness models of depression, excitatory synapses onto LHb neurons projecting to the VTA are potentiated. Synaptic potentiation correlates with an animal's helplessness behaviour and is due to an enhanced presynaptic release probability. Depleting transmitter release by repeated electrical stimulation of LHb afferents, using a protocol that can be effective for patients who are depressed, markedly suppresses synaptic drive onto VTA-projecting LHb neurons in brain slices and can significantly reduce learned helplessness behaviour in rats. Our results indicate that increased presynaptic action onto LHb neurons contributes to the rodent learned helplessness model of depression.

  17. Synaptic potentiation onto habenula neurons in the learned helplessness model of depression

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, B.; Schulz, D.; Piriz, J.; Mirrione, M.; Chung, C.H.; Proulx, C.D.; Schulz, D.; Henn, F.; Malinow, R.

    2011-01-01

    The cellular basis of depressive disorders is poorly understood. Recent studies in monkeys indicate that neurons in the lateral habenula (LHb), a nucleus that mediates communication between forebrain and midbrain structures, can increase their activity when an animal fails to receive an expected positive reward or receives a stimulus that predicts aversive conditions (that is, disappointment or anticipation of a negative outcome). LHb neurons project to, and modulate, dopamine-rich regions, such as the ventral tegmental area (VTA), that control reward-seeking behaviour and participate in depressive disorders. Here we show that in two learned helplessness models of depression, excitatory synapses onto LHb neurons projecting to the VTA are potentiated. Synaptic potentiation correlates with an animal's helplessness behaviour and is due to an enhanced presynaptic release probability. Depleting transmitter release by repeated electrical stimulation of LHb afferents, using a protocol that can be effective for patients who are depressed, markedly suppresses synaptic drive onto VTA-projecting LHb neurons in brain slices and can significantly reduce learned helplessness behaviour in rats. Our results indicate that increased presynaptic action onto LHb neurons contributes to the rodent learned helplessness model of depression.

  18. Mobile Virtual Learning Object for the Assessment of Acute Pain as a Learning Tool to Assess Acute Pain in Nursing: An Analysis of the Mental Workload.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alvarez, Ana Graziela; Sasso, Grace; Iyengar, Sriram

    2015-11-06

    The inclusion of new technologies in education has motivated the development of studies on mental workload. These technologies are now being used in the teaching and learning process. The analysis enables identification of factors intervening in this workload as well as planning of overload prevention for educational activities using these technologies. To analyze the mental workload of an educational intervention with the Mobile Virtual Learning Object for the Assessment of Acute Pain in adults and newborns, according to the NASA Task Load Index criteria. A methodological study with data collected from 5 nurses and 75 students, from November of 2013 to February of 2014. The highest students' and specialists' means were in the dimensions of "Mental demand" (57.20 ± 22.27; 51 ± 29.45) and "Performance" (58.47 ± 24.19; 73 ± 28.85). The specialists' mental workload index was higher (50.20 ± 7.28) when compared with students' (47.87 ± 16.85) on a scale from 0 to 100 (P=.557). The instrument allowed for the assessment of mental workload after an online educational intervention with a mobile learning virtual object. An excessive overload was not identified among participants. Assessing mental workload from the use of educational technologies at the end of a task is a key to their applicability, with the aim of providing a more effective, stimulating, and long-lasting experience of the learning process.

  19. The Use of Academic Portfolio in the Learning and Assessment of Physics Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meng Kay Ling

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this research paper is to examine the use of portfolios in the teaching and learning of physics at a Singapore private college. The paper starts with a short introduction of the types of students and the purpose of using academic portfolios in their learning and assessment. Some ideas of how portfolios can be used in the local context will also be discussed. It is necessary for teachers to know how to incorporate portfolio assessment in their daily lesson plans. At the same time, students who are studying physics at the college should also know how to use portfolios to their academic advantage. The paper also highlights three of the relevant work artifacts that can be included into the physics portfolios. The three work samples are concept-maps, internet research reports and newspaper articles reports. Concept-maps are useful tools to help students establish the connections between concepts. Internet research reports serve as important means for students to know more about how some scientific devices or technology use physics in the operations. Newspaper articles reports allow students to understand the real impact of physics on the lives of people. Subsequent sections of the paper discuss about the organizational flow of the portfolio, the timeline, the selection process, the portfolio checklist and assessment rubrics, the positive influences of using portfolios, the issues to consider and also the potential problems that physics teachers may face in implementing portfolios. These sections present the important framework which teachers can use as references for their portfolio initiatives in schools.

  20. Negotiating the use of formative assessment for learning in an era of accountability testing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Xinying

    The purpose of this collaborative action research was to understand how science educators can negotiate the tension between integrating formative assessment (FA) for students' learning and meeting the need for standardized summative assessment (testing) from a critical perspective. Using formative assessment in the era of accountability testing was a process in which the science educators identified the ways that the standardized testing system constrained the teacher's use of FA to improve students' learning, sought solutions to overcome the obstacles and came to understand how FA can be utilized to neutralize the power relationship between the institutional requirement and classroom teaching and learning. The challenge of doing FA under the pressure of standardized testing mainly lie in two dimensions: one was the demand of teaching all the desired standard-based content to all students in a limited amount of time and the sufficient time and flexibility required by doing FA to improve students' understanding, the other was the different levels of knowledge and forms of knowledge representation on FA and tests. The negotiation of doing FA for teaching standards and preparing students for tests entailed six aspects for the collaborative team, including clarifying teaching objectives, reconstructing instructional activities, negotiating with time constraints, designing effective FA activities, attending to students' needs in doing FA, and modifying end-of-unit tests to better assess the learning goals. As the teacher's instructional goals evolved to be more focused on conceptual understanding of standards and more thorough understanding for less activities, she perceived doing FA for learning and preparing students for standardized tests as more congruent. By integrating both divergent and convergent FA into instruction as well as modifying tests to be more aligned with standards, students' learning were enhanced and they were also being prepared for tests. This

  1. [Advantages and Application Prospects of Deep Learning in Image Recognition and Bone Age Assessment].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, T H; Wan, L; Liu, T A; Wang, M W; Chen, T; Wang, Y H

    2017-12-01

    Deep learning and neural network models have been new research directions and hot issues in the fields of machine learning and artificial intelligence in recent years. Deep learning has made a breakthrough in the applications of image and speech recognitions, and also has been extensively used in the fields of face recognition and information retrieval because of its special superiority. Bone X-ray images express different variations in black-white-gray gradations, which have image features of black and white contrasts and level differences. Based on these advantages of deep learning in image recognition, we combine it with the research of bone age assessment to provide basic datum for constructing a forensic automatic system of bone age assessment. This paper reviews the basic concept and network architectures of deep learning, and describes its recent research progress on image recognition in different research fields at home and abroad, and explores its advantages and application prospects in bone age assessment. Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Forensic Medicine.

  2. Assessing current and future techno-economic potential of concentrated solar power and photovoltaic electricity generation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Köberle, Alexandre C.; Gernaat, David E.H.J.; Vuuren, Detlef P. van

    2015-01-01

    CSP and PV technologies represent energy sources with large potentials. We present cost-supply curves for both technologies using a consistent methodology for 26 regions, based on geoexplicit information on solar radiation, land cover type and slope, exploring individual potential and interdependencies. For present day, both CSP and PV supply curves start at $0.18/kWh, in North Africa, South America, and Australia. Applying accepted learning rates to official capacity targets, we project prices to drop to $0.11/kWh for both technologies by 2050. In an alternative “fast-learning” scenario, generation costs drop to $0.06–0.07/kWh for CSP, and $0.09/kWh for PV. Competition between them for best areas is explored along with sensitivities of their techno-economic potentials to land use restrictions and land cover type. CSP was found to be more competitive in desert sites with highest direct solar radiation. PV was a clear winner in humid tropical regions, and temperate northern hemisphere. Elsewhere, no clear winner emerged, highlighting the importance of competition in assessments of potentials. Our results show there is ample potential globally for both technologies even accounting for land use restrictions, but stronger support for RD&D and higher investments are needed to make CSP and PV cost-competitive with established power technologies by 2050. - Highlights: • A consistent assessment of global potential for CSP and PV, with cost-supply curves for 26 regions. • Combined global CSP and PV potential below US$0.35/kWh estimated at 135,128 TWh per year. • Competition for same land-based solar resource implies that potentials cannot be added. • Attractive areas are MENA, Northern Chile, Australia, China and Southwestern USA. • Costs are projected to go down over time, reaching US$0.06–0.11/KWh for attractive sites in 2050

  3. Combining Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing to Assess Literary Text Comprehension

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balyan, Renu; McCarthy, Kathryn S.; McNamara, Danielle S.

    2017-01-01

    This study examined how machine learning and natural language processing (NLP) techniques can be leveraged to assess the interpretive behavior that is required for successful literary text comprehension. We compared the accuracy of seven different machine learning classification algorithms in predicting human ratings of student essays about…

  4. Assessment of the Vocabulary Learning and Strategies Used by Teacher Education Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Esperanza F. Carranza

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available One way to assess a person’s communicative competence is through his ability to express his thoughts and ideas in appropriate words and meaningful sentences. Vocabulary learning then is critical to learning a language – be it the first, second or even foreign. However, test results, daily communication and English proficiency exams show that students have difficulty in learning vocabulary. This descriptive-evaluative study assessed the vocabulary learning and the strategies used along context clues, word analysis and dictionary skills of the 100 randomly selected second-year education students of the Sorsogon State College. The study utilized survey-questionnaire, teacher- made test and unstructured interview in gathering data. The study revealed that most of the Bachelor of Elementary Education (BEED and Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSED students oftentimes used strategies in learning vocabulary such as reading books and other materials, looking for clues in sentences and use the dictionary to unlock the unfamiliar words. The students attained nearly competent vocabulary performance along context clues, word analysis and dictionary skills. The context clues and word analysis skills are significantly related to the use of learning strategies when tested at 0.05 level. The developed vocabulary module to enhance the skills of the students can be validated and utilized for instruction.

  5. Evaluation of students' perception of their learning environment and approaches to learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valyrakis, Manousos; Cheng, Ming

    2015-04-01

    This work presents the results of two case studies designed to assess the various approaches undergraduate and postgraduate students undertake for their education. The first study describes the results and evaluation of an undergraduate course in Water Engineering which aims to develop the fundamental background knowledge of students on introductory practical applications relevant to the practice of water and hydraulic engineering. The study assesses the effectiveness of the course design and learning environment from the perception of students using a questionnaire addressing several aspects that may affect student learning, performance and satisfaction, such as students' motivation, factors to effective learning, and methods of communication and assessment. The second study investigates the effectiveness of supervisory arrangements based on the perceptions of engineering undergraduate and postgraduate students. Effective supervision requires leadership skills that are not taught in the University, yet there is rarely a chance to get feedback, evaluate this process and reflect. Even though the results are very encouraging there are significant lessons to learn in improving ones practice and develop an effective learning environment to student support and guidance. The findings from these studies suggest that students with high level of intrinsic motivation are deep learners and are also top performers in a student-centered learning environment. A supportive teaching environment with a plethora of resources and feedback made available over different platforms that address students need for direct communication and feedback has the potential to improve student satisfaction and their learning experience. Finally, incorporating a multitude of assessment methods is also important in promoting deep learning. These results have deep implications about student learning and can be used to further improve course design and delivery in the future.

  6. Assessing the Learning Path Specification: a Pragmatic Quality Approach

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Janssen, José; Berlanga, Adriana; Heyenrath, Stef; Martens, Harrie; Vogten, Hubert; Finders, Anton; Herder, Eelco; Hermans, Henry; Melero, Javier; Schaeps, Leon; Koper, Rob

    2010-01-01

    Janssen, J., Berlanga, A. J., Heyenrath, S., Martens, H., Vogten, H., Finders, A., Herder, E., Hermans, H., Melero Gallardo, J., Schaeps, L., & Koper, R. (2010). Assessing the Learning Path Specification: a Pragmatic Quality Approach. Journal of Universal Computer Science, 16(21), 3191-3209.

  7. Attenuation of ketamine-induced impairment in verbal learning and memory in healthy volunteers by the AMPA receptor potentiator PF-04958242.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ranganathan, M; DeMartinis, N; Huguenel, B; Gaudreault, F; Bednar, M M; Shaffer, C L; Gupta, S; Cahill, J; Sherif, M A; Mancuso, J; Zumpano, L; D'Souza, D C

    2017-11-01

    There is a need to develop treatments for cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia (CIAS). The significant role played by N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) in both the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and in neuronal plasticity suggests that facilitation of NMDAR function might ameliorate CIAS. One strategy to correct NMDAR hypofunction is to stimulate α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors (AMPARs) as AMPAR and NMDAR functioning are coupled and interdependent. In rats and nonhuman primates (NHP), AMPAR potentiators reduce spatial working memory deficits caused by the nonselective NMDAR antagonist ketamine. The current study assessed whether the AMPAR potentiator PF-04958242 would attenuate ketamine-induced deficits in verbal learning and memory in humans. Healthy male subjects (n=29) participated in two randomized treatment periods of daily placebo or PF-04958242 for 5 days separated by a washout period. On day 5 of each treatment period, subjects underwent a ketamine infusion for 75 min during which the effects of PF-04958242/placebo were assessed on ketamine-induced: (1) impairments in verbal learning and recall measured by the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test; (2) impairments in working memory on a CogState battery; and (3) psychotomimetic effects measured by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and Clinician-Administered Dissociative Symptoms Scale. PF-04958242 significantly reduced ketamine-induced impairments in immediate recall and the 2-Back and spatial working memory tasks (CogState Battery), without significantly attenuating ketamine-induced psychotomimetic effects. There were no pharmacokinetic interactions between PF-04958242 and ketamine. Furthermore, PF-04958242 was well tolerated. 'High-impact' AMPAR potentiators like PF-04958242 may have a role in the treatment of the cognitive symptoms, but not the positive or negative symptoms, associated with schizophrenia. The excellent concordance between the

  8. Assessment of risk of potential exposures on facilities industries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leocadio, Joao Carlos

    2007-03-01

    This work develops a model to evaluate potential exposures on open facilities of industrial radiography in Brazil. This model will decisively contribute to optimize operational, radiological protection and safety procedures, to prevent radiation accidents and to reduce human errors in industrial radiography. The probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) methodology was very useful to assess potential exposures. The open facilities of industrial radiography were identified as the scenario to be analyzed in what concerns the evaluation of potential exposures, due to their high accidents indices. The results of the assessment of potential exposures confirm that the industrial radiography in Brazil is a high-risk practice as classified by the IAEA. The risk of potential exposure was estimated to be 40,5 x 10 -2 per year in Brazil, having as main consequences injuries to the workers' hands and arms. In the world scene, the consequences are worst, leading to fatalities of people, thus emphasizing the high risk of industrial radiography. (author)

  9. Evaluation of an International Blended Learning Cooperation Project in Biology Teacher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yaman, Melek; Graf, Dittmar

    2010-01-01

    At the beginning of the 21st century, virtual learning was thought to have the potential to revolutionize learning arrangements. This enthusiastic notion has given way to a kind of disillusionment, which has, however, led to a more realistic assessment of the potential of e-learning, the development of new conceptions, new methodical approaches,…

  10. Towards effective outcomes in teaching, learning and assessment of law in medical education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Preston-Shoot, Michael; McKimm, Judy

    2011-04-01

    Law is slowly emerging as a core subject area in medical education, alongside content on the ethical responsibilities of doctors to protect and promote patient health and well-being. Curriculum statements have begun to advise on core content and methods for organising teaching and assessment. However, no comprehensive overview of approaches to the delivery of this law curriculum has been undertaken. This paper reports an assessment of the nature and strength of the published evidence base for the teaching, learning and assessment of law in medical education. It also provides a thematic content overview from the best available literature on the teaching of law to medical students and on the assessment of their legal knowledge and skills. A systematic review of the evidence base was completed. Detailed scrutiny resulted in the inclusion of 31 empirical sources and 11 conceptual papers. The quality of the included material was assessed. Significant gaps exist in the evidence base. Empirical studies of the teaching of law are characterised by insufficient sample sizes and a focus on individual study programmes. They rely on measures of student satisfaction and on evaluating short-term outcomes rather than assessing whether knowledge is retained and whether learning impacts on patient outcomes. Studies reveal a lack of coordination between pre- or non-clinical and clinical medico-legal education. Although evidence on the development of students' knowledge is available, much learning is distant from the practice in which its application would be tested. Law learning in clinical placements appears to be opportunistic rather than structured. The place of law in the curriculum remains uncertain and should be more clearly identified. A more robust knowledge base is needed to realise the aspirations behind curriculum statements on law and to enable medical students to develop sufficient legal literacy to manage challenging practice encounters. Further research is needed into

  11. Language Assessment of Latino English Learning Children: A Records Abstraction Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kraemer, Robert; Fabiano-Smith, Leah

    2017-01-01

    The researchers examined how speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in a small northern California school district assessed Spanish speaking English learning (EL) Latino children suspected of language impairments. Specifically we sought to (1) determine whether SLPs adhered to federal, state, and professional guidelines during initial assessments and…

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

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Al-Kadri, H.M.; Al-Kadi, M.T.; Vleuten, C.P.M. van der

    2013-01-01

    BACKGROUND: We have performed this research to assess the effect of work-place based assessment (WBA) practice on medical students' learning approaches. METHODS: The research was conducted at the King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, College of Medicine from 1 March to 31 July

  13. Assessing learning outcomes and cost effectiveness of an online sleep curriculum for medical students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bandla, Hari; Franco, Rose A; Simpson, Deborah; Brennan, Kimberly; McKanry, Jennifer; Bragg, Dawn

    2012-08-15

    Sleep disorders are highly prevalent across all age groups but often remain undiagnosed and untreated, resulting in significant health consequences. To overcome an inadequacy of available curricula and learner and instructor time constraints, this study sought to determine if an online sleep medicine curriculum would achieve equivalent learner outcomes when compared with traditional, classroom-based, face-to-face instruction at equivalent costs. Medical students rotating on a required clinical clerkship received instruction in 4 core clinical sleep-medicine competency domains in 1 of 2 delivery formats: a single 2.5-hour face-to-face workshop or 4 asynchronous e-learning modules. Immediate learning outcomes were assessed in a subsequent clerkship using a multiple-choice examination and standardized patient station, with long-term outcomes assessed through analysis of students' patient write-ups for inclusion of sleep complaints and diagnoses before and after the intervention. Instructional costs by delivery format were tracked. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses compared learning outcomes and costs by instructional delivery method (face-to-face versus e-learning). Face-to-face learners, compared with online learners, were more satisfied with instruction. Learning outcomes (i.e., multiple-choice examination, standardized patient encounter, patient write-up), as measured by short-term and long-term assessments, were roughly equivalent. Design, delivery, and learner-assessment costs by format were equivalent at the end of 1 year, due to higher ongoing teaching costs associated with face-to-face learning offsetting online development and delivery costs. Because short-term and long-term learner performance outcomes were roughly equivalent, based on delivery method, the cost effectiveness of online learning is an economically and educationally viable instruction platform for clinical clerkships.

  14. Problem-based learning and radiology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thurley, P.; Dennick, R.

    2008-01-01

    The Royal College of Radiologists recently published documents setting out guidelines to improve the teaching of radiology to medical students. These included recommendations that clinicians who teach radiology should be aware of newer educational techniques, such as problem-based learning, and should be involved in the development of curricula and assessment in medical schools. This review aims to introduce the educational theories behind problem-based learning and describe how a problem-based learning tutorial is run. The relevance of problem-based learning to radiology and the potential advantages and disadvantages are discussed

  15. Comparison of plant-specific probabilistic safety assessments and lessons learned

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balfanz, H.P.; Berg, H.P.; Steininger, U.

    2001-01-01

    Probabilistic safety assessments (PSA) have been performed for all German nuclear power plants in operation. These assessments are mainly based on the recent German PSA guide and an earlier draft, respectively. However, comparison of these PSA show differences in the results which are discussed in this paper. Lessons learned from this comparison and further development of the PSA methodology are described. (orig.) [de

  16. A Multipurpose Interactive System for Promoting and Assessing the Learning of Physics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Picciarelli, Vittorio; Selvaggi, Giovanna; Stella, Rosa

    2013-01-01

    This paper presents an interactive system designed to facilitate the effective management of both knowledge consolidation and (self-)assessment of the progress made in the learning of physics by upper secondary school students. Via a specific multiple-choice test database, the system proposes several learning paths designed and implemented in an…

  17. Assessing the Role of Mobile Technologies and Distance Learning in Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ordóñez de Pablos, Patricia, Ed.; Tennyson, Robert D., Ed.; Lytras, Miltiadis D., Ed.

    2015-01-01

    In recent years, the use of information technologies, mobile devices, and social media, along with the evolving needs of students, professionals, and academics, has grown rapidly. New ways of bringing learning content to students, new learning environments, and new teaching practices are necessary to keep up with these changes. "Assessing the…

  18. Beyond Student Learning Outcomes: Developing Comprehensive, Strategic Assessment Plans for Advising Programmes

    Science.gov (United States)

    McClellan, Jeffrey L.

    2011-01-01

    This article argues that while the importance of assessment in academic advising is clear and the current emphasis on defining and measuring student learning outcomes represents an essential component of any comprehensive advising assessment plan, an even more comprehensive understanding of programme assessment is needed. Drawing upon business…

  19. Identification of Potential Hazard using Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sari, R. M.; Syahputri, K.; Rizkya, I.; Siregar, I.

    2017-03-01

    This research was conducted in the paper production’s company. These Paper products will be used as a cigarette paper. Along in the production’s process, Company provides the machines and equipment that operated by workers. During the operations, all workers may potentially injured. It known as a potential hazard. Hazard identification and risk assessment is one part of a safety and health program in the stage of risk management. This is very important as part of efforts to prevent occupational injuries and diseases resulting from work. This research is experiencing a problem that is not the identification of potential hazards and risks that would be faced by workers during the running production process. The purpose of this study was to identify the potential hazards by using hazard identification and risk assessment methods. Risk assessment is done using severity criteria and the probability of an accident. According to the research there are 23 potential hazard that occurs with varying severity and probability. Then made the determination Risk Assessment Code (RAC) for each potential hazard, and gained 3 extreme risks, 10 high risks, 6 medium risks and 3 low risks. We have successfully identified potential hazard using RAC.

  20. Assessment of wind energy potential in China

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Zhu Rong; Zhang De; Wang Yuedong; Xing Xuhuang; Li Zechun

    2009-01-01

    China wind atlas was made by numerical simulation and the wind energy potential in China was calculated. The model system for wind energy resource assessment was set up based on Canadian Wind Energy Simulating Toolkit (WEST) and the simulating method was as follows. First, the weather classes were obtained depend on meteorological data of 30 years. Then, driven by the initial meteorological field produced by each weather class, the meso-scale model ran for the distribution of wind energy resources according each weather class condition one by one. Finally, averaging all the modeling output weighted by the occurrence frequency of each weather class, the annual mean distribution of wind energy resources was worked out. Compared the simulated wind energy potential with other results from several ac-tivities and studies for wind energy resource assessment, it is found that the simulated wind energy potential in mainland of China is 3 times that from the second and the third investigations for wind energy resources by CMA, and is similar to the wind energy potential obtained by NREL in Solar and Wind Energy Resource Assessment (SWERA) project. The simulated offshore wind energy potential of China seems smaller than the true value. According to the simulated results of CMA and considering lots of limited factors to wind energy development, the final conclusion can be obtained that the wind energy availability in China is 700~1 200 GW, in which 600~1 000 GW is in mainland and 100~200 GW is on offshore, and wind power will become the important part of energy composition in future.

  1. Improving mathematical problem solving ability through problem-based learning and authentic assessment for the students of Bali State Polytechnic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Darma, I. K.

    2018-01-01

    This research is aimed at determining: 1) the differences of mathematical problem solving ability between the students facilitated with problem-based learning model and conventional learning model, 2) the differences of mathematical problem solving ability between the students facilitated with authentic and conventional assessment model, and 3) interaction effect between learning and assessment model on mathematical problem solving. The research was conducted in Bali State Polytechnic, using the 2x2 experiment factorial design. The samples of this research were 110 students. The data were collected using a theoretically and empirically-validated test. Instruments were validated by using Aiken’s approach of technique content validity and item analysis, and then analyzed using anova stylistic. The result of the analysis shows that the students facilitated with problem-based learning and authentic assessment models get the highest score average compared to the other students, both in the concept understanding and mathematical problem solving. The result of hypothesis test shows that, significantly: 1) there is difference of mathematical problem solving ability between the students facilitated with problem-based learning model and conventional learning model, 2) there is difference of mathematical problem solving ability between the students facilitated with authentic assessment model and conventional assessment model, and 3) there is interaction effect between learning model and assessment model on mathematical problem solving. In order to improve the effectiveness of mathematics learning, collaboration between problem-based learning model and authentic assessment model can be considered as one of learning models in class.

  2. Values of Local Wisdom: A Potential to Develop an Assessment and Remedial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toharudin, Uus; Kurniawan, Iwan Setia

    2017-01-01

    Development assessment and remedial needs to be done because it is an important part of a learning process. This study aimed to describe the ability of student teachers of biology in developing assessment and remedial based on local wisdom. using a quasi-experimental research methods with quantitative descriptive analysis techniques. The research…

  3. Assessing Cognitive Load Theory to Improve Student Learning for Mechanical Engineers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Impelluso, Thomas J.

    2009-01-01

    A computer programming class for students of mechanical engineering was redesigned and assessed: Cognitive Load Theory was used to redesign the content; online technologies were used to redesign the delivery. Student learning improved and the dropout rate was reduced. This article reports on both attitudinal and objective assessment: comparing…

  4. Learning theories and tools for the assessment of core nursing competencies in simulation: A theoretical review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lavoie, Patrick; Michaud, Cécile; Bélisle, Marilou; Boyer, Louise; Gosselin, Émilie; Grondin, Myrian; Larue, Caroline; Lavoie, Stéphan; Pepin, Jacinthe

    2018-02-01

    To identify the theories used to explain learning in simulation and to examine how these theories guided the assessment of learning outcomes related to core competencies in undergraduate nursing students. Nurse educators face the challenge of making explicit the outcomes of competency-based education, especially when competencies are conceptualized as holistic and context dependent. Theoretical review. Research papers (N = 182) published between 1999-2015 describing simulation in nursing education. Two members of the research team extracted data from the papers, including theories used to explain how simulation could engender learning and tools used to assess simulation outcomes. Contingency tables were created to examine the associations between theories, outcomes and tools. Some papers (N = 79) did not provide an explicit theory. The 103 remaining papers identified one or more learning or teaching theories; the most frequent were the National League for Nursing/Jeffries Simulation Framework, Kolb's theory of experiential learning and Bandura's social cognitive theory and concept of self-efficacy. Students' perceptions of simulation, knowledge and self-confidence were the most frequently assessed, mainly via scales designed for the study where they were used. Core competencies were mostly assessed with an observational approach. This review highlighted the fact that few studies examined the use of simulation in nursing education through learning theories and via assessment of core competencies. It also identified observational tools used to assess competencies in action, as holistic and context-dependent constructs. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. The Dialogic Potential of ePortfolios: Formative Feedback and Communities of Learning within a Personal Learning Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ehiyazaryan-White, Ester

    2012-01-01

    This paper reports on the findings of a study into the use of ePortfolios as personal learning environments (PLE) by a group of students pursuing Master's degrees in Education. The qualitative study explores the potential of the ePortfolio to support learners in engaging in formative peer and tutor feedback as well as in developing a learning…

  6. Spiral and Project-Based Learning with Peer Assessment in a Computer Science Project Management Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaime, Arturo; Blanco, José Miguel; Domínguez, César; Sánchez, Ana; Heras, Jónathan; Usandizaga, Imanol

    2016-01-01

    Different learning methods such as project-based learning, spiral learning and peer assessment have been implemented in science disciplines with different outcomes. This paper presents a proposal for a project management course in the context of a computer science degree. Our proposal combines three well-known methods: project-based learning,…

  7. Teachers’ learning and assessing of mathematical processes with emphasis on representations, reasoning and proof

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Satsope Maoto

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available This article focuses mainly on two key mathematical processes (representation, and reasoning and proof. Firstly, we observed how teachers learn these processes and subsequently identify what and how to assess learners on the same processes. Secondly, we reviewed one teacher’s attempt to facilitate the learning of the processes in his classroom. Two interrelated questions were pursued: ‘what are the teachers’ challenges in learning mathematical processes?’ and ‘in what ways are teachers’ approaches to learning mathematical processes influencing how they assess their learners on the same processes?’ A case study was undertaken involving 10 high school mathematics teachers who enrolled for an assessment module towards a Bachelor in Education Honours degree in mathematics education. We present an interpretive analysis of two sets of data. The first set consisted of the teachers’ written responses to a pattern searching activity. The second set consisted of a mathematical discourse on matchstick patterns in a Grade 9 class. The overall finding was that teachers rush through forms of representation and focus more on manipulation of numerical representations with a view to deriving symbolic representation. Subsequently, this unidirectional approach limits the scope of assessment of mathematical processes. Interventions with regard to the enhancement of these complex processes should involve teachers’ actual engagements in and reflections on similar learning.

  8. Geriatrics Curricula for Internal and Family Medicine Residents: Assessing Study Quality and Learning Outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Huai Yong; Davis, Molly

    2017-02-01

    Prior reviews of geriatrics curricula for internal medicine (IM) and family medicine (FM) residents have not evaluated study quality or assessed learning objectives or specific IM or FM competencies. This review of geriatrics curricula for IM and FM residents seeks to answer 3 questions: (1) What types of learning outcomes were measured? (2) How were learning outcomes measured? and (3) What was the quality of the studies? We evaluated geriatrics curricula that reported learning objectives or competencies, teaching methods, and learning outcomes, and those that used a comparative design. We searched PubMed and 4 other data sets from 2003-2015, and assessed learning outcomes, outcome measures, and the quality of studies using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI) and Best Evidence Medical Education (BEME) methods. Fourteen studies met inclusion criteria. Most curricula were intended for IM residents in the inpatient setting; only 1 was solely dedicated to FM residents. Median duration was 1 month, and minimum geriatrics competencies covered were 4. Learning outcomes ranged from Kirkpatrick levels 1 to 3. Studies that reported effect size showed a considerable impact on attitudes and knowledge, mainly via pretests and posttests. The mean MERSQI score was 10.5 (range, 8.5-13) on a scale of 5 (lowest quality) to 18 (highest quality). Few geriatrics curricula for IM and FM residents that included learning outcome assessments were published recently. Overall, changes in attitudes and knowledge were sizeable, but reporting was limited to low to moderate Kirkpatrick levels. Study quality was moderate.

  9. Mobile Learning in Medical Education: Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walsh, Kieran

    2015-10-01

    In the past several years, mobile learning made rapid inroads into the provision of medical education. There are significant advantages associated with mobile learning. These include high access, low cost, more situated and contextual learning, convenience for the learner, continuous communication and interaction between learner and tutor and between learner and other learners, and the ability to self-assess themselves while learning. Like any other form of medical pedagogy, mobile learning has its downsides. Disadvantages of mobile learning include: inadequate technology, a risk of distraction from learning by using a device that can be used for multiple purposes, and the potential for breakdown in barriers between personal usage of the mobile device and professional or educational use. Despite these caveats, there is no question but that mobile learning offers much potential. In the future, it is likely that the strategy of mobile first, whereby providers of e-learning think of the user experience on a mobile first, will result in learners who increasingly expect that all e-learning provision will work seamlessly on a mobile device.

  10. A Longitudinal Assessment of an Initial Cohort in a Psychology Learning Community

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buch, Kim; Spaulding, Sue

    2008-01-01

    Discipline-based learning communities have become a popular strategy for improving student performance and satisfaction. This article describes the goals and features of a university-based, first-year psychology learning community (PLC) implemented in Fall 2003. We also report the results of a longitudinal assessment of the impact of the PLC on…

  11. Two Years into the Journey: AACSB Assessment of Learning in a "Principles of Marketing" Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clinton, Steven R.; Marco, Gayle; Chu, Yun

    2009-01-01

    Using a "Principles of Marketing" course, the authors demonstrate how compliance with AACSB standards and assessment of learning has been undertaken at Robert Morris University over a two-year period. Learning goals and objectives are tied to a specific assessment instrument to provide an illustration of how broad conceptual ideas are…

  12. Revolution, Evolution or a Trojan Horse? Piloting Assessment for Learning in Some Scottish Primary Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirton, Alison; Hallam, Susan; Peffers, Jack; Robertson, Pamela; Stobart, Gordon

    2007-01-01

    This article analyses some of the findings of an evaluation of Project One of the "Assessment is for Learning" Development Programme in 16 Scottish primary schools and two junior high schools in which teachers developed formative assessment strategies aimed at improving teaching and learning. Drawing on data from pupils, teachers and…

  13. The relationship between assessment methods and self-directed learning readiness in medical education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monroe, Katherine S

    2016-03-11

    This research explored the assessment of self-directed learning readiness within the comprehensive evaluation of medical students' knowledge and skills and the extent to which several variables predicted participants' self-directed learning readiness prior to their graduation. Five metrics for evaluating medical students were considered in a multiple regression analysis. Fourth-year medical students at a competitive US medical school received an informed consent and an online survey. Participants voluntarily completed a self-directed learning readiness scale that assessed four subsets of self-directed learning readiness and consented to the release of their academic records. The assortment of metrics considered in this study only vaguely captured students' self-directedness. The strongest predictors were faculty evaluations of students' performance on clerkship rotations. Specific clerkship grades were mildly predictive of three subscales. The Pediatrics clerkship modestly predicted critical self-evaluation (r=-.30, p=.01) and the Psychiatry clerkship mildly predicted learning self-efficacy (r =-.30, p=.01), while the Junior Surgery clerkship nominally correlated with participants' effective organization for learning (r=.21, p=.05). Other metrics examined did not contribute to predicting participants' readiness for self-directed learning. Given individual differences among participants for the variables considered, no combination of students' grades and/or test scores overwhelmingly predicted their aptitude for self-directed learning. Considering the importance of fostering medical students' self-directed learning skills, schools need a reliable and pragmatic approach to measure them. This data analysis, however, offered no clear-cut way of documenting students' self-directed learning readiness based on the evaluation metrics included.

  14. Olfactory Fear Conditioning Induces Field Potential Potentiation in Rat Olfactory Cortex and Amygdala

    Science.gov (United States)

    Messaoudi, Belkacem; Granjon, Lionel; Mouly, Anne-Marie; Sevelinges, Yannick; Gervais, Remi

    2004-01-01

    The widely used Pavlovian fear-conditioning paradigms used for studying the neurobiology of learning and memory have mainly used auditory cues as conditioned stimuli (CS). The present work assessed the neural network involved in olfactory fear conditioning, using olfactory bulb stimulation-induced field potential signal (EFP) as a marker of…

  15. Article Commentary: Group Learning Assessments as a Vital Consideration in the Implementation of New Peer Learning Pedagogies in the Basic Science Curriculum of Health Profession Programs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charlotte L. Briggs

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Inspired by reports of successful outcomes in health profession education literature, peer learning has progressively grown to become a fundamental characteristic of health profession curricula. Many studies, however, are anecdotal or philosophical in nature, particularly when addressing the effectiveness of assessments in the context of peer learning. This commentary provides an overview of the rationale for using group assessments in the basic sciences curriculum of health profession programs and highlights the challenges associated with implementing group assessments in this context. The dearth of appropriate means for measuring group process suggests that professional collaboration competencies need to be more clearly defined. Peer learning educators are advised to enhance their understanding of social psychological research in order to implement best practices in the development of appropriate group assessments for peer learning.

  16. Towards Professionalism in Music: Self-assessed Learning Strategies of Conservatory Music Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Esa Virkkula

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available One of the current spearhead projects in Finnish education is learning to learn. Learning strategies have been examined from a variety of perspectives. They are policies that either promote or hinder learning. They are any behaviours or thoughts that facilitate encoding in such a way that knowledge integration and retrieval are enhanced. Strategies can be practiced and learnt. Direct and indirect learning strategies formed the model of defining music students’ self-assessed learning habits in this research. The strategies dealt with here are memory, cognitive, compensation, metacognitive, affective and social strategies. Critical thinking strategies as well as deep and surface learning strategies were also observed. In this paper, a theoretical background and methodological solutions will first be presented. A significant finding comes from cross-professional collaboration of students, teachers, and professionals during the research period: it enhanced the use of strategies. Another finding, the profitable use of the workshop method, can be adopted by other fields of learning and make processes flexible and fruitful.

  17. Ecologically relevant neurobehavioral assessment of the development of threat learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mouly, Anne-Marie

    2016-01-01

    As altricial infants gradually transition to adults, their proximate environment changes. In three short weeks, pups transition from a small world with the caregiver and siblings to a complex milieu rich in dangers as their environment expands. Such contrasting environments require different learning abilities and lead to distinct responses throughout development. Here, we will review some of the learned fear conditioned responses to threats in rats during their ontogeny, including behavioral and physiological measures that permit the assessment of learning and its supporting neurobiology from infancy through adulthood. In adulthood, odor–shock conditioning produces robust fear learning to the odor that depends upon the amygdala and related circuitry. Paradoxically, this conditioning in young pups fails to support fear learning and supports approach learning to the odor previously paired with shock. This approach learning is mediated by the infant attachment network that does not include the amygdala. During the age range when pups transition from the infant to the adult circuit (10–15 d old), pups have access to both networks: odor–shock conditioning in maternal presence uses the attachment circuit but the adult amygdala-dependent circuit when alone. However, throughout development (as young as 5 d old) the attachment associated learning can be overridden and amygdala-dependent fear learning supported, if the mother expresses fear in the presence of the pup. This social modulation of the fear permits the expression of defense reactions in life threatening situations informed by the caregiver but prevents the learning of the caregiver itself as a threat. PMID:27634146

  18. 20 Years of Technology and Language Assessment in "Language Learning & Technology"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chapelle, Carol A.; Voss, Erik

    2016-01-01

    This review article provides an analysis of the research from the last two decades on the theme of technology and second language assessment. Based on an examination of the assessment scholarship published in "Language Learning & Technology" since its launch in 1997, we analyzed the review articles, research articles, book reviews,…

  19. Correlating learning and memory improvements to long-term potentiation in patients with brain injury

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Xingfu Peng; Qian Yu

    2008-01-01

    BACKGROUND:Brain injury patients often exhibit learning and memory functional deficits.Long-term potentiation(LTP)is a representative index for studying learning and memory cellular models; the LTP index correlates to neural plasticity. OBJECTIVE:This study was designed to investigate correlations of learning and memory functions to LTP in brain injury patients,and to summarize the research advancements in mechanisms underlying brain functional improvements after rehabilitation intervention. RETRIEVAL STRATEGY:Using the terms "brain injuries,rehabilitation,learning and memory,long-term potentiation",manuscripts that were published from 2000-2007 were retrieved from the PubMed database.At the same time,manuscripts published from 2000-2007 were also retrieved from the Database of Chinese Scientific and Technical Periodicals with the same terms in the Chinese language.A total of 64 manuscripts were obtained and primarily screened.Inclusion criteria:studies on learning and memory,as well as LTP in brain injury patients,and studies focused on the effects of rehabilitation intervention on the two indices; studies that were recently published or in high-impact journals.Exclusion criteria:repetitive studies.LITERATURE EVALUATION:The included manuscripts primarily focused on correlations between learning and memory and LTP,the effects of brain injury on learning and memory,as well as LTP,and the effects of rehabilitation intervention on learning and memory after brain injury.The included 39 manuscripts were clinical,basic experimental,or review studies. DATA SYNTHESIS:Learning and memory closely correlates to LTP.The neurobiological basis of learning and memory is central nervous system plasticity,which involves neural networks,neural circuits,and synaptic connections,in particular,synaptic plasticity.LTP is considered to be an ideal model for studying synaptic plasticity,and it is also a classic model for studying neural plasticity of learning and memory.Brain injury

  20. Relations between student perceptions of assessment authenticity, study approaches and learning outcome

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gulikers, J.T.M.; Bastiaens, Th.J.; Kirschner, P.A.; Kester, L.

    2006-01-01

    This article examines the relationships between perceptions of authenticity and alignment on study approach and learning outcome. Senior students of a vocational training program performed an authentic assessment and filled in a questionnaire about the authenticity of various assessment

  1. The formation and development of corporate culture of learning organization: efficiency assessment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. O. Tolstykh

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In modern conditions of digitalization of the economy, its integration with the policy society questions of formation and development of corporate culture of the learning organisation are of particular relevance. Digital transformation of business dictates the need for the emergence and development of learning organizations, creating and preserving knowledge. In this situation, the openness of issues of assessment of efficiency of processes of formation and development defines the importance of the proposed research. Corporate culture is regarded by most scholars as the most important internal resource of the organization, able to provide her with stability in a crisis and give impetus to the development and transition to qualitatively different levels of the life cycle. This position assumes that a strong corporate culture should be aimed at building a learning organization, able to quickly adapt to changes in the external and internal environment. This article examines the issue of assessment of efficiency of corporate culture; it is shown that in addition to the empirical, sociological methods and qualitative approach to evaluation, is acceptable investment approach. This option appears when you use the aggregate target-oriented and project management methods, which allows in a systematic manner to carry out the formation and development of corporate culture. The assessment should be subject to software development activities and (or development of the corporate culture of a learning organization. In evidence to draw conclusions on the example of agricultural companies, a calculation of the economic efficiency of the program of formation of corporate culture of a learning organization. Calculation of net discounted income, the net present value of the project, profitability index, project profitability, payback period. This confirms the social and economic effects of the proposed program on the formation of corporate culture of independent

  2. Bladder cancer treatment response assessment using deep learning in CT with transfer learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cha, Kenny H.; Hadjiiski, Lubomir M.; Chan, Heang-Ping; Samala, Ravi K.; Cohan, Richard H.; Caoili, Elaine M.; Paramagul, Chintana; Alva, Ajjai; Weizer, Alon Z.

    2017-03-01

    We are developing a CAD system for bladder cancer treatment response assessment in CT. We compared the performance of the deep-learning convolution neural network (DL-CNN) using different network sizes, and with and without transfer learning using natural scene images or regions of interest (ROIs) inside and outside the bladder. The DL-CNN was trained to identify responders (T0 disease) and non-responders to chemotherapy. ROIs were extracted from segmented lesions in pre- and post-treatment scans of a patient and paired to generate hybrid pre-post-treatment paired ROIs. The 87 lesions from 82 patients generated 104 temporal lesion pairs and 6,700 pre-post-treatment paired ROIs. Two-fold cross-validation and receiver operating characteristic analysis were performed and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated for the DL-CNN estimates. The AUCs for prediction of T0 disease after treatment were 0.77+/-0.08 and 0.75+/-0.08, respectively, for the two partitions using DL-CNN without transfer learning and a small network, and were 0.74+/-0.07 and 0.74+/-0.08 with a large network. The AUCs were 0.73+/-0.08 and 0.62+/-0.08 with transfer learning using a small network pre-trained with bladder ROIs. The AUC values were 0.77+/-0.08 and 0.73+/-0.07 using the large network pre-trained with the same bladder ROIs. With transfer learning using the large network pretrained with the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR-10) data set, the AUCs were 0.72+/-0.06 and 0.64+/-0.09, respectively, for the two partitions. None of the differences in the methods reached statistical significance. Our study demonstrated the feasibility of using DL-CNN for the estimation of treatment response in CT. Transfer learning did not improve the treatment response estimation. The DL-CNN performed better when transfer learning with bladder images was used instead of natural scene images.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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…

  4. Validity of Assessment and Recognition of Non-Formal and Informal Learning Achievements in Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaminskiene, Lina; Stasiunaitiene, Egle

    2013-01-01

    The article identifies the validity of assessment of non-formal and informal learning achievements (NILA) as one of the key factors for encouraging further development of the process of assessing and recognising non-formal and informal learning achievements in higher education. The authors analyse why the recognition of non-formal and informal…

  5. The Analysis of Physics Learning in Senior High School of Semarang Based on The Scientific Approach and Assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hardyanti, R. C.; Hartono; Fianti

    2018-03-01

    Physics Learning in Curriculum of 2013 is closely related to the implementation of scientific approach and authentic assessment in learning. This study aims to analyze the implementation of scientific approaches and authentic assessment in physics learning, as well as to analyze the constraints of scientific approach and authentic assessment in physics learning. The data collection techniques used in this study are questionnaires, observations, interviews, and documentation. The calculation results used are percentage techniques and analyzed by using qualitative descriptive approach. Based on the results of research and discussion, the implementation of physics learning based on the scientific approach goes well with the percentage of 84.60%. Physical learning activity based on authentic assessment also goes well with the percentage of 88%. The results of the percentage of scientific approaches and authentic assessment approaches are less than 100%. It shows that there are obstacles to the implementation of the scientific approach and the constraints of authentic assessment. The obstacles to the implementation of scientific approach include time, heavy load of material, input or ability of learners, the willingness of learners in asking questions, laboratory support, and the ability of students to process data. While the obstacles to the implementation of authentic assessment include the limited time for carrying out of authentic assessment, the components of the criteria in carrying out the authentic assessment, the lack of discipline in administering the administration, the difficulty of changing habits in carrying out the assessment from traditional assessment to the authentic assessment, the obstacle to process the score in accordance with the format Curriculum of 2013.

  6. Environmental assessment of nuclear projects in Canada - process, participation, lessons learned

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Underdown, G.A.; Brown, P.A.; Morrison, R.W.

    1995-01-01

    This paper documents public participation in decision-making for five cases of nuclear-based projects in Canada. Two cases involve the application of the Federal Environmental Assessment and Review Process (EARP), a formal, non-judicial process for public involvement in projects with a potential environmental impact. It is being applied to the development of new Uranium mines and the disposal of used nuclear fuels. The siting of radioactive waste facilities, generally unwanted by the communities, presents many difficult challenges which needs to be addressed before a project goes through the EARP process. An open, consultative, community-based approach to decision-making about siting is being applied in the three cases: Port Hope, Scarborough and Surrey. A number of lessons have been learned, the most important that there is a need to establish an acceptable process that includes 'getting the science right' on a project before attempting to find a site. The EARP, in most cases, provides a good mechanism for the sharing of information about a potential between the proponents and the public as long as there are no major unresolved contentious issues such as the unwanted siting of a waste facility in a particular community. 19 refs

  7. Effects That Facebook-Based Online Peer Assessment with Micro-Teaching Videos Can Have on Attitudes toward Peer Assessment and Perceived Learning from Peer Assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Guan-Yu

    2016-01-01

    The present study investigates the effects that Facebook-based online peer assessment with micro-teaching videos can have on attitudes toward peer assessment and perceived learning from peer assessment. The study recruited a sample of 31 university students who were enrolled in a teacher-training course. Using assessees' microteaching videos, the…

  8. AMEE Guide 32: e-Learning in medical education Part 1: Learning, teaching and assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellaway, Rachel; Masters, Ken

    2008-06-01

    In just a few years, e-learning has become part of the mainstream in medical education. While e-learning means many things to many people, at its heart it is concerned with the educational uses of technology. For the purposes of this guide, we consider the many ways that the information revolution has affected and remediated the practice of healthcare teaching and learning. Deploying new technologies usually introduces tensions, and e-learning is no exception. Some wish to use it merely to perform pre-existing activities more efficiently or faster. Others pursue new ways of thinking and working that the use of such technology affords them. Simultaneously, while education, not technology, is the prime goal (and for healthcare, better patient outcomes), we are also aware that we cannot always predict outcomes. Sometimes, we have to take risks, and 'see what happens.' Serendipity often adds to the excitement of teaching. It certainly adds to the excitement of learning. The use of technology in support of education is not, therefore, a causal or engineered set of practices; rather, it requires creativity and adaptability in response to the specific and changing contexts in which it is used. Medical Education, as with most fields, is grappling with these tensions; the AMEE Guide to e-Learning in Medical Education hopes to help the reader, whether novice or expert, navigate them. This Guide is presented both as an introduction to the novice, and as a resource to more experienced practitioners. It covers a wide range of topics, some in broad outline, and others in more detail. Each section is concluded with a brief 'Take Home Message' which serves as a short summary of the section. The Guide is divided into two parts. The first part introduces the basic concepts of e-learning, e-teaching, and e-assessment, and then focuses on the day-to-day issues of e-learning, looking both at theoretical concepts and practical implementation issues. The second part examines technical

  9. Beyond the Criteria: Evidence of Teacher Learning in a Performance Assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stewart, Anissa R.; Scalzo, Jennifer N.; Merino, Nicole; Nilsen, Katherine

    2015-01-01

    U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan (2009) underscored the need for better assessments of the pedagogical skills of new teachers when he identified the efforts of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) and its 800 colleges and universities to improve student learning through developing a national assessment of…

  10. Unified programs nationally? Strengths and weaknesses of the learning standards

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ignacio Polo Martínez

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The inclusion of measurable learning standards as an element of the curriculum has definitely opened the door to the connection between the curriculum and external assessments. Since its origin, the potential impact of that element in improving our educational system has been defended and criticized. The truth is that in our country, though all regions are based on the same Royal Decree of core curriculum, and therefore the same reference for the evaluation, curriculum that ultimately applies to students ( teaching-learning- assessment from the different regions can have significant differences . This article proposes, from the analysis of various research , training programs, the plan of action for inspection and the author's own experience in processes of curriculum specifications , assess the potential strengths and weaknesses of the learning standards.

  11. Language Learning Shifts and Attitudes Towards Language Learning in an Online Tandem Program for Beginner Writers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Constanza Tolosa

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available We present findings of a project that investigated the potential of an online tandem program to enhance the foreign language learning of two groups of school-aged beginner learners, one learning English in Colombia and the other learning Spanish in New Zealand. We assessed the impact of the project on students’ learning with a free writing activity done as pretest and posttest and used a semi-structured interview to explore their attitudes towards language learning and their perceived development of their native language. Data analysis indicated statistically significant gains in foreign language writing and positive attitudinal changes toward foreign and native language learning.

  12. Student explanations of their science teachers' assessments, grading practices and how they learn science

    Science.gov (United States)

    del Carmen Gomez, María

    2018-03-01

    The current paper draws on data generated through group interviews with students who were involved in a larger ethnographic research project performed in three science classrooms. The purpose of the study from which this data was generated, was to understand science teachers' assessment practices in an upper-secondary school in Sweden. During group interviews students were asked about their conceptions of what were the assessment priority of teachers, why the students were silent during lecturing and their experiences regarding peer- and self-assessments. The research design and analysis of the findings derives from what students told us about their assessments and learning sciences experiences. Students related that besides the results of the written test, they do not know what else teachers assessed and used to determine their grades. It was also found that students did not participate in the discussion on science because of peer-pressure and a fear of disappointing their peers. Student silence is also linked with student conceptions of science learning and student experiences with methodologies of teaching and learning sciences.

  13. Systemic assessment framework of a learning organization's competitive positioning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wissam EL Hachem

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to devise an innovative feasible, replicable and comprehensive assessment framework of a learning organization's competitive positioning. Design/methodology/approach: The three characteristics listed above are approached as follows. Feasible refers to being easy and not in need of much resources (time, personnel,.... This is done through early elimination of non-important variables. Replicable is having a well structured methodology based on scientific proven methods. Following this methodology would result in good results that can be explained if needed and replicated if deemed necessary. Comprehensive translates into a holistic set of indices that measure performance as well as organizational learning. Findings and Originality/value: The three attributes (feasible, replicable and comprehensive have become crucial for ensuring any kind of added value for such a methodology that hopes to tackle the modern dynamic business environment and gaining a sustainable competitive advantage. Research limitations/implications: Such a methodology would require several full contextual applications to be able to set its final design. It entails thorough internal revision of a company's structure. Therefore a great deal of transparency and self-transcendence from the individual involved is a pre-requisite for any chance of success. Originality/value: It offers a systematic way to assess a company's performance/competitive positioning while accounting for the crucial attribute of organizational learning in its makeup.

  14. EFFECT OF USING PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT TO IMPROVE SCIENTIFIC ATTITUDE OF STUDENTS LEARNING PHYSICS IN HIGH SCHOOL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gede Wartawan Putu

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available This study aims to investigate the effect of portfolio assessment in teaching physics and scientific attitude. The research was conducted on students of high school in Singaraja. Research was an quasi- experimental study by using “The Posttest-Only Control Group Design”. The research involved 152 high school students of class X of science as samples, taken with multistage random sampling technique. Portfolio assessment was integrated with physics learning. The implementation of the portfolio assessment included four key elements such as the students' work folders, clear assessment criteria, and self-assessment, and conference between teacher and students. The data needed in this research was the students' scientific attitude which included the aspect of curiosity, respect for evidence, the willingness to change ideas, and critical reflection. Data needed in this research included scientific attitudes students. A Likert scale instrument was used to measure the scientific attitude students. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance with SPSS 20.0 at significance level α = 0.05. The results showed there are differences in the scientific attitude students who take physics learning with assessment portfolios and students who take physics learning with assessment of conventional. The findings of this study indicate that portfolio assessment in learning physics significantly affect the scientific attitude students.

  15. Learning Styles and Teacher Training: Are We Perpetuating Neuromyths?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lethaby, Carol; Harries, Patricia

    2016-01-01

    Recent research suggests that brain-based teaching, as exhibited in the idea of teaching to address perceptual learning styles, has no basis in what scientists are learning about the brain and how it works. This article questions whether training teachers to assess and accommodate learning styles is harmless or potentially poor educational…

  16. Machine Learning and Infrared Thermography for Fiber Orientation Assessment on Randomly-Oriented Strands Parts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandes, Henrique; Zhang, Hai; Figueiredo, Alisson; Malheiros, Fernando; Ignacio, Luis Henrique; Sfarra, Stefano; Ibarra-Castanedo, Clemente; Guimaraes, Gilmar; Maldague, Xavier

    2018-01-19

    The use of fiber reinforced materials such as randomly-oriented strands has grown in recent years, especially for manufacturing of aerospace composite structures. This growth is mainly due to their advantageous properties: they are lighter and more resistant to corrosion when compared to metals and are more easily shaped than continuous fiber composites. The resistance and stiffness of these materials are directly related to their fiber orientation. Thus, efficient approaches to assess their fiber orientation are in demand. In this paper, a non-destructive evaluation method is applied to assess the fiber orientation on laminates reinforced with randomly-oriented strands. More specifically, a method called pulsed thermal ellipsometry combined with an artificial neural network, a machine learning technique, is used in order to estimate the fiber orientation on the surface of inspected parts. Results showed that the method can be potentially used to inspect large areas with good accuracy and speed.

  17. Is the Learning Community of Economics and Accounting Effective? Empirical Assessment of Class Achievements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stumph, Carolyn Fabian; Kim, Myeong Hwan; Han, Yongseung; Minke, Susan

    2017-01-01

    Learning communities are increasingly used at colleges and universities, as one of the goals of a learning community is to increase interaction among students and teach them how to apply knowledge. The goal of this research is to assess the learning community of the economics and accounting students in their class performance measured by class…

  18. Learning clinical skills in the simulation suite: the lived experiences of student nurses involved in peer teaching and peer assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramm, Dianne; Thomson, Anna; Jackson, Andrew

    2015-06-01

    The benefits of peer teaching and assessment are well documented within nurse education literature. However, research to date has predominantly focused on the advantages and disadvantages for the inexperienced learner, with a dearth of knowledge relating to the perceptions of senior nursing students involved in teaching their peers. This study sought to investigate the student experience of taking part in a peer teaching and assessment initiative to include the perceptions of both first year nursing students and second/third year participants. Data were collected via open-ended questionnaires and analysed with qualitative 'Framework' analysis. This initiative received a generally positive response both from students being taught and also from those acting as facilitators. Perceived benefits included the social learning experience, development of teaching skills, self-awareness and the opportunity to communicate both good and bad news. Suggestions for improvement included additional time working in small groups, specific supplementary learning materials and the introduction of peer teaching and assessment into other areas of the Adult Nursing Programme. Peer teaching and assessment principles represent valuable strategies which can be utilised in nurse education to develop clinical skills and prepare nurses for real-life scenarios. Further research needs to investigate how to enhance the student learning experience and to fully exploit the potential for simulated experience to prepare students for their future role as registered nurses in clinical practice. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Remote Assessment of Lunar Resource Potential

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, G. Jeffrey

    1992-01-01

    Assessing the resource potential of the lunar surface requires a well-planned program to determine the chemical and mineralogical composition of the Moon's surface at a range of scales. The exploration program must include remote sensing measurements (from both Earth's surface and lunar orbit), robotic in situ analysis of specific places, and eventually, human field work by trained geologists. Remote sensing data is discussed. Resource assessment requires some idea of what resources will be needed. Studies thus far have concentrated on oxygen and hydrogen production for propellant and life support, He-3 for export as fuel for nuclear fusion reactors, and use of bulk regolith for shielding and construction materials. The measurement requirements for assessing these resources are given and discussed briefly.

  20. Assessing Reflection: Understanding Skill Development through Reflective Learning Journals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cathro, Virginia; O'Kane, Paula; Gilbertson, Deb

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to suggest ways in which business educators can interact successfully with reflective learning journals (RLJs). Specifically, the research was interested in how students used RLJs and how educators assessed these RLJs. Design/methodology/approach: In total, 31 RLJs, submitted as part of an international…

  1. The Shoulder Objective Practical Assessment Tool: Evaluation of a New Tool Assessing Residents Learning in Diagnostic Shoulder Arthroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Talbot, Christopher L; Holt, Edward M; Gooding, Benjamin W T; Tennent, Thomas D; Foden, Philip

    2015-08-01

    To design and validate an objective practical assessment tool for diagnostic shoulder arthroscopy that would provide residents with a method to evaluate their progression in this field of surgery and to identify specific learning needs. We designed and evaluated the shoulder Objective Practical Assessment Tool (OPAT). The shoulder OPAT was designed by us, and scoring domains were created using a Delphi process. The shoulder OPAT was trialed by members of the British Elbow & Shoulder Society Education Committee for internal consistency and ease of use before being offered to other trainers and residents. Inter-rater reliability and intrarater reliability were calculated. One hundred forty orthopaedic residents, of varying seniority, within 5 training regions in the United Kingdom, were questioned regarding the tool. A pilot study of 6 residents was undertaken. Internal consistency was 0.77 (standardized Cronbach α). Inter-rater reliability was 0.60, and intrarater reliability was 0.82. The Spearman correlation coefficient (r) between the global summary score for the shoulder OPAT and the current assessment tool used in postgraduate training for orthopaedic residents undertaking diagnostic shoulder arthroscopy equaled 0.74. Of the residents, 82% agreed or strongly agreed when asked if the shoulder OPAT would be a useful tool in monitoring progression and 72% agreed or strongly agreed with the introduction of the shoulder OPAT within the orthopaedic domain. This study shows that the shoulder OPAT fulfills several aspects of reliability and validity when tested. Despite the inter-rater reliability being 0.60, we believe that the shoulder OPAT has the potential to play a role alongside the current assessment tool in the training of orthopaedic residents. The shoulder OPAT can be used to assess residents during shoulder arthroscopy and has the potential for use in medical education, as well as arthroscopic skills training in the operating theater. Copyright © 2015

  2. Assessment of Kolb's Learning Styles among College Students of Qom University of Medical Sciences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elaheh rahiminia

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Background and Objective: Learning styles are effective factors in the learning. Learning is a relatively permanent change in the behavior or attitude of a person over time. Whereas improvement of existing conditions is pivotal in educational activities; therefore, the aim of this study was the assessment of stages and learning styles based on the Kolb theory among students of Qom University of Medical Sciences. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 279 students of the QomUniversity of Medical Sciences, Iran in October 2015. The participants were selected using a stratified sampling method. The assessment instrument was the Kolb learning style inventory (KLSI V.3.1. Data analysis was performed by SPSS using descriptive statistics and Chi square test. Results: The mean age of students was 22.23±4.38 years, and the average grade was 16.85±1.65. Generally, the learning styles of students were convergent (% 38.9, assimilative (% 37.5, divergent (%13.2 and accommodative (%10.4. There was a significant relationship between learning styles with gender (P=0.01. Conclusion: Considering the predominance of convergent and assimilative learning styles in these students, it is recommended that faculty members use visual methods such as diagrams, self learning, individualized instruction and emphasize on practical methods in teaching.

  3. Ecologically relevant neurobehavioral assessment of the development of threat learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boulanger Bertolus, Julie; Mouly, Anne-Marie; Sullivan, Regina M

    2016-10-01

    As altricial infants gradually transition to adults, their proximate environment changes. In three short weeks, pups transition from a small world with the caregiver and siblings to a complex milieu rich in dangers as their environment expands. Such contrasting environments require different learning abilities and lead to distinct responses throughout development. Here, we will review some of the learned fear conditioned responses to threats in rats during their ontogeny, including behavioral and physiological measures that permit the assessment of learning and its supporting neurobiology from infancy through adulthood. In adulthood, odor-shock conditioning produces robust fear learning to the odor that depends upon the amygdala and related circuitry. Paradoxically, this conditioning in young pups fails to support fear learning and supports approach learning to the odor previously paired with shock. This approach learning is mediated by the infant attachment network that does not include the amygdala. During the age range when pups transition from the infant to the adult circuit (10-15 d old), pups have access to both networks: odor-shock conditioning in maternal presence uses the attachment circuit but the adult amygdala-dependent circuit when alone. However, throughout development (as young as 5 d old) the attachment associated learning can be overridden and amygdala-dependent fear learning supported, if the mother expresses fear in the presence of the pup. This social modulation of the fear permits the expression of defense reactions in life threatening situations informed by the caregiver but prevents the learning of the caregiver itself as a threat. © 2016 Boulanger Bertolus et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

  4. The Learning Credit Card: A Tool for Managing Personal Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rushby, Nick; Twining, John; Twining, Nick; Devitt, Thomas

    2008-01-01

    This is the report of a five month study, undertaken by Sundridge Park Training Technologies in association with Guildford Educational Services to assess the potential of smart card technology to support learning and the management of learning. The study had two strands--the state of the art of the technology and its potential for supporting,…

  5. Linking a Learning Progression for Natural Selection to Teachers' Enactment of Formative Assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furtak, Erin Marie

    2012-01-01

    Learning progressions, or representations of how student ideas develop in a domain, hold promise as tools to support teachers' formative assessment practices. The ideas represented in a learning progression might help teachers to identify and make inferences about evidence collected of student thinking, necessary precursors to modifying…

  6. Applying Machine Learning and High Performance Computing to Water Quality Assessment and Prediction

    OpenAIRE

    Ruijian Zhang; Deren Li

    2017-01-01

    Water quality assessment and prediction is a more and more important issue. Traditional ways either take lots of time or they can only do assessments. In this research, by applying machine learning algorithm to a long period time of water attributes’ data; we can generate a decision tree so that it can predict the future day’s water quality in an easy and efficient way. The idea is to combine the traditional ways and the computer algorithms together. Using machine learning algorithms, the ass...

  7. Identifying College Students at Risk for Learning Disabilities: Evidence for Use of the Learning Difficulties Assessment in Postsecondary Settings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kane, Steven T.; Roy, Soma; Medina, Steffanie

    2013-01-01

    This article describes research supporting the use of the Learning Difficulties Assessment (LDA), a normed and no-cost, web-based survey that assesses difficulties with reading, writing, spelling, mathematics, listening, concentration, memory, organizational skills, sense of control, and anxiety in college students. Previous research has supported…

  8. Assessing Self-Assessment: Can Age and Prior Literacy Attainment Predict the Accuracy of Children's Self-Assessments in Literacy?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keane, Lainey; Griffin, Claire P.

    2018-01-01

    Self-assessment practices have been advocated in recent Irish educational documents due to their potential to enhance school children's learning and self-regulatory skills. However, the literature has highlighted how some children struggle to make accurate self-assessments of their academic work, which diminishes such positive effects (Keane and…

  9. Teaching, learning and assessment of medical ethics at the UK medical schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brooks, Lucy; Bell, Dominic

    2017-09-01

    To evaluate the UK undergraduate medical ethics curricula against the Institute of Medical Ethics (IME) recommendations; to identify barriers to teaching and assessment of medical ethics and to evaluate perceptions of ethics faculties on the preparation of tomorrow's doctors for clinical practice. Questionnaire survey of the UK medical schools enquiring about content, structure and location of ethics teaching and learning; teaching and learning processes; assessment; influences over institutional approach to ethics education; barriers to teaching and assessment; perception of student engagement and perception of student preparation for clinical practice. The lead for medical ethics at each medical school was invited to participate (n=33). Completed responses were received from 11/33 schools (33%). 73% (n=8) teach all IME recommended topics within their programme. 64% (n=7) do not include ethics in clinical placement learning objectives. The most frequently cited barrier to teaching was lack of time (64%, n=7), and to assessment was lack of time and suitability of assessments (27%, n=3). All faculty felt students were prepared for clinical practice. IME recommendations are not followed in all cases, and ethics teaching is not universally well integrated into clinical placement. Barriers to assessment lead to inadequacies in this area, and there are few consequences for failing ethics assessments. As such, tomorrow's patients will be treated by doctors who are inadequately prepared for ethical decision making in clinical practice; this needs to be addressed by ethics leads with support from medical school authorities. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  10. Weak self-directed learning skills hamper performance in cumulative assessment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tio, Rene A.; Stegmann, Mariken E.; Koerts, Janke; van Os, Titus W. D. P.; Cohen-Schotanus, Janke

    2016-01-01

    Background: 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

  11. The Effect Of Problem Based Learning And Self-Assessment On Students’ Writing Competency And Self-Regulated Learningm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suyoga Dharma I Putu

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available This experimental study aimed at investigating the effect of Problem Based Learning (PBL and self-assessment (SA on students’ writing competency and self-regulated learning in Tabanan Regency. This research applied 2x2 factorial design. 96 students were selected as sample through random sampling. Data were collected by test (writing competency and questionnaire (self-regulation. Students’ writings were scored by analytical scoring rubric. The obtained data were analyzed statistically by MANOVA at 5% significance level. This research discovers: 1 there is a significant effect of PBL which occurs simultaneously and separately on students’ writing competency and self-regulated learning, 2 there is a significant effect of SA which ocurs simultaneously and separately on students’ writing competency and self-regulated learning, 3 there is a significant interaction between teaching model and assessment type on students’ writing competency and self-regulated learning which occurs simultaneously, 4 there is no significant interaction between teaching model and assessment type on students’ writing competency, and 5 there is a significant interaction between teaching model and assessment type on students’ self-regulated learning. This research results implies that PBL and SA should be applied in instruction process as a way to improve the quality of students’ writing competency and self-regulated learning.

  12. Collaboration Between Staff and Students in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: The Potential and the Problems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Linda Allin

    2014-03-01

    (Mann, 2001. Developing effective collaborations between students and lecturers matters for SoTL practice, as such collaborations have the potential to transform teaching and learning in Higher Education, and develop further our understanding of learning (Werder & Otis, 2009.

  13. Assessment of Interpersonal Risk (AIR) in Adults with Learning Disabilities and Challenging Behaviour--Piloting a New Risk Assessment Tool

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campbell, Martin; McCue, Michael

    2013-01-01

    A new risk assessment tool, "Assessment of Interpersonal Risk" (AIR), was piloted and evaluated to measure risk factors and compatibility between individuals living in an assessment and treatment unit in one NHS area. The adults with learning disabilities in this unit had severe and enduring mental health problems and/or behaviour that is severely…

  14. Science learning based on local potential: Overview of the nature of science (NoS) achieved

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilujeng, Insih; Zuhdan Kun, P.; Suryadarma, IGP.

    2017-08-01

    The research concerned here examined the effectiveness of science learning conducted with local potential as basis from the point of a review of the NoS (nature of science) achieved. It used the non equivalent control group design and took place in the regions of Magelang and Pati, Province of Central Java, and the regions of Bantul and Sleman, Province of the Special Region of Yogyakarta. The research population consisted of students of the first and second grades at each junior high school chosen with research subjects sampled by means of cluster sampling. The instruments used included: a) an observation sheet, b) a written test, and c) a questionnaire. The learning and research instruments had been declared valid and reliable according to previous developmental research. In conclusion, the science learning based on local potential was effective in terms of all the NoS aspects.

  15. Structural Learning Theory: Current Status and New Perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scandura, Joseph M.

    2001-01-01

    Presents the current status and new perspectives on the Structured Learning Theory (SLT), with special consideration given to how SLT has been influenced by recent research in software engineering. Topics include theoretical constructs; content domains; structural analysis; cognition; assessing behavior potential; and teaching and learning issues,…

  16. Long-term potentiation in the amygdala: a cellular mechanism of fear learning and memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sigurdsson, Torfi; Doyère, Valérie; Cain, Christopher K; LeDoux, Joseph E

    2007-01-01

    Much of the research on long-term potentiation (LTP) is motivated by the question of whether changes in synaptic strength similar to LTP underlie learning and memory. Here we discuss findings from studies on fear conditioning, a form of associative learning whose neural circuitry is relatively well understood, that may be particularly suited for addressing this question. We first review the evidence suggesting that fear conditioning is mediated by changes in synaptic strength at sensory inputs to the lateral nucleus of the amygdala. We then discuss several outstanding questions that will be important for future research on the role of synaptic plasticity in fear learning. The results gained from these studies may shed light not only on fear conditioning, but may also help unravel more general cellular mechanisms of learning and memory.

  17. NMF-Based Image Quality Assessment Using Extreme Learning Machine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Shuigen; Deng, Chenwei; Lin, Weisi; Huang, Guang-Bin; Zhao, Baojun

    2017-01-01

    Numerous state-of-the-art perceptual image quality assessment (IQA) algorithms share a common two-stage process: distortion description followed by distortion effects pooling. As for the first stage, the distortion descriptors or measurements are expected to be effective representatives of human visual variations, while the second stage should well express the relationship among quality descriptors and the perceptual visual quality. However, most of the existing quality descriptors (e.g., luminance, contrast, and gradient) do not seem to be consistent with human perception, and the effects pooling is often done in ad-hoc ways. In this paper, we propose a novel full-reference IQA metric. It applies non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) to measure image degradations by making use of the parts-based representation of NMF. On the other hand, a new machine learning technique [extreme learning machine (ELM)] is employed to address the limitations of the existing pooling techniques. Compared with neural networks and support vector regression, ELM can achieve higher learning accuracy with faster learning speed. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that the proposed metric has better performance and lower computational complexity in comparison with the relevant state-of-the-art approaches.

  18. Applying Machine Learning and High Performance Computing to Water Quality Assessment and Prediction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruijian Zhang

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Water quality assessment and prediction is a more and more important issue. Traditional ways either take lots of time or they can only do assessments. In this research, by applying machine learning algorithm to a long period time of water attributes’ data; we can generate a decision tree so that it can predict the future day’s water quality in an easy and efficient way. The idea is to combine the traditional ways and the computer algorithms together. Using machine learning algorithms, the assessment of water quality will be far more efficient, and by generating the decision tree, the prediction will be quite accurate. The drawback of the machine learning modeling is that the execution takes quite long time, especially when we employ a better accuracy but more time-consuming algorithm in clustering. Therefore, we applied the high performance computing (HPC System to deal with this problem. Up to now, the pilot experiments have achieved very promising preliminary results. The visualized water quality assessment and prediction obtained from this project would be published in an interactive website so that the public and the environmental managers could use the information for their decision making.

  19. Using Qualitative Research to Assess Teaching and Learning in Technology-Infused TILE Classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Horne, Sam; Murniati, Cecilia Titiek; Saichaie, Kem; Jesse, Maggie; Florman, Jean C.; Ingram, Beth F.

    2014-01-01

    This chapter describes the results of an assessment project whose purpose was to improve the faculty-development program for instructors who teach in technology-infused TILE (Transform, Interact, Learn, Engage) classrooms at the University of Iowa. Qualitative research methods were critical for (1) learning about how students and instructors…

  20. Functional Assessment in Transition and Rehabilitation for Adolescents and Adults with Learning Disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bullis, Michael, Ed.; Davis, Cheryl D., Ed.

    This manual is based on a 3-year, federally funded program, Project FASTER (Functional Assessment Services for Transition, Education, and Rehabilitation), that developed functional assessment procedures and provided assessment services to adolescents and adults with learning or behavioral disorders who were involved in school-based transition…

  1. Assessment of Project-Based Learning in a MECHATRONICS Context

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doppelt, Yaron

    2005-01-01

    Project-based learning (PBL) that has authenticity in the pupils' world enables the teaching of science and technology to pupils from a variety of backgrounds. PBL has the potential to enable pupils to research, plan, design, and reflect on the creation of technological projects (Doppelt, 2000). Engineering education, which is common in Israel,…

  2. Maintaining the Uranium Resources Assessment Data System and assessing the 1990 US uranium potential resources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McCammon, R.B.; Finch, W.I.; Grundy, W.D.; Pierson, C.T.

    1991-01-01

    The Energy Information Administration's (EIA) Uranium Resource Assessment Data System contains information on potential resources (undiscovered) of uranium in the United States. The purpose of this report is: (1) to describe the work carried out to maintain and update the Uranium Resource Assessment Data (URAD) System, (2) to assess the 1990 US uranium potential resources in various cost categories, and (3) to identify problems and to recommend changes that are needed to improve the URAD System. 13 refs., 5 figs., 4 tabs

  3. A dialectical perspective on assessment in education

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kousholt, Kristine

    the complexity of the subject’s learning potential. Critical psychology mentions the subject’s ‘double possibility’: The subject can either live under certain conditions (and still be an active subject that make the most of its opportunities under the present circumstances ) or extend his or her conditions......’ learning abilities. The practice of evaluation and assessment is very complex, and is often described as involving both social control and individual development (Borgnakke, 1996, Dahler-Larsen 2006). From the theoretical perspective of critical psychology, I will describe dialectical processes in self...... processes of learning and thereby to make the learning outcome more efficient. Self-assessment is one way to make the pupils responsible for their own learning processes although the aim with the learning outcome is defined for them. Thereby self-assessment merely could be understood as social control...

  4. Puzzling with potential: dynamic testing of analogical reasoning in children

    OpenAIRE

    Stevenson, Claire Elisabeth

    2012-01-01

    Assessment procedures are frequent in children's school careers; however, measuring potential for learning has remained a puzzle. Dynamic testing is a method to assess cognitive potential that includes training in the assessment process. The goal of this thesis project was to develop a new dynamic test of analogical reasoning for school children. The main aims were to (1) investigate factors that influence children’s differences in performance and change during dynamic testing and (2) examine...

  5. On-line case discussion assessment in ultrasound: The effect on student centred and inter-professional learning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harrison, G.; Mulloy, B.; Harris, A.; Flinton, D.

    2012-01-01

    In 2009 an asynchronous on-line case discussion assessment was introduced, to replace an existing traditional case study assessment, within the Medical Ultrasound Programmes at City University London, to help extend collaborative, inter-professional student-led learning skills. Two clinical modules were used to develop the on-line learning method with associated assessments. Students selected and led a clinical case from their department, uploaded anonymised images and case details with questions, to encourage interaction from other colleagues. Thirty students participated in the on-line case discussions. The assessment was evaluated via informal feedback, end of module feedback and an on-line questionnaire. Some students completed two modules, using the on-line discussion, others were involved in only one module, of which 21 out of 26 students completed end of module feedback for the 1st module and 18 out of 20 students completed feedback from the 2nd module. Twelve students out of 30 completed the on-line questionnaire. Feedback suggested that the on-line case discussions were a good learning tool, providing a wide range of cases for students to participate in or read and learn from each other. All students found the cases interesting, engaging and useful, but time consuming. Despite the small numbers involved, useful feedback was provided to assist further development of the assessment, particularly in relation to the number of cases being assessed and length of availability. On-line case discussions are an innovative, engaging method to encourage self directed, collaborative learning which could be utilised in the health care setting to share interesting cases, promote inter-professional and self-directed learning.

  6. Teaching and Learning: Using Digital Tools for Progressive Assessment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kastbjerg, Rita B.; Petersson, Eva; Lewis Brooks, Anthony

    2008-01-01

      Non-biased assessment becomes a reality when Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is implemented as a pedagogical tool to augment teacher practice and student learning. This paper details a study that was undertaken at a secondary school in Lithuania involving four educators and 200...... in education to address future augmented teacher - students' liaisons....

  7. An application of programmatic assessment for learning (PAL) system for general practice training.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schuwirth, Lambert; Valentine, Nyoli; Dilena, Paul

    2017-01-01

    Aim: Programmatic assessment for learning (PAL) is becoming more and more popular as a concept but its implementation is not without problems. In this paper we describe the design principles behind a PAL program in a general practice training context. Design principles: The PAL program was designed to optimise the meaningfulness of assessment information for the registrar and to make him/her use that information to self regulate their learning. The main principles in the program were cognitivist and transformative. The main cognitive principles we used were fostering the understanding of deep structures and stimulating transfer by making registrars constantly connect practice experiences with background knowledge. Ericsson's deliberate practice approach was built in with regard to the provision of feedback combined with Pintrich's model of self regulation. Mezirow's transformative learning and insights from social network theory on collaborative learning were used to support the registrars in their development to become GP professionals. Finally the principal of test enhanced learning was optimised. Epilogue: We have provided this example explain the design decisions behind our program, but not want to present our program as the solution to any given situation.

  8. EFFECT OF USING PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT TO IMPROVE SCIENTIFIC ATTITUDE OF STUDENTS LEARNING PHYSICS IN HIGH SCHOOL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    putu wartawan

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available This study aims to investigate the effect of portfolio assessment in teaching physics and scientific attitude. The research was conducted on students of high school  in Singaraja. Research was an  quasi- experimental study by using  “The Posttest-Only Control Group Design”.  The research involved 152 high school students of class X of science as samples, taken with multistage random sampling technique. Portfolio assessment was integrated with physics learning. The implementation of the portfolio assessment included four key elements such as the students' work folders, clear assessment criteria, and self-assessment, and conference between teacher and students.  The data needed in this research was the students' scientific attitude which included the aspect of curiosity, respect for evidence, the willingness to change ideas, and critical reflection. Data needed in this research included scientific attitudes students.  A Likert scale instrument was used to measure the scientific attitude students.  Data were analyzed using  analysis of variance with SPSS 20.0 at significance level a = 0.05. The results showed there are differences in the scientific attitude students who take physics learning with assessment portfolios and students who take physics learning with assessment of conventional.  The findings of this study indicate that portfolio assessment in learning physics significantly affect the scientific attitude students.

  9. The effect of science learning integrated with local potential to improve science process skills

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahardini, Riris Riezqia Budy; Suryadarma, I. Gusti Putu; Wilujeng, Insih

    2017-08-01

    This research was aimed to know the effectiveness of science learning that integrated with local potential to improve student`s science process skill. The research was quasi experiment using non-equivalent control group design. The research involved all student of Muhammadiyah Imogiri Junior High School on grade VII as a population. The sample in this research was selected through cluster random sampling, namely VII B (experiment group) and VII C (control group). Instrument that used in this research is a nontest instrument (science process skill observation's form) adapted Desak Megawati's research (2016). The aspect of science process skills were making observation and communication. The data were using univariat (ANOVA) analyzed at 0,05 significance level and normalized gain score for science process skill increase's category. The result is science learning that integrated with local potential was effective to improve science process skills of student (Sig. 0,00). This learning can increase science process skill, shown by a normalized gain score value at 0,63 (medium category) in experiment group and 0,29 (low category) in control group.

  10. Learning potential, career interest and coping profile of a group of SOF candidates

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Van Heerden, Adelai

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available and self-efficacy), learning potential and career related interests and to explore their reasons for wanting to become and their perceptions of what it takes to achieve success as an Operational Forces soldier. Furthermore, those that were successful...

  11. Web-Based Learning System for Developing and Assessing Clinical Diagnostic Skills for Dermatology Residency Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuo, Fan-Ray; Chin, Yi-Ying; Lee, Chao-Hsien; Chiu, Yu-Hsien; Hong, Chien-Hu; Lee, Kuang-Lieh; Ho, Wen-Hsien; Lee, Chih-Hung

    2016-01-01

    Few studies have explored the learning difficulties and misconceptions that students encounter when using information and communication technology for e-learning. To address this issue, this research developed a system for evaluating the learning efficiency of medical students by applying two-tier diagnosis assessment. The effectiveness of the…

  12. Benchmarking in Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR – Tool for training reform

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rodica MOLDOVEANU

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Adults invariably need to change their job from sector to sector and place to place as their life and training needs change. In this respect the importance of recognizing people’s knowledge, skills and competencies as basis for further learning and development can not be overstated Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition process (PLAR. Accepted benchmarks for PLAR support assessment process by providing a list of function, skills and knowledge that need to be used as a complementary set of generic standards of best practices in PLAR.

  13. Blind CT image quality assessment via deep learning strategy: initial study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Sui; He, Ji; Wang, Yongbo; Liao, Yuting; Zeng, Dong; Bian, Zhaoying; Ma, Jianhua

    2018-03-01

    Computed Tomography (CT) is one of the most important medical imaging modality. CT images can be used to assist in the detection and diagnosis of lesions and to facilitate follow-up treatment. However, CT images are vulnerable to noise. Actually, there are two major source intrinsically causing the CT data noise, i.e., the X-ray photo statistics and the electronic noise background. Therefore, it is necessary to doing image quality assessment (IQA) in CT imaging before diagnosis and treatment. Most of existing CT images IQA methods are based on human observer study. However, these methods are impractical in clinical for their complex and time-consuming. In this paper, we presented a blind CT image quality assessment via deep learning strategy. A database of 1500 CT images is constructed, containing 300 high-quality images and 1200 corresponding noisy images. Specifically, the high-quality images were used to simulate the corresponding noisy images at four different doses. Then, the images are scored by the experienced radiologists by the following attributes: image noise, artifacts, edge and structure, overall image quality, and tumor size and boundary estimation with five-point scale. We trained a network for learning the non-liner map from CT images to subjective evaluation scores. Then, we load the pre-trained model to yield predicted score from the test image. To demonstrate the performance of the deep learning network in IQA, correlation coefficients: Pearson Linear Correlation Coefficient (PLCC) and Spearman Rank Order Correlation Coefficient (SROCC) are utilized. And the experimental result demonstrate that the presented deep learning based IQA strategy can be used in the CT image quality assessment.

  14. Exploring a potential energy surface by machine learning for characterizing atomic transport

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanamori, Kenta; Toyoura, Kazuaki; Honda, Junya; Hattori, Kazuki; Seko, Atsuto; Karasuyama, Masayuki; Shitara, Kazuki; Shiga, Motoki; Kuwabara, Akihide; Takeuchi, Ichiro

    2018-03-01

    We propose a machine-learning method for evaluating the potential barrier governing atomic transport based on the preferential selection of dominant points for atomic transport. The proposed method generates numerous random samples of the entire potential energy surface (PES) from a probabilistic Gaussian process model of the PES, which enables defining the likelihood of the dominant points. The robustness and efficiency of the method are demonstrated on a dozen model cases for proton diffusion in oxides, in comparison with a conventional nudge elastic band method.

  15. Collaborative Learning in an Undergraduate Theory Course: An Assessment of Goals and Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDuff, Elaine

    2012-01-01

    This project was designed to assess whether a collaborative learning approach to teaching sociological theory would be a successful means of improving student engagement in learning theory and of increasing both the depth of students' understanding of theoretical arguments and concepts and the ability of students to theorize for themselves. A…

  16. The relation between Assessment for Learning and elementary students' cognitive and metacognitive strategy use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baas, Diana; Castelijns, Jos; Vermeulen, Marjan; Martens, Rob; Segers, Mien

    2015-03-01

    Assessment for Learning (AfL) is believed to create a rich learning environment in which students develop their cognitive and metacognitive strategies. Monitoring student growth and providing scaffolds that shed light on the next step in the learning process are hypothesized to be essential elements of AfL that enhance cognitive and metacognitive strategies. However, empirical evidence for the relation between AfL and students' strategy use is scarce. This study investigates the relation between AfL and elementary school students' use of cognitive and metacognitive strategies. The sample comprised 528 grade four to six students (9- to 12-year-olds) from seven Dutch elementary schools. Students' perceptions of AfL and their cognitive and metacognitive strategy use were measured by means of questionnaires. Structural equation modelling was used to investigate the relations among the variables. The results reveal that monitoring activities that provide students an understanding of where they are in their learning process predict Students' task orientation and planning. Scaffolding activities that support students in taking the next step in their learning are positively related to the use of both surface and deep-level learning strategies and the extent to which they evaluate their learning process after performing tasks. The results underline the importance of assessment practices in ceding responsibility to students in taking control of their own learning. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

  17. Cognitive Maps and the Structure of Observed Learning Outcome Assessment of Physiotherapy Students' Ethical Reasoning Knowledge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Mark; van Kessel, Gisela; Swisher, Laura; Beckstead, Jason; Edwards, Ian

    2014-01-01

    Assessment of student learning in complex areas is challenging, particularly when there is interest in students' deeper understanding and connectivity of concepts. Assessment of ethics learning has been limited by lack of consensus regarding what is effective and an overfocus on quantification at the expense of clinical or ethical relevance.…

  18. A Paradigm for Student Learning Outcome Assessment in Information Systems Education: Continuous Improvement or Chasing Rainbows?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saulnier, Bruce

    2014-01-01

    A paradigm is presented for student learning outcome assessment in information systems education. Successful deployment of the paradigm is illustrated using the author's home institution. The paradigm is consistent with both the scholarship of teaching and learning and the scholarship of assessment. It is concluded that the deployment of the…

  19. Strategic Game Moves Mediate Implicit Science Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rowe, Elizabeth; Baker, Ryan S.; Asbell-Clarke, Jodi

    2015-01-01

    Educational games have the potential to be innovative forms of learning assessment, by allowing us to not just study their knowledge but the process that takes students to that knowledge. This paper examines the mediating role of players' moves in digital games on changes in their pre-post classroom measures of implicit science learning. We…

  20. Residential roof condition assessment system using deep learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Fan; Kerekes, John P.; Xu, Zhuoyi; Wang, Yandong

    2018-01-01

    The emergence of high resolution (HR) and ultra high resolution (UHR) airborne remote sensing imagery is enabling humans to move beyond traditional land cover analysis applications to the detailed characterization of surface objects. A residential roof condition assessment method using techniques from deep learning is presented. The proposed method operates on individual roofs and divides the task into two stages: (1) roof segmentation, followed by (2) condition classification of the segmented roof regions. As the first step in this process, a self-tuning method is proposed to segment the images into small homogeneous areas. The segmentation is initialized with simple linear iterative clustering followed by deep learned feature extraction and region merging, with the optimal result selected by an unsupervised index, Q. After the segmentation, a pretrained residual network is fine-tuned on the augmented roof segments using a proposed k-pixel extension technique for classification. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm was demonstrated on both HR and UHR imagery collected by EagleView over different study sites. The proposed algorithm has yielded promising results and has outperformed traditional machine learning methods using hand-crafted features.