Relationship between ecology fieldwork and student attitudes toward environmental protection

This article is a summary of research carried out on Spanish secondary school students 14–16 years of age, with the intention of finding out what contributions fieldwork makes toward the understanding of concepts and principles of ecology, and also to ascertain the effects of fieldwork on the defense of the studied ecosystem. Before further research was conducted, an exploratory study was carried out consisting of an initial diagnosis of the pupils' ideas; fieldwork materials were prepared and an ecology unit for the study of a freshwater ecosystem was designed, along with evaluation instruments. The experimental design was given shape thanks to work done with two groups of students on whom a more exhaustive study was performed. The independent variable consisted of a field trip; the dependent variable was the learning of ecological concepts and their application to the assessment of an environmental problem. The study combined qualitative and quantitative research methods. A result of the research work was the conclusion that fieldwork helps clarify ecological concepts and intervenes directly in the development of more favorable attitudes toward the defense of the ecosystem. Both components are seen when making valid judgments for the resolution of problems which negatively affect the ecosystem and for showing the way toward the type of actions and solutions which should be adopted. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 36: 431–453, 1999     

Government Workers Adding Societal Value: The Ohio Workforce Development Program

ABSTRACT This case study illustrates the application of Mega—adding measurable value for all stakeholders including society—as the central and ultimate focus for needs assessment. In this case, two needs assessment studies were conducted within a five‐year period (1999–2003) with the State of Ohio's Workforce Development (WD) program. An initial needs assessment based on Mega outcomes—high quality of life for Ohio taxpayers and public employees though the services they provide—was conducted in 1999, identifying shared strategic goals to focus management‐labor partnership initiatives. A Mega‐centered data collection matrix was used as the basis for discussions with stakeholders in order to determine the key areas of Ohio's Workforce Development to be included in the study. In 2003, a follow‐up needs assessment based on the same data collection matrix was designed to determine the improvements made since that time, the areas with the most critical performance gaps, demographic changes, and future trends affecting Workforce Development beneficiaries and stakeholders.     

The role of technology-facilitated peer assessment and supporting strategies: a meta-analysis

Abstract

Technology-facilitated peer assessment is gaining increasing attention. However, evidence for the contribution of technology-facilitated peer assessment to learning achievements has not been investigated. The present meta-analysis integrated findings on the effects of technology-facilitated peer assessment based on two main elements: (1) technology-facilitated peer assessment, (2) the use of extra supporting strategies in technology-facilitated peer assessment. A total of 37 empirical studies published from 1999 to 2018 were selected and analysed. Results indicated that technology-facilitated peer assessment had a significant and medium effect on learning achievements with an overall mean effect size of 0.576. The use of extra supporting strategies in technology-facilitated peer assessment also produced a positive and medium effect on students’ learning achievements with an overall mean effect size of 0.543. Different moderator variables, such as task types, assessment modes, training for assessors, durations, grouping types and assessment methods were related to different effect sizes. The results together with the implications for both practice and research are discussed.     

Establishing the critical elements that determine authentic assessment

This study sought to determine the critical elements of an authentic learning activity, design them into an applicable framework and then use this framework to guide the design, development and application of work-relevant assessment. Its purpose was to formulate an effective model of task design and assessment. The first phase of the study identified from the literature critical elements that determined assessment as being authentic, and presented these to practitioners and experts for feedback. In phase two, it codified the elements into a framework that was then applied to the redesign of assessments in an army course. Phase three involved student evaluation of the redesigned assessment activities. This led to further review and revision of elements in phase four. The study outcomes suggest that it is possible, by identifying and codifying individual elements, to determine the ways in which the authenticity of an individual assessment activity might be enhanced. The paper concludes with a literature update on the framework elements that lead to suggestions for further research.     

档案袋在我国的研究及应用现状分析

Portfolio是近年来我国教育界从国外引进的新事物，主要作为教学中质性评价的方法和工具。为了解档案袋在国内的研究和应用现状，笔者对中国期刊网的档案袋相关论文进行了文献研究和内容分析，得出相关结论。以期为该领域的研究与实践活动提供参考依据。     

Student‐generated analogies: Another way of knowing?

Recently, a growing awareness of the relationship between assessment and learning has resulted in several major critiques of existing practice and proposals for reform in science education at national and regional levels. One initiative advocates the use of carefully constructed performance tasks that give students opportunities to demonstrate their understanding as they would in the world outside of school. The purpose of this study was to explore relationships among school students' (n = 189) acquisition of meaningful understandings of protein synthesis. Students were tested before and after protein synthesis instruction using a multiple choice assessment format and an open‐ended assessment format. The assessment instrument was designed to measure students' interrelated understanding of protein synthesis. An independent t‐test analysis was conducted on the posttests to measure retention of factual information and gender differences. Analysis of student‐generated analogies also revealed unique patterns in students' understandings of this topic. This research provides information for educators on students' acquisition of meaningful understandings of protein synthesis and has many implications for educators. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 36: 1–22, 1999.     

Defining appropriate criteria for the assessment of master's level TESOL assignments

In this paper I argue the rationale for the assessment criteria currently in use on the Aston University MSc in TESOL/TESP. These assessment criteria were revised in 1998–1999; here I discuss the goals of the revision project and argue that they have been successfully met by the assessment scheme which was developed. The discussion is offered for two main purposes. Firstly, the framework itself may be of interest to other departments who assess similar research reports to the course assignments discussed here. Secondly, and more importantly, the paper offers a position on the kinds of questions that should be asked and the sorts of places to look for answers for any project to (re)define assessment criteria in an academic programme.     

核心素养的认知诊断测评体系建构

核心素养作为人的必备品质和关键能力,其测评成为了教育教学研究的主要议题。认知诊断理论与素养测评具有内在一致性,在分析认知诊断测评核心素养的合理性和可行性的基础上,借助认知诊断测评理论,文章从核心素养的基本属性关系构建、认知诊断测试的编制、认知诊断模型的选择与应用、测评结果解释与诊断报告的制定等方面建构起素养测评的完整体系,并以数感为例对测评体系的应用做了解析。结合当前核心素养测评的现状,文章针对认知诊断的核心素养测评给出了启示,为核心素养的测评提供了新的视角。     

Conceptualising teachers’ assessment literacies in an era of curriculum and assessment reform

Teacher assessment literacy is a phrase that is often used but rarely defined. Yet understanding teacher assessment literacy is important in an international curriculum and assessment reform context that continues to challenge teachers’ assessment practices. In this article situated examples of classroom assessment literacies are analysed using Bernstein’s (Pedagogy, symbolic control and identity: Theory, research and critique, Taylor and Francis, London, 1996; Br J Sociol Educ 20(2):157–173, 1999) theoretical tools of vertical and horizontal discourses, classification and framing. Drawing on a sociocultural view of learning, the authors define teacher assessment literacies as dynamic social practices which are context dependent and which involve teachers in articulating and negotiating classroom and cultural knowledges with one another and with learners, in the initiation, development and practice of assessment to achieve the learning goals of students. This conceptualisation of assessment literacy aims to make explicit some underpinning theoretical constructs of assessment literacy to inform dialogue and decision making for policy and practice to benefit student learning and achievement.     

Coastal Water Quality Assessment by Self-Organizing Map

A new approach to coastal water quality assessment was put forward through study on self-organizing map （ SOM ）. Firstly, the water quality data of Bohai Bay from 1999 to 2002 were prepared. Then, a set of software for coastal water quality assessment was developed based on the batch version algorithm of SOM and SOM toolbox in MATLAB environment. Furthermore. the training results of SOM could be analyzed with single water quality indexes, the value of N ： PC atomic ratio） and the eutrophication index E so that the data were clustered into five different pollution types using k-means clustering method. Finally, it was realized that the monitoring data serial trajectory could be tracked and the new data be classified and assessed automatically. Through application it is found that this study helps to analyze and assess the coastal water quality by several kinds of graphics, which offers an easy decision support for recognizing pollution status and taking corresponding measures.     

A systematic review of item response theory in language assessment: Implications for the dimensionality of language ability

The present study conducted a systematic review of the item response theory (IRT) literature in language assessment to investigate the conceptualization and operationalization of the dimensionality of language ability. Sixty-two IRT-based studies published between 1985 and 2020 in language assessment and educational measurement journals were first classified into two categories based on a unidimensional and multidimensional research framework, and then reviewed to examine language dimensionality from technical and substantive perspectives. It was found that 12 quantitative techniques were adopted to assess language dimensionality. Exploratory factor analysis was the primary method of dimensionality analysis in papers that had applied unidimensional IRT models, whereas the comparison modeling approach was dominant in the multidimensional framework. In addition, there was converging evidence within the two streams of research supporting the role of a number of factors such as testlets, language skills, subskills, and linguistic elements as sources of multidimensionality, while mixed findings were reported for the role of item formats across research streams. The assessment of reading, listening, speaking, and writing skills was grounded within both unidimensional and multidimensional framework. By contrast, vocabulary and grammar knowledge was mainly conceptualized as unidimensional. Directions for continued inquiry and application of IRT in language assessment are provided.     

基于CiteSpace的智慧校园研究热点及发展趋势分析

智慧校园是教育信息化2.0背景下数字校园发展的高级形态与必然趋势,以面向老师与学生个性化服务为理念,在云计算、大数据及物联网等技术支持下,全面感知外部环境,能够支持教学管理、评价与智能决策的教育教学环境和舒适的生活环境。本文使用引文可视化工具CiteSpace提取智慧校园相关研究的高频关键词,构建关键词共现图谱、关键词聚类图谱,对智慧校园研究相关热点进行分析,发现智慧校园的研究存在着诸如数据保护力度不足、缺少评价研究等问题,所以需要采取积极的应对措施,如发展评价研究、保护数据隐私等,将智慧校园的研究成果应用到实践过程中,以实现更有效、更高效的教与学。通过对知识图谱进行分析,总结出智慧校园的研究呈增长型趋势,并且有从理论知识研究转向实践应用研究、管理与评价范畴研究逐渐显现的趋势,智慧校园将随着技术的更迭、时代的发展而持续深入地发展。     

Exploring the use of complexity theory and action research as frameworks for curriculum change

This paper considers the impact of a small-scale action research project which focused on the development of an emergent approach to curriculum making in a general certificate in secondary education course in geography. In this context, we argue that complexity thinking offers a useful theoretical foundation from which to understand the nature of dynamic pedagogic change resulting from the application of action research methods. Results show that process-focused curriculum change can bring about shifts in both learning and assessment. This is seen as being the result of an emergence orientated approach to action research as a counter to more reductionist approaches which are often used and advocated in educational settings by teachers. We conclude that a combination of complexity thinking and action research can offer a valuable medium through which the educational needs of learners and teachers can be addressed in different, localized contexts.     

学校中功能性行为评估应用的研究综述

功能性行为评估是20世纪70年代中期兴起的一种以确定行为功能为核心的评估方法。自1997年美国《残疾人教育法》规定学校必须实施功能性行为评估之后,关于学校中功能性行为评估应用的研究日益增多。本文通过梳理有关文献,从应用范围、使用方法、负责人员、干预策略和教师培训五个方面呈现学校情境下功能性行为评估的实施现状,让读者了解研究动态,并指出今后的研究方向：提高功能性行为评估的效度和效率、增强功能性行为评估的培训以及关注学校的特殊性。     

An intensive primary-literature-based teaching program directly benefits undergraduate science majors and facilitates their transition to doctoral programs

UCLA's Howard Hughes Undergraduate Research Program (HHURP), a collaboration between the College of Letters and Science and the School of Medicine, trains a group of highly motivated undergraduates through mentored research enhanced by a rigorous seminar course. The course is centered on the presentation and critical analysis of scientific journal articles as well as the students' own research. This article describes the components and objectives of the HHURP and discusses the results of three program assessments: annual student evaluations, interviews with UCLA professors who served as research advisors for HHURP scholars, and a survey of program alumni. Students indicate that the program increased their ability to read and present primary scientific research and to present their own research and enhanced their research experience at UCLA. After graduating, they find their involvement in the HHURP helped them in securing admission to the graduate program of their choice and provided them with an advantage over their peers in the interactive seminars that are the foundation of graduate education. On the basis of the assessment of the program from 1998–1999 to 2004–2005, we conclude that an intensive literature-based training program increases student confidence and scientific literacy during their undergraduate years and facilitates their transition to postgraduate study.     

研究型教学视阈下英美文学课教学模式新探

针对现行文学课研究型教学中的问题,从课堂教学、课外研究性课题活动、评价体系三个层面出发,探索突破文学课课时资源局限、有效激发学生探究热情的研究型教学新模式,以促成学习者文学素养和研究能力的同步提升。     

Assessment Practices of Instructors in Community College

Critical thinking is an important outcome of a college education. Assessment techniques that require students to demonstrate their understanding of course concepts are referred to as authentic assessment and promote the development of critical thinking. Little research exists on the types of assessment and grading practices utilized by community college instructors. This research examined the incidence and nature of various assessment practices used by community college faculty for basing the course grade. In addition, the study also examined the percentage of course grades that was based on traditional and authentic assessment and factors that may influence the use of assessment techniques. To facilitate the study, an online survey instrument was used to obtain data from faculty employed at two community colleges in California. Study results revealed that a variety of assessment practices are used by community college instructors with differences in relation to faculty status, level of academic achievement, online teaching status, and years of teaching experience. In addition, findings indicate that faculty primarily use authentic assessment in basing the course grade as compared to objective or traditional assessment—suggesting that they are using assessment techniques that promote critical thinking. A significant finding was that part-time faculty emphasize objective exams, attendance, and homework whereas full-time faculty emphasize research projects and learning journals. Findings suggest that professional development may be warranted for faculty by faculty status.     

Assessing Precollege Science Education Outreach Initiatives: A Funder's Perspective

We describe an assessment of the collective impact of 35 grants that the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) made to biomedical research institutions in 1999 to support precollege science education outreach programs. Data collected from funded institutions were compared with data from a control group of institutions that had advanced to the last stage of review but had not been funded. The survey instrument and the results reveal outcomes and impacts that HHMI considers relevant for these programs. The following attributes are considered: ability to secure additional, non-HHMI funding; institution buy-in as measured by gains in dedicated space and staff; enhancement of the program director''s career; number and adoption of educational products developed; number of related publications and awards; percentage of programs for which teachers received course credit; increase in science content knowledge; and increase in student motivation to study science.     

Does calibration reduce variability in the assessment of accounting learning outcomes?

Reliable, consistent assessment process that produces comparable assessment grades between assessors and institutions is a core activity and an ongoing challenge with which universities have failed to come to terms. In this paper, we report results from an experiment that tests the impact of an intervention designed to reduce grader variability and develop a shared understanding of national threshold learning standards by a cohort of reviewers. The intervention involved consensus moderation of samples of accounting students’ work, with a focus on three research questions. First, what is the quantifiable difference in grader variability on the assessment of learning outcomes in ‘application skills’ and ‘judgement’? Second, does participation in the workshops lead to reduced disparity in the assessment of the students’ learning outcomes in ‘application skills’ and ‘judgement’? Third, does participation in the workshops lead to greater confidence by reviewers in their ability to assess students’ skills in application skills and judgement? Our findings suggest consensus moderation does reduce variability across graders and also builds grader confidence.     

A critical evaluation of the usefulness of a coding scheme to categorise levels of reflective thinking

The use of reflective learning journals to encourage higher order learning outcomes is a growing area in higher education research and practice. However, without a unified and clear definition of reflection, identifying and assessing reflection is problematic for educators. In an attempt to address this issue, in 1999 Kember and colleagues devised a coding scheme based on the work of Mezirow, to identify and assess levels of reflective thinking in students' written journals. We evaluated the usefulness of this coding scheme in a business education context. Findings revealed that the scheme was useful in identifying categories of reflective thinking. Inter‐coder agreement was 0.802 which is satisfactory. On average, 65% of the journal content was coded as non‐reflection and 35% as reflection. A further outcome of the research was to refine the coding scheme and to provide suggestions for its application in teaching practice.