Correlation between academic and skills-based tests in computer networks

Computing‐related programmes and modules have many problems, especially related to large class sizes, large‐scale plagiarism, module franchising, and an increased requirement from students for increased amounts of hands‐on, practical work. This paper presents a practical computer networks module which uses a mixture of online examinations and a practical skills‐based test to assess student performance. For widespread adoption of practical assessments, there must be a level of checking that the practical assessments are set at a level that examinations are set at. This paper shows that it is possible to set practical tests so that there can be a strong correlation between practical skills‐based tests and examination‐type assessments, but only if the practical assessment are set at a challenging level. This tends to go against the proposition that students who are good academically are not so good in a practice test, and vice versa. The paper shows results which bands students in A, B, C, and FAIL groups based on two online, multiple‐choice tests, and then analyses the average time these students took to complete a practical online test. It shows that there is an increasing average time to complete the test for weaker students. Along with this, the paper shows that female students in the practical test outperform male students by a factor of 25%.     

Using computer‐aided instruction to support the systematic practice of phonological skills in beginning readers

The paper reports the results of a randomised control trial investigating the use of computer‐aided instruction (CAI) for practising phonological awareness skills with beginning readers. Two intervention groups followed the same phonological awareness programme: one group undertook practice exercises using a computer and the other group undertook practice exercises using a paper‐based format. A third, control group, experienced a practical maths programme, with no explicit literacy or CAI components. Children in all three groups were pre‐ and post‐tested on phonological skills and their ability to apply those skills. Statistical analysis indicated a significant learning advantage accruing to children in the computer‐based group compared with the other groups, particularly in relation to phonological awareness with a modest but significant effect size detected. The advantage was apparent but less strong for the orthographic application of their phonological skills. Analysis by gender indicated that girls in the computer group made more progress than boys.     

Understanding professional learning for Computing teachers from the perspective of situated learning

ABSTRACT

Situated learning theory maintains that there is a relationship between learning and the social situation in which it occurs; learning is embedded in activity, context and culture. In terms of professional learning for teachers, this implies that effective learning takes place within a community where experts and novices meet and where practice is modelled; such a community needs to be deeply relevant to everyday practice in the classroom. In this paper, we discuss Computing At School, a grass-roots organisation that has grown up over the last 10 years through teacher communities, and also with broad support of academia and industry. In a time of increased interest in the inclusion of computer science in school curricular, Computing At School is a community of practice of all teachers affected by curriculum change in Computing and models an innovative approach to professional learning that is based on community and support. We describe here how Computing At School draws on situated learning theory to contribute to the development of Computing in the curriculum, evidencing both the journey and lessons learned.     

Computer Experience,School Support and Computer Anxieties

Past research has shown computer anxiety to be present in a sizeable minority of school teachers, and has identified some of the personal and school‐based correlates of this anxiety. Before effective interventions can be introduced, however, more needs to be known of the various forms and sources of this problem. The current study involved a survey of the experiences, attitudes and anxieties of a random sample of 350 Australian primary and secondary school teachers. Levels of self‐rated computing competence among these teachers were moderately low. Computing competence and anxiety were highly correlated, r= ‐ 0.78. Three distinctive types of computer anxiety were identified, as was a set of factors predictive of each. As hypothesised, computer anxieties were inversely related to the quality of prior computer learning experiences, and to the extent of current school support for computer usage. Implications for the reduction of computer anxiety among teachers are discussed.     

可信计算平台中的密钥管理

综述了可信计算的背景,介绍了可信计算技术的原理,并着重分析了现有的支持可信平台TSS的密钥结构和管理形式。基于这些论述与分析,进一步研究了可信计算的本质内涵,探讨了可信计算平台的可能存在的问题。结合所进行的分析,提出了可信计算的发展建议。     

多核时代“并行计算”课程教学模式研究与实践

多核技术的出现与快速发展使计算机技术发生了重大变化。国内外著名高校将多核技术引入到计算机教育体系当中,并开设了并行计算课程,培养学生的并行计算思维和并行计算系统能力。文章对“并行计算”课程建设、教材建设、教学模式和课程思政等方面进行研究和探讨。     

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF NUFFIELD ‘O’ LEVEL CHEMISTRY COURSES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

A study of schools entering pupils for the examinations of the Nuffield ‘O’ level Chemistry project suggests that, as yet, such schools are located near the original centres of project activity. Comparison of the heads of the Chemistry departments in matched samples of ‘Nuffield’ and ‘non‐Nuffield’ schools (summer 1969), established no significant difference in academic and professional training or in experience of non‐classroom employment. Nuffield Chemistry schools were found to have a larger percentage of pupils following sixth form science courses but the difference in annual, per capita expenditure on Chemistry teaching was significant only at the five per cent level.     

Improving representational competence using molecular simulations embedded in inquiry activities

The present article discusses the design and impact of computer‐based visualization tools for supporting student learning and representational competence in science. Specifically, learning outcomes and student representation use are compared between eight secondary classrooms utilizing The Connected Chemistry Curriculum and eight secondary chemistry using lecture‐based methods. Results from the quasi‐experimental intervention indicate that the curriculum and accompanying visualization tool yield only small to modest gains in student achievement on summative assessments. Analysis of student representation use on pre‐ and post‐assessments, however, indicate the students in Connected Chemistry classrooms are significantly more likely to use submicroscopic representations of chemical systems that are consistent with teacher and expert representation use. The affordances of visualization tools in inquiry activities to improve students' representational competence and conceptual understanding of content in the science classroom are discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 48: 1137–1158, 2011     

Experiences With an Open Systems Computing Laboratory

Open Systems are computing systems which are based on industry standards and nonproprietary multivendor components. As an increasing number of computing installations move away from single‐vendor proprietary architectures to more and more open architectures, academic institutions are increasingly faced with the responsibility of appropriately introducing open systems concepts into the undergraduate curricula. Using funding from the National Science Foundation, an open systems computing laboratory was recently set up at the University of Michigan‐Dearborn. The laboratory is based on the three most popular computing platforms today in the PC to Workstation range; namely IBM/PC, Macintosh, and Sun/UNIX. Supporting equipment include a postcript printer, a Novell network, a tape mass storage, and appropriate software and interfaces. A three credit‐hour course titled Open Systems Computing was offered in Summer 1995 to computer science and computer engineering majors. The course utilized the laboratory fully. This paper describes the design and implementation of the laboratory. Initial experiences with the course and laboratory are also described. Student enthusiasm about the course and laboratory was much higher than anticipated. A side benefit of the course was the ability to introduce several contemporary computing‐related topics which would have otherwise been omitted from the curriculum.     

The Introduction of Computer‐based Testing on an Engineering Technology Course

The current situation in higher education is one of increasing student numbers with a decreasing unit of resource. To help cope with this situation lecturers are exploring the possibility of using non‐traditional methods in some aspects of their work. One possibility is to apply new technology in the assessment of students. This paper presents a controlled comparison between traditional paper‐based tests and those using a computer. It is concluded that the new technique is acceptable to students and produces results with no deterioration in their validity; it also has great potential for the saving of staff time.     

Performance equivalency between computer‐based and traditional pen‐and‐paper assessment: A case study in clinical anatomy

The time, material, and staff‐consuming nature of anatomy's traditional pen‐and‐paper assessment system, the increase in the number of students enrolling in medical schools and the ever‐escalating workload of academic staff have made the use of computer‐based assessment (CBA) an attractive proposition. To understand the impact of such shift in the assessment method, an experimental study evaluating its effect on students’ performance was designed. Additionally, students’ opinions toward CBA were gathered. Second‐year medical students attending a Clinical Anatomy course were randomized by clusters in two groups. The pen‐and‐paper group attended two sessions, each consisting of a traditional sectional anatomy steeplechase followed by a theoretical examination, while the computer group was involved in two similar sessions conducted in a computerized environment. At the end of each of the computer sessions, students in this group filled an anonymous questionnaire. In the first session, pen‐and‐paper group students scored significantly better than computer‐group students in both the steeplechase (mean ± standard deviation: 66.00 ± 14.15% vs. 43.50 ± 19.10%; P < 0.001) and the theoretical examination (52.50 ± 12.70% vs. 39.00 ± 21.10%; P < 0.001). In the second session, no statistically significant differences were found for both the steeplechase (59.50 ± 17.30% vs. 54.50 ± 17.00%; P = 0.085) and the theoretical examination (57.50 ± 13.70% vs. 54.00 ± 14.30%; P = 0.161). Besides, an intersession improvement in students’ perceptions toward CBA was registered. These results suggest that, after a familiarization period, CBA might be a performance equivalent and student accepted alternative to clinical anatomy pen‐and‐paper theoretical and practical examinations. Anat Sci Educ 11: 124–136. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.     

基于交互的启发式学习的实践与探索--以“有机化学”课程为例

以临床医学专业本科“有机化学”课程教学为例,提出并实践了基于交互的启发式学习(IBHL)。通过课程成绩与问卷结果分析,探讨启发式学习方法(IBHL)对医学类院校“有机化学”课程学习效果的影响,总结启发式学习方法(IBHL)在教学中的作用。结果表明,基于交互的启发式学习方法可以显著提高学生成绩,有助于提升和培养学生分析问题与自主学习的能力,为医学院校“有机化学”课程的教学改革提供了参考和借鉴。     

Mixed Ability Teaching

Abstract‐ Skov, P. 1986. Mixed Ability Teaching. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 30, 85‐94. As a basis for taking a position on the future school structure in grades 8‐10 in Denmark, an extensive study has been carried out on mixed ability teaching on these grade levels (14‐16 year‐old students). The study covers Mathematics, English, German and Physics/Chemistry, the only subjects in which differentiation can take place according to the Educational Act. The study shows that mixed ability teaching (i.e. teaching in heterogeneous classes) gives at least as good results as teaching in differentiated classes. At present, however, there seems to be no reason to legislate to the effect that all schools must have mixed ability teaching. The Danish model of decentral development of the school permits a more gradual change adapted to the individual school's wishes and needs.     

以多媒体优化医学化学实验教学之探索

多媒体计算机辅助教学(CAI)作为一种新兴的现代化的教学手段,正迅速走进医学课程教学.本文从改革教学模式,丰富教学内容,开展个别化教育及学习计算机数据处理方法等方面探讨了多媒体CAI对医学化学实验教学的改革,为多媒体CAI在化学实验教学中进一步开展、完善提供借鉴与参考.     

Instruction in Pre‐reading Skills in Preschool Children and its Effect on the Subsequent Rate of Reading Attainment

The effect of three preschool conditions on early reading attainment in the first four terms at primary school was studied. The conditions were: (a) nursery education with computer‐presented structured pre‐reading instruction comprising visual and auditory discrimination and recognition of letter shapes and sounds, (b) ‘normal’ nursery activities, and (c) no formal nursery education. The initial reading performance of these children in the three conditions was then monitored during their first two terms in the same class group of a first school. The group who received pre‐reading skills training was found not only to learn to read more quickly in terms of the number of books in the reading scheme read, but for this superiority to increase over the two terms, compared to the nursery only and the no‐nursery groups. Both the nursery conditions were superior to the no‐nursery group. The results were interpreted as indicating the importance of structured learning of basic pre‐reading skills and of the computer as an effective means of presenting them.     

Incorporating partial credit in computer-aided assessment of Mathematics in secondary education

In a mathematical examination on paper, partial credit is normally awarded for an answer that is not correct, but, nevertheless, contains some of the correct working. Assessment on computer normally marks an incorrect answer wrong and awards no marks. This can lead to discrepancies between marks awarded for the same examination given in the two different media. The current paper presents possible solutions to this problem and the results of experiments designed to test how successful these solutions are in practice. In light of the findings, developments to the assessment engine have been made and some questions redesigned for use in real automated examinations. The results were obtained as part of the Project for Assessments in Scotland using Information Technology (PASS‐IT): a major collaborative programme involving the leading educational agencies in Scotland (see http://www.pass‐it.org.uk for more details). PASS‐IT has demonstrated that the computer can help measure lower order student skill profiles provided the computer assessment package is sophisticated enough. Optional steps are required to mimic partial credit; randomisation of parameters is needed for practice and the avoidance of copying; the ability to capture and mark automatically mathematical expressions and short free text responses; and the delivery in a number of feedback modes are all vital ingredients of an automatic assessment system. PASS‐IT has shown how to ensure that education drives technology and not vice versa. Finally, collaboration has been paramount within PASS‐IT and should continue. No single group has all the keys to unlock the future of computer‐aided assessment. Scotland is well placed to move forward and e‐assess where its students e‐learn in a large range of subjects such as those delivered via the SCHOLAR Programme (see http://scholar.hw.ac.uk ). It should be done too by ensuring that teachers remain central to the learning cycle by supporting the demanding work they do through the supply of suitably filtered data on student performance. Special educational needs can also be addressed more effectively by the use of technology.     

普适计算环境下远程教育情感交互的设计模型

普适计算强调把计算机嵌入到环境中去,让人们关注的中心能从计算机回归到任务本身,这种理念对远程教育情感交互的实现有很强的促进作用。文章认为制约当前远程教育情感缺失的三大成因是技术主义思潮、师生分离和计算技术的发展水平;而普适计算却能突破传统桌面计算的局限,使得远程教育在情感表达、情感传递和情感识别等的技术实现上有着无比的优势。文章在作者所构建的情感三维模型的基础上,设计了普适计算支持的远程教育人机情感交互模型和人际情感交互模型。     

统计实验方法浅析

随着计算机的产生,许多的实际问题都借用计算机来解决,从中产生了计算方法,概率统计法就是其中的一种.本文把握概率统计法的基本思想是:根据所要解决的问题设计模型,使这个模型的某个模型恰好就是所要计算的量,而这个特征值可以通过实验方法求出.本文针对不同形式的随机变量设计模型,进行随机变量的模拟,从而来解决实际问题.     

A computer card game for the learning of basic aspects of the binary system in primary education: Design and pilot evaluation

This paper presents the design, features and pilot evaluation study of a computer card game for the learning of basic aspects of the binary system (BS) by primary level education pupils. This design was based on modern social and constructivist theories of learning, in combination with basic game design principles. Pupils are asked to play against the computer with cards featuring Binary Numbers (BNs). To engage successfully with the game, pupils are provided with opportunities to review their previous knowledge of the decimal system and, subsequently, to use analogical reasoning to make connections between this knowledge and basic aspects of the BS. Several scaffolding elements are also provided for the pupils to construct, verify, extend and generalize their knowledge, at the same time using essential learning competencies. The game was piloted in the field using real pupils (20 6th Grade pupils) with encouraging results. Finally, an attempt has been made to address essential points of this game that have contributed to its becoming a successful learning environment. Addressing these points could be useful for both designers of educational computer games for Computer Science (CS) education and educators in Computing.     

对泛在学习资源建设的几点思考

无线通信技术、计算机网络技术、移动计算技术的高速发展,推动了泛在学习的发展。这是一种"人人、时时、处处"的学习方式,是泛在计算技术支持下的一种新的学习方式,而这种学习方式需要庞大的学习资源。在泛在学习概念的基础上,分别从6个方面提出对泛在学习资源建设的几点思考,希望这些思考能对实际的资源建设起到积极的作用。