Assessing Learning Outcomes: Student Employees in Student Affairs

Erin Bentrim, Kim Sousa‐Peoples, Garrett Kachellek, and Wendy Powers report the results of assessing the effect of students' work experiences on their personal and academic development.     

A Standard-Setting Method Designed for Complex Performance Assessments: Categorical Assignments of Student Work

Results of variations on a categorical standard-setting procedure for use with performance assessments with multiple performance standards are reported. Panelists were asked to make independent ordinal categorical assignments of student work. Student work came from the administration of 1 of the 1996 Grade 8 National Assessment of Educational Progress Science Booklets. This study focused on the comparability of cutscores using 2 data analysis strategies, the effects of 2 strategies for making the categorical classifications (sorting vs. direct classification), the efficacy of long and short versions of the classification scale, and the effects of discussion on the basic, proficient, and advanced cutscores. The results indicate that there were minimal differences in cutscores across the 2 data analysis strategies. The direct classification approach was more feasible than the sorting approach, at least with the design as it was implemented in this study. The short version of the classification scale yielded comparable results to the longer version and took less time (about 20%) for the panelists to complete. Discussion produced the expected effect of more agreement among panelists. These results should be interpreted with caution due to the small sample sizes.     

Engaging Minds in the Common Core: Integrating Standards for Student Engagement

With the implementation of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) many teachers continue to search for ways to engage students in the learning process while meeting the rigorous demands of the standards. Researchers suggest that by providing opportunities for higher order thinking, student choice, and creative ways to showcase knowledge, students will find engagement and motivation in the classroom. Many teachers of adolescent students struggle with ways to integrate these approaches while meeting the standards. The purpose of this article is to provide examples of engaging literacy strategies that focus on the Common Core State Standards for middle and high school students.     

Empowering Learning: Using Student Exemplars in Teaching

Using student work as exemplars is a powerful component of a balanced pedagogy.     

Student Self-Reported Learning Outcomes of Field Trips: The pedagogical impact

In this study, we used the classification and regression trees (CART) method to draw relationships between student self-reported learning outcomes in 26 field trips to natural environments and various characteristics of the field trip that include variables associated with preparation and pedagogy. We wished to examine the extent to which the preparation for the field trip, its connection to the school curriculum, and the pedagogies used, affect students’ self-reported outcomes in three domains: cognitive, affective, and behavioral; and the extent the students' socioeconomic group and the guide's affiliation affect students' reported learning outcomes. Given that most of the field trips were guide-centered, the most important variable that affected the three domains of outcomes was the guide's storytelling. Other variables that showed relationships with self-reported outcomes were physical activity and making connections to everyday life—all of which we defined as pedagogical variables. We found no significant differences in student self-reported outcomes with respect to their socioeconomic group and the guide's organizational affiliation.     

Articulating and Utilizing Communication Student Learning Outcomes in Community Colleges

Academia in the United States stands face-to-face with the constant call for greater levels of assessment and accountability. Academics question whether our students are learning what they’re taught? Are they able to secure employment upon completing their education? Are they prepared to be active, productive citizens in society? Community colleges provide education to those who may typically not have the opportunity to attend an institution of higher education. A foundation of any assessment process is the articulation of the core learning outcomes. It is from this foundation, then, that community college faculty can start assessing the effectiveness of teaching and curricular design. The present investigation details a project that focused on creating discipline-specific student learning outcomes and how these outcomes can be utilized to aligning learning outcomes and mapping to curriculum. Communication studies faculty can utilize the learning outcomes to strengthen and clarify curriculum, demonstrate the acquisition of competencies, and improve departmental offerings.     

Common Core Science Standards: Implications for Students with Learning Disabilities

The Common Core Science Standards represent a new effort to increase science learning for all students. These standards include a focus on English and language arts aspects of science learning, and three dimensions of science standards, including practices of science, crosscutting concepts of science, and disciplinary core ideas in the various subject areas. Many of these issues bring important implications for students with learning disabilities, which we discuss in turn. With appropriate supports and applications, students with learning disabilities can potentially benefit greatly from these new standards. However, the demands of these standards may require a higher level of support than those commonly available for many students with learning disabilities.     

《评价量表——快捷有效的教学评价工具》评介

本文通过简要评述《评价量表——快捷有效的教学评价工具》,向读者介绍一个教学评价工具——评价量表。 该书不仅系统阐述了评价量表的定义、基本组成部分,还介绍了评价量表的建构以及在多种情境下的应用。在呼吁多元化评价的当今教学中,本书对于教育工作者来说无疑提供了一个方便有效的教学评价工具。     

Using Mind Maps to Make Student Questioning Effective: Learning Outcomes of a Principle-Based Scenario for Teacher Guidance

Research in Science Education - Student questioning is an important learning strategy, but rare in many classrooms, because teachers have concerns if these questions contribute to attaining...     

The Role of Student Growth Percentiles in Monitoring Learning and Predicting Learning Outcomes

Most formative assessments rely on the performance status of a student at a particular time point. However, such a method does not provide any information on the propensity of the student to achieve a predetermined target score or whether the student is performing as per the expectations from identical students with the same history of academic achievement. Although such a trend has been proposed via the use of the student growth percentiles (SGPs), most of the work associated with SGPs has focused mainly on teacher and school accountability. In this article, however, we illustrate examples in the use of SGPs and entry growth percentile scores to monitor students' learning progress. Monitoring students' learning trends, evaluated in the context of their SGPs and their propensity to achieve the target score, would likely yield meaningful differential information even for students with the same score at a particular point in time.     

Teaching Behavior and Student Learning Outcomes in Dutch Mathematics Classrooms

Abstract

In this article I described the means of identifying teaching behaviors that have cognitive and affective learning effects on students who are taking a course in mathematics. This study was conducted on 50 mathematics teachers who were teaching in the eighth grade. I obtained the data on teaching behaviors through direct systematic observation. Multiple regression was used as the method of analysis. For the cognitive domain, the results showed that effective teaching behaviors are: (a) high-level questions put to a large group of students; (b) probing, followed by a correct student response; (c) teacher waiting after asking a question; (d) successful redirecting; and (e) all forms of positive acknowledgement. Effective teaching behaviors in the affective domain are: (a) all forms of teacher lecture/explanations; (b) probing, followed by correct student response; and (c) all forms of positive acknowledgement. More teaching behaviors have a positive effect on mathematical knowledge than have a positive effect on students’ attitude toward mathematics.     

An Attempt to Reinterpret Student Learning Outcomes: A Cross-National Comparative Study

Attracting significant attention from the media and policymakers, international student assessments are serving as pressures on and challenges for individual countries. Even so, paying attention only to publicly released rankings in international student assessments may lead to superficial interpretations of the assessment results. Simply equating the rankings with educational outcomes can be a questionable perspective because the assessment results can be interpreted differently. In this context, this article has explored student achievement in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests in comparison with civic knowledge achievement in the IEA Civic Education Study across 17 countries. This article has also evaluated efficiency in educational processes by assessing outputs (student performance in PISA) against inputs (educational spending and learning time) directly used in the education system. These two approaches clarify that publicly released rankings in PISA change to some extent when the rankings are reevaluated by taking other factors into consideration. This implication should be allowed for in interpreting the results of international assessment and the relative rankings of participating countries.     

从学生数学学习的追踪研究看新课程改革的实施效果

采用追踪研究设计,以小学生数学学习为例,考察新课程改革的实施效果。研究从学生对数学的基本理解与计算能力、复杂问题解决能力、数学交流与应用意识以及对数学学习的兴趣与数学素养三个方面,实证分析参加新课程与原课程两组学生之间的差异。结果表明,使用新课程的学生对数学的基本理解与计算能力从整体上表现较好,但不如使用原课程学生在此方面的优势明显;与使用原课程学生相比,使用新课程的学生在高层次思维能力方面表现出明显优势,新课程比较明显地提高了学生的复杂问题解决能力、数学表达与交流及应用意识;新课程提高了学生学习数学的兴趣,学生也形成了良好的数学素养。     

Science and Language Integration in Elementary Classrooms: Instructional Enactments and Student Learning Outcomes

Research in Science Education - While some students will pursue careers in science, all will engage with multimodal science-based texts. The effective use of language skills is essential to support...     

The Effects of Reciprocal Imitation on Teacher–Student Relationships and Student Learning Outcomes

Neuroscientific and developmental psychological research in imitation has yielded important insights into building teacher–student relationships and enhancing students' learning. This study investigated the effects of reciprocal imitation on teacher–student relationships and students' learning outcomes in one‐on‐one teacher–student interactions. In a within‐subjects design, participants learned eight English vocabulary words under two conditions: one condition paired with teacher's imitative behaviors and the other with teacher's random behaviors. Students' self‐rating surveys and quiz scores on new words were assessed. When the teacher imitated the students' behaviors in interactions, the students reported significantly higher perceptions of rapport, more confidence in and satisfaction with learning outcomes, and had significantly higher quiz scores. Results had important implications for teachers in using imitation as an effective teaching tool to build teacher–student relationships and enhance students' learning.