Assessment options in higher education

This article evaluates an initiative to introduce assessment choice within a taught unit on an undergraduate healthcare programme as a means of addressing poor performance, especially for those students diagnosed with dyslexia. Students’ perceptions of the assessment experience were sought via the use of two focus group interviews (n = 16). The article describes the effect the assessment experience had on students’ stress levels, individual learning styles and achievement. Students’ performance improved and statistical analyses indicated parity between the assessment methods offered with similar performance profiles between students with and without dyslexia. The conclusion reached is that while the introduction of assessment options may be time consuming for staff to develop, the benefits of an enhanced student‐centred approach to assessment may be well worth this investment in time. Although a limited study owing to the small sample size, the results should be of interest to those academics who are concerned with assessment and its impact on students’ achievement.     

Dyslexia in higher education: creating a fully inclusive institution

Disability legislation demands inclusive institutional policy and practice to meet the needs of the growing numbers of students disclosing specific learning difficulties (SpLD)/dyslexia. However, surveys of provision indicate mixed levels of student satisfaction. Institutions need to be able to monitor the extent to which their practice embodies their inclusive mission statements. Fuller, Healey, Bradley and Hall developed a stage model of progress towards the fully inclusive institution which suggests that departments or individuals can remain at different stages, delaying transformation of the whole system. This case study, conducted within a small university, used documentation, interviews, questionnaires and focus groups to explore attitudes and practices at each level of the institution to establish the extent to which Fuller's model might enable identification and elimination of ‘disablist institutional practice’ and the development of the fully inclusive ethos. Policy, management, lecturers and students were surveyed to explore attitudes and practices relevant to SpLD/dyslexia. Findings indicated that Fuller's model provided a clear and practical way of charting the institution's journey towards full inclusivity. Participants demonstrated the existence of examples of inclusive culture at all levels in University X, alongside a need for strengthened and clarified systems cementing links between management policy and the work of facilitators and lecturers. Inconsistencies in the systems connecting the levels potentially allow disablist practices to survive. Hence, identifying these gaps can facilitate their closure and promote the establishment of the fully inclusive institution.     

Exploring formative assessment as a tool for learning: students’ experiences of different methods of formative assessment

This study aims to provide a greater insight into how formative assessments are experienced and understood by students. Two different formative assessment methods, an individual, written assessment and an oral group assessment, were components of a pathology course within a medical curriculum. In a cohort of 70 students, written accounts were collected from 17 students and group interviews were carried out to explore the students’ experiences of these two forms of assessment. All students were engaged in both assessment methods, which were conducted a few weeks apart, and data were collected soon after each assessment. Our findings suggest that formative assessments motivate students to study, make them aware of what they have learned and where they need to study more. Thus, formative assessment can act as a tool for learning, contributing to the process and outcomes of learning. A closer look at students’ experiences of each form of assessment reveals interesting differences.     

浅谈加强成人高等教育的学生管理工作

结合成人高等教育学生的特点及现状,本文从建立”以人为本”的管理制度;加强日常学生管理,树立”以人为本”的服务理念;提升辅导员队伍的综合素质三个方面进行论述来探讨如何加强成人高等教育的学生管理工作。     

Assessment for learning: Why assessment does not always support student teachers’ learning

Numerous studies have dealt with the importance of assessment for learning (AfL) in higher education, arguing that AfL helps to promote students’ learning and supports them in becoming self-directed learners. The majority of the recent literature focuses mainly on the role of individual aspects of AfL. Less attention has been paid to the interrelation of different aspects of AfL. The current study argues that AfL combines authentic assessment tasks given to students, feedback from teacher educators, peer assessment and self-assessment. The aim of the current study is to understand student teachers’ experiences of AfL practices in higher education, focusing on the reasons why student teachers do not always find the practices supportive. The study conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 student teachers and analysed them using an inductive content analysis method. The findings indicate that student teachers have had some experiences with individual aspects of AfL. A critical finding is that, when teacher educators continually dominate in the assessment process, summative assessment remains the principal way of assessing student teachers, thus hindering the supportive role of other AfL practices. The current study also finds that learning in higher education is still quite grade-centred, which affects student teachers’ learning.     

基于学习过程的本科教育学情调查报告2009

全面提高质量,大力提升人才培养水平是中国高等教育当前面临的重要任务。本研究聚焦于大学生的学习过程及投入,从大学生作为独立自主的学习者,其学习行为与大学教育实践之间的互动来揭示和分析我国不同类型大学的本科教育状况。本文使用的调查工具是根据全美大学生学习性投入调查(NSSE)问卷,由清华大学教育研究院和美国印第安纳大学共同组成的研究团队完成的汉化版中国大学生学习性投入调查问卷(NSSE-China)。研究数据来自清华大学教育研究院主持的中国大学生学习性投入研究课题组2009年6月在全国23所自愿参加课题研究的本科院校,通过完全随机抽样获得的24252名本科生样本。论文运用五大可比指标、反映教育过程及环节的指标,根据参与院校的不同类型(985院校、211院校、地方本科院校),对大学本科生的学情状况进行实证性描述和分析。     

Motivating the learning of part-time taught-postgraduate students through pedagogy and curriculum design: are there differences in undergraduate teaching?

Interviews were conducted with 29 part-time taught postgraduate (TPg) students to determine forms of teaching and curriculum which motivated their learning. The study was conducted in an open exploratory manner to investigate the aspects of pedagogy or curriculum design which particularly motivated the TPg students which were in any way distinct from typical undergraduate teaching. As most of the TPg students were mature professionals working in a field connected to the course they had enrolled in, they were able to identify relevant knowledge, skills and abilities which ought to be included in the content or curriculum. This distinguishes them from typical undergraduate students. The TPg students appreciated in-class discussion so that they could share experiences and expertise. The interviewees preferred assessment tasks that related to their professional practice. Teaching and learning for TPg students should recognise the expertise of the students and draw upon it as a valuable learning resource.     

学习化社会视阈下成人高等教育课程观探论

本文阐述了学习化社会的概念,学习化社会的特征,以及在学习化社会理念引领下的成人高等教育课程观的构建。     

加强成人高等教育学生思想政治教育的思考

当前,成人高等教育学生思想政治教育的问题主要表现在,学生学习的功利性太强、学习自律意识较差、价值观念不明确等。造成成人高等教育学生思想政治教育薄弱的重要原因是,缺乏对思想政治教育重要性的认识;课程数量不断压缩,思想政治教育课程流于形式;管理制度缺失,思想政治教育工作者严重不足。加强成人高等教育学生思想政治教育的途径是:提高对成人高等教育学生思想政治教育工作的认识;创新教学模式,以两课教育平台为主,专业课堂教学为辅;构建教书育人、管理育人、服务育人的全方位思想政治教育体系;丰富成人高等教育学生思想政治教育的教学资源。     

浅析成人高等教育面临的问题与对策

随着普通高校的连年扩招,我国成人高等教育近年来出现了从质到量的下滑,成人高等教育正面临前所未有的挑战。只有坚持以学生为本,强化办学特色,锐意创新,完善教学质量保证体系,我国的成人高等教育才能有序和健康地发展。     

论以学习为中心的成人高教质量保障

随着成人高等教育规模的日益扩大,成人高等教育的质量问题逐渐凸现,质量保障已成为成人高等教育研究的焦点问题.本文对成人高等教育质量保障研究中盛行的管理主义进行了反思和批判,提出成人高等教育质量保障的中心在于学习,并就如何确立以学习为中心的质量保障模式进行初步探讨.     

普通高校应适度发展成人高等教育

成人高等教育并不是普通高校的办学主体。在高等教育迅速发展的今天，如何能够使普通高校的成教生招生达到一个科学的、合适的比例，普通高校对成人高等教育教学资源的配给和教学管理模式的匹配如何才能科学而合理，本文提出了一些探索性的思考。     

成人高等教育专科招生困境及其对策——以河北省为例

《国家中长期教育改革和发展规划纲要（2010--2020年）》的颁布与实施,使我国成人高等教育的快速发展迎来了新的机遇。而专科生源持续大幅度下降,生源危机开始影响招生学校的生存和发展,成为制约专科层次成人高等教育持续、健康发展的障碍。本文以河北省成人高等教育专科层次招生学校为例,以详实的数据资料,分析其招生困境成因并试图寻求破解之道。     

在成人高等教育学生素质培养中充分发挥学生社团的作用

当前对成人高等教育学生的综合素质培养,很多学者主要探讨了如何发挥教学过程的作用,而没有考虑学生社团在学生综合素质培养方面的作用。通过对成人高等教育中学生社团的特点的分析,可以发现在成人高等教育中,学生社团活动能够在培养学生过硬的政治思想素质、突出的创新精神和实践能力、较强的领导和组织素质、突出的敬业精神和吃苦耐劳精神、过硬的心理素质、强健的身体素质、科技素质及人格品质、审美素质方面发挥重要作用。因此,高等学校领导要切实重视学生的社团活动,并积极加以引导,使学生在社团活动中得到全面素质的提高。     

从成人高等教育招生管理改革探讨人才选拔质量

成人高等教育招生是系统工程,从合作单位的选择到招生宣传发动的管理及新生入学资格的审核都涉及到人才选拔和培养的质量,通过对成人高等教育招生管理各环节的深入研究可以提高人才选拔和培养的质量。