Psychometric and edumetric validity of dimensions of geomorphological knowledge which are tapped by concept mapping

The validity of several dimensions of knowledge which were inferred from concept maps was assessed for its psychometric and edumetric aspects. Data were collected from 14 students who enrolled in the university first-year introductory geomorphology course and in its prerequisite introductory geology course. They took an objective geomorphology test, the tree construction task, and the Standardized Concept Structuring Analysis Technique (SConSAT) version of concept mapping. Comparisons among these dimensions of knowledge before and after the geomorphology course yielded convergent evidence. For the psychometric perspective, the SConSAT version of concept mapping and tree construction had similar knowledge structure representations, and the cognitive map correctness was moderately positively correlated with the objective test but not with the geomorphology course test. For the edumetric perspective, the majority of the dimensions of knowledge structures from the SConSAT showed large improvements following the geomorphology course. This evidence shows that the knowledge structure dimensions have moderate to good construct validity which warrant their widespread use for evaluating learning outcomes in both experimental and classroom settings. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 34: 925–947, 1997.     

Preparing preservice teachers for self-regulated learning in the context of technological pedagogical content knowledge

The present study investigated effects of two hypermedia environments on 95 preservice university teachers' self-regulated learning (SRL) in the context of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK): hypermedia with metacognitive instruction (HYP + META) and without (HYP). The study combined online reflections with self-report measures to assess SRL processes. Results showed that exposure to metacognitive support using the IMPROVE self-questioning method may enhance preservice teachers' ability to reflect on and regulate their learning processes. This, in turn, can develop their TPCK, both as learners (comprehension skills) and as teachers (design skills). Further analysis indicated high correlations within SRL measures (self-reports, online reflections) and between SRL and TPCK tasks. Implications are discussed for teacher training in SRL-integrated TPCK contexts.     

The establishment of a virtual high school in Israel

Summary In this paper we have described the theoretical and practical frameworks that led to the establishment of a virtual high school in Israel. After a year of activity, there are clear indications that the Virtual School based on the model of a cooperative of schools has a place in the Israeli educational system. The teachers who graduated from the course have succeeded in creating interesting courses for students, while marketing the framework to students and their parents in the schools has gone well and even aroused enthusiasm. Additional schools are asking to join the cooperative. Nonetheless, the work remains great: We have to form a system of quality control for products; continue development of the technological environment so that it will be rapid, faithful and enabling; and especially examine and follow up on the learning of students and their ability to concentrate in this framework. Similarly, we have to examine questions of various types: organizational-economic, pedagogic, and social, such as scalability of the model, its economic stability, methods of operation in the actual schools, and the manner of absorbing virtual learning in them. We have to relate to and test the styles of the developed courses (from the core curricula or as enrichment courses), determine for which types of students this framework is appropriate, discover if we can create an additional system for learning via the Internet, and ascertain if the activities integrated in the various courses are appropriate to pedagogic and educational ideas and make intelligent use of the Inernet for teaching and learning needs. In addition, and especially for Israel, we have to relate to the question of social gaps and examine if it is possible to reduce them through the model of the Virtual School.     

Contribution of a contralateral hearing aid to perception of consonant voicing, intonation, and emotional state in adult cochlear implantees

Binaural hearing in cochlear implant (CI) users can be achieved either by bilateral implantation or bimodally with a contralateral hearing aid (HA). Binaural-bimodal hearing has the advantage of complementing the high-frequency electric information from the CI by low-frequency acoustic information from the HA. We examined the contribution of a contralateral HA in 25 adult implantees to their perception of fundamental frequency-cued speech characteristics (initial consonant voicing, intonation, and emotions). Testing with CI alone, HA alone, and bimodal hearing showed that all three characteristics were best perceived under the bimodal condition. Significant differences were recorded between bimodal and HA conditions in the initial voicing test, between bimodal and CI conditions in the intonation test, and between both bimodal and CI conditions and between bimodal and HA conditions in the emotion-in-speech test. These findings confirmed that such binaural-bimodal hearing enhances perception of these speech characteristics and suggest that implantees with residual hearing in the contralateral ear may benefit from a HA in that ear.     

Group differences in test-taking behaviour: an example from a high-stakes testing program

This study investigated whether different groups of test-takers vary in their reported test-taking behaviour in a high-stakes test situation. A between-group design (N = 1129) was used to examine whether high and low achievers, as well as females and males, differ in their use of test-taking strategies, and in level of reported test anxiety and motivation. The results showed differences between high and low achievers on a number of test-taking strategies, where high achievers reported using successful strategies to a higher extent. There were also gender differences: females, for example, reported using random guessing to a higher extent than males. Further, low achievers, especially females, reported significantly higher levels of test anxiety than high achievers, and high achievers reported slightly higher levels of motivation when compared to low achievers. To conclude, test-taking behaviour might bring additional variance to test scores, whether or not this is irrelevant variance is discussed.     

Validity of admission decisions based on assessment of prior learning in higher education

Assessment of prior learning (APL) refers to the process of validating individuals’ learning in a variety of contexts, representing a relatively new practice in many countries. In higher education, APL is used to receive access and credits based on skills and knowledge acquired mainly outside of formal academic settings. This paper focuses on validity of admission decisions based on this type of assessment in higher education. The study examines decisions made by higher education institutions for approximately 600 applicants who have used APL in order to receive admission to, and credits in the vocational teacher education programme in Sweden. The results are analysed and presented in relation to a validity discussion. A conclusion is that the existing practice of APL needs improvements in order to obtain validity and trustworthiness in the decisions made in relation to APL.     

Intergenerational Educational Encounters: Part 2: Counseling Implications of the Model

This second paper commences where Part 1 concluded in volume 33, number 1, 2006. The paper describes the relations reflected in the Model-of-Knowledge between all partners of the intergenerational encounters at school—children, old adults, and teachers. The Model-of-Knowledge represents a relatively balanced approach toward the generations' typical needs, while teachers are regarded as members of the middle generation who may contribute to the intergenerational mediation process. By discussing concepts such as “authority,” “productive aging,” “search for meaning,” and “life span,” the paper offers possible ramifications for the social images and status of older adults. Additionally, it discusses the experimental realism of the intergenerational programs at school. Gerontologists and education professionals are invited to explore the psychosocial insights that the model brings to the fore.     

Threats to the valid use of Assessment of Prior Learning in higher education: claimants’ experiences of the assessment process

Assessment of Prior Learning (APL) refers to a process where adults’ prior learning, formal as well as informal, is assessed and acknowledged. In the first section of this paper, APL and current conceptions of validity in assessments and its evaluation are presented. It is argued that participants in the assessment are an important source of information for the validation of the assessment. In the following section participants’ experiences from a particular APL scheme are evaluated using a questionnaire developed for that purpose. The questionnaire provides data on individuals’ perceptions of the procedure and result of the APL scheme. The results are described, analysed and discussed from a validity perspective. Conclusions drawn from the results are that possible threats to validity can exist in the administration of APL procedures, as well as in consequences of APL.     

What mathematics do teachers with contrasting teaching approaches address in probability lessons?

This paper (1) presents a conceptual framework for analyzing the mathematics addressed in probability lessons and (2) uses the framework to compare the mathematics that two teachers with contrasting teaching approaches addressed in class when teaching the topic of probability. One teaching approach aimed to develop understanding; the other emphasized mechanistic answer finding. Class work on 193 problems was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively, showing some similarities and some differences in the mathematics that the two teachers offered to students. The differences found seemed to be linked to the teachers’ teaching approaches. The findings suggest that teachers who adopt different teaching approaches, to some extent, make available to learn different mathematics even when they use the same textbooks.