Can training improve marker accuracy at detecting contract cheating? A multi-disciplinary pre-post study

Contract cheating occurs when students outsource assessed work. In this study, we asked experienced markers from four disciplines to detect contract cheating in a set of 20 discipline-specific assignments. We then conducted a training workshop to improve their detection accuracy, and afterwards asked them to detect contract cheating in 20 new assignments. We analysed the data in terms of sensitivity (the rate at which markers spotted contract cheating) and specificity (the rate at which markers spotted real student work). Pre-workshop marker sensitivity was 58% and specificity was 83%. Post-workshop marker sensitivity was 82% and specificity was 87%. The increase in sensitivity was statistically significant, but the increase in specificity was not. These results indicate that markers can often detect contract cheating when asked to do so, and that training may be helpful in improving their accuracy. We suggest that markers’ suspicions may be crucial in addressing contract cheating.     

Quality and Qualms in the Marking of University Assignments by Sessional Staff: An Exploratory Study

The higher education sector is increasingly reliant upon casual (‘sessional’) staff for teaching and marking purposes. While this practice has been little examined in the past, over the last few years increasing attention has been paid to the quality of marking, mainly because students and academic staff alike are becoming increasingly likely to question examples of poor practice. Hence, many universities in Australia are now attempting to introduce stricter procedures relating to marking. Despite current concerns, there is little published research on marking practices in Australian universities. This paper adds to the body of knowledge by reporting on two pieces of empirical research into the use of casual markers. A project at Charles Sturt University comprised focus groups of, respectively, students, lecturers and markers, and a survey of distance education students. Research at the University of South Australia focused on pedagogical issues relating to marking, comparing the approaches of permanent lecturing staff with those of sessional markers. The results of these projects provide a useful insight into areas of current concern to university staff and management.     

古籍资料库的自动超文本标注

依据古籍文献正文、校勘、参考文献等部分之间的非线性结构特性和计算机超文本技术,以７２０万字的《续资治通鉴长编》文本资料库超文本标注为例,着重讨论了超文本自动标注及其实现方法,并简要介绍了超文本和超文本标注语言（ＨＴＭＬ）。     

Strategies for using feedback students bring to higher education

This article explores strategies for acting on feedback that students bring to their higher education, by exploring student perceptions on the guidance they received from their teachers in school or college. Whilst assessment issues have been the subject of a range of research studies, it is the contention of this article that little research has been undertaken to identify the strategies that students possess for ‘using’ feedback. This small‐scale research study was stimulated by M.R. Weaver’s 2006 Weaver, M.R. 2006. Do students value feedback? Student perceptions of tutors’ written response. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 31(3): 379–394. [Taylor & Francis Online] [Google Scholar] finding that only a quarter of students had received guidance on how to use feedback prior to university. This exploration identifies the guidance for using feedback that 350 students in Humanities brought to their degree course. Analysis of responses revealed the strategies that students had been introduced to, identifying nine indigenous categories. Whilst almost 40% of these students indicated they had received guidance for using feedback, scrutiny of responses showed that many of these students confused ‘actual feedback’ with ‘guidance on how to use’ feedback. The implications of such starting positions for students and staff are considered: questioning the adequacy of such a foundation for students to be able to make effective use of the feedback they will receive in their degree course, and finally suggesting initiatives by which staff could enable students to get more out of feedback.     

对篮球新规则“三分线”画法的研究

通过文献资料法和专家访谈法,针对篮球新规则对球场区域设置的有关修改,对篮球新规则中"三分线"的画法进行了研究。通过验证表明:研究结果方法是准确的、设计是合理的、计算是精确的、数据是正确的,同时也阐明了具体的画法步骤,进一步完善了理论。     

公文主题词标注问题浅析

为使党政机关公文处理更加规范 ,便于公文的立卷归档 ,适应计算机主题检索及公文管理现代化的需要 ,党政机关公文必须标注主题词。而公文主题词的标引工作是整个公文处理工作中的一个难点 ,本文就公文主题词的涵义与特征、主题词标注依据及《主题词表》体系结构、标注程序及标注主题词应注意的几个问题作初步的探讨。     

普通话水平等级测试中的审音标准

我们在普通话水平等级测试过程中，常常碰到这样的现象：相对集中地区的被测试的人员口语出现相同的倾向，说明他们的普通话与规范普通话之间有一定的差距，尤其在轻声的处理上较为困难，而作为普通话标准音的北京语音里轻声也有待进一步规范。同时，语言也有其自身发展的规律，我们在测试制卷和具体测评过程中也应适当遵循这种规律，对轻声加以规范化处理，这样更有利于普通话的规范与普及。     

基于模糊聚类的主观题自动测评系统的初步实现

作者引入模糊数学中贴近度的概念来衡量人工阅卷中的得分点,利用模糊数学聚类分析过程来模拟人工阅卷的给分过程,设计了主观题的自动阅卷算法,并在系统中灵活设置了人工阅卷模块,构建了主观题网络考试系统。     

Multiple-choice tests, negative marks and an alternative

I analyse various schemes of negative marking for tests consisting of multiple-choice questions and propose a scheme that reduces the impact of random guessing. I also propose an alternate style of multiple-choice questions, where each question may have several correct answers and the candidate is required to tick all correct answers in order to get credit.