The impact of alternative authentic assessment outcomes in Palestinian fourth grade math classrooms

Focusing on evaluating students’ performance in basic math classrooms, the researchers in this study examined the impact of alternative assessments on learning outcomes in fourth grade Palestinian classrooms. Representing a large sector of education in the Palestinian territories, fourth grade students were randomly selected to participate in the study in which they participated in various math instructional and assessment activities throughout multiple lessons and cycles. Alternative assessment approaches were used including student self- assessment, peer assessment, and teacher assessment in terms of three main achievement levels to measure the extent to which students learned the math concepts by recall and remembrance, ability to apply, and making inferences. Mixed Design ANOVA measures were used to analyze and interpret the results which showed significant trends and correlations across the four cycles of math instruction and indicated that alternative authentic assessment methods have had a positive impact on students’ learning and application of math. Implications for integrating authentic assessment measures as well as peer and self- assessments were drawn in light of the promising outcomes of augmenting student motivation and developing critical life-long skills.     

各种反馈对非英语专业大学生写作的影响

结合国内外对二语写作反馈的研究,实验证明,教师反馈、同伴反馈和自我反馈对非英语专业大学生写作有较大影响,各种反馈形式各有优缺点,可为教师如何有效采用反馈方式改善大学生写作状况提供参考.     

混龄走班游戏中无结构小组对幼儿同伴交往的影响

同伴交往是幼儿社会学习的重要内容。混龄走班游戏有助于创设一种无结构小组活动形式,有利于促进不同年龄幼儿在游戏过程中的自由结伴、协同合作与交往沟通。为探究此种无结构小组对幼儿同伴交往行为的具体影响,本研究采取观察法与访谈法,对实施混龄走班游戏的H市B园进行研究,结果发现,在B园实施混龄走班游戏之后,由于幼儿在这一游戏模式下能够组成无结构小组,所以他们更偏向于选择积极的同伴交往策略,在交往方式的选择上也呈现出多样化的特点,幼儿的游戏体验以正面和积极的体验为主,不同年龄、不同性别幼儿之间能够形成交往默契与协同合作意识,促使交往多朝着成功的方向发展。社会网络分析结果进一步表明班级幼儿没有形成以某些幼儿为中心的社交活动模式,相反,每个幼儿都能在同伴交往中找准自己的位置,积极参与到各种活动中,形成了多个相对独立的团聚子群,同时又通过群体共享成员紧密联系在一起。幼儿园应创设具有无结构小组特征的游戏环境,激发幼儿的交往热情,正确发挥教师的引导作用,提升幼儿的交往水平。     

同伴接纳与流动儿童外化问题行为的关系:自尊和物质主义的链式中介作用

本研究探讨同伴接纳对流动儿童的外化问题行为的影响,以及自尊、物质主义的链式中介作用。在武汉市三所小学选取478名五、六年级的流动儿童,运用同伴提名法、物质主义价值观量表-儿童版(MVS-c)、自尊量表(SES)、儿童青少年问题行为问卷(CB)进行问卷调查。结果发现,同伴接纳、物质主义价值观、自尊、外化问题行为四者均显著相关;同伴接纳对外化问题行为具有很强的直接预测作用,也会通过物质主义价值观和自尊的部分中介作用而影响外化问题行为,还会通过自尊、物质主义的链式中介作用影响外化问题行为。     

面向预印本系统的自组织同行评议及激励机制研究

[目的/意义] 在线科研与开放存取日益成为学者科研的主流趋势,预印本系统作为一种在线学术交流平台,以学界自治为基础,具有科研交流效率高、速度快、民主化等特点,然而由于缺乏配套的质量控制与学术评价机制使其发展遭遇瓶颈。[方法/过程] 有学者提出了一种自组织同行评议模式适应开放存取环境下的学术评议活动,本文在此基础上扩展,提出在线论文评分模型和虚拟积分激励机制,实现对预印本论文的学术评价和对预印本系统用户的激励管理。[结果/结论] 弥补传统同行评议模式存在评审过程不够透明、评议结果不够公正、对评议者缺乏激励等问题。这种新的学术评价模式具有科学高效、客观公正、公开透明等特点。     

Impact of peer mediation programmes to prevent bullying behaviours in secondary schools / El impacto de los programas de mediación entre iguales para prevenir conductas de acoso escolar en los centros de secundaria

The aim of the study was to determine the impact of peer mediation programmes at a secondary school, as compared to another centre that did not have any such programme. The impact would be evaluated by means of three levels of variables: pro-victim attitudes, the roles adopted by the youngsters and the school climate (this last item was analysed from two perspectives: that of the pupils and that of the teachers). In order to attain this goal, students from 12 to 14 years old (N = 323) and 17 teacher-tutors were administered different questionnaires in Time 1 (baseline, prior to intervention) and Time 2 (after programme intervention). Results highlight the validity of peer mediation programmes when it comes to fostering pro-victim attitudes, preventing the increase of negative roles and improving the school climate.     

Bullying and social support: variation by school-type and emotional or behavioural disturbances

The present study analysed whether bullying/victimisation and related social support vary by emotional and behavioural disturbances (EBD) as well as school type. We examined 540 German adolescents with and without emotional disturbances (ED)/behavioural disturbances (BD) attending regular and special schools for students with EBD. Adolescents with BD and co-morbid co-occurring emotional and behavioural disturbances (ED + BD) reported elevated levels of bullying, while students with ED and co-morbid ED + BD reported elevated levels of victimisation. Enhanced levels of overt victimisation were also found in adolescents from special schools. Students from special schools perceived less peer support but more teacher support. Furthermore, adolescents with co-morbid ED + BD were least likely to tell teachers about being victimised. It is concluded that bullying interventions for adolescents with EBD and students from special schools need to be implemented and evaluated.     

诺贝尔自然科学奖获奖成果的检验期探究

提出诺贝尔自然科学奖获奖成果的“检验期”的概念,将它界定为科学家从取得获奖成果到获得诺贝尔奖所经过的一段间隔期;通过对诺贝尔自然科学奖获奖成果的检验期的描述性统计,分析了获奖成果具有较长的检验期的基本特征,揭示了造成这一基本特征的实践检验因素和所连带的社会心理因素;指出较长的“检验期”,反映了诺贝尔奖的评定在本质上是一种通过同行评议对科学家所做出的科学研究成果的社会确认,这种确认并不是一个事件,而是一个社会过程,在这个过程中,科学研究成果所蕴含的价值和意义随着科学实践的发展和人们认识水平的提升而得以彰显出来;真正的具有原创性的科学研究成果,是需要有足够的甚至是超常的耐心,等待它接受长期的实践检验与社会确认。     

Effects of feedback on collaborative writing in an online learning environment

The need for supporting student writing has received much attention in writing research. One specific type of support is feedback—including peer feedback—on the writing process. Despite the wealth of literature on both feedback and academic writing, there is little empirical evidence on what type of feedback best promotes writing in online environments. This article reports on research that tries to determine what type of feedback best improves the quality of collaborative writing and what the effects of feedback are on student learning in an environment based on asynchronous written communication. The results reveal that concerning the type of feedback, epistemic feedback or epistemic and suggestive feedback best improve the quality of collaborative writing performance. The nature of the feedback-giver (whether teacher feedback or teacher and peer) makes a difference to the final text only when the feedback is epistemic, or epistemic and suggestive.     

Cognitive load and knowledge sharing in Learning Networks

Learning Networks (LNs) are online social networks designed to support nonformal learning; they are therefore particularly suitable for self-directed learners. In LNs, learners need to construct knowledge through knowledge sharing with other participants. However, without support, learners have to organize knowledge sharing themselves and this could induce extraneous cognitive load. When working on complex learning tasks, this organizing process could have a detrimental effect on knowledge construction. To optimize cognitive load, we propose using a peer support system that applies the mechanisms of peer tutoring to support knowledge sharing. Its mechanisms reduce, we argue, the extraneous load imposed by having to organize knowledge sharing as well as induce germane load by directing the freed-up cognitive capacity to processes that contribute to knowledge construction.