Rhetorical relationships with students: A higher education case study of perceptions of online assessment in mathematics

Some students perceive that online assessment does not provide for a true reflection of their work effort. This article reports on a collaborative international project between two higher education institutions with the aim of researching issues relating to engineering student perceptions with respect to online assessment of mathematics. It provides a comparison between students of similar educational standing in Finland and Ireland. The students undertook to complete questionnaires and a sample of students was selected to participate in several group discussion interviews. Evidence from the data suggests that many of the students demonstrate low levels of confidence, do not display knowledge of continuous assessment processes and perceive many barriers when confronted with online assessment in their first semester. Alternative perspectives were sought from lecturers by means of individual interviews. The research indicates that perceptions of effort and reward as seen by students are at variance with those held by lecturers. The study offers a brief insight into the thinking of students in the first year of their engineering mathematics course. It may be suggested that alternative approaches to curriculum and pedagogical design are necessary to alleviate student concerns

The e-assessment burger: supporting the before and after in e-assessment systems

This paper describes a threshold concept-driven e-assessment system that supports teachers in writing effective formative multiple-choice questions, creating quizzes tailored to students’ learning pathways. The system, which has been co-designed with teachers, acts as the ‘bun’ on either side of an ‘e-assessment burger’ pedagogically scaffolding quiz creation (the top of the bun), integrating the quiz within personalized learning trajectories (the burger) and feeding the results back to the learners and teachers to guide the direction of future learning pathways (the bottom of the bun). The evaluation with 26 students in 3 subjects across two schools identified that supporting the before and after e-assessment empowers a shift in teachers’ encouragement for student ownership of assessment, guiding their learning pathways. Teachers also provide insights into how the system scaffolding and visualisations inspired changes to sequencing learning and teaching practices. In conclusion the changing role of assessment within a school ecosystem is debated

eAssessment in engineering mathematics: gaps in perceptions of students and academics

This research investigated the perceptions held by first-year undergraduate engineering students and academics regarding the assessment of mathematics in online environments. The study was motivated by hearing students’ voices, in a moment of serendipity, and realizing that academics do not always hear those voices when teaching in online environments. Currently, there is no literature providing an insight to engineering students’ perceptions of eAssessment in Irish institutes of technology. The research considered students’ perceptions of self-efficacy, expectancy, motivation, and barriers to learning in parallel with those held by academics towards their students. The aim was to develop an understanding of students’ perceptions of eAssessment to help address the concerns of academics involved with online assessment of engineering mathematics. The population of interest in this study comprised first and second year undergraduate engineering students and academics from an Irish institute of technology as the principal group, and first year students from its higher education equivalent in six European countries. A convergent mixed methods design, where surveys and interview data were integrated, interpreted, and analysed, was employed. The convergent mixed methods design permitted flexibility in the data gathering stages to accommodate cultural and language differences within the academic and student populations. The findings of the research are presented under three themes: preparation for eAssessment and barriers to eAssessment; expectations, values, reward, and effort; motivational emotions and self-regulation. The three findings provide valuable insights and adds new knowledge to an understanding of the processes in eAssessment for engineering mathematics. Without listening to and hearing students’ voices, it is not possible for academics to gain an understanding of their students’ perceptions, emotions, and motivations. I therefore argue that higher education institutions take cognizance of the need for a meta-dialogue between students and academics to aid an understanding of the processes of eAssessment

An investigation into the use of e-assessment to support student learning

Interactive computer-marked assessment has been incorporated into a range of science courses at the UK Open University. Different question types have been used, but all allow students multiple attempts so as to enable them to act on the feedback provided. An investigation is exploring the effectiveness of different question types and the impact of the way in which computer based assessment sits within the course's assessment strategy and whether it has summative, purely formative or diagnostic function. Qualitative and quantitative research methodologies include an analysis of data captured when students attempt the online questions. Characteristically different signatures of use have been identified for summative and purely formative interactive computer marked assignments. However there have been some surprises, indicating that student behaviour can be strongly influenced by their interpretation of advice given within a course and illustrating the need for further work in this are

Increasing student attainment and engagement through the use of technology to enhance learning

Enhancing Student Attainment and Engagement through the use of Technology to Enhance Learning; Practical Ideas to Takeaway. The rationale for this workshop is to enable delegates? to have the opportunity to explore the potential of several Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) strategies for themselves, with the specific intention of enabling them to have not only an awareness, but upon leaving the conference to hold the enthusiasm and confidence to explore for themselves, and go onto embed those strategies which are appropriate within their own practice. Following a brief introduction, which will outline the context within which the TEL strategies have been employed, this session will adopt a workshop style format, practical and interactive in nature which is designed to be ?hands on?. The session will be supported by a number of current final year undergraduate students (trainee teachers) who have recently completed work, both in and outside of the University, which has incorporated a variety of TEL techniques. For the duration of the workshop each delegate will be assigned a trainee who will act as a personal TEL mentor. Through this unique approach, working in this way, irrespective of the delegate?s individual awareness or understanding of TEL, with virtually ?one-to-one? support each delegate will be able to choose which aspect(s) of TEL they would like to know more about. In addition to providing delegates? with the opportunity to explore a bespoke number of potential TEL strategies, the session will facilitate the potential for discussion between delegates and trainees, upon the direct impact TEL has had upon their engagement, attainment, motivation and employability. A range of physical and electronic resources, which will include information about each TEL strategy explored within this workshop, will be available for delegates? to take away. TEL Strategies include: QR Codes, Prezi?, Blogging and Augmented Reality (AR)

The influence of assessment washback on the student experience of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme.

The IB Middle Years Programme (MYP), an international curriculum for students between the ages of 11 and 16, is taught by 1,400 schools across the globe and aspires to embody a constructivist learning model in which students use inquiry to explore their world. Students are encouraged to develop conceptual understandings based on learning experiences that are driven by a statement of inquiry, and apply these understandings to novel situations. At the same time, students are subject to the need for measurement of achievement both by assessment practices within the MYP and, in most MYP schools, the need to prepare students effectively for the high-stakes assessment demands of the IB Diploma Programme (DP). Consequently, assessment practices within the MYP are a contested space in which competing understandings, and ideas about the purposes of assessment, are negotiated. This research takes the form of an ethnographic study of a group of Year 5 (age 15-16) MYP English Language and Literature students at Bayside College in Hong Kong. It discusses the influence of assessment on the student experience in the MYP, identifying a range of mediating influences that are involved in the process of students attaching meaning to assessment. A series of metaphors is used to depict the complex multiplicity of roles that assessment plays in students’ lives. Finally, several dimensions of washback are identified that speak to the influence of assessment washback on participants. Freirean and Foucauldian theoretical lenses are set against each other to explore the tensions between the emancipatory aspirations of the MYP and the insidious technologies of power in which students are frequently caught up during their schooling. As a research endeavour in the context of a Professional Doctorate, the study also contributes new understands of the implications, particularly with regard to ethics, of insider/outsider positionality for school leaders conducting research in their own professional setting

On computer-based assessment of mathematics

This work explores some issues arising from the widespread use of computer based assessment of Mathematics in primary and secondary education. In particular, it considers the potential of computer based assessment for testing “process skills” and “problem solving”. This is discussed through a case study of the World Class Tests project which set out to test problem solving skills. The study also considers how on-screen “eAssessment” differs from conventional paper tests and how transferring established assessment tasks to the new media might change their difficulty, or even alter what they assess. Once source of evidence is a detailed comparison of the paper and computer versions of a commercially published test – nferNelson's Progress in Maths - including a new analysis of the publisher's own equating study. The other major aspect of the work is a design research exercise which starts by analysing tasks from Mathematics GCSE papers and proceeds to design, implement and trial a computer-based system for delivering and marking similar styles of tasks. This produces a number of insights into the design challenges of computer-based assessment, and also raises some questions about the design assumptions behind the original paper tests. One unanticipated finding was that, unlike younger pupils, some GCSE candidates expressed doubts about the idea of a computer-based examination. The study concludes that implementing a Mathematics test on a computer involves detailed decisions requiring expertise in both assessment and software design, particularly in the case of richer tasks targeting process skills. It concludes with the proposal that, in contrast to its advantages in literacy-based subjects, the computer may not provide a “natural medium for doing mathematics”, and instead places an additional demand on students. The solution might be to reform the curriculum to better reflect the role of computing in modern Mathematics

On computer-based assessment of mathematics

This work explores some issues arising from the widespread use of computer based assessment of Mathematics in primary and secondary education. In particular, it considers the potential of computer based assessment for testing “process skills” and “problem solving”. This is discussed through a case study of the World Class Tests project which set out to test problem solving skills. The study also considers how on-screen “eAssessment” differs from conventional paper tests and how transferring established assessment tasks to the new media might change their difficulty, or even alter what they assess. Once source of evidence is a detailed comparison of the paper and computer versions of a commercially published test – nferNelson's Progress in Maths - including a new analysis of the publisher's own equating study. The other major aspect of the work is a design research exercise which starts by analysing tasks from Mathematics GCSE papers and proceeds to design, implement and trial a computer-based system for delivering and marking similar styles of tasks. This produces a number of insights into the design challenges of computer-based assessment, and also raises some questions about the design assumptions behind the original paper tests. One unanticipated finding was that, unlike younger pupils, some GCSE candidates expressed doubts about the idea of a computer-based examination. The study concludes that implementing a Mathematics test on a computer involves detailed decisions requiring expertise in both assessment and software design, particularly in the case of richer tasks targeting process skills. It concludes with the proposal that, in contrast to its advantages in literacy-based subjects, the computer may not provide a “natural medium for doing mathematics”, and instead places an additional demand on students. The solution might be to reform the curriculum to better reflect the role of computing in modern Mathematics

Course for educators: designing an instructional event centre for innovative educational and communication technologies (CIECT) University of the Western Cape

The Centre for Innovative Educational and Communication Technologies (CIECT) at the University of the Western Cape designed and developed a blended learning course for teacher-educators, namely: designing an Instructional Event. The course is registered with the South African Quality Authority (SAQA) at a National Qualification Framework (NQF), Level 6. Research indicates that, online courses (popularly known as eLearning) can enhance face-to-face interaction. However, there is need for the selection of the relevant eLearning Tools (eTools) and the application of sound ePedagogical Practices. This course aimed at demonstrating how to make use of various eTools to supplement the traditional face-to-face approaches. By the end of the course, the teacher-educators were expected to: (i) explain the current trends in eLearning and how they affect the teaching practice; (ii) understand the educational philosophies that could inform the online teaching/learning/instructional practices; (iii) design an online teaching/instructional event ;(iv) understand the need for good structuring of course content for blended learning; (v) select eTools for use in the instructional event according to their pedagogical values and underpinning; and (vi) understand the roles of an online facilitator and how they affect the learning process. In addition, the 36 teacher-educators across Grades (R to 12) and various disciplines were assessed in relation to the provision of assessment criterion. The facilitators created an awareness of assessment processes and the submission of formal tasks during the face-to-face and online phases. As a follow-up, the participants were expected to plan, design and develop a small online teaching event; and actively participate in various online discussion topics. The researchers aimed to determine the effective use of the presented eTools for application by teachers in their specific disciplines – to enhance teaching-and-learning practices; as well as the effective application of eAssessment tools. This paper will highlight the main themes as derived from the responses within discussion forums; and related to the submission of the formal assessment task, namely, the creation of a prototype - an online environment for their specific discipline. Furthermore, some of the findings highlighted an increase in the innovative teaching methodologies of teachers after the completion. The principles also expressed observable augmented instructional abilities, and that the course would even be of benefit to the school leaders -the principles themselves.Web of Scienc