The Common Core and the Future of Student Assessment in Ohio

Ohio committed itself to embracing higher standards that cross state lines when it joined 45 other states and the District of Columbia in adopting the Common Core standards in math and English language arts (ELA) in June 2010

Harnessing Technology: new modes of technology-enhanced learning: opportunities and challenges

A report commissioned by Becta to explore the potential impact on education, staff and learners of new modes of technology enhanced learning, envisaged as becoming available in subsequent years. A generative framework, developed by the researchers is described, which was used as an analytical tool to relate the possibilities of the technology described to learning and teaching activities. This report is part of the curriculum and pedagogy strand of Becta's programme of managed research in support of the development of Harnessing Technology: Next Generation Learning 2008-14. A system-wide strategy for technology in education and skills. Between April 2008 and March 2009, the project carried out research, in three iterative phases, into the future of learning with technology. The research has drawn from, and aims to inform, all UK education sectors

Report on the Evaluation of EVS Usage and Trends at the University of Hertfordshire : February to June 2014

The Electronic Voting Systems (EVS) evaluation project for iTEAM has investigated the current level of engagement in the use of EVS across the institution in 2014. It has built on the work and outputs of the JISC supported Evaluating Electronic Voting Systems (EEVS) project in 2011-12 and the work of the iTEAM project through 2011-2013. It offers an up-to-date examination of the trends in EVS adoption and the breadth and nature of EVS use across the different academic schools. The project adopted a mixed-methods approach to evaluate usage and engagement. The starting point was a desk study to examine the existing data on numbers of EVS handsets purchased by academic schools in 2011, 2012 and 2013 and registered across the University and to explore the details from the School reports previously submitted to iTEAM. Sources of data included Information Hertfordshire and the iTEAM archive. Quantitative surveys were drawn up and information requests for student numbers were made to Senior Administrative Managers (SAM). A series of interviews were held with School-based academics including EVS Champions and Associate Deans for Learning and Teaching. Three purchasing trends for EVS handsets by different Schools were found:- slow decrease in HUM, LAW and PAM, moderate increase in BS, EDU and HSK and rapid increase in CS, ET and LMS. In terms of levels of EVS usage in 2013 -14 four different patterns emerged among the schools. These showed: slow increase (CS, LMS and PAM), slow decrease (BS, ET, EDU and HUM), rapid decrease (LAW) and no change (CA and HSK). The EVS purchasing and usage trends comply with the figures given by Rogers for his technology adoption model. Some schools are characterised by successful ongoing EVS use over several years while other school strategies for EVS, which had showed promise early on, have faltered in their use. There was some evidence that academics in STEMM subjects are more likely to engage willingly with EVS use where larger groups are taught, but this is not yet in evidence across all the STEMM groups at this university. Furthermore good practice exists and flourishes across non-STEMM subjects as well. The strategies for successful School-based EVS embedding and continued use include the following three hallmarks:- •Top-down management support for purchasing of handsets and including training for academics and administrators, and alignment with the School teaching and learning strategy. •The existence of a core of innovators and early adopters of technology including the local EVS champions, who are willing to actively engage with their fellow colleagues in sharing the potential of EVS technology. •An engagement with the pedagogical implications for changing and developing practice that the greater use of formative or summative polling and questioning requires. The immediate future of classroom technologies such as EVS offers two main directions. Firstly, there is the continuation of adopting ‘institutionally provided’ handheld devices. This is a low-cost method that can be used easily and flexibly. The other options for classroom polling rely on sufficient wifi availability in the teaching rooms and/or mobile phone signal strength/network availability and capacity. It is anticipated that the capacity issue will present fewer barriers for adoption in future, and that the future of the classroom response systems is inevitably linked to the widespread use of mobile technologies by students

Advances in Teaching & Learning Day Abstracts 2005

Proceedings of the Advances in Teaching & Learning Day Regional Conference held at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston in 2005