University assessment Practices at level 1: Exploring student perceptions of fairness, transparency and authenticity

The present study aimed to provide understanding of Level 1 undergraduate students‘ perceptions about three concepts: fairness, transparency and authenticity, in written exams/tests, group projects, and individual assignments. The sample (N=187) comprised students from the Faculty of Life and Physical Sciences at The University of Western Australia (four different Schools were represented), who were enrolled in their second semester, 2010. A two-part questionnaire was completed by students for each assessment mode (i.e., written exams and tests, group projects, and individual assignments). Part 1 was a series of scale response items. Students used a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (Not at all) to 7 (To a great extent) to rate questions on fairness, transparency, and authenticity. Part 2 of the survey used open-ended qualitative questions that asked students to describe what they (a) liked, (b) disliked, and (c) would change about the assessment. The results confirmed that gender did not influence student ratings of fairness, transparency and authenticity. Exams were perceived to be significantly fairer than individual assignments, and were also perceived to be significantly more transparent when compared to group work and individual assignments. For exams and individual assignments, student perceptions about assessment appeared to be highly dependent upon the final grade they received for the assessment task. Students who obtained high distinctions perceived higher levels of fairness, transparency and authenticity than those who failed. With groupwork, similar results were found for ratings of transparency

EMI lecturers' practices in correcting English: Resources for language teaching?

Research on English-medium instruction (EMI) has pointed to lecturers’ refusal to teach or correct English. This study seeks empirical evidence to investigate the extent to which content lecturers’ assessment practices align with their expressed beliefs regarding language teaching. Drawing on three types of data – a questionnaire, interviews and students’ exams – we aimed at finding and exploring EMI lecturers’ written corrective feedback (WCF) as part of language assessment practices. Findings suggest that while EMI content lecturers repeatedly express their refusal to teach English, their actual teaching practices show evidence of some provision of language-related feedback. These findings are discussed against university language education policy. A gate opener lecturer profile is identified whose corrective feedback creates opportunities for correctly using disciplinary English

Community of assessment practice or interests: The case of EAP writing assessment

Setting, disseminating and applying assessment standards are part of university academic programmes of study. Nowadays, assessment is increasingly viewed from a social practice perspective, and so doing entails exploring how the quality of assessment is shaped by interaction and co-participation with different communities of practice. Therefore, based on this perspective, the study reported here aimed to examine the assessment policies and practices of laboratory report writing of first year students in credit-bearing, English for Special Purposes programmes at a university in the Sultanate of Oman. Interviews of programme administrators and the instructors plus institutional and programme documents were examined to investigate these assessment policies and practices. The programme administrators were asked about how they planned the written assessment in their programmes, and the instructors were asked about their experiences of these assessments. The data were then analysed thematically using community of practice framework, namely in relation to (1) a shared repertoire of communal resources, (2) mutual engagement, and (3) a sense of joint enterprise. It was found that instead of community of practice, there were (sub)communities of practices wherein interaction, negotiation and communication amongst members and non-members were punctuated by control, power and autonomy, all working with the aim of narrowing the range between the personal goals of the academic and the communal goals of the institution. The overarching conclusion is that in their assessment practices, the two instructional programmes exhibited varying degrees of community of practice based on the above three attributes

Students’ and Faculty Members’ Perceptions and Experiences of Classroom Assessment: A Case Study of a Public University in Afghanistan

Objective: The primary goal of the study was to examine students’ perceptions of classroom assessment at a public university in Afghanistan. Exploring current assessment practices focused on student and faculty members lived experiences was a secondary goal. The study also sought to collect evidence on whether or not the new assessment policy was effective in student achievement. Method: Authors used an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design to conduct the study. Initially, we applied the Students Perceptions of Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ), translated into Dari/Farsi and validated, to collect data from a random sample of 400 students from three colleges: Agriculture, Education, and Humanities. Response rate was 88.25% (N = 353). Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from a purposeful sample of 18 students and 7 faculty members. Descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, and t-tests were used to analyze quantitative data, and NVivo 12 was used to conduct thematic analysis on qualitative data. Results: The quantitative results suggest that students have positive perceptions of the current assessment practices. However, both students and faculty members were dissatisfied with the grading policy, reinforcing summative over formative assessment. Results support that the policy change regarding assessment has resulted in more students passing the courses compared to in the past. The findings also suggest improvements in faculty professional skills such as assessment and teaching and ways that they engage students in assessment processes. Implication for Policy and Practice: Recommendations include revisiting the grading policy at the national level to allow faculty members to balance the formative and summative assessment and utilizing assessment benchmarks and rubrics to guide formative and summative assessment implementation in practice

Exploring EFL Assessors’ Assessment Literacy in an English Preparatory Programme in Kuwait

This exploratory study is conducted to understand, re-conceptualise, and possibly develop Teachers’/Assessors’ Assessment Literacy (TAL/AAL) in an English Preparatory Programme (EPP) at one university in Kuwait. It has been observed that the evaluation practices adopted in the described context depend mainly on tests and that the adopted Assessment Practices (APs) therefore do not fulfil one primary purpose of assessment, which is supporting learning. Exploring TAL could provide an understanding of their assessment awareness and if their APs are informed by solid assessment knowledge or not. Understanding the source of existing APs can guide assessment improvement and development in the described context. In order to explore TAL, different data collection tools were used to collect qualitative data from eight assessors about their Assessment Literacy (AL). The research used an open-ended questionnaire, an open-ended checklist, a semi-structured interview, an open-ended report, and an unstructured interview to explore all components of AL suggested by Teacher Assessment Literacy in Practice (TALiP) framework (Xu & Brown, 2016). It was found that the participants' pre-and in-service training had not prepared them theoretically or practically for their assessment tasks. Their assessment knowledge base has not been developed through accredited channels or on the job. The participants were not confident with most of the components of the knowledge base proposed by the TALiP framework. However, they did show full awareness of assessment complexities in their teaching context. They were able to distinguish appropriate and inappropriate practices and their washback on learning. Their beliefs about assessments also resonated with recommended APs in the AL literature. It is recommended that the participants should receive theoretical and practical training in the assessment knowledge base. If they had a more substantial assessment knowledge base, they could have revealed better solutions to uncertainties surrounding them, and they could have been more precise in specifying their assessment needs

English Language Learner Autonomy in the Vietnamese Higher Education Context: Enabling Factors and Barriers Arising from Assessment Practice

Learner autonomy has gained particular attention in Vietnamese higher education since a major education reform launched in 2005. Although a number of studies have been conducted to investigate the concept in the Vietnamese higher education context, most of them have focused on exploring teachers’ and students’ perceptions and beliefs around the concept of autonomy (T. V. Nguyen, 2011; Dang, 2012; Humphreys & Wyatt, 2013; T. N. Nguyen, 2014), and on the possibility of promoting it in Vietnamese universities (Trinh, 2005; L. T. C. Nguyen, 2009; Q. X. Le, 2013; Phan, 2015). There appear to be no studies on the demonstration of learner autonomy and the potential factors, including factors relating to assessment practice, that support or inhibit its demonstration in the Vietnamese higher education context. Building on a social constructivist paradigm and sociocultural theories of learning, this qualitative case study aims to investigate the demonstration of learner autonomy in the context of assessment in English as a foreign language (EFL) classes in a university in Vietnam, and the (potential) factors in assessment that facilitate or constrain the demonstration of learner autonomy in that context. The data were collected through participant observation of teachers’ and students’ practices in three EFL classes at the university during a complete semester, one-on-one semi-structured interviews with three teachers and sixteen students, and post-observation interviews with the three teachers and their students. Additional data which characterised the context of the study were gathered and included documents at the researched university relating to higher education policies, assessment policies, English teaching and learning policies, EFL curriculum and syllabus, test samples, and English teaching textbooks. The study found that students generally demonstrated a low level of autonomy in the classroom despite their positive attitude towards the concept and their awareness of its role in English learning. Primary contributing factors included negative washback of current assessment systems on teaching and learning practices, prescribed assessment practices in the class, teachers’ and learners’ limited and divergent understanding about the concept of learner autonomy, and their limited understanding about the role of assessment in learning in general and in learner autonomy promotion and development in particular. The study also found that students who stated that English was relevant to their personal needs were generally more autonomous outside of the classroom than inside it. Findings from this study support the view that learner autonomy reflects the relationship between learners and the learning environment, and is an emergent product of the interaction between learners and contextual factors including their teacher, their peers, the learning task, class rules and values, and university values and regulations. The study’s findings are significant, as they highlight the social dimension of learner autonomy and the importance of facilitating favourable conditions for teachers to provide learner autonomy and for learners to manifest it. The study also highlights the need to reconsider assessment practices to promote learner autonomy

The Effects of Formative and Summative Assessment on Student\u27s Connectedness, Satisfaction, Learning and Academic Performance within an Online Healthcare Course

The quantitative study presented here evaluates the effects of formative and summative assessment on student’s connectedness, satisfaction, learning and academic performance within a university three-credit 400 level online healthcare course. Literature exploring the role that formative assessment plays within an online environment is currently lacking. Additionally, understanding how assessment practices can help support the goals of online healthcare education is vitally important given the rise in popularity of this delivery format. This study investigated student outcomes in the form of connectedness, satisfaction, learning and academic performance. Four cohorts of students were included in this study. Two cohorts were provided with formative assessment procedures while the other two cohorts were provided with primarily summative assessment. A survey-based tool was created and delivered to students’ post-course completion which gathered information on a students’ sense of connectedness, satisfaction, and learning, whereas academic performance equated to final course grade earned. A one-way ANOVA was performed utilizing SPSS to identify statistical differences between formative and summative assessment cohorts. Analysis results indicated that the formative cohorts were higher in all areas explored and statistically significantly higher in the areas of learning and academic performance. Additional discussion regarding the results as well as future research recommendations are provided at the conclusion of this quantitative study within chapter five

Nurses’ Knowledge and Practices Related to Pain Assessment in Critically ill Patients at Mulago Hospital, Uganda

Nurses’ knowledge and practices related to pain assessment in critically ill patients at Mulago National Hospital, Uganda. Critically ill patients experience moderate to severe acute pain which minimizes their comfort. If inadequately managed, acute pain leads to negative physiological and psychological sequelae including the development of chronic pain syndromes. Optimal pain relief is reliant on nurses’ systematic and consistent assessment, and regular documentation of pain. Research related to nurses’ knowledge and practices regarding pain assessment in the critical care setting remains limited. There has been no study in Uganda about nurses’ knowledge and practices related to pain assessment among critically ill patients. The study was designed to describe nurses’ knowledge, practices and barriers related to pain assessment for critically ill patients at Mulago National Hospital. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was employed. Data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire from a convenient sample of 170 nurses caring for critically ill patients at Mulago Hospital. The study was approved by ethical committees at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences and Mulago Hospital. Analysis: Data was analyzed using SPSS version 14.0. Results were summarized using frequencies and percentages, and presented using figures, tables and text. Results: Majority (90%) of the participants reported to assess pain among critically ill patients but almost all of them (96%) do not use pain assessment tools. More than three quarters (79.1%) of the participants who assessed for pain documented findings after assessment. Majority of the participants (91.2%) had adequate knowledge. Almost half lacked knowledge on key pain assessment principles ; 43.5% mentioned people other than the patient as the most accurate in rating the pain intensity for the patient, and 44% do not always agree with patients’ statements about pain. Barriers to pain assessment included; nursing workload (84.1%), lack of availability of assessment tools (74.1%), lack of education on assessment tools (82.4%) , lack of familiarity with tools (78.2%) , lack of protocols and guidelines on pain assessment and management (74.1%), poor documentation of pain assessment and vi management (77.6%) and poor communication of pain assessment priorities at the unit (74.7%). Conclusion Assessment and documentation of pain is done by majority of nurses. However, assessment tools are minimally used. Nurses had adequate knowledge on pain assessment. However, almost half of them did not know that it is the patient who best assesses their pain and do not always agree with patients’ statements on pain. This is a knowledge gap which can affect practice. Perceived barriers included; lack of guidelines and protocols, assessment tools, documentation charts and education on assessment tools, poor documentation of pain assessment and management, and poor communication of pain assessment priorities at the unit. Recommendations There is need of a multifaceted approach by Ministry of Health, hospital leadership, nurse leaders, Nursing Council , clinical nurses and nurse- educators to; conduct a continuous professional education program on pain assessment for nurses caring for critically ill patients. In addition, introduction of pain assessment tools, guidelines and protocols, and charts for documentation that are appropriate to the setting coupled with practical training and support supervision is recommended. A mixed methods research exploring the actual practices is recommended

Open distance teaching practices in pandemic times: devising a simplified virtual pedagogic model for the University of Saint Joseph in Macau, China

EDULEARN22. Conferência Iternacional, realizada de 4-6 de julho de 2022, em Espanha.The Covid-19 pandemic had the most impact on teaching and learning processes worldwide, particularly considering the traditional universities that base their pedagogic processes on face-to-face teaching. The imposed lockdown implied that suddenly all teaching-learning processes had to move online, which led to increased use of and familiarisation with web conferencing technologies, thus intensifying and driving new ways to learn and communicate while launching new or enforcing existing online learning communities. These online learning practices tend to be adopted after the pandemics, thus establishing unstructured approaches of hybrid pedagogic models integrating both online and face-to-face classroom-based teaching-learning processes. In this paper, we report on online teaching practices during the Covid-19 pandemic in the context of the learning unit Research Methods in Design in the Master Program of Design of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Saint Joseph, Macau, China, where we have adopted open distance teaching and learning strategies based on student-student interaction through collaborative learning, asynchronous communication, and continuous assessment. Moreover, based on this experience, we propose a simplified virtual pedagogic model for planning, organising, and implementing university-level (hybrid) online courses by fully exploring the facilities offered by the digital educational technologies in view of the post-pandemic teaching and learning scenarios at a face-to-face university as the University of Saint Joseph.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Student Writing in Higher Education: New Contexts

Student Writing in Higher Education is the first book to examine student writing in the context of major changes taking place in today's higher education. For example, students now come to higher education from an increasingly wide range of cultural and linguistic backgrounds, to study in a number of diverse learning environments. Their courses often no longer reflect traditional academic subject boundaries, with their attendant values and norms. There is also an increasing recognition of the importance of lifelong learning, and the necessity for universities to adapt their provision to make it possible for learners to enter and return to higher education at different points in their lives.Against the background of these changes, this book brings together research carried out by practitioners in a number of international university contexts. Each of the chapters focuses on some aspect of 'new contexts' - either by examining the writing and assessment practices of non-traditional university courses and settings, or by exploring attempts to introduce innovative practices in traditional academic subjects. The authors concentrate specifically on the implications of research for the work of university teachers. The unifying theme of the volume is a view of writing as a contextualized social practice rather than merely a technical and transferable skill.This book is an important resource for all university teachers seeking to improve their teaching with regard to student writing, and is essential reading for all staff developers