Validating Bloom\u27s Revised Taxonomy as a Rubric for Assessing Middle School Students\u27 Levels of Thinking

Educators in a rural charter middle school in the United States were challenged with the reliable assessment of student thinking skills even though the development of higher order thinking was an espoused goal for the school. The purpose of this study was to validate a new rubric based on Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy (BRT) to reliably assess student levels of thinking as reflected in the students’ written work. A quantitative, nonexperimental design was used. The focus of the research questions was on the BRT rubric’s reliability and validity. Interrater reliability was assessed using Krippendorff’s alpha. Validity was explored by assessing the relationship between the BRT scores collected in this study to the original teacher scores of students’ archived writing samples. Reliable, unrelated scores would have suggested that the two processes were scoring different constructs. The convenience sample of 8 volunteer teachers scored papers using the new BRT rubric. Each teacher scored 52 writing samples, 2 each from 26 students in the 7th grade. The Spearman correlation coefficient between the BRT and original teachers’ scores was not statistically significant. The teachers’ original scores could not validate the BRT as a measuring tool. Also BRT measure failed to demonstrate evidence of reliability (Krippendorf’s α = .05). A position paper was created to present the results of this study and to explore possibilities for improving the assessment of thinking. Positive social change may be encouraged by the use of a reliable and valid scoring process to quantify levels of thinking. A reliable scoring process for levels of thinking could lead to more balanced curricula, instruction, and assessment ultimately providing a base for customized student learning experiences

Dominant models of language assessment in Azerbaijani universities

The fundamental intention behind conducting this research was mainly scrutinizing the levels and types of questions administered in ESP courses such as ‘Computer Engineering’, ‘Petroleum and Chemical Engineering ’, ‘Civil Mechanical’, ‘Economics and management’as well as ‘Psychology’ taught at Khazar University over the last five years. In this regard, The purpose of the inspection was to carefully examine the questions taking into account Bloom’s (1956) Taxonomy for learning objectives (i.e., remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating and creating) and internationally acknowledged ESP standards. Purposefully a coding scheme was designated and the lowdown implied through results was revealed by virtue of Bloom’s taxonomy along with ESP requirements. Outcomes of the trial received from 605 questions delineate the fact that majority of the employed questions are in accordance with remembering, understanding and applying levels regarded as lower-level cognition whilst creating, evaluating and analyzing levels considered as higher-level cognition categories were less employed in comparison. However test designers’ very standpoint could be justified regarding their understanding of students’background education and psychological conditions. Additionally, it was revealed that analyzed test items are perfectly aligned with contemporary assessment criteria and meet the needs of ESP requirements

A Framework for Delivering Contextually Appropriate Opportunities for Warfighter Practice

Computer-based modeling and simulation has been a training staple in the military domain since the first aircraft simulators were adopted. More recently, virtual environments based on modeling, simulation and serious games, have introduced relatively low-cost, yet high value additions to the learning environment. As these virtual environments have proliferated, many researchers have investigated the relationship between theoretical foundations of learning, learner development and content delivery, and applied their findings in an attempt to bolster learning, yet performance deficiencies continue to exist. This study asserts that performance deficiencies exist in part because of insufficient contextually appropriate opportunities to practice. This work is multi-disciplinary in nature. Its foundation is modeling and simulation engineering; the use of technology to deliver training. Educational psychology and human factors concepts explain the theoretical basis for modeling and simulation as an effective training delivery agent. The study\u27s thesis is that a framework for delivering contextually appropriate opportunities for warfighter practice can be applied to discover whether modeling, simulation and game-based virtual environments have the potential to improve individual performance for learners beyond the Novice Stage (e.g., Competent Stage) of skills acquisition. Furthermore, this conceptually appropriate practice (CAP) framework can be used to assess the potential of low fidelity virtual environments to provide targeted practice and to improve individual performance, not only during training in high-fidelity virtual environments (near transfer) but also in the live environment (far transfer). To evaluate the thesis, this study investigates the relationship of technology and learning science, and features an empirical evaluation of training effectiveness afforded by delivering additional training repetitions using both low-fidelity virtual environment simulator systems and high-fidelity aircraft simulators

14-02 Developing Public Health Performance Measures to Capture the Effects of Transportation Facilities on Multiple Public Health Outcomes

Increasingly, federal transportation and public health agencies are working together to identify transportation investments that improve public health. Investments in transportation infrastructure represent one method to utilize transportation to improve public health outcomes. The ideal transportation investment is one that not only provides safe access for pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders, but it also promotes more utilitarian or recreational trips for walking and biking in an environment of safe air quality. However, public health objectives can be at conflict when designing transportation infrastructure to support active commuting. For example, infrastructure investments may be made that promote physical activity through utilitarian commuting, yet at the same time, the investment may be made in an area that is characterized by poor air quality or creates an unsafe condition. The purpose of the research is to identify potential performance measures that can foster improved decision making around these investments. The key research contribution is the development of performance measures that can be used in the field to evaluate multiple public health concerns and improve decision making. Secondly, it advances strategies to effectively capture the dimension of safety and physical activity in a manner that considers the conditions under which pedestrian and bicycling activity is likely to increase. The objectives of the project are accomplished through the use and integration of multiple methods, including student-based project learning, expert surveys, content analysis and quantitative statistical techniques

The Relationship of Perceived Learning and Self-Regulated Learning of Undergraduate Students and the Curiosity Scores Generated by Packback

Institutions work to improve their retention rates. Research supports academically and socially integrated students are more likely to develop a commitment to the institution and persist to graduation. Historically these theories emphasized perceived learning and self-regulated learning as contributing factors for student retention. Curiosity is a motivational factor that improves student engagement and academic integration. Discussion boards are used with face-to-face, online, and hybrid courses. Instructors use the virtual workspace to build a collaborative community for students to engage with one another, the instructor, and the course material. Packback uses artificial intelligence (AI) to heighten student engagement on discussion board posts by providing immediate feedback to students and publishing a leader board with curiosity scores. Through the lens of Connectivism and the Community of Inquiry Model for online learning, this predictive correlational study explored the relationship of perceived learning and self-regulated learning of students enrolled in an undergraduate political science course and the curiosity score generated by Packback. The study involved a convenience sample from a land grant institution located in the southeastern United States . The Cognitive, Affective, and Psychomotor (CAP) survey measured perceived learning using a seven-point Likert scale. The Online Self-Regulated Learning Questionnaire (OSLQ) measured self-regulated learning behaviors using a five-point Likert scale. Packback’s Curiosity Score is generated through an algorithm using presentation, credibility, and effort. A multiple regression analysis demonstrated a lack of sufficient evidence to support a predictive relationship between perceived learning and self-regulated learning (predictor variables) upon curiosity scores (criterion variable) generated by Packback

Strategic leadership and its contribution to improvements in teaching and learning in Higher Education

This paper aims to provide a strong conceptual underpinning for our project, &lsquo;Strategic Leadership for Institutional Teaching and Learning Centres: Developing a Model for the 21st century&rsquo;. The project intends to:1. investigate the forms of leadership that are present and emerging in organisational Centres for teaching and learning and whether or not they are responding to the &lsquo;organisational redesign&rsquo; that Marginson (2000, p.28) argued that the sector required. This involves close consideration of the ways in which institutional structures and distinctive organisational cultures are being shaped by strategic leadership stakeholders to enhance teaching and learning quality.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; And2. develop a model of leadership that is anticipatory, innovative and creative, strategic and contingent and which directs particular professional development and approaches in support of central groups as they confront the challenges of the 21st century. This involves the development of a Teaching and Learning Strategic Leadership Framework for professional development purposes for capacity building of leadership personnel of institutional Centres for teaching and learning.</div

Integrating Security into the Undergraduate Software Engineering Curriculum

This research included a thorough examination of the existing software assurance or what is commonly called software security knowledge, methodologies and what information security technologies is currently being recommended by the information technology community. Finally it is demonstrated how this security knowledge could be incorporated into the curriculum for undergraduate software engineering

The Model For The Incorporation Of High Technology In The Community College Curriculum

The purpose of this study was to develop a model which might be used for the incorporation of high technology into the community college curriculum. The study design was a combination of descriptive research, face-to-face interviews, and program development; The following procedure was utilized for the conduct of the study: (A) Review of the literature. (B) Consultation with computer-assisted instruction researchers and utilizers. (C) Visitations to selected community colleges in Arizona and California which had computerized instructional programs for two years or more; Review of literature included: the computer in education, computer-based instruction, computer-assisted instruction, computer-managed instruction and administrative computer application; The following curricular models were surveyed: Hilda Taba, Irwin Goldstein, Paul Dressel, William Berquist and Henry Kalani; Through the review of the literature, the study of curricular models, and the visitations to the selected community colleges a curricular model was designed for the incorporation of high technology into the community college curriculum; The following conclusions were made from the study: (1) The incorporation of the computer must comply with the mission and goals of the institution, input from constituents, and careful planning by a group of representative faculty and administrators. (2) Strong consideration must be given to the budget and the capabilities of the physical plant. (3) Opportunities and incentives for training and staff development are needed to encourage faculty. (4) The development of evaluation criteria regarding the use of the computer must be ongoing. (5) Vendors and media staff must be consulted in regard to the selection of software and hardware and the utilization of each. (6) The greatest stumbling block to change is fear of the unknown. Many faculty will initially fear the computer because it is unknown to them. (7) Community college faculty and administration should consider the proven advantages of computer-assisted and computer-managed instruction

Game Assessment For Miltary Application

The primary purpose of conducting this research was to establish game assessment guidelines and characteristics for integrating elected characteristics of games into ongoing instructional approaches. The cost of repurposing commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) games could offer a considerably lower cost alternative than the cost of creating a new instructional game developed for a specific instructional goal. The McNeese Game Assessment Tool (MGAT), created for the assessment of games in this usability study, is currently in a beta stage and was found to have potential for future game assessment. The overall assessment indicated that the tool was effective in analyzing game products for reuse potential and that the five instruments that make up the tool did meet the purpose of the design. However, the study also indicated that the instruments needed recommended modifications and further testing with a larger population group before the tool could be utilized. The assessment process identified in this study was a step forward in the area of game and simulation integration research. This study indicated that more research is needed in the area of instructional design to enhance instructional integration goals for future game, simulation and training applications