New learning environments and constructivism: the students’ perspective

Research into students’ perceptions of their learning environments reveals the impact of these perceptions on the way students cope with these learning environments. Consequently, students’ perceptions affect the results of their learning. This study aims to investigate whether students in a new learning environment (NLE) perceive it to be more constructivist when compared with the perceptions students have of a conventional lecture-based environment. Using a questionnaire consisting of seven key factors of constructivist learning environments, the results show that students in the NLE perceive it to be more constructivist when compared to the perceptions of students in a conventional lecture-based environment. The difference was statistically significant for four of the seven factors. According to the effect size, as measured by the d-index, the difference in perception between the two groups was greatest for the factor ‘conceptual conflicts and dilemmas’

Integrating assessment-tasks in a problem-based learning environment

The purpose of this study was to get more insight in the effects of written assessment tasks integrated in a problem‐based learning environment. Both the influence on students' performances and students' perceptions were investigated. Students' final exam results were used to find out whether students who make the assessment tasks do better than students who do not. Answers from questionnaires and semi‐structured interviews were used to discover the most important concerns in students' and teachers' perceptions of the assessment tasks. The results indicate that making the assessment tasks had positive influence on the students' overall performance. From the questionnaires and interviews it appears that both the students and the teachers see the benefits of the assessment tasks. It is concluded that small steps in the change of the assessment system can result in relatively big changes in students' learning and result

De ‘Scholar’ geschoold: Opleiden van docenten voor het wetenschappelijk onderwijs

Doel van dit artikel is te beschrijven hoe universiteiten door middel van gericht personeelsbeleid proberen de kwaliteit van hun onderwijs te verbeteren. We lichten dit toe aan de hand van een voorbeeld op de Technische Universiteit Eindhoven (TU/e). In de zomer van 2007 is op twee faculteiten van de TU/e begonnen met de Basiskwalificatie Onderwijs (BKO). Via het BKO-traject worden docenten in didactisch opzicht gekwalificeerd voor het geven van wetenschappelijk onderwijs (WO). Voor de 50 deelnemers eindigde het traject, onafhankelijk van de door hen gekozen route, met de beoordeling van hun portfolio. We beschrijven het proces en de evaluatie van de ervaringen van de BKO-kandidaten, -docenten en -begeleiders. Aan de hand van de evaluatie wordt geconcludeerd dat de routes grotendeels voldoen. Het reflecteren op de eigen praktijk is lastig voor de kandidaten en het samenstellen van een portfolio is arbeidsintensief. De begeleiding speelt een grote rol bij het efficiënt opbouwen van een portfolio en het richten op de door de beoordelingscommissie gehanteerde criteria

The relationship between students’ approaches to learning and the assessment of learning outcomes

The purpose of the present study is to gain more insight into the relationship between students’ approaches to learning and students’ quantitative learning outcomes, as a function of the different components of problem-solving that are measured within the assessment. Data were obtained from two sources: the revised two factor study process questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F) and students’ scores in their final multiple-choice exam. Using a model of cognitive components of problem-solving translated into specifications for assessment, the multiple-choice questions were divided into three categories. Three aspects of the knowledge structure that can be targeted by assessment of problem-solving were used as the distinguishing categories. These were: understanding of concepts; understanding of the principles that link concepts; and linking of concepts and principles to application conditions and procedures. The 133 second year law school students in our sample had slightly higher scores for the deep approach than for the surface approach to learning. Plotting students’ approaches to learning indicated that many students had low scores for both deep and surface approaches to learning. Correlational analysis showed no relationship between students’ approaches to learning and the components of problem-solving being measured within the multiple choice assessment. Several explanations are discussed

Students’ assessment preferences, perceptions of assessment and their relationships to study results

The purposes of this study are to gain more insight into students’ actual preferences and perceptions of assessment, into the effects of these on their performances when different assessment formats are used, and into the different cognitive process levels assessed. Data were obtained from two sources. The first was the scores on the assessment of learning outcomes, consisting of open ended and multiple choice questions measuring the students’ abilities to recall information, to understand concepts and principles, and to apply knowledge in new situations. The second was the adapted Assessment Preferences Inventory (API) which measured students’ preferences as a pre-test and perceptions as a post-test. Results show that, when participating in a New Learning Environment (NLE), students prefer traditional written assessment and questions which are as closed as possible, assessing a mix of cognitive processes. Some relationships, but not all the expected ones, were found between students’ preferences and their assessment scores. No relationships were found between students’ perceptions of assessment and their assessment scores. Additionally, only forty percent of the students had perceptions of the levels of the cognitive processes assessed that matched those measured by the assessments. Several explanations are discussed

Students’ perception of frequent assessments and its relation to motivation and grades in a statistics course: a pilot study

\u3cp\u3eThis pilot study measures university students’ perceptions of graded frequent assessments in an obligatory statistics course using a novel questionnaire. Relations between perceptions of frequent assessments, intrinsic motivation and grades were also investigated. A factor analysis of the questionnaire revealed four factors, which were labelled value, formative function, positive effects and negative effects. The results showed that most students valued graded frequent assessments as a study motivator. A modest number of students experienced positive or negative effects from assessments and grades received. Less than half of the students used the results of frequent assessments in their learning process. The perception of negative effects (lower self-confidence and more stress) negatively mediated the relation between grades and intrinsic motivation. It is argued that communication with students regarding the purpose and benefits of frequent assessments could mitigate these negative effects.\u3c/p\u3

Gastrointestinal hemorrhage: should we transfuse less?

Although blood transfusion has an established place in the conventional management of acute upper gastrointestinal (GI) hemorrhage, there is growing evidence of adverse side effects of transfusion, both acute and later. An Ovid Medline literature search was performed to evaluate the significance and importance of these effects. Evidence of impaired hemostasis with repletion of blood volume in the acute phase was found in multiple studies and in uncontrolled studies in combat casualties. There are multiple large studies of a so-called immunosuppressive effect of transfused blood leading to increased infection rates and mortality dependent both on dose and on the age of the stored blood. In view of evidence of increased bleeding with early blood volume restoration and the growing evidence of so-called immunosuppressive effects of stored blood, there is a need to consider trials using a conservative utilization of blood in acute GI bleeding