The Large-Scale, Authentic Assessment of Listening and Speaking as Interactive Communication: Issues in Reliability

In this article we discuss reliability issues in the large-scale assessment of speech communication through authentic or performance techniques used recently in Saskatchewan. New performance-based approaches enable educators to evaluate the integrated, interpersonal communication skills of large populations of students, thereby modeling best professional practice. We conclude, however, that decentralized teacher rating approaches do not yet demonstrate sufficient reliability to enable public officials to use the results for high-stakes testing purposes.Dans cet article, nous discutons de questions de fiabilité dans réévaluation à grande échelle de la communication verbale par le biais de techniques authentiques (ou basées sur la performance) employées en Saskatchewan. De nouvelles approches reposant sur la performance permettent aux enseignants d'évaluer les compétences communicatives intégrées et interpersonnelles de grandes populations d'élèves, reflétant ainsi les meilleures stratégies pédagogiques. Nous concluons toutefois que les approches impliquant une évaluation décentralisée ne s'avèrent pas encore suffisamment fiables pour que les fonctionnaires se servent des résultats dans des contextes ou l'enjeu est considérable

New fossil remains of Homo naledi from the Lesedi Chamber, South Africa

The Rising Star cave system has produced abundant fossil hominin remains within the Dinaledi Chamber, representing a minimum of 15 individuals attributed to Homo naledi. Further exploration led to the discovery of hominin material, now comprising 131 hominin specimens, within a second chamber, the Lesedi Chamber. The Lesedi Chamber is far separated from the Dinaledi Chamber within the Rising Star cave system, and represents a second depositional context for hominin remains. In each of three collection areas within the Lesedi Chamber, diagnostic skeletal material allows a clear attribution to H. naledi. Both adult and immature material is present. The hominin remains represent at least three individuals based upon duplication of elements, but more individuals are likely present based upon the spatial context. The most significant specimen is the near-complete cranium of a large individual, designated LES1, with an endocranial volume of approximately 610 ml and associated postcranial remains. The Lesedi Chamber skeletal sample extends our knowledge of the morphology and variation of H. naledi, and evidence of H. naledi from both recovery localities shows a consistent pattern of differentiation from other hominin species

Teleoncology in the Department of Defense: A tale of two systems

ABSTRACT Two telemedicine networks were developed for the purpose of conducting multidisciplinary oncology ("teleoncology") conferences. The infrastructure of each system differed: one system was Internet-based; the other was delivered via Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) lines. The purpose of this study was to describe the infrastructure and cost, consultative process, technical aspects, and conference format of the two teleoncology programs. The two systems' technical aspects, participant satisfaction with the systems, and conference participation were compared qualitatively. Assessment of the technical aspects of the systems suggested that each had distinct advantages. Survey results indicated that provider satisfaction with the technical and logistical aspects of each type of teleoncology conference was high. The present study may prove helpful for individuals who are considering implementing their own teleoncology programs. T ELEM ED ICIN E H A S BEEN D ESCRIBED as the practice of medicine at a distance. 1 Telemedicine applications have been used in nearly every field of medicine, including radiology, psychiatry, dermatology, and cardiology. One aspect of telemedicine that has become increasingly common is teleoncology, the delivery of oncology services from a distance. 1 Teleoncology programs offer a variety of potential benefits, including enhancing primary care managers' access to referrals, expand opportunities for continuing medical education (CME) credits, reduction of unnecessary referrals, and smooth coordination of patient care. To date, only a handful of studies have examined the topic of teleoncology. Investigators have looked at the use of interactive video to provide psychosocial support, 2 the use of interactive video and proxy examiners to provide direct patient care, 3 and the use of teleoncology to facilitate consultation by cancer specialists to geographically remote primary care providers

The James Webb Space Telescope Mission

Twenty-six years ago a small committee report, building on earlier studies, expounded a compelling and poetic vision for the future of astronomy, calling for an infrared-optimized space telescope with an aperture of at least $4m$. With the support of their governments in the US, Europe, and Canada, 20,000 people realized that vision as the $6.5m$ James Webb Space Telescope. A generation of astronomers will celebrate their accomplishments for the life of the mission, potentially as long as 20 years, and beyond. This report and the scientific discoveries that follow are extended thank-you notes to the 20,000 team members. The telescope is working perfectly, with much better image quality than expected. In this and accompanying papers, we give a brief history, describe the observatory, outline its objectives and current observing program, and discuss the inventions and people who made it possible. We cite detailed reports on the design and the measured performance on orbit.Comment: Accepted by PASP for the special issue on The James Webb Space Telescope Overview, 29 pages, 4 figure

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Public Spending on Education in the Canadian Provinces: Some Comments on Ellis’ Paper Toward Reframing Rather than Recycling Old Ideas About Educational Expenditures

This short article provides a critique of Dr. Ellis’ paper in a recent edition of the Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy (CJEAP), focusing on where future Canadian research in educational finance can have practical implications rather than simply offering transitory displays of polemical fireworks

La Revue canadienne d'évaluation de programme

Bibliogr.: p. 107-10

Optimum Learning for All Students: Highlights from the Research Literature

Highlights are shared from an extensive review of the research literature on optimum student learning, quality teaching practices, quality leadership practices, as well as the research on other countries/jurisdictions where a ’standards-based’ approach to teaching, school, and system leading have been adopted. Representatives of the four-university research team from the Universities of Alberta, Calgary, Lethbridge, and Concordia University of Edmonton share insights from the literature that are foundational to the Alberta Education authorized 4-year longitudinal mixed-methods research study designed to assess, deepen, and extend the implementation process for Alberta’s three professional practice standards: The Teaching Quality Standard, the Leadership Quality Standard, and the Superintendent Leadership Quality Standard. Slides were presented at the ULead Conference in Banff, Alberta on May 14, 2019