Exploring the multimedia effect in testing: the role of coherence and item-level analysis

Educational tests often combine text and images in items. Research shows that including images in test items can influence response accuracy, termed the Multimedia Effect in Testing. This effect suggests that using pictures in tests can enhance student performance and reduce the perception of item difficulty. As such, the Multimedia Effect in Testing could influence test validity. However, research in this area has produced varied and conflicting results, which may be partly attributed to the functionality of the images used. Besides, many studies only offer test-level data, making it challenging to determine whether the outcomes represent a generic phenomenon or result from averaging mixed outcomes in individual test items. This present study examined whether coherency of pictures in tests influences response accuracy, mental effort and time-on-task at the test level and item level. Item-level analysis showed that the Multimedia Effect in Testing is not universal; only a small subset of items showed significant differences between text-only and text-picture items. The degree of coherence also did not give unambiguous results. In summary, the study highlights the complexity of the Multimedia Effect in Testing, suggesting it is context-dependent, with not all test items benefiting equally from multimedia elements. The findings emphasize the need for a nuanced understanding of how multimedia affects educational testing

A case study on written comments as a form of feedback in teacher education: so much to gain

In Higher Education, much of a lecturer's time is spent on supplying students with written comments as a form of feedback on assignments. In this case study, written feedback has been analysed and the perception of students on the quality of written feedback in relation to their learning behaviour has been taken into account

A case study on written comments as a form of feedback in teacher education: so much to gain.

In Higher Education, much of a lecturer's time is spent on supplying students with written comments as a form of feedback on assignments. In this case study, written feedback has been analysed and the perception of students on the quality of written feedback in relation to their learning behaviour has been taken into account

Export of the Pseudopilin XcpT of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa Type II Secretion System via the Signal Recognition Particle-Sec Pathway

Type IV pilins and pseudopilins are found in various prokaryotic envelope protein complexes, including type IV pili and type II secretion machineries of gram-negative bacteria, competence systems of gram-positive bacteria, and flagella and sugar-binding structures in members of the archaeal kingdom. The precursors of these proteins have highly conserved N termini, consisting of a short, positively charged leader peptide, which is cleaved off by a dedicated peptidase during maturation, and a hydrophobic stretch of approximately 20 amino acid residues. Which pathway is involved in the inner membrane translocation of these proteins is unknown. We used XcpT, the major pseudopilin from the type II secretion machinery of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as a model to study this process. Transport of an XcpT-PhoA hybrid was shown to occur in the absence of other Xcp components in P. aeruginosa and in Escherichia coli. Experiments with conditional sec mutants and reporter-protein fusions showed that this transport process involves the cotranslational signal recognition particle targeting route and is dependent on a functional Sec translocon

Data_Sheet_1_Exploring the multimedia effect in testing: the role of coherence and item-level analysis.PDF

Educational tests often combine text and images in items. Research shows that including images in test items can influence response accuracy, termed the Multimedia Effect in Testing. This effect suggests that using pictures in tests can enhance student performance and reduce the perception of item difficulty. As such, the Multimedia Effect in Testing could influence test validity. However, research in this area has produced varied and conflicting results, which may be partly attributed to the functionality of the images used. Besides, many studies only offer test-level data, making it challenging to determine whether the outcomes represent a generic phenomenon or result from averaging mixed outcomes in individual test items. This present study examined whether coherency of pictures in tests influences response accuracy, mental effort and time-on-task at the test level and item level. Item-level analysis showed that the Multimedia Effect in Testing is not universal; only a small subset of items showed significant differences between text-only and text-picture items. The degree of coherence also did not give unambiguous results. In summary, the study highlights the complexity of the Multimedia Effect in Testing, suggesting it is context-dependent, with not all test items benefiting equally from multimedia elements. The findings emphasize the need for a nuanced understanding of how multimedia affects educational testing.</p

Formatief evalueren in de lerarenopleidingen: Een analyse van de kennisbases

Docenten zijn zich steeds meer bewust van het belang van formatief evalueren. Het versterkt het leren van de leerlingen, zorgt voor een grotere betrokkenheid bij het eigen leerproces en bewerkstelligt dat het leren beter beklijft. De verwachting van docenten en schoolleiders is dat net afgestudeerde studenten aan de lerarenopleidingen op de hoogte zijn van formatief evalueren en beschikken over een (vak)didactisch handelingsrepertoire om formatief evalueren in de praktijk te brengen. In dit onderzoek worden de kennisbases van 14 eerstegraads en 18 tweedegraads lerarenopleidingen geanalyseerd op de aandacht voor formatief evalueren, met als doel inzicht te krijgen in het beoogde curriculum. Met een kwantitatieve en kwalitatieve analyse van de kennisbases aan de hand van de formatieve evaluatiecyclus, wordt duidelijk dat de aandacht voor formatief evalueren verschillend is tussen de kennisbases van de eerstegraads lerarenopleidingen en van de tweedegraads lerarenopleidingen en dat er grote verschillen zijn tussen de verschillende vakspecifieke kennisbases. In het algemeen kan gesteld worden dat er relatief weinig aandacht is voor formatief evalueren. Dit onderzoek levert een bijdrage aan een herziening van de kennisbases en is een opmaat naar een vervolgonderzoek waarin gekeken wordt hoe het gerealiseerde curriculum van lerarenopleidingen ten aanzien van formatief evalueren eruit ziet