Chapter 4 Developing the meta-inference in mixed methods research through successive integration of claims

This handbook reviews different mixed methods and integration ideas with contributions from scholars across the globe, accelerating discussion of mixed and integrated methods across a broad range of disciplines, including education, arts-based analyses, health research, and work in developing nations, as well as via special topics such as psychometrics and media research. The authors encourage and guide integration by updated design thinking, and presentation of analytic models and software

It’s not a math lesson - we’re learning to draw! Teachers’ use of visual representations in instructing word problem solving in sixth grade of elementary school.

Non-routine word problem solving is an essential feature of the mathematical development of elementary school students worldwide. Many students experience difficulties in solving these problems due to erroneous problem comprehension. These difficulties could be alleviated by instructing students how to use visual representations that clarify the problem structure and the relations between solution-relevant elements (so-called visual-schematic representations). Research shows that instructional effectiveness depends largely on teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching. Teachers’ knowledge of visual representations is therefore essential to instructing word problem comprehension in this way. As there is little to no literature investigating teachers’ practices in this area, the goal of the present study is to examine teachers’ use of visual representations to support non-routine word problem solving. Eight mainstream elementary school teachers implemented an innovative approach focused on the use of visual-schematic representations. After a short training, teachers were able to produce these representations during instruction. However, some teachers seemed unclear about what these representations comprise and what function they serve within the word problem solving context. Teachers seemed to base their use of  representations on personal preferences rather than on an optimal fit with the word problem characteristics. These aspects need to be addressed in teacher training and professional development programs. This study makes an unique contribution to research in the important and problematic area of word problem solving in regular classrooms. The results of this study are relevant for educational researcher, teachers, and teacher educators who deal with difficulties in instructing mathematical word problems

A four-stage model for lifelong competence development

Schoonenboom, J., Tattersall, C., Miao, Y., Stefanov, K., Aleksieva-Petrova, A. (2007). A four-stage model for lifelong competence development. In D. Griffiths, R. Koper, O. Liber (Eds.). Proceedings of the 2nd TENCompetence Open Workshop 'Service Oriented Approaches and Lifelong Competence Development Infrastructures' (pp. 131-136). January, 11-12, 2007, Manchester, UK. ISBN: 0-907311-22-9This chapter discusses the role of e-assessment in the process of competence development. Its basic claim is that competence development is a process, with distinct stages, and that the assessment forms, and the roles taken on by those involved in the process, depend on the stage in which learning occurs. More specifically, as a learner starts with competence development, self-assessment will be the most prominent, if not the only, form of assessment. This orientation stage is followed by a stage of evidence collection, which is supported by e-portfolio building. In a third stage, the learner is judged by others, and in this stage organisations make use of assessment forms such as on-the-job assessment, 360-degree assessment and assessment centres. In the fourth stage, the learner perform competence development activities. This process is supported by self-assessment and peer assessment. With each stage, examples of e-assessment are provided.The work on this publication has been sponsored by the TENCompetence Integrated Project that is funded by the European Commission's 6th Framework Programme, priority IST/Technology Enhanced Learning. Contract 027087 [http://www.tencompetence.org

Evaluation of TENCompetence proof of concept assessment tools

The TenCompetence Assessment Model was developed as an attempt to develop complex but feasible for real implementation assessment model, corresponding to the last achievements in this field [6]. Therefore the Proof of Concept assessment tools are very important, aiming to test the balance between TENCompetence framework, technology, assessment model, target audience and user acceptance, addressing mainly the feasibility of the TENCompetence Assessment Model. The Proof of Concept assessment tools are not looking for a single end-to-end solution but for the creation of set of mini-assessment environments, sharing common Assessment Model, in which key elements and their dependencies can be tested and verified

TENCompetence Assessment Model and Related Tools for Non Traditional Methods of Assessment

There is no doubt that one of the main reasons for the low popularity of so called de-facto standards in learning environments is their complexity. One way of managing that complexity is to use the rule “divide and conquer”. This is the reason for making small tools supporting work of precisely targeted audiences like assessment designers, students, authors, stakeholders, decision makers and so on. The main idea behind TENCompetence Assessment Model is to be used as integration point of such tools making possible reusability of assessment artefacts. In this paper we present the TENCompetence Assessment Model and discuss the development of a set of software tools for non traditional competence development, which can be used to demonstrate how the model can be used for the implementation of different assessment methods. These tools play the role of the proof-of-concept tools in order to evaluate the usefulness of the proposed model and it’s specification. Their role is to evaluate and verify or reject the TENCompetence assessment model

Enhancing competence development for social inclusion Using the TENCompetence Web tools

Louys, A., Hernández-Leo, D., Sligte, H., Pérez-Sanagustín, M., & Schoonenboom, J. (2010). Enhancing competence development for social inclusion Using the TENCompetence Web tools. In D. Griffiths, & R. Koper (Eds.), Rethinking Learning and Employment at a Time of Economic Uncertainty. Proceedings of the 6th TENCompetence Open workshop (pp. 60-72). November, 19-20, 2009, Manchester, UK. Bolton, UK: Institute for Educational Cybernetics, The University of Bolton. For the complete book please see http://hdl.handle.net/1820/3191This paper describes the study of two pilot studies centred on technology-enhanced competence development in lifelong education carried out in the challenging context of the Association of Participants Àgora. The comparison between both pilot studies reinforces the first conclusion drawn from the 1st pilot experience, which puts in evidence that the use of the TENCompetence infrastructure provides significant learning benefits for adult participants with low educational profiles and who are traditionally excluded from the use of innovative learning technologies and the knowledge society. The participants had the opportunity to develop and improve competences related to English language, ICT and Basic Spanish (only 2nd pilot). The tools employed switched from being a Rich client to a Web client also integrating new functionality related to self-assessment, activities organization and resources sharing. The paper introduces the context and the pilot scenario, indicates the evaluation methodology applied and discusses the most significant findings and the comparison of the two pilot studies. The results of the second pilot reinforce the conclusion that TENCompetence provides a relevant solution for competence development in support of social inclusion.The work on this publication has been sponsored by the TENCompetence Integrated Project that is funded by the European Commission's 6th Framework Programme, priority IST/Technology Enhanced Learning. Contract 027087 [http://www.tencompetence.org

Does excellence matter? The influence of potential for excellence on students’ motivation for specific collaborative tasks

It is often assumed that students with a higher potential for excellence are less motivated to collaborate. So far, the question remains whether this is actually the case. This survey study investigated the influence of business students’ (N = 389) potential for excellence on their motivation to collaborate on a business-related task. Different aspects of potential for excellence were taken into account, including intelligence, creativity, first-year grade point average (GPA), and personality. A structural equation modeling analysis was applied. The findings demonstrated that only GPA had a negative influence on students’ collaborative values, indicating that the assumption that students with a higher potential for excellence are less motivated to collaborate receives limited support. In addition, the findings showed that different aspects of potential for excellence were related to different aspects of motivation to collaborate. This indicates that the relationship between potential f