Transforming schooling with 1:1 mobile computer support

This paper discusses a range of issues around 1:1 student to computing devices programs in schools and reports on the critical factors that will contribute to the success of this approach. The researcher was privileged to evaluate one of the early adopter laptop programs and then follow-up by evaluating the first program in a Western Australian government school. Research has found that while the 1:1 model does tend to better realise the potential of the technology doing so in real school settings is not a trivial matter and those responsible need to consider, and plan for, a range of factors

Digital portfolios for summative assessment

The collection and scoring of creative practical work for summative assessment across a large jurisdiction such as Western Australia is challenging. An alternative approach would be to submit digital representations as online portfolios. However, to give a valid and reliable measure the representations would need to be of adequate quality. Further, judgements of creative practical work are necessarily subjective giving concern about the reliability of scores for high-stakes assessment. The paired comparisons method of scoring lends itself to addressing this problem and is feasible where the work is in digital form. This paper reports on a three-year study to investigate the representation of student practical work in digital forms for the purpose of summative assessment in the Visual Arts and Design courses. This study set out to determine whether the digital approach was feasible and adequate fidelity could be achieved in order to use the paired comparisons method of scoring. The study found this process was feasible, and the results were acceptable. However, the approach lacked support from Visual Arts teachers and students who wanted the original artworks to be assessed. By contrast the attitudes and perceptions of Design teachers and students were very supportive

Learning with portable digital devices in Australian schools: 20 years on!

Portable computing technologies such as laptops, tablets, smartphones, wireless networking, voice/stylus input, and plug and play peripheral devices, appear to offer the means of finally realising much of the long heralded vision for computers to support learning in schools. There is the possibility for the technology to finally become a ubiquitously invisible component of the learning environment, empowering children to attempt feats well beyond their current capabilities. These technologies are finding a place in many schools, and there has now been over two decades of research conducted into their use in schools. What is now known about implementing portable computing technologies in schools? What should educational leaders take from this research before making decisions about the technologies used in schools

A comparative study of the attainments of children in service schools in Cyprus

This study is concerned with the attainment of 'service-children' in Cyprus. In Cyprus there are both Royal Air Force and Army schools and because of the political situation, service-children there have been subjected to even more changes of school than is normal for a service child. Conflicting views, concerning the effect of changes of school on academic achievement, are expressed in much recent research in America. The age-group, eight years to eight years eight months, was selected as being the most representative sample of service-children. As children become older, increasing numbers of them, particularly children of officers and senior non-commissioned officers, are sent to boarding schools in the United Kingdom. This age group have been of school age for three plus years, and are likely to have had, at least, one more change of school, than is normal for children in the United Kingdom, due to the father's posting. The service-children were tested in Verbal Ability, English Progress and Mechanical Arithmetic. The scores obtained in the Primary Verbal Test I, which is frequently used as a measure of verbal intelligence, were compared with the United Kingdom norm for children of similar age, normally resident in the United Kingdom and without socio-economic bias. There was no significant difference in verbal ability between the two groups, therefore the English Progress and Mechanical Arithmetic scores could be compared. Results showed that, despite changes of school during their period of residence in Cyprus and throughout their school life, the service-children did not obtain lower scores in the attainment tests than children of comparable age in the United Kingdom. There were, in fact, significant differences, in favour of the service-children, in English Progress and Mechanical Arithmetic. The results suggest that other factors, linked with the administrative and social aspect of service-life have compensated for the lack of continuity in the education of service children in Cyprus. Trends obtained from evaluating data in this research do indicate that the scores of service- children in Mechanical Arithmetic and of boys in English Progress are depressed by increased length of time spent overseas and with absence from school. Further areas of research are suggested with reference to the trend of results

Digital representation of visual artworks for high-stakes assessment

The collection and marking of student artwork across a large jurisdiction such as Western Australia is challenging where the work is submitted to a central location to be marked by experts and returned to students. An alternative approach would be to submit digital representations of the artworks online for marking. However, to give a valid and reliable measure the representations would need to be of adequate quality. Further, judgements of artworks are necessarily subjective giving concern about the reliability of marking for high-stakes assessment. The comparative pairs method of marking lends itself to addressing this problem and is feasible where the work to be marked is in digital form. This paper reports on one component of a three-year study to investigate the representation of student practical work in digital forms for the purpose of summative assessment. This study set out to determine whether the digital approach was feasible and adequate fidelity could be achieved in order to use the comparative pairs method of marking. The first phase of the project involved the researchers creating digital representations of the artwork submitted at the end of secondary schooling by a sample of students in the Visual Arts course and comparing the results of marking these with the physical forms. The second phase involved a sample of students creating digital representations of their own work and submitting them through an online system for marking. The study found this process was feasible, and the results were acceptable, but it lacked support from teachers and students who wanted the original artworks to be assessed

ICT in the Australian curriculum

The new Australian Curriculum aims to be suitable for the needs of 21st Century society and as such has explicitly defined a number of key roles to digital technologies. This should provide opportunities for schools and teachers to build on past reforms and prepare for the future. Over the past few years I have had various roles contributing to the development of sections of the Australian Curriculum, specifically the Technologies curriculum area, the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) general capability, and the embedding of ICT use across some of the curriculum areas. In this paper I explain my personal understanding of the place of digital technologies in the Australian Curriculum and the connection between these different roles for ICT

Using digital technologies to improve the authenticity of performance assessment for high-stakes purposes

This paper reports on the outcomes of a three-year study investigating the use of digital technologies to increase the authenticity of high-stakes summative assessment in four Western Australian senior secondary courses. The study involved 82 teachers and 1015 students and a range of digital forms of assessment using computer-based exams, digital portfolios and audiovisual recordings. The results were analysed using a feasibility framework concerning manageability, technical facility, functional operation and pedagogic alignment. By the end of the study, each form of assessment that was implemented was found to be feasible once some obstacles were overcome. Two methods of marking were tried, analytical rubric-based marking and holistic comparative pairs marking, with the latter found to generate more reliable scores. With the increased use of digital technologies in schools and the expectation that children will achieve more complex performances, more use of digital forms of assessment will be required