Assessment for learning and motivation

Assessment is a fundamental driver of what and how students learn. Originally assessment tasks were seen as a straightforward measurement tool; in recent times, however, educators have realised the potential to use this tool in more powerful ways and issues of quality assessment and student motivation have been discussed within current pedagogical theories. When assessment tasks are embedded in the teaching and learning framework, there is a greater chance that students will achieve the intended learning outcomes and be enriched by the experience. A diversity of assessment strategies is used in the teaching of Biology at the University of Western Sydney. These strategies include self reflective and self-evaluative exercises, pre and post quizzes for lectures, writing of dialogue, creating cartoons to explain concepts as well as the more traditional strategies of mid term assessments and summative theory and practical assessments. The aims are to encourage deep understanding and knowledge and develop metacognitive skills. A key feature of these assessment tasks has been their design. The setting of explicit quality criteria, and guidelines for marking and feedback, has involved students and teaching assistants. To evaluate the success of these teaching, learning and assessment strategies, focus groups and surveys of students and teaching assistants were done in 2005 and 2006. Students identified that an important feature of the teaching, learning and assessment strategies was the personal investment by lecturers and teaching assistants

CoupTFI interacts with retinoic acid signaling during cortical development.

We examined the role of the orphan nuclear hormone receptor CoupTFI in mediating cortical development downstream of meningeal retinoic acid signaling. CoupTFI is a regulator of cortical development known to collaborate with retinoic acid (RA) signaling in other systems. To examine the interaction of CoupTFI and cortical RA signaling we utilized Foxc1-mutant mice in which defects in meningeal development lead to alterations in cortical development due to a reduction of RA signaling. By analyzing CoupTFI(-/-);Foxc1(H/L) double mutant mice we provide evidence that CoupTFI is required for RA rescue of the ventricular zone and the neurogenic phenotypes in Foxc1-mutants. We also found that overexpression of CoupTFI in Foxc1-mutants is sufficient to rescue the Foxc1-mutant cortical phenotype in part. These results suggest that CoupTFI collaborates with RA signaling to regulate both cortical ventricular zone progenitor cell behavior and cortical neurogenesis

CoupTFI And CoupTFII Expression Is Not Downregulated Or Misexpressed In The Cortex Of Foxc1-Mutants At E14.5.

<p><i>In situ</i> hybridization of coronal sections of control (A, C, E, G, I, K, M, O) and Foxc1^H/L (B, D, F, H, J, L, N, P) at E14.5 with CoupTFI probe (A–H) and CoupTFII probe (I–P). Higher magnification panels in E, F, K, L correspond to boxed regions in G, H, O, P. Scale bar: 500 µm in AF, I–N, 100 µm in G, H, O, P. Arrow in L, N points to the cortical hem. * in D, F, L, N indicates the ventral progenitor population. MZ: marginal zone.</p

Overexpression Of CoupTFI In Cortical Progenitor Cells Partially Rescues The Cortical Phenotype Of Foxc1-Mutants.

<p>Cresyl Violet staining of E14.5 coronal forebrain sections (A–D). Quantification of dorsal forebrain length at E14.5 (E). Tbr1 (green) and Ctip2 (red) immunohistochemistry of the dorsal cortex at E14.5 (F–I). Quantification of Ctip2 and Tbr1 cell number at E14.5 (J). Pax6 (red) immunohistochemistry of the dorsal cortex at E14.5 (K–N) Quantification of Pax6 cell number at E14.5 (O). Tbr2 (red) immunohistochemistry of the dorsal cortex at E14.5 (P–S). Quantification of Tbr2 cell number at E14.5 (T). Sections are counterstained with DAPI (blue) (F–I, K–N, P–S). Scale bar: 500 µm in A–D; 50 µm in F–I, K–N, P–S. E, J, O, P were analyzed by one way ANOVA: E: F_(3,12) = 40.87, p<0.001; J: F_(3,12) = 62.28, p<0.001; F_(3,12) = 48.8, p<0.001; O: F_(3,12) = 74.38, p<0.001; P: F_(3,11) = 76.71, p<0.001. *p<0.05, **p<0.01; ***p<0.001 and indicate significance for Bonferroni’s Multiple Comparison Test posthoc analysis. Asterisks directly above the bar indicate significance from untreated control; within group differences are indicated by connected lines.</p

CoupTFI Is Required For The RA Mediated Rescue Of Foxc1-Mutants Animals.

<p>Quantification of dorsal forebrain length at E14.5 (A), Pax6 cell number at E14.5 (B), Tbr2 cell number at E14.5 (C), Ctip2 cell number at E14.5 (D), Tbr1 cell number at E14.5 (E), area of the counting window (F), density of DAPI⁺ cells in the counting window (G). Error bars represent SEM. A–G were analyzed by two way ANOVA: A: genotype (F_(3,25) = 55.86, p<0.001), treatment (F_(1,25) = 27.84, p<0.001), interaction (F_(3,25) = 49.98, p<0.001); B: genotype (F_(3,26) = 9.5, p<0.001), treatment (F_(1,26) = 48.66, p<0.01), interaction (F_(3,26) = 11.67, p<0.001); C: genotype (F_(3,27) = 19.23, p<0.001), treatment (F_(1,27) = 8.71, p<0.01), interaction (F_(3,27) = 14.55, p<0.001); D: genotype (F_(3,26) = 40.83, p<0.001), treatment (F_(1,26) = 18.45, p<0.001), interaction (F_(3,26) = 14.75, p<0.001); E: genotype (F_(3,26) = 47.99, p<0.001), treatment (F_(1,26) = 48.66, p<0.001), interaction (F_(3,26) = 14.91, p<0.001); F: genotype (F_(3,24) = 24.77, p<0.001), treatment (F_(1,24) = 8.158, p<0.01), interaction (F_(3,24) = 13.38, p<0.001); G: genotype (F_(3,25) =10.33, p<0.001), treatment (F_(1,25) =0.53, p = 0.47), interaction (F_(3,25) = 1.62, p = 0.2). *p<0.05, ***p<0.001 and indicate significance for Bonferroni’s Multiple Comparison Test posthoc analysis. Asterisks directly above the bar indicate significance from untreated control; within group differences are indicated by connected lines.</p

Sampling Window Used For Cell Counts.

<p>The location of the 150 µm sampling window in the medial-lateral dimension of the cortex spanning from the ventricular to pial surface of the dorsal cortex is identified by the black box in this coronal forebrain section of an E14.5. Scale bar = 500 µm.</p

Overexpression Of CoupTFI In Cortical Progenitor Cells Increases Early Neuorgenesis.

<p>Tbr1 (green) and Ctip2 (red) immunohistochemistry of the dorsal cortex at E12.5 (A–D). Sections are counterstained with DAPI (blue). Quantificaiton of Ctip2 and Tbr1 cell number at E12.5 (E). Quantification of the Q-fraction at E12.5 (F) and E14.5 (G). E–G were analyzed by one way ANOVA: E: Ctip2 F_(3,11) = 35.5, p<0.001; Tbr1: F_(3,12) = 66.1, p<0.001; F: F_(3,12) = 5.2, p<0.001; G: F_(3,12) = 54.6, p<0.001. *p<0.05, **p<0.01; ***p<0.001 and indicate significance for Bonferroni’s Multiple Comparison Test posthoc analysis. Asterisks directly above the bar indicate significance from untreated control; within group differences are indicated by connected lines.</p