Education Commons^™

Sampling For National Surveys In Education, Martin Murphy, Wolfram Sculz

Martin Murphy

The aim of this paper is to provide PMRT and its subgroups with information about the sampling processes used in surveys conducted under its National Assessment Plan (NAP). The design of national surveys in education in recent years has been strongly influenced by the methodologies used in major international surveys, particularly TIMSS and PISA. In the discussion below, reference will be made to the methods used in these surveys, and their application in the context of Australian national surveys. The intention of this paper is to explain the major steps in the survey sampling process, the reasons for the methods …

Eportfolios In Australian Schools: Supporting Learners' Self-Esteem, Multiliteracies And Reflection On Learning, Elizabeth Hartnell-Young

Dr Elizabeth Hartnell-Young

Electronic or ePortfolios are containers for selections of digital items – whether audio, visual, text, or a combination of these – generally used to show individual learning. Large-scale systems are being developed in Europe and the United States, based on specially-designed proprietary or open-source software. In contrast, most Australian ePortfolio projects in schools are small-scale, locally-developed attempts to take advantage of digital formats to develop a range of literacies, express learners’ identities and present achievements to various audiences. This paper describes recent school-based examples reported by teachers and students and concludes that teachers believe that important outcomes lie in increasing …

Torch Plus : Tests Of Reading Comprehension Plus, Tom Lumley, Andrew Stephanou

Dr Tom Lumley

A set of reading tests designed to assist teachers of students from Year 3 to Year 10 in their assessment of students' reading comprehension skills.

Maximum-Entropy Estimated Distribution Model For Classification Problems, L Tan, D Taniar

Dr Ling Tan

Classification is a fundamental problem in machine learning and data mining. This paper applies a stochastic optimization model to classification problems. The proposed maximum entropy estimated distribution model uses a probabilistic distribution to represent solution space, and a sampling technique to explore search space. This paper demonstrates the application of the proposed maximum entropy estimated distribution model to improve linear discriminant function and rule induction methods. In addition, this paper compares the proposed classification model with decision trees. It shows that the proposed model is preferable to decision tree C4.5 in the following cases: i) when prior distribution of classification …

The On-Line Processing Of Aspectual Coercion : Some Psycholinguistic Considerations, Sacha Develle

Dr Sacha DeVelle

There is much we do not understand about the relationship between linguistic expressions and their cognitive functions. The mechanisms that underlie aspectual coercion are no exception. Aspectual coercion describes the interpretive effects that follow the realignment of temporal semantic mismatches between the verb and an external modifier. It is assumed that the reinterpretation of sentential information is dependent upon an extra-linguistic process absent from surface level structure. Attempts to account for this effect have focused on the aspectual characteristics of the verb and how these features interact with temporal modifiers. Prominent among these is Jackendoff's enriched compositional hypothesis (1997, 2002, …

Hey Come Vsit My Site: Kid E-Communities On Think.Com, Elizabeth Hartnell-Young, Karen Corneille

Dr Elizabeth Hartnell-Young

This paper considers the extent to which the free, password-protected online community environment of the Oracle Education Foundation’s Think.com supports children’s learning. Using an interpretive approach, we analysed the uses of the environment within a broad frame of digital literacies, social interaction and facilitated collaboration, in order to identify potential for, and instances of, learning. We found that many children engaged readily with the site to display a range of digital literacies and to communicate with others, and that teachers and facilitators played a powerful role in mediating learning, managing the communities, setting guidelines for participation, and linking students with …

Transforming Learning/Transforming Schools: Do Models Of Deployment Of Digital Technologies Support Transformative Teaching And Learning And School Leadership?, Kathryn Moyle

Professor Kathryn Moyle

Government primary and secondary schools across Australia are introducing digital technologies to support teaching and learning. Systemic models of deploying the information technology (IT) infrastructure to support this use of digital technologies however, can be at odds both with organisational models of school leadership and management, and with approaches used to support teaching and learning. Efficient IT deployment strategies drawn from the private sector are being applied within the school sector. These IT deployment approaches tend to be based upon centralised and standardised management models where the amount and nature of the software is limited and controlled. At the same …

Eportfolios For Knowledge And Learning, Elizabeth Hartnell-Young

Dr Elizabeth Hartnell-Young

In the 21st century, we talk of knowledge as the new currency, and knowledge building as the work to be done in learning organizations. While knowledge building is activity directed outward towards the creation of knowledge itself, learning is a personal consequence of this process, the aspect that is directed to enhancing individual abilities and dispositions. This chapter considers how ePortfolios can support four aspects of lifelong learning in the knowledge economy: engagement with technology, representations of identity, developing critical multiliteracies, and global and local mobility. It argues that the focus should be on lifelong learners’ capacity to create and …

Inter-Institutional Research On Integrating Reflection And Assessment To Generate, Deepen, And Document Student Learning, Lisa Mcguire

Lisa E. McGuire

No abstract provided.

Review Of Exploring Evaluator Role And Identity., Carolyn Sullins, Brandon Youker

Brandon W. Youker Ph.D

A book review of "Exploring Evaluator Role and Identity" edited by Katherine E. Ryan and Thomas A. Schwandt (2002).

Review Of Pathways And Transitions In Victoria, Justin Brown, Peter Noonan, Geoff Noblett

Justin Brown

No abstract provided.

Conjoint Behavioral Consultation: An Emerging And Effective Model For Developing Home-School Partnerships, Lee Wilkinson

Lee A Wilkinson, PhD

Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC) is discussed as an emerging and effective model of home-school collaboration and shared problem solving. A case study is presented to demonstrate how practitioners can use CBC to deliver high quality consultation and intervention services to students, teachers, and parents in a real world setting. An evidence-based intervention (EBI) was implemented in the context of CBC to enhance the on-task and compliant behavior of a student referred for consultation. Results indicated a significant increase in teacher ratings of behavioral control (on-task and compliant behavior) following consultation. Positive treatment effects were maintained at a 4-week follow-up. Norm …

Values Driven Evaluation, P. Cristian Gugiu, Nadini Persuad, Brandon Youker

Brandon W. Youker Ph.D

Values are the basis for defining what aspects of the evaluand should be considered meritous in a particular context. They are something which is in principle or quality intrinsically valuable or desirable. So in evaluation, factual premises describe performance, while value premises can be thought of as the qualities that, when converted to standards, determine the degree to which the performance was good or bad, worthwhile or worthless, and significant or insignificant. Value premises can be validated using commonsense or based on such things as the severity of needs, resource efficiency, legal requirements, professional requirements, and so on. There are …

The Mixed-Coefficients Multinomial Logit Model : A Generalized Form Of The Rasch Model, Ray Adams, Margaret Wu

Prof Ray Adams

Since Rasch's introduction of his item response models, there has been a proliferation of extensions and alternatives, each of which has a different name and different matching software package. The proliferation of models has, in some ways, been a hindrance to practitioners. This paper presents a generalised item response model that provides a unifying framework for a large class of Rasch-type models. The advantages of a single framework include mathematical elegance, generality in a single software package, and a facilitation of the development, testing, and comparison of new models. The unified model is a multidimensional item response model, the specification …

Effective Practice In Assessment, Gabrielle Matters

Dr Gabrielle Matters

Moderation, Modesty, Creativity, And Criticalness: A Chinese-American Medical Professor Speaks., Gulbahar Beckett, Jianhua Zhang

Gulbahar Beckett

Reconstructing Culture And Identity In The Academy: Asian Female Scholars Theorizing Their Experiences, Guofang Li, Gulbahar Beckett

Gulbahar Beckett

A Phenomenological Interpretation Of John Dewey's View On Education, Wasim Qazi Dr., Khalid Rawat

Wasim Qazi

Education in our times is promoting nihilism. The reason for this conclusion is that modern education is largely knowledge based and asks the learner to learn ideas that have nothing in common with the reality of the learner. Knowledge, on the other hand, does not enjoy absolute value, and, to say that a person who has more knowledge is more valuable is wrong. John Dewey’s criticism on traditional education is equally valid for modern education, for modern education is not performing its functions properly. The function of education is to establish a strong relationship between learner and Being. However, modern …

Review Of The Evaluation Exchange, Volume Xi(1), Xi(2), And Xi(3), Brandon W. Youker Ph.D

Brandon W. Youker Ph.D

The Evaluation Exchange is a free, online evaluation periodical (http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/eval.html) published by the Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP) three or four times annually. It is aimed at addressing issues that program evaluators frequently encounter. The journal emphasizes innovative methods and approaches to evaluation, emerging trends in practice, and practical applications of evaluation theory. It is designed to serve as a medium for evaluators, program practitioners, funders, and policymakers.

High-Stakes Testing: Can Rapid Assessment Reduce The Pressure?, Stuart S. Yeh

Stuart S Yeh

This article presents findings about the implementation of a system for rapidly assessing student progress in math and reading in grades K–12—a system that potentially could reduce pressure on teachers resulting from high-stakes testing and the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act. Interviews with 49 teachers and administrators in one Texas school district suggest that the assessments allowed teachers to individualize and target instruction; provide more tutoring; reduce drill and practice; and improve student readiness for, and spend more time on, critical thinking activities, resulting in a more balanced curriculum. Teachers reported that the assessments provided a common …

The Informal Economy In Mexico: An Alternative Labor Market, Daniel Tapia, Carlos Marquez Padilla

Daniel Tapia

No abstract provided.

Channeling Buzz Or Bucks? Ethical Implications For Marketing, Oscar T. Mcknight, Ronald Paugh, Vahn Knight

Oscar T McKnight Ph.D.

Too often higher education officials equate successful enrollment management with determining the appropriate financial-aid package, assuming the student matriculates. However, there are competing theories as to why a student may be attracted to a particular college. Could it be the "buzz"? This study examines the relationship between buzz and bucks with respect to enrollment objectives. Research findings indicate that it is not an either-or proposition. Moreover, marketers are presented with an ethical responsibility to safeguard the public.

East Meets West, Or Vice-Versa: Exploring A Hybrid Pedagogical Approach To Global Instruction, Ronald Paugh, Oscar Mcknight, Jun Gong

Oscar T McKnight Ph.D.

In an increasing multicultural classroom a Confucian-Socratic framework is used to highlight fundamental differences in learning approaches between Eastern and Western cultures. However, educators must also be aware of inherent similarities if best practices are to be gleaned and implemented with ingenuity in the classroom. Therefore, innovations and insights into the qualitative-quantitative continum of contemporary research are offered as an analogue to help build a hybrid model of global instruction. A new Mobius Model of Global Instruction is introduced that emphasizes a multicultural perspective

La Disputa Por El Campus: Poder, Política Y Autonomía En La Unam, Imanol Ordorika

Imanol Ordorika

No abstract provided.