Education Commons^™

An Analysis Of The Complex Thinking Requirements Of The Terranova And Iowa Practice Tests In English/Language Arts For Grade 8: A Tale Of Two Tests, Armand Lamberti

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

ABSTRACT

The importance of higher-order thinking, 21^st-Century Skills, and standardized testing are important issues in education. TerraNova and IOWA tests are widely used to assess students’ academic competence. The publishers of the TerraNova and IOWA tests claim that their assessment instruments challenge students to employ higher-order thinking skills. This study sought to examine and describe ways in which the language found in the TerraNova and IOWA English/Language Arts practice tests compared with the language that promotes higher-order thinking found in the literature. A convergent, parallel mixed-methods study with qualitative and quantitative content analysis methods was conducted to (a) …

To Close The Skills Gap, Technology And Higher-Order Thinking Skills Must Go Hand In Hand, Manying Qiu, Yaquan Xu, Emmanuel O. Omojokun

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Technology is rapidly changing the business landscape. Workforce skills gap is widening in the digital business environment. Universities and employers call for developing students’ higher-order thinking skills along with integrating technology into academic curricula. We conducted a survey to assess learning outcomes from two groups of undergraduate students: business majors and information technology (IT) majors. SAP ERP hands-on case studies were used for this comparative experiment. The student survey results showed that the students of both majors believed that learning SAP software can lead to more rewarding jobs and they felt confident about their competitiveness in the job market. Although …

Learning Practice Guide, Jen Jackson, Kate Noble, Jeanne Marie Iorio, Dan Cloney, Pru Mitchell

Early Childhood Education

The first section of this Learning Practice Guide reminds early childhood professionals of the theory and pedagogy that underpins day-to-day practice, and helps them find ways to recognise children’s confidence and involvement in learning as a key component of their professional practice. The second section describes eight scenarios to prompt professional reflection, and illustrate ways in which early childhood professionals can improve their practice in relation to the VEYLDF Learning and Development Outcome: Children are confident and involved learners.

Key Skills For The 21st Century: An Evidence-Based Review, Esther Doecke, Quentin Maire

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

It is vital that education systems deliver quality outcomes for all young people and prepare them well for their future in the economy and society. To do so, many systems have traditionally had a strong focus on developing academic skills, particularly in literacy and numeracy. In recent years, education systems have developed greater expectations that schools will also equip young people with a broader set of skills for the 21st century (e.g. creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving). This paper addresses these developments and the challenges they present. Building on an evidence-based review, this paper asks what are the key skills required …

Assessing Computational Thinking, Daniel Duckworth

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

This paper provides some context for the role of computation thinking (CT) in the Australian Curriculum, an abridged literature review of CT as a problem-solving framework from the International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) 2018 assessment framework and some examples of how CT has been used to solve real-world problems. Finally, this paper presents ways to teach and assess CT.

Teaching And Assessing The General Capabilities In A Secondary School Context, Loren Clarke, Melissa Hughes

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

Education researchers, policymakers and private enterprise agree that, in addition to content knowledge, students in the 21st century need to acquire particular skills to equip them for active citizenship in the modern world. This is a real challenge for teachers today: how do they teach and assess the skills needed to live and work in the 21st century? This paper will explore the development of Eltham High School’s focus on teaching and assessment of collaboration, problem-solving, and critical thinking over the past seven years. It will explore the development of the assessment program, its connection to the school and state …

Using Learning Analytics To Measure 21st-Century Skills, Dragan Gašević

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

The unprecedented opportunities to collect data about learning and contexts in which learning occurs has attracted great attention in education. The use of data analytics and machine learning methods have offered much potential to address many relevant questions in education. This talk will focus on the use of learning analytics to measure 21st-century skills in education and outline the types of data commonly used. It will also discuss approaches that are used for analysis and modelling of relevant learning processes and outline the ways in which learning analytics can be used to track learning progression and how the validity of …

Assessing Computational Thinking, Daniel Duckworth

Daniel Duckworth

This paper provides some context for the role of computation thinking (CT) in the Australian Curriculum, an abridged literature review of CT as a problem-solving framework from the International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) 2018 assessment framework and some examples of how CT has been used to solve real-world problems. Finally, this paper presents ways to teach and assess CT.

Infographic: Teaching Practices – Cognitive Activation, Jo Earp

Teacher infographics

In the latest cycle of the OECD’s Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS 2018), participants were asked about their use of a range of teaching practices. Today’s infographic looks at the results for practices associated with cognitive activation.

Assessment Of Children As Confident And Involved Learners In Early Childhood Education And Care: Literature Review, Dan Cloney, Jen Jackson, Pru Mitchell

Early Childhood Education

This literature review is one of a series of reviews to support Victorian early childhood professionals to assess children’s learning and development in relation to the five Learning and Development Outcomes in the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF). This literature review documents the research that underpins and defines learning for children from birth to eight years, and outlines children’s trajectory as confident and involved learners. The resource aims to equip early childhood professionals with the knowledge to identify and assess children’s progress towards the VEYLDF Outcome: 'Children are confident and involved learners'.

Towards The Identification And Assessment Of Transversal Skills, Deirdre Goggin, Irene Sheridan, Fjóla Lárusdóttir, Gigja Guðmundsdóttir

Conference Papers

Much has been written in recent decades about transversal skills. The term is often used interchangeably with ‘soft skills’ and ‘transferable skills’. One can also refer to ‘key skills’ and ‘core skills’. The Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) assesses the proficiency of adults specifically three areas: literacy, numeracy and problem solving in technology-rich environments. “These three are considered to be “key information-processing skills” in that they are:
• necessary for fully integrating and participating in the labour market, education and training, and social and civic life;
• highly transferable, in that they are relevant to many social contexts and work …

Exploring The Neural Mechanisms Of Physics Learning, Jessica E. Bartley

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a series of neuroimaging investigations and achievements that strive to deepen and broaden our understanding of human problem solving and physics learning. Neuroscience conceives of dynamic relationships between behavior, experience, and brain structure and function, but how neural changes enable human learning across classroom instruction remains an open question. At the same time, physics is a challenging area of study in which introductory students regularly struggle to achieve success across university instruction. Research and initiatives in neuroeducation promise a new understanding into the interactions between biology and education, including the neural mechanisms of learning and development. These …

Infographic: Collaborative Problem Solving, Dominique Russell

Teacher infographics

The most recent OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) examines student ability in collaborative problem solving. Today's infographic shows the results from some of the 50+ participating countries.

Adolescents’ Perceptions Of “Cheating” In Gaming And Educational Settings, Brandon Nease, Michelle Samura

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Background. Given the widespread popularity of video gameplay among adolescents, it is important to understand the relationship between video gameplay and adolescent behaviors in various contexts.

Aim. This exploratory study aimed to explore adolescent gamers use of player guides and cheat codes during video gameplay in order to understand how they reason about the relationship between cheating in video games and cheating in academic settings.

Method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with adolescents in order to gain in-depth insight into participants’ perspectives on video gameplay and their perceptions of cheating in video games and academic settings. Interview data was coded and …

Inquiry-Based Learning: Assessing Students' Science Inquiry Skills, Abha Bhagat

Teacher India

Inquiry-based approaches to teaching yield substantial benefits to students, but assessment of students' science inquiry skills indicate more emphasis is needed on the development of inquiry-based teaching and learning in the classroom.

Conceptualizations Of Students With And Without Disabilities As Mathematical Problem Solvers In Educational Research; A Critical Review, Rachel Lambert, Paulo Tan

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Students with disabilities are often framed as “the problem” and have limited opportunities to engage in standards based mathematics leading to persistent underachievement. In this paper, we investigate a research divide between mathematics educational research for students with and without disabilities, a divide with significant differences in the theoretical orientations and research methodologies used to understand learners. Based on an analysis of 149 mathematics educational research articles published between 2013 and 2015, we found significant differences between articles focused on learners with and without disabilities. For those with disabilities, mathematical problem solving was understood primarily from behavioral and information processing …

Using A Repeated Measures Anova Design To Analyze The Effect Writing In Mathematics Has On The Mathematics Achievement Of Third Grade English Language Learners And English Speakers, Zoe A. Morales

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The gap that exists between English language learners and English speaking students’ achievement in mathematics continues to grow. Moreover, students are now required to show evidence of their mathematics knowledge through writing in standardized assessments and class assignments.

The purpose of this study was to analyze students’ writing in mathematics and the metacognitive behaviors they portrayed through their writing as they solved mathematics problems. The instruments included a pretest, two biweekly tests, and a posttest. The writing instruction encompassed students learning to solve problems by using Polya’s four phases of problem solving which was completed in 12 sessions over a …

Examination Of An Independent School’S Site-Based Summer Program, Susan W. Keogh

All Theses And Dissertations

This study examined the summer program offered by a pre-kindergarten through grade twelve independent school. Three levels of theory, individual, group, and organizational, were utilized to analyze the experiences of students and instructors. The variety of opportunities and instructional design elements, the intentional alignment to the traditional school year, collegial discussions connecting summer learning and the school year, and evidence of the school’s mission were examined.

Findings revealed a wide-range of educational experiences and the benefits of continuous learning that are evident the following school year. Class designs incorporated instructional elements supported by individual learning theories. Academic standards and expectations …

Factors That Influence The Difficulty Of Problem Solving Items, Dara Ramalingam, Ray Philpot

Ray Philpot

Computer-based assessment of problem solving allows problems of both static and interactive natures to be posed. Examples of static problems are scheduling and logic puzzles in which all relevant information is available to the solver at the outset. Problems of an interactive nature, on the other hand, require exploration of the situation to acquire additional knowledge needed to solve the problem. Examples include discovering how to use an unfamiliar mobile telephone or automatic vending machine. This study used data from the 2011 Field Trial of the PISA 2012 computer-based assessment of problem solving which comprised 34 static and 45 interactive …

Fostering Innovation : The Role Of The School Principal, Kathryn Moyle

Professor Kathryn Moyle (consultant)

No abstract provided.

The Future Of Learning Assessments, Geoff Masters

Prof Geoff Masters AO

Processes for assessing student learning are undergoing fundamental transformation, according to Geoff Masters.

The Returns On Investing In Lln In The Workplace, Phil Mckenzie, Justin Brown, Michael Taylor

Dr Phillip McKenzie

No abstract provided.

The Returns On Investing In Lln In The Workplace, Justin Brown, Phil Mckenzie, Michael Taylor

Dr Justin Brown

No abstract provided.

Learning, Problem Solving, And Mindtools: Essays In Honor Of David H. Jonassen, Donna Russell Ph.D.

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Of Factors Affecting Student Performance In Algebraic Word Problem Solutions, Jerry Eugene Wright

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to investigate the potential significance of several student algebraic word problem solving skills. The solution of an algebra word problem (AWP) requires the creation and solution of an equation based on the problem context. Common Core State Standards in both English Language Arts and Mathematics emphasize student learning and proficiency in algebra word problem contexts. Eight factors of student mathematical ability were proposed, and three of those eight factors were studied in depth to determine their significance. Similar research supported the theory that the translation phase of the solution process presented the student with the most …

Automatic Scoring Of Items In Pisa 2012 Problem Solving, Ray Philpot

Ray Philpot

The OECD PISA 2012 Problem Solving assessment was delivered on-line and exploited the capabilities of the computer by including many problems where students were required to interact with a virtual scenario. The actions taken by students – clicking buttons, dragging objects etc – were recorded in log files during testing. For many items these logs were used to automatically score the item. In some cases the strategy exhibited by the students as they tackled a problem contributed to the scoring, in addition to whether they managed to solve the problem. In this paper I give an overview of the PISA …

Kemampuan Komunikasi Matematis Dan Pemecahan Masalah Melalui Problem Based-Learning, Fatia Fatimah

Jurnal Penelitian dan Evaluasi Pendidikan

Tujuan penelitian untuk mengetahui kemampuan komunikasi matematis dan pemecahan masalah melalui Problem Based Learning (PBL). Populasi penelitian adalah mahasiswa STKIP PGRI Sumatera Barat yang mengambil mata kuliah Statistika Elementer tahun akademik 2008/2009. Jenis penelitan adalah eksperimen semu dengan pretest-postest control group design. Kelompok eksperimen diberi perlakuan berupa pembelajaran dengan model Problem Based Learning dan kelompok kontrol dengan pembelajaran biasa. Data dikumpulkan melalui worksheet, rubrik presentasi, assesmen investigasi dan tes hasil belajar Statistika Elementer. Hasil analisis data menunjukkan bahwa 1) kemampuan komunikasi matematis mahasiswa dengan menerapkan model PBL dalam pembelajaran Statistika Elementer tidak lebih baik dibandingkan dengan pembelajaran biasa, …

Highlighting The Similarities And Differences Of The Mathematical Knowledge And Strategies Of Year 4 Students, Catherine Pearn

Catherine Pearn

Research has shown that successful mathematics students use different types of strategies from those struggling with mathematics. Year 4 students were tested using the One Minute Tests of Basic Number Facts and a paper and pencil Number Screening Test developed by the author and colleagues. Observation of the students during the assessment procedures highlighted the vast difference in the students' speed and accuracy when recalling basic facts and the types of strategies they used when solving mathematical tasks. [Author abstract]

Mathematical Thinking Of Young Children Through The Eyes Of Preschool Practitioners, Robert Hunting, Catherine Pearn

Catherine Pearn

This paper reports on interview responses to three questions seeking preschool practitioners' perceptions of mathematical thinking in very young children. Generally, the interviewees were found to have a good sense of mathematical concepts relevant to babies and toddlers, and they cited evidence of young children's mathematical development. It is concluded that this practical knowledge provides a strong foundation for further professional development. [Author abstract]

A Study Into The Assessment And Reporting Of Employability Skills Of Senior Secondary Students, Gabrielle Matters, David D. Curtis

Assessment and Reporting

In order to investigate the most effective ways of assessing and reporting on the employability skills of senior secondary students, the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) commissioned this report. The main activity was to evaluate options for assessing and reporting on eight employability skills against five criteria—validity, reliability, objectivity, feasibility, and usability—and to recommend a preferred approach. This work was undertaken by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) in the period July 2007 to January 2008, during which time the (new) Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) became responsible for the initiative. The starting …