Education Commons^™

Next Steps: Measuring Reading Progress, Ross Turner

Ross Turner

Monitoring progress in literacy requires the international cooperation of the education community, as Ross Turner explains.

Film Literacy In The Primary Classroom, Marc Barrett

Marc Barrett

The recent move in Britain towards a nation-wide film literacy program to support young learners of English prompted ACER research into the use of film within Australian primary schools.

Group Work In Online Business Education – Pain Or Gain?, Steffen Zorn, Rhonni Sasaki, David Qian, Anne-Marie Chase

Dr Anne-Marie Chase

Designing A Learning Module Within A Dynamic Assessment Tool, Gayl O'Connor

Gayl O'Connor

This Work-in-progress report describes the conceptualization and design of a learning module within a dynamic assessment and learning research tool. The prototype module aims to provide learning opportunities and support as students aged 14 to 16 investigate the relationship between kinetic and potential energy, and the principle of conservation of energy. The six related tasks in the module will also provide opportunities for students to explore scenarios and develop science process (inquiry) skills, specifically the control of, and relationship between, experimental variables. In order to gain insight into the learning taking place, appropriate tasks were designed according to a blue-print …

Population-Level Approaches To Increasing Mental Health And Wellbeing In Schools: Kidsmatter And Mindmatters, Katherine Dix

Dr Katherine Dix

Performing Well In Timss And Pisa Mathematics And Science, Ray Philpot

Ray Philpot

Workshops delivered to department heads of participating schools to help schools utilise the released items in TIMSS and PISA by: educating participants about the cognitive skills and processes assessed by TIMSS and PISA in the domains of Mathematics and Science; demonstrating to participants ways that content skills are assessed in TIMSS and PISA items; demonstrating to participants some of the item types and provide recommendations for how teachers can introduce these item types to students; and enabling participants to provide training/orientation to teachers within their schools.

Impact Of Different Item Location In Common-Item Test Equating, Luc Le

Dr Luc Tu Le

This study used real data and simulation data to investigate the impacts of different item location in common-item test equating. The real data set included responses of about 150 000 students to a generic skills test from a university survey in Columbia in 2011, where each student was assigned randomly to one of four linked test forms. Each form consisted of two of three Critical Reasoning clusters and two of three Quantitative Reasoning clusters (20 items in each cluster). The results of an analysis using Item Response Theory clearly showed that items could become more difficult when located towards the …

Students In A Digital Age: Some Implications Of Ict For Teaching And Learning, John Ainley, L Enger, Dara Searle

Dr John Ainley

No abstract provided.

Assessing Creative Thinking Skills - An Interdisciplinary Approach, Mark Butler

Mark Butler

The Australian Council for Educational Research (A.C.E.R.) is a not-for-profit organisation that works with Australian and international governments to develop and improve learning and assessment practices. In 2012 A.C.E.R. was contracted by the Victorian government to undertake research in the assessment of critical and creative thinking skills for students aged 8 to 18. Over 300 test items were developed for this purpose and these items were used to form a developmental scale for thinking. The research highlights the how critical and creative thinking skills can be incorporated into lessons which transcend traditional subject boundaries. This presentation focuses on the process …

Which Form Of Assessment In A Chemistry Examination Best Describes Student Understanding?, Ross Hudson

Dr Ross Hudson

No abstract provided.

What Is The Value Of Educational Technologies In Schools?: Initial Findings From The International Research Project ‘Measuring The Value Of Educational Technologies In Schools’, Kathryn Moyle

Professor Kathryn Moyle

Understanding the costs as well as the value of educational technologies in schools is important for school leaders to be able to strategically lead school development processes. This paper outlines some of the findings from the first case studies emerging from the international project, Measuring the value of educational technologies in schools, involving a school in each of USA, UK and Australia. The Measuring the value of educational technologies in schools research project is examining the relationships that exist in schools between educational technologies or ‘tangible information technology (IT) assets’, and ‘intangible assets’ such as the capabilities of teachers and …

The Transformation To A Learner-Centered Community As A Result Of University-Wide Assessment, Michele Kieke, Karen Moroz, Amy Gort

Karen Moroz

Student Use Of Digital Technologies In And Out Of School, Anne-Marie Chase

Dr Anne-Marie Chase

Issues Influencing The Validity Of Cross-National Comparisons Of Student Performance: Data Entry Quality And Parameter Estimation, Alla Routitsky, Alla Berezner

Dr Alla Routitsky

No abstract provided.

Application Of Multivariate Rasch Models In International Large-Scale Educational Assessments, Ray Adams, Margaret Wu, C Carstensen

Prof Ray Adams

In large-scale educational assessments, such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), a primary concern is with the estimation of the population-level characteristics of a number of latent variables and the relationships between latent variables and other variables. Typically these studies are undertaken in contexts in which there are constraints on sample size and individual student response time, yet there are high expectations with regard to the breadth of content coverage. These demands and constraints have resulted in such studies using rotated-booklet designs, with each student responding to a …

International Student Assessment For The New Millennium, Ray Adams

Prof Ray Adams

The author briefly describes the OECD initiated project, 'Program for International Student Assessment' (PISA), in which over 100,000 15 year old students from 4000 schools in 26 countries will participate. A major focus of the project is the assessment of wider knowledge, skills and competencies in literacy, mathematics and science areas.

Profiling Esl Children: How Teachers Interpret And Use National And State Assessment Frameworks, M Breen, C Barratt-Pugh, B Derewianka, H House, C Hudson, Tom Lumley, M Rohl

Dr Tom Lumley

No abstract provided.

Applications Of Item Response Theory In The Third International Mathematics And Science Study, E Gonzalez, Ray Adams, Marg Wu

Prof Ray Adams

The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is a survey of mathematics and science achievement sponsored by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement. With more than 45 participating countries, three target populations, more than thirty languages, 15,000 schools, more than half a million students, TIMSS is the largest and most ambitious international study of educational achievement ever undertaken. Students participating in the assessment were administered one of eight achievement tests that contain items in mathematics and science, using a variety of item formats. As TIMSS is an international study, many audiences will look at the results …

Mathematics, Creating The Future: Proceedings Of The 16th Biennial Conference Of The Australian Association Of Mathematics Teachers, Melbourne, July 1997

Dr Hilary Hollingsworth

No abstract provided.

Assessment At Fairhills High School: A Case Study Of The Process Of Change, Marilyn Huber, Elizabeth Hartnell-Young

Dr Elizabeth Hartnell-Young

Like many schools Fairhills High School uses reports to parents which indicate achievement grades as well as providing a written comment. In 184 discussions began in the English faculty about ways of improving report-writing. Teachers wrote discussion papers and awareness was raised. This was one step on the road to change.