Education Commons^™

Group Of National Experts On The Ahelo Feasibility Study : Engineering Assessment Framework : Ahelo Feasibility Study, Hamish Coates, Sarah Richardson, Jacob Pearce, Julian Fraillon

Julian Fraillon

This AHELO Engineering Assessment Framework describes and illustrates the domain of engineering competency that is used in the AHELO Feasibility Study. The framework gives an organisational structure for the domain in terms of engineering knowledge, processes and contexts; describes the types of assessment items that have been developed; and details how reporting will be carried out. - p.4

Marking Machinima: A Case Study In Assessing Student Use Of A Web 2.0 Technology, Graham Barwell, Christopher Moore, Ruth Walker

Christopher L Moore Dr

No abstract provided.

"How Did We Do?": Evaluating The Instruction Program With A Senior Survey.", Terry Taylor, Heather Jagman

Heather Jagman

No abstract provided.

The Mathematics Education Of Future Primary And Secondary Teachers : Methods And Findings From The Teacher Education And Development Study In Mathematics, Maria Tatto, Sharon Senk, Glenn Rowley, Ray Peck

Ray Peck

In 2005, the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), Michigan State University, and the Australian Council for Educational Research took an important step in advancing the field of education by partnering to develop and implement the first international and comparative study of mathematics teacher education. The study was made possible by the substantial funding received from the National Science Foundation, the IEA, and the collaboration of 17 participating countries. The purpose of this article is to illustrate the methodology used in this major cross-national study of teacher education—the IEA Teacher Education and Development Study in Mathematics, known …

Scaling Procedures For Iccs Test Items, Wolfram Schulz, Julian Fraillon

Julian Fraillon

This chapter describes the procedures used to analyse and scale the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) international and regional test items that were administered to measure students’ civic knowledge. The chapter covers the following topics: the scaling model used to analyze and scale the test items; test coverage and item dimensionality; assessment of item fit; assessment of scorer reliabilities for open-ended items; differential item functioning by gender; review of cross-national measurement equivalence; international item adjudication; international item calibration and test reliability; international ability estimates (plausible values and weighted likelihood estimates); estimation of changes in civic content knowledge between …

The Development Of Regional Instruments, David Kerr, Wolfram Schulz, Julian Fraillon

Julian Fraillon

The International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) included regional modules for Europe, Latin America, and Asia. Thirty-five of the 38 countries that participated in ICCS opted to be involved in these regional modules. Twenty-four countries participated in the European module, six in the Latin American module, and five countries in the Asian module. Regional instruments were developed for each module and were administered to students after they had completed the international assessment. These instruments were designed to address aspects of civic and citizenship education specific to each region. The results of these additional data collections are reported in a …

Overview Of The Iea International Civic And Citizenship Education Study, John Ainley, Wolfram Schulz

Dr John Ainley

The International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) studied the ways in which young people are prepared to undertake their roles as citizens. ICCS was based on the premise that preparing students for citizenship roles involves developing relevant knowledge and understanding as well as helping them form positive attitudes toward being a citizen and participating in activities related to civic and citizenship education. It also examined differences among countries in relation to these outcomes of civic and citizenship education, and it explored how differences among countries relate to student characteristics, school and community contexts, and national characteristics. This technical report …

Translation And National Adaptations Of Iccs 2009 Instruments, Barbara Malak, Alana Yu, Wolfram Schulz, Tim Friedman

Dr Tim Friedman

In close collaboration with the participating countries, the international study center (ISC) developed an international English version of the ICCS assessment and questionnaires. These materials were subsequently translated and adapted by countries to their languages of instruction. Throughout this translation and adaptation process, the overarching aim was to create high-quality instruments that were internationally comparable yet also appropriate to each country’s national context and education system. The ICCS instruments were administered in 31 languages, the most common being English and Spanish. Even when the language of testing was English, adaptations were still required to suit the cultural setting and the …

Enhancing Education, Sheldon Rothman, David Slattery, Sarah Buckley, John Ainley

Dr Sheldon Rothman

The Analysis Of Measurement Equivalence In International Studies Using The Rasch Model, Wolfram Schulz, Julian Fraillon

Julian Fraillon

When comparing data derived from tests or questionnaires in cross-national studies, researchers commonly assume measurement invariance in their underlying scaling models. However, different cultural contexts, languages, and curricula can have powerful effects on how students respond in different countries. This article illustrates how the application of the Rasch item response theory (IRT) model (Rasch, 1960) can be used for assessing differences in measurement properties of tests and questionnaires with reference to examples from the field trial analyses for the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS). It also discusses the general …

Making Your Powerpoint Iconic, Charlie Sweet, Hal Blythe

Hal Blythe

Ever receive an email with one of those High Importance icons brightening your Inbox? The point is that the icon, being more visual than the printed word, indicates something powerful to the brain. Maybe that’s why those stars we all craved on our elementary school papers meant so much to us.

Creative Thinking-Chapters 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, And 8, Charlie Sweet, Hal Blythe

Hal Blythe

Explore, Evaluate, Expand, Express: Academic Success and the EKU Experience is the product of an 18 month long project to develop and design a textbook to be used in the orientation classes. The book was an entirely in-house project, from content development to copyright and printing. It is available in the EKU Bookstore for $19.60 (fall 2011).

Moving Forward, Looking Back: Renewing The Struggle For An American Curriculum, Dave Powell

Dave Powell

Rationales for public school reform in the United States are often tied to historical perspectives on the birth and development of schools and are buffeted by the assumption that the history of public schooling says much about how reform efforts should proceed. This interpretive article explores 2 such perspectives on 21st century schools: those of Diane Ravitch, distinguished educational historian and commentator; and those of Herbert Kliebard, considered one of the preeminent authorities on the development of the American curriculum. This investigation reveals that Ravitch’s longstanding condemnation of progressivism and curricular differentiation as the source of what ails public schools …

Experiences In The Field: The Evolution Of A Teacher Technology Professional Development Model, M. Robertshaw, Andrew Walker, Mimi Recker, Heather Leary, Linda Sellers

Linda Sellers

The New Science of Learning: Cognition, Computers and Collaboration in Education deftly explores the multiple relationships found among these critical elements in students’ increasingly complex and multi-paced educational experience. Starting with instructors’ insights into the cognitive effects of digital media—a diverse range of viewpoints with little consensus—this cutting-edge resource acknowledges the double-edged potential inherent in computer-based education and its role in shaping students’ thinking capabilities.

Connecting People With Online Resources: The Instructional Architect (Technology), Mimi Recker, Andrew Walker, Heather Leary, Linda Sellers, Lei Ye, M. Robertshaw

Linda Sellers

The National Science Foundation (nsf.gov) has funded a large initiative to catalog collections of high-quality online resources into the National Science Digital Library (nsdl.org). The mission of the NSDL is to help improve education for all teachers and students. The purpose of this module is to help you find high-quality online resources, learn strategies for incorporating them into a free software tool called the Instructional Architect, and use these projects in an instructional situation. In this module, you will learn to access online resources and to use tools to help solve instructional or learning problems or issues that you currently …

Tool Use And The Effect Of Action On The Imagination, D. Schwartz, Doug Holton

Douglas L Holton

Three studies examined the claim that hand movements can facilitate imagery for object rotations but that this facilitation depends on people's model of the situation. In Experiment 1, physically turning a block without vision reduced mental rotation times compared with imagining the same rotation without bodily movement. In Experiment 2, pulling a string from a spool facilitated participants' mental rotation of an object sitting on the spool. In Experiment 3, depending on participants' model of the spool, the exact same pulling movement facilitated or interfered with the exact same imagery transformation. Results of Experiments 2 and 3 indicate that the …

Using Moodle To Teach Constructivist Learning Design Skills To Adult Learners, Doug Holton

Douglas L Holton

As instructors move further into the incorporation of 21st century technologies in adult education, a new paradigm of digitally-enriched mediated learning has emerged. 'Adult Learning in the Digital Age: Perspectives on Online Technologies and Outcomes' provides a comprehensive framework of trends and issues related to adult learning for the facilitation of authentic learning in the age of digital technology. This significant reference source offers researchers, academicians, and practitioners a valuable compendium of expert ideas, practical experiences, field challenges, and potential opportunities concerning the advancement of new technological and pedagogical techniques used in adult schooling.

Designing To Learn About Complex Systems, Cindy Hmelo, Doug Holton, Janet Kolodner

Douglas L Holton

Complex systems are commonly found in natural and physical science. Understanding such systems is often difficult because they may be viewed from multiple perspectives and their analysis may conflict with or extend beyond the range of everyday experience. There are many complex structural, behavioral, and functional relations to understand as well. Design activities, which allow explorations of how systems work, can be an excellent way to help children acquire a deeper, more systemic understanding of such complex domains. We report on a design experiment in which 6th grade children learned about the human respiratory system by designing artificial lungs and …

Developmental And Educational Perspectives On Theory Change: To Have And To Hold, Or To Have And Hone?, Richard Duschl, Gedeon Deaak, Kirsten Ellenbogen, Doug Holton

Douglas L Holton

Eric Schwitzgebel presents an attractive argument for the use of affective indicators to both assess and extend the ''theory theory'' research agenda. A key component of his argument is an account of explanation that can be applied to both children and adults, few of whom possess the attributes and behaviors that warrant being called scientists. The core features of his account include 1) regarding a set of propositions as a theory and 2) subscribing to a theory by accepting and employing this set of propositions to explain events within the theory''s domain. We will argue that this account, while potentially …

Towards A Nation Of Educoders: A Roadmap For Sustainably Broadening And Improving Open Source Educational Software, Doug Holton

Douglas L Holton

The goal of this chapter is to review the history of educational software development and propose specific strategies for expanding the development of educational software that is free, open source, and more effective for learning. These strategies would make it easier for teachers, students, and other non-programmers to modify or design their own educational applications and better educate software programmers about how people learn.

How People Learn With Computer Simulations, Doug Holton

Douglas L Holton

Not only have educators and trainers alike begun to harness the power of instructional technology and human performance techniques, but now businesses and industries have incorporated these technologies for training development and performance improvement. The 'Handbook of Research on Human Performance and Instructional Technology' provides theoretical understanding of the essential link between education, training development, organization development, performance improvement, and instructional technology. An innovative publication useful to worldwide businesses, industry, schools, and higher academic institutions, this Handbook of Research is instrumental in providing the latest knowledge related to instructional technology and human performance in order to meet the needs and …

Designing Animated Simulations And Web-Based Assessments To Improve Engineering Education, Doug Holton, A. Verma

Douglas L Holton

Rapid advances in computer technology and the internet have created new opportunities for delivering instruction and revolutionizing the learning environment. This development has been accelerated by the significant reduction in cost of the Internet infrastructure and the easy accessibility of the World-Wide-Web. 'Web-Based Engineering Education: Critical Design and Effective Tools' evaluates the usefulness of advanced learning systems in delivering instructions in a virtual academic environment for different engineering sectors. This reference source aims at providing a deep probe into the most relevant issues in engineering education and digital learning and will offer a survey of how digital engineering education has …

Its Training Update, Veronica Trammell

Veronica O. Trammell

No abstract provided.

Lessons Learned From A Tiered Service Delivery Implementation Project, Evelyn Johnson, Juli Pool, Deborah Carter

Juli Lull Pool

Tiered models of service delivery for both academics and behavior are being increasingly adopted across the nation, and discussions of how to implement these models effectively and simultaneously are growing. In this article, the authors share some lessons learned from a 2-year implementation project to implement a comprehensive (both academic and behavior) model of tiered service delivery in an elementary school. The authors discuss four major issues that arose during implementation, including signs for predicting these challenges and insights into how they can be addressed.

The Affordances And Limitations Of Computers For Play In Early Childhood, I. Verenikina, J. Herrington, R. Peterson, Jessica Mantei

Jessica Mantei

The widespread proliferation of computer games for children as young as 6 months of age, merits a re-examination of their manner of use and their facility to provide opportunities for developmental play. This paper describes a research study conducted to explore the use of computer games by young children, specifically to investigate the affordances and limitations of such games and the features of children’s traditional play that can be supported and further enhanced by different kinds of computer play. Computer games were classified and selected according to game characteristics that support higher order thinking. Children aged 5 and 7 were …

The Affective Characteristics Of Underachieving Gifted Children, Roselyn Dixon, Rhonda Craven, Andrew Martin

Rose Dixon

Underachievement has long been recognised as a problem for some gifted children. In such cases, the potential of these children may be a loss to society. Indeed, it has been argued that these individuals not only turn out to be relatively non-productive members of adult society but also they have potential personal problems. In spite of its importance there has been little research into underachieving gifted children since the seminal studies of Whitmore (1980). The aim of this research was to investigate the affective characteristics of achieving and underachieving intellectually gifted children. In particular, the three affective characteristics were academic …

For The Love Of Dog: The Human-Dog Bond In Rural And Remote Australian Indigenous Communities, Sophie Constable, Roselyn Dixon, Robert Dixon

Rose Dixon

The nature of the human-animal bond in contemporary Australian Indigenous communities is little researched, but it is essential to understand this bond in order to develop much needed appropriate animal health and management practices. A semi-structured interview format was used to elicit information on attitudes to dogs in seven Australian Indigenous communities. This explored the importance of dogs to the community and to the individual, and the balance between the positives and negatives of having dogs in the communities, with particular reference to improving dog and community health and welfare. Theme analysis of the semi-structured interview responses (n=137) revealed a …

Interactive Whiteboards As A Tool For Teaching Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Irina Verenikina, Kathleen Tanner, Roselyn Dixon, Elleni De Graaf

Rose Dixon

This paper presents part of a research study on the affordances of digital technologies in the learning of students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) undertaken in the Faculty of Education, University of Wollongong. The study is framed around the understanding of modern digital technologies, and Interactive Whiteboards (IWBs) in particular, as cognitive tools for teaching and learning based on the theory of social and cultural mediation of children’s development and learning (Vygotsky, 1978; Engestrom, 2001). The view of the IWB as a teaching and learning tool is twofold: firstly, the IWB is analysed as a tool that can be used …

"Authentic" Learning Experiences: What Does This Mean And Where Is The Literacy Learning?, Jessica Mantei, Lisa Kervin

Jessica Mantei

Teachers are challenged to adopt practices that facilitate the development of “necessary” skills and strategies for learners. For many, however, what is required in policy and curricula is increasingly obscured and even confusing as teachers are bombarded with jargon prescribing seemingly similar (yet apparently different) approaches such as “rich tasks”, “big questions” and “fertile questions” that are to be “relevant”, “authentic” and “engaging” for the learner. Barton and Hamilton (2000) argue that literacy learning should take the learner beyond the transmission of technical skills in the classroom to an understanding of its role within a community’s cultural practices. These literacy …

A History Of Augmentative And Alternative Communication For Individuals With Severe And Profound Disabilities, Jack Hourcade, Tami Pilotte, Elizabeth West, Parette

Jack Hourcade

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is a prominent component in the development of support services for individuals with disabilities, especially those with severe disabilities. In this article we provide an overview of the historical development of AAC services, tracing their evolution over the past half-century through four specific themes: social change and legislation, assessment, intervention, and family and cultural issues.