Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Oral Exams In Shift To Remote Learning, Mihaela Sabin, Karen H. Jin, Adrienne Smith

Applied Engineering and Sciences Scholarship

In this experience report paper we present our experience with the development of oral assessments as final examinations in three introductory computing courses. The choice of this type of summative assessment was prompted by the emergency remote instruction instituted in the middle of the Spring 2020 semester, across colleges and universities in the U.S., due to the coronavirus pandemic. The principles that guided our oral assessment design were: to develop a more comprehensive measure of student competence and mitigate exam cheating; to facilitate communication and workplace skills through student-teacher interaction; and to alleviate negative emotions associated with traditional summative assessments. …

Observación Participante De Clases Virtuales Bilingües En K-2 Durante Covid-19, Jennifer Quint

World Languages and Cultures

The Covid-19 pandemic is shifting education from the classroom to a virtual setting, forcing educational institutions to collaboratively innovate a new structure for virtual learning. The world’s current state of reliance on technology came so suddenly that teachers, students, and families have no choice but to learn as they go. This research analyzes how an elementary dual- immersion bilingual program adapts to new-found challenges such as technical difficulties, variances in at home support, and student independence. Furthermore, students enrolled in a dual-immersion bilingual program face additional challenges to provide students a language immersive environment. From August 2020 to March 2021, …

Promoting Academic Integrity And Student Learning In Online Biology Courses, Jeremy L. Hsu

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an abrupt shift in biology courses, with many transitioning to online instruction. This has led to an increased concern about academic integrity and cheating in online courses. Here, I draw upon the peer-reviewed literature to provide evidence-based answers to four questions concerning cheating and online biology courses: (i) What types of cheating are prevalent with the shift to online instruction? (ii) Should instructors make assessments open book and open notes? (iii) How does cheating occur in biology lab courses? (iv) Finally, what strategies can biology instructors take to uphold academic integrity with online learning? I …

The Impact Of A 1:1 Technology Initiative On Student Achievement In 10th Grade English Language Arts In A South Texas Public School District, Lois E. Marshall Barker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the implementation of a south Texas public school district’s 1:1 technology initiative to determine the impact on 10th grade English Language Arts student achievement. A mixed method approach was used for this exploratory case study. Multicase sampling was implemented to identify participants. Qualitative data were collected through virtual video conference interviews and analyzed to reflect five emerging themes: lack of quality professional development, teacher efficacy, leadership attitudes toward the initiative, misconceptions about student attitudes and technology skillset, and lack of communication between district administration campus stakeholders. Quantitative data were collected through the CBAM SoCQ and archival campus …

Belize Student Success And Well-Being During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Study Report 2020-2021, Ariana J. Groen, Daniel Houlihan, Jacob Wessels, Collin Estrada

Psychology Department Publications

The Student Success and Challenges to Education in the Country of Belize During the COVID-19 Pandemic studies were created and conducted in the hopes of attaining data on the needs, success, and barriers to students, their families, and educators during distance learning. The purpose of the survey is to examine parents and educators in Belize to understand the scope of potential challenges during the COVID pandemic as it relates to student education, well-being, support, access to materials, availability of resources, and areas of concern. Questionnaires were created to hear the voices of parents and guardians as well as educators of …

Comparing Success Rates Of Online Courses To Traditional Courses In A Small Rural Community College, David Lee Frazier

Online Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine how academic performance of the online learning mode compares with the traditional face-to-face mode in rural community colleges. As online learning has become a popular instructional offering among many rural community college students seeking to advance their opportunities, so has the level of scrutiny. The perception of online courses is to be of lesser academic rigor and quality than their face-to-face counterparts. In this study I will (1) examine the demand for online courses in rural community colleges, (2) explore how state governments are linking community college funding to course success rates, …

The Value Of Praxis-Based Assessment To Stimulate Practical Engagement And Classroom Readiness In Online Initial Teacher Education, Katie M. Burke, Melissa Fanshawe

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The opportunity to undertake teaching degrees entirely via online learning has proliferated in the last decade. Research shows that students choose to engage with content and application activities when they are directly aligned to assessment. The researchers trialled praxis-based assessment which required completion of practical learning tasks embedded in core learning content over two semesters in two Australian Initial Teacher Education courses. The aim was to enhance online student engagement in practical learning. Insights into the student perspective were gained through a survey, interviews, and learning analytics. The results from this study showed praxis-based assessment increased student confidence, classroom readiness …

Engaging In Scholarly Activities: Conferences & Publication, Emily Faulconer, Amy Riordan

Publications

Scholarly activities have key characteristics.

• Intellectually rigorous
• Expands disciplinary knowledge or creative expression
• Documented
• Validated by the relevant community of professionals

Design And Deployment Of A Mobile Learning Cloud Network To Facilitate Open Educational Resources For Asynchronous Learning, Joselito Christian Paulus M. Villanueva, Mark Anthony V. Melendres, Catherine Genevieve B. Lagunzad, Nathaniel Joseph C. Libatique

Biology Faculty Publications

This paper describes the design and deployment of a mobile cloud network that facilitates open educational resource content distribution. The setup utilized clustered single board computers as content, communication and monitoring servers. It was installed in a Public High School where stakeholders, using their mobile devices, were given access to preloaded content via wireless local area network. Initial tests of the mobile cloud showed good network performance. Teachers were randomly selected to evaluate the content validity and delivery of the OER content. Results show that the quality of the network’s OER content is very satisfactory. This implementation shows the advantage …

E-Learning Enhancement, Status And Attitude Of Learners Towards Teaching Learning During Covid-19 Pandemic, Shweta Gupta, Shri Ram Pandey, Sujata Gupta

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study explored the several dimensions of eLearning used by Indian Higher Institutions and presented insight into current eLearning pedagogy, infrastructures, services, and perceptions during the Covid-19 Pandemic. The study's findings reveal that Indian Academic institutions are unwilling to shift to the online mode for teaching, learning thoroughly. Pandemic forced them to adopt the e-learning pedagogy and tools. A majority of users still prefer the traditional classroom environment as compared to eLearning. Email, social media, and other communications tools became vital today. Email, traditionally used as a communication tool, is now a key player in delivering educational content. Social media …

Competency-Based Education In Business And Accounting, Jill Halverson

The North American Accounting Studies

Competency-based education programs in the United States have grown over the past decade in response to the need to address adult learners who have earned some college credits but have not earned a degree. Hundreds of colleges have either developed or are developing competency-based education (CBE) programs, which separate learning from credit hours. Students complete assignments and/or projects to achieve mastery of competencies. This paper describes the state of CBE programs, focusing on business programs, which represent about one third of programs reported through a national survey. Discussion of University of Wisconsin System’s programs follows, including a specific business program …

Adaptive Analytics: It’S About Time, Charles Dziuban, Colm Howlin, Patsy Moskal, Tammy Muhs, Connie Johnson, Rachel Griffin, Carissa Hamilton

Current Issues in Emerging eLearning

This article describes a cooperative research partnership among a large public university, a for-profit private institution and their common adaptive learning platform provider. The focus of this work explored adaptive analytics that uses data the investigators describe as metaphorical “digital learning dust” produced by the platform as a matter of course. The information configured itself into acquired knowledge, growth, baseline status and engagement. Two complimentary models evolved. The first, in the public university, captured end-of-course data for predicting success. The second approach, in the private university, formed the basis of a dynamic real-time data analytic algorithm. In both cases the …

Evaluating A Speech Training Software Program Called Nativeaccent Based On Empirical Studies, Farideh Nekoobahr, Jacqueline Hawkins, Kristi L. Santi, Janeen R. S. Antonelli, Johanna Leigh Thorpe

Journal of English Learner Education

This article evaluates a Computer-Assisted Language Learning program called NativeAccent and demonstrates that the software is designed based on systematic instructional strategies and empirically-proven theories. The instructional strategies include an initial assessment, training sessions, a final reassessment, repeated measurement, graphic presentation and systematic and rigorous interpretive guidelines, and individualized dosage. The empirically-supported theories are rooted in the four research-based theories of Universal Design for Learning, Learning Science, Intelligent Tutoring System, and Automatic Speech Recognition. In matching the components of the four theories mentioned above to the design of NativeAccent and evaluating the software, the purpose is to help administrators, educators, …

A Case Study Regarding Induction Supports And Activities And Their Impact On Successful Teacher Retention, Alicia Ponds

Doctorate in Education

At the end of every school year, new teachers either stay or leave public classrooms. Multiple challenges drive these new teacher choices. State, district, and local administrators struggle to fill teacher vacancies. New teacher departures challenge schools with the maintenance of an attractive work environment and provision of quality student education. This case study shares how five successful Minnesota educators apply extrinsic activities and intrinsic supports to not only meet these challenges, but effectively respond to the 2019-2020 onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through research interviews, this qualitative study analyzes intrinsic supports and extrinsic activities in relation to positive teaching …

Copyright Information, Todd Pagano, Sami Kahn

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Mitigating The Impacts Of Covid-19: Lessons From Australia In Remote Education, Anna Dabrowski, Yung Nietschke, Pauline Taylor-Guy, Anne-Marie Chase

Student learning processes

This literature review provides an overview of past and present responses to remote schooling in Australia, drawing on international research. The paper begins by discussing historical responses to emergency and extended schooling, including during the COVID-19 crisis. The discussion then focuses on effective teaching and learning practices and different learning design models. The review considers the available evidence on technology-based interventions and their use during remote schooling periods. Although this research is emergent, it offers insights into the availability and suitability of different mechanisms that can be used in remote learning contexts. Noting that the local empirical research base is …

A Snapshot Semester: Students’ Reflections Of Performance And Mental State Throughout A Graduate Course, Bradley D. Borges

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Graduate students are anecdotally reputed to be among the most stressed groups of young adults. Common sources of stress for graduate students have included coursework, assistantships, finances, career preparation, and family (Wyatt & Oswalt, 2013; Mazzola, Walker, Shockley & Spector, 2011; Oswalt & Riddock, 2007). Guided reflection can be used by educators to assist students in both learning (Boud, Keogh & Walker, 2013; Kolb, 1984) and managing stress (Shoulders, Whitehead, & Morrison, 2018). By understanding how students’ progress through a semester in terms of both their learning and their management of stress, instructors and academic advisors can better anticipate times …

Teacher Perceptions Of Blended Learning To Support 21st Century Learners, Nikki Hensley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand teacher perceptions of blended learning as an instructional methodology for addressing the needs of diverse learners. The researcher explored the perceptions of teachers who were participating in an ongoing professional development program within their school district. This program focused on improving teaching and learning through the implementation of a blended learning approach. The researcher examined the experiences of teachers as they learned to adapt pedagogical practices to address the learning needs of 21st century students through blended learning. The researcher sought to gain a better understanding of how teachers perceived that …

Effects Of Gatekeeper Course Modality, Age, Gender And High School Gpa On Kaplan Subject Area Exam Scores, Vernon Hoffman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The question of equivalency regarding course modality has plagued and intrigued educators for as long as multiple modalities have existed. In the modern world of academia, the two prevailing modalities are face-to-face or traditional courses and online courses. A multitude of factors have contributed to the increase in online course offerings, including increasingly dependable technology and fiscal pressures on institutions of higher learning.

A great deal of scholarly research has compared modalities using within-course measures such as course grades and comprehensive final exams. Most of these studies have found the two modalities equivalent. However, a dearth of research exists which …

Secure Answer Book And Automatic Grading, Manoj Thulasidas

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In response to the growing need to perform assessments online, we have developed a secure answer book, as well as a tool for automatically grading it for our course on spread- sheet modeling. We applied these techniques to a cohort of about 160 students who took the course last term. In this paper, we describe the design, implementation and the techniques employed to enhance both the security of the answer book and the ease, accuracy and consistency of grading. In addition, we summarize the experience and takeaways, both from the instructor and the student perspectives. Although the answer book and …

Students’ Meaning-Making Journeys Towards Self-Authorship Through Self-Designed Gap Year Experiences, Erin Garcia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological, qualitative study addressed student perceptions of their meaning-making process towards self-authorship in a self-designed gap year experience and was conducted in a public higher educational institution in the Southeast. Data was gathered through interviews from a purposeful sample of gap year program participants and program administrators. Emerging themes and categories were identified by coding and analyzing the interview data, such as continual reflection reinforces the value of individual meaning-making, self-expectations versus self-worth, the influence of societal expectations are minimized, and self-designed learning helps to solidify changes in self-authorship. The data showed a strong connection between multiple meaning-making contexts …

Elementary Teachers’ Experiences With Remote Learning And Its Impact On Science Instruction: Multiple Cases From The Early Response To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Beth Pesnell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Teachers across the United States and worldwide found themselves in unprecedented educational situations during the early response period to the COVID-19 pandemic in spring of 2020. Efforts to quarantine and provide social distancing to prevent the spread of the disease brought mandated school closures throughout the United States, and teachers were required to pivot from their traditional, in-person instructional methods and deliver instruction remotely. This phenomenological multiple-case study explored the experiences of 10 elementary teachers with remote learning during the early response period and sought to understand the delivery of science instruction in the remote learning experience. Weekly interviews were …

Stem Education In College: An Analysis Of Stakeholders’ Recent Challenges And Potential Solutions, Santanu De, Georgina Arguello

FDLA Journal

A vast majority of academic disciplines and curricula in the college center around Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), which are critical to developing the skills necessary for a global workforce. Rapid changes in pedagogical setups, educational modes, and advances in instructional technology entail diverse challenges for key stakeholders (i.e. students, faculty, and the organizations). This paper highlights the most relevant challenges and potential solutions in STEM higher education at the college level, reported in the last decade. The holistic analysis combining the three stakeholders’ perspectives would help elucidate significant contemporary aspects impacting the fields. The goal is to further …

Online Assessment Methods For Student-Centered Learning: Active Learning, Collaboration, And Application With Authentic Assessment, Charlotte Nirmalani Gunawardena, Stephanie L. Moore Phd, Linda Barril, Kathiravelu Thabotharan

University Libraries & Learning Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Agenda

Introduction
Lani Gunawardena

A Learning and Pedagogical Foundation & Taxonomy for Selecting Assessment Methods
Stephanie Moore

Assessing Collaborative Learning
Lani Gunawardena

Student-Centered Assessment Methodologies at the University of Jaffna
K. Thabotharan

Technologies for Assessment
Linda Barril

Labs & Art Online - Assessing Practicals
Stephanie Moore

Questions & Discussion

Doctoral Student Online Learning: Addressing Challenges Of The Virtual Experience, Dejuanna M. Parker, Kent Willis, Barbara D. Holmes

Journal of Research Initiatives

Abstract

This qualitative study sought to understand student beliefs and perceived levels of confidence in a primarily online professional doctoral degree in education. Before accessing course material and formal instruction, respondents assigned scores to a Likert-style survey and answered open-ended questions about their understanding of basic educational research methodology. The rise of distance education follows the rapid growth of technological advancement, yet, much is still unknown about pedagogical practices that contribute to improved learning outcomes for students in the virtual environment. Themes that emerged from this study suggest that (1) student expectations do not align with prior preparation, (2) student …

Service-Learning In Catholic Higher Education And Alternative Approaches Facing The Covid-19 Pandemic, Qianhui Tian, Thomas Noel Jr.

COVID-19 and Catholic Schools

Drawing on a review of the literature on service-learning in Catholic higher education and the development of online service-learning, as well as an empirical case study of 2020 Vincentian Service Day at DePaul University, this article examines an alternative way to develop service-learning in Catholic schools in response to the reality and needs of the world in front of us. Service-learning is widely practiced in higher education institutions and plays an essential role in Catholic schools as it integrates students’ faith, morals, and spiritual growth with social justice commitments. School closures due to COVID-19 significantly impede service-learning. However, a successful …

Service-Learning In Catholic Higher Education And Alternative Approaches Facing The Covid-19 Pandemic, Qianhui Tian, Thomas Noel Jr.

Journal of Catholic Education

Drawing on a review of the literature on service-learning in Catholic higher education and the development of online service-learning, as well as an empirical case study of 2020 Vincentian Service Day at DePaul University, this article examines an alternative way to develop service-learning in Catholic schools in response to the reality and needs of the world in front of us. Service-learning is widely practiced in higher education institutions and plays an essential role in Catholic schools as it integrates students’ faith, morals, and spiritual growth with social justice commitments. School closures due to COVID-19 significantly impede service-learning. However, a successful …

Remote Learning Rapid Literature Review, Gill Cowden, Pru Mitchell, Pauline Taylor-Guy

Student learning processes

This rapid literature review identifies effective practice in remote learning and synthesises key evidence relevant to education in Australia during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. It draws upon bodies of literature about education in emergencies, access and equity, distance education, blended learning, and quality teaching and learning using technology. The focus is primarily on Kindergarten to Year 12 schooling in Australia. The literature firstly examines education in emergencies, as this underpins the initial crisis approaches and preparedness for the shift to remote learning. The research in this area has a strong focus on implications for wellbeing. The review is then organised …

Are Universities Using The Right Assessment Tools During The Pandemic And Crisis Times?, Mohanad Halaweh

Higher Learning Research Communications

All industries have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and have worked to develop alternative strategies and actions to survive and continue business operations; the education sector is no exception. University administrators and instructors have faced challenges in finding the appropriate mechanisms to manage the final examination process. This essay suggests that project-based learning (PBL) assessment could be an effective alternative to online examinations. It advocates the adoption of PBL by highlighting the challenges/pitfalls associated with online exams supported by proctoring software tools.

Astrodance: Engaging Deaf And Hard-Of-Hearing Students In Astrophysics Via Multimedia Performances, Jason Nordhaus, Manuela Campanelli, Joe Bochner, Thomas Warfield, Hans-Peter Bischof, Jake Noel-Storr

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

The dynamics of gravitating astrophysical systems such as black holes and neutron stars are fascinatingly complex, offer some of nature's most spectacular phenomena, and capture the public's imagination in ways that few subjects can. Here, we describe AstroDance, a multi-media project to engage deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students in astronomy and gravitational physics. AstroDance incorporates multiple means of representation of scientific concepts and was performed primarily for secondary and post-secondary audiences at ~20 venues in the northeastern US prior to the historic first detection of gravitational waves. As part of the AstroDance project, we surveyed ~1000 audience members roughly split …