Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

The Relationship Between Elementary Teachers’ Years Of Experience And Their Self-Perceived Pedagogical Competence In Alabama Elementary Schools, Amy Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Years of teaching experience have been found to increase student achievement more than advanced degrees, formal training, and in-service professional development. Additionally, teachers with high pedagogical competence levels have achieved excellent academic results and have also taught and led students to be well-rounded. It has been competent teachers who have lain at the heart of the educational process, as a bridge between the curriculum and the learner. The purpose of this correlational study was to determine whether a statistically significant relationship exists between years of teaching experience and elementary teachers’ self-perceived effective pedagogical competence. A convenience sample of 159 elementary …

Edmodo: A Collective Case Study Of English As The Second Language (Esl) Of Latino/Latina Students, Michael Taylor

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The population of English as the Second Language (ESL) students continues to rise throughout the United States especially among those of Latino/Latina heritage. An important aspect to help these students succeed is to build a sense of community through a social constructivist framework. By using and developing 21st century skills through social networking, students can develop a sense of community which could lead to an increase in academic achievement. Utilizing a philosophical assumption of methodology allowed for flexibility and ongoing reflection for the current study, and it was applied in the conceptual framework of social constructivism and sense of community. …

The Perception Of The Effectiveness Of Classdojo In Middle School Classrooms: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Michael Burger

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological study modeled after Moustakas’ (1994) phenomenological reduction investigated the perceptions of teachers and students regarding the effectiveness of ClassDojo as a classroom management tool for three middle school classrooms at Cardinal Unified School District (pseudonym). The research questions for the study were aimed at understanding teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of ClassDojo as a classroom management tool as well as the necessary resources and experiences to implement it well. Furthermore, this research aimed at explaining teachers’ perceptions of how the use of this tool affected their administrators’ view of them as teachers. The participants consisted …

A Phenomenological Study Of Adult Reading Motivation, Audra Blyseth

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the factors that influence young adults’ (aged 18 to 24) reading experiences, reading habits and behavior, and desire to read. Three research questions guided this study: (a) How do young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 describe the factors that influence their reading experiences? (b) How do participants describe the effect of factors on their reading habits and behavior? (c) How do participants describe the effect of factors on their personal desire to read? Participants included young adults between the ages of 18 and 24. Data collection methods …

Examining The Effectiveness Of The Early College High School Model In The Rural Appalachian Region Of Western North Carolina, David Robinson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Early College High School (ECHS) model of education became a reality in North Carolina in 2002, and although some rich data resulting from research targeting the success of ECHS is starting to emerge; the focus is primarily broad in its comparisons of subjects attending ECHS with those attending traditional high schools (THS). This quantitative correlational research study utilized archived student achievement data and data collected from AdvancEd student surveys to explore possible relationships that exist between school setting, student achievement on required standardized tests, and feelings of school connectedness for students. The study revealed statistically significant positive relationships between …

A Phenomenological Investigation Of Transactional Reading Experiences Of 12th Grade Digital Natives In Rural Northeast Georgia: Print And Digital Texts, Katherine Kesterson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to describe the print and digital transactional reading experiences of 12th grade digital natives at Mountain High School in rural, northeast Georgia. The research questions include: What are the reading experiences of 12th grade digital natives in a rural high school in northeast Georgia? How do 12th grade digital natives in a rural high school in northeast Georgia describe their transactional experiences with print texts? How do 12th grade digital natives in a rural high school in northeast Georgia describe their transactional experiences with digital texts? Participants included a purposeful sample of …

A Grounded Theory Study Exploring The Technology Decisions Mothers Make For Their Preschool Age Children In The Home Environment, Carolyn Wicks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this systematic grounded theory study was to explore the technology decision process mothers use when making technology decisions for their preschool age (3-5 years) children in the home environment. I used snowball and maximum variation sampling procedures to purposefully select 18 mothers of preschool age children living in urban, suburban, and rural areas located in and around a college town in central Virginia. Data gathered from questionnaires, participant interviews, and focus groups were analyzed and findings revealed mothers’ technology decisions are a multi-dimensional process whereby they situationally reflect to form technology preferences which promote intentionality and individuality …

Elementary Students’ Perceptions Of Gender Equity In Mathematics Classes, Debra Jacobson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There have been various research studies stating that in elementary school, gender bias in all subjects is nonexistent. However, other researchers interested in gender equity in the mathematics classroom have recognized that gender bias does not occur in early elementary school grades but exists by middle school. Thus, research in this area is greatly needed. This study examined children in the third, fourth, and fifth grades to determine whether students’ perceptions of their own mathematical abilities relate to their perceptions of their teacher’s beliefs about gender bias in mathematics. Pearson Product-Moment correlation and Point-Biserial correlations were used to analyze data. …

Adoption Of Ereaders By Senior Adults: A Phenomenological Study, Dale Tysor

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A majority of the previous research on older adults and their use of technology has focused on computers and the Internet. Most of the eReader-specific research examined younger participants in an academic setting. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the perspectives of Georgia senior adults in their adoption of eReaders. The adoption of an eReader was generally defined as the acquisition of an eReader, followed by the selecting, downloading, navigating, and reading of eBooks using an eReader. This study took place in a public library and was designed to answer 3 research questions: (a) What are contributing …

Factors Influencing Graduate Student Membership In The Association For Educational Communications And Technology (Aect), Valerie Paige Hale

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the College of Education at Morehead State University by Valerie Paige Hale on August 31, 2015.

Tacit Cultural Knowledge: An Instrumental Qualitative Case Study Of Mixed Methods Research In South Africa, Debra Rena Miller

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Notwithstanding the dramatic expansion of mixed methods research, research methodologies, methods, and findings are culturally situated. Problematically, studies conducted outside the global north often embrace canonical methodologies aimed at understanding concepts more explicit than tacit. Learning about the needs of researchers and participants in South Africa may bring to light taken-for-granted assumptions in Anglo-American orientations of mixed methods. Hence, the purpose of this study is to explore aspects of tacit cultural knowledge that contextualize mixed methods research in South Africa.

In-person interviews among South African professors as well as a corpus of books, sections, journal articles, and theses informed the …

Session Report - Theme 6: Training, Capacity Building, Science & Research, Jim Parsons

ShipArc 2015 Conference

No abstract provided.

Enrollment Report - Summer 2015, Uno Office Of Institutional Effectiveness

Enrollment Reports

This Enrollment Statistical Summary provides delivery-site information. Administrative-site headcounts,since they are most closely related to the budgetary authority exercised by the campus, are officially reported to the Board of Regents. Delivery site reporting counts all students, including those in UNL programs delivered at UNO, but excludes UNO programs delivered in Lincoln (CPACS programs).Administrative-site reporting counts students enrolled in UNO programs only (including the CPACS programs delivered in Lincoln).

The Office of Institutional Effectiveness has found delivery-site counts to be the most frequently requested figured by campus units for academic and administrative planning purposes. The purpose of this summary is to …

Arkansas Science Benchmark, Eoc Biology And Itbs Test Results 2014-15, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) has released the 2014-15 Benchmark Science and ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) results. PARCC results of Literacy and Math will be released later this fall. The following brief highlights the results of these tests, compares achievement scores over time, and provides a glimpse of regional achievement results for the following exams:  Benchmark Science Exam (Grades 5 and 7)  End-of-Course Biology Exam  Iowa Test of Basic Skills (Grades 1 and 2)

Health Hub Program Evaluation, Natalie Macias

Master's Projects and Capstones

This paper examines and evaluates the work of LIFT-Levántate a non-profit organization in San Rafael, California on their school-based nutritional education “health hub,” through health promotion interventions with adolescents. The James B. Davidson Middle School health hub educates students on topics related to nutrition and physical activity with the goal of providing access and increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables while lowering students’ intake of high-fat and sugary processed foods. Through research and observations of the students and families in this community, the data seems to indicate apparent disparities which vary by ethnicity, socioeconomic status and access. Underserved populations, including …

Completing University In A Growing Sector: Is Equity An Issue?, Daniel Edwards, Julie Mcmillan

Higher education research

Access to university has always been an issue for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. In the recent context of an expanding higher education system in Australia, some accessibility issues have been alleviated. This context offers an opportunity to explore the pathways of disadvantaged students through university. In this expanded system, will disadvantaged students be more or less likely to complete university? Will demographic or enrolment characteristics influence the likelihood of these students to complete? This report details the findings from a research project funded by the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE) that explores new data tracking student …

Falling Below The Line: Minimum Subgroup Size And Special Education Enrollment, Sivan Tuchman

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) brought high-stakes accountability testing into every American public school with the goal of 100 percent proficiency for all students. Making annual yearly progress (AYP) toward this proficiency goal for the total student population as well as at-risk subgroups was required in order for schools to avoid possible sanctions, such as school restructuring. In implementing NCLB, states had flexibility to determine the minimum size of these subgroups as to provide statistical reliability and accountability for as many schools as possible. If a school did not meet the state’s minimum subgroup size, the …

Student Access To Software Resources, Danielle Meloney

Teacher infographics

Do students in Australia have ready access to software resources in comparison with other countries? A recent report offers some interesting insights.

Hacking Assessment, Phillip Dawson

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

Hackers exploit weaknesses in a system to achieve their own goals. In this paper I argue that hacking presents a significant threat to the growing world of online assessment. This threat needs to be addressed through a variety of means; technological anti-hacking approaches will not be sufficient. The most effective ways to prevent hacking may be changes to the assessment tasks themselves to make hacking less tempting; these approaches also have a range of positive side effects in terms of authenticity, transparency of criteria, and ensuring tasks involve work beyond the exam. I conclude with a brief exploration of the …

Translating Rich Learning Assessments Into Certified Results And University Selection Devices, Gabrielle Matters

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

There are challenges in designing a set of high-quality processes in senior assessment and tertiary entrance that meet the needs of future senior secondary school students and future users of the certified results of learning assessments. Assessment and selection arrangements should look to the future rather than backwards to arrangements that might have existed in the past or that presently operate, unexamined, in other places. Teachers need to be convinced that the richness of students’ learning assessments will not be lost or transmogrified in any new processes for grading or ranking. A set of principles should guide the design of …

Assessing General Capabilities, Julian Fraillon, Juliette Mendelovits

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

There is growing interest in general capabilities and cross-curricular learning outcomes such as literacy in information and communication technologies, creative thinking and collaborative and individual problem-solving. As the expectation for such competencies to be taught in schools has increased, so has the need for teachers and schools to validly and reliably assess student learning in those areas, and to report on them in ways that teaching and learning. In this presentation examine the challenges of assessing on student learning and learning growth capabilities and cross-curricular learning present approaches used in research some of these challenges and reflect can be applied …

The Move To Naplan Online: The Advantages And The Road Ahead, Stanley Rabinowitz

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

The task of developing and delivering the National Assessment Program — Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) online presents enormous challenges. Nonetheless, the benefits of taking this on are well worth the efforts. With a tailored test design, NAPLAN online will provide a better measure of the Australian Curriculum, more precise results and a significantly faster turnaround of those results. NAPLAN will begin its delivery online in 2017, with an opt-in period until 2019. To ensure readiness, a large amount of research is being conducted through the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority to inform the development process. This presentation will address …

Stealth Assessment In Video Games, Val Shute

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

Games can be powerful vehicles to support learning, but their success in education hinges on getting the assessment part right. In this presentation, I will explore how games can use stealth assessment to measure and support the learning of competencies critical for the future. I will discuss what stealth assessment is, why it is important, and how to develop and accomplish it. I will also provide examples within the context of a game called Physics Playground that I designed and developed with my team. I’ll share what has been learned by recent research on stealth assessments in games, including: Does …

Assessment In Interactive Learning Environments, Michael Timms, Jason Lodge

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

There is an increasing interest in using digital technologies to create interactive learning environments (ILEs) that both teach and assess student skills that are hard or impossible to assess using ‘static’ items such as traditional, multiple-choice questions. These interactive learning environments try to do two things simultaneously: firstly, to monitor the learning of the student in real time, providing feedback to help the student progress through the learning task; and secondly, to use the information gathered during the learning to make judgements about where the student is in learning of the topic. Essentially, ILEs draw upon the same source of …

Measuring What Matters: Challenges And Opportunities In Assessing Science Proficiency, James W. Pellegrino

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

A key challenge in shaping science learning for the future will be to develop new measures of learning that take into account what it means to be proficient in science (Pellegrino, 2013). The emergent view on proficiency, grounded in learning sciences research, emphasises using and applying knowledge in the context of disciplinary practice. Referred to as knowledge-in-use, this perspective on science proficiency is a centrepiece of the United States’ National Research Council’s (NRC) Framework for K–12 Science Education (NRC, 2012), embodied in the new US national standards (NGSS Lead States, 2013) and emphasised in the recently released NRC report on …

Assessment Standards, ‘Intentional Alignment’, And Dialogic Inquiry, Claire Wyatt-Smith

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

Internationally, the policy move towards standards-aligned instruction is gaining momentum. In Australia, standards have assumed unprecedented prominence in education policy relating both to classroom practice and to teacher preparation and career progression. The move is also evident in the United States, where the lure of standards to inform improvement is clear: significant investment has been committed to longitudinal research to examine at state and district levels the desirable conditions for implementing standards, their impact on developing college- and career-ready teachers, and in turn, the impact on teacher instruction and student outcomes. Moves such as this are occurring in the absence …

Should Generic Curriculum Capabilities Be Assessed?, Rosemary Hipkins

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

Both Australia and New Zealand have recently taken up the idea of ‘key competencies’ (‘capabilities’ in the Australian national curriculum) initially proposed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. In both countries we have made them our own by adapting them to suit our own educational contexts. People often say that these capabilities won’t be taken seriously unless they are assessed. So whether, and how, to assess them continue to be vexed questions. In this paper I argue that capabilities are more appropriately seen as changing the curriculum rather than adding to it. If we are serious about preparing …

Collaborative Problem-Solving: Assessment And Reporting, Patrick Griffin

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

This practical session will present a live administration of interactive collaborative problem-solving assessment and reporting. The presenter will demonstrate example tasks and reports. Audience representatives will have the opportunity to role-play as students being assessed across a range of social and cognitive skills associated with collaborative problem-solving. The discussion will then explore how these social and cognitive skills can be incorporated into the teaching program, enabling higher-order skills to be assessed in key learning areas across the curriculum.

Reflecting On Teacher Research On Assessment: Challenges And Innovations For The Future, Marie Brennan

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

The theme of the 2015 Excellence in Professional Practice Conference (EPPC), held by ACER in May, was Improving assessments of student learning. A review of content and presentations for EPPC showed up some important trends and issues for further analysis and discussion. In a significant number of schools, the focus on assessment was well integrated into an overall school improvement plan or approach. In other schools, the school process overwhelmed the focus on assessment, and at times even overshadowed the focus of the study to be shared. One group of presentations focused on using existing instruments in ways that advanced …

Pisa: Behind The Headlines And Past The Rankings, Sue Thomson, Chris Wardlaw

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

Whenever the results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) are announced, media headlines are full of reports about rankings, about how many countries Australia is outperformed by and outperforms. In early rounds of PISA, Australia ranked among the top 10 countries across all three education domains assessed. However, over time Australia’s position has declined, rather than improved, and Australia no longer sits in the top 10 of any of the assessed domains. This presentation will go behind the headlines and past the rankings, to look at where Australia has declined, and look at how we can improve outcomes …