Enabling teachers to explore grade patterns to identify individual needs and promote fairer student assessment

Exploring student test, homework, and other assessment scores is a challenge for most teachers, especially when attempting to identify cross-assessment weaknesses and produce final course grades. During the course, teachers need to identify subject weaknesses in order to help students who are struggling with a particular topic. This identification often needs to happen across multiple assessment data points and should be considered in comparison to the class’s progress as a whole. When determining grades, fairness to all is essential, but there are special needs for students who did poorly on one exam or had a steadily increasing grasp of the subject. We present eduViz, a visualization tool designed to help teachers explore and assign grades. Teachers can see the trajectory of student scores, the relationship of a particular student to the class, and use categories they have defined in order to filter their assessment information. Query response is immediate and all logical comparisons are possible. Teachers can easily compare their query to the class or per student average as well as view scores by raw point total or percentage. Additionally, eduViz provides a grade assignment interface which allows teachers to view sorted student scores in a scatterplot. This scatterplot is coupled with a unique partition slider which allows users to move color coordinated bands on the scatterplot to indicate grade ranges. As these grade ranges are set, a histogram is updated to show the number of students assigned to each grade range. These features give teachers new and powerful ways to explore and assign grades so that they can better understand student strengths and weaknesses and make the most of the time they have available. Interviews with 16 expert teachers indicate that eduViz is a success across fields, provides teachers with a useful tool to understand and help their classes, and encourages reflective practice.     

Who assigns the most ICT activities? Examining the relationship between teacher and student usage

The expansion of information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure in schools is expected to promote learning. To what extent teachers are utilizing the new ICT tools to engage students in learning activities remains a question. This study reports what kind of activities teachers are likely to assign students, and what type of teachers are more likely to assign such activities. Teacher ICT usage and student ICT assignments are examined using a sample of 3729 elementary and junior high school teachers in Taiwan. The results from correlation and regression analysis indicate that teachers who infrequently use basic ICT tools such as word processing rarely assign student ICT activities. At the other end of spectrum, teachers who create complicated multimedia materials are most likely to assign student multimedia activities. Regression results show that teachers’ frequency of building websites is the best predictor for assigning ICT-based sharing activities to students, though the likelihood is greater for junior high school than elementary school teachers. The results suggest that teachers assign students activities which require a variety of ICT tools, and teachers’ own ICT practices influence the type of ICT activities they assign to students.     

Improving student performance in a first-year geography course: Examining the importance of computer-assisted formative assessment

The main objective of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of computer-assisted formative assessment in a large, first-year undergraduate geography course. In particular, the paper evaluates the impact of computer-assisted multiple-choice practice tests on student performance in the course as well as student opinions of this type of formative assessment in two academic years (2008 and 2009). The multiple-choice questions included in the formative assessment vary in their level of difficulty and range from those that focus on knowledge and comprehension to those that focus on application and analysis. While the use of the computer-assisted practice tests is completely voluntary over 50 percent of students used them. Feedback questionnaires from both academic years reveals that students are overwhelmingly positive with over 95 percent indicating that the computer-assisted practice tests assist them in identifying their strengths and weaknesses and help them prepare for in-class midterms and final exams. Statistical analysis of in-class performance on midterms shows that students who use the computer-assisted practice quizzes earn significantly higher grades (i.e., equivalent to three letter grades) than those students who do not. The results of the research demonstrate that computer-assisted formative assessment (in this case practice tests) has a positive impact on student performance.     

Fuzzy fusion for attending and responding assessment system of affective teaching goals in distance learning

Teachers can handle learning situations during activities in peer-to-peer classes, and assess student achievements associated with teaching goals in the affective domain. In distance learning, teachers cannot directly observe student states and assess achievement concurrently. Many distance education studies adopted frequency of interaction as the basis of student participation when assessing the student achievements in class. However, the number of times a student interacts is not equal to discussion quality. Although synchronous discussions during class can help teachers assess learning states, these discussions are not suited to all courses. If a teacher can supervise student images from computer’s webcam and observe student status, the teacher can assess achievement accurately. Image processing technology can be applied in an assessment system in distance learning, student states can be observed and these observational results can be combined with behavior detection to help teachers assess student achievement in terms of teaching goals in the affective domain.This study had analyzed the theory and method of assessing affective domain teaching goals. The assessment system had been implemented and simulated using image processing technology and records to analyze student achievement of attending and responding stages with a class period, via fuzzy logic and a fuzzy integral. Simulation results indicate that this assessment system can accurately assess student achievement in terms of attending and responding stages of affective domain teaching goals.     

Developing Web literacy in collaborative inquiry activities

Although many children are technically skilled in using the Web, their competences to use it in a critical and meaningful way are usually less well developed. In this article, we report on a multiple case study focusing on the possibilities and limitations of collaborative inquiry activities as an appropriate context to acquire Web literacy skills in primary education. Four 5th grade school teachers and their students worked with collaborative inquiry activities on the subject of ‘healthy food’. The project was aimed at both the development of Web literacy skills and content knowledge building. Data from a variety of sources were collected: videotaped and written lesson observations, interviews with teachers and students, teacher diaries, student questionnaires, and student assignments. The teachers appeared to be able to carry out the program to varying degrees. Contextual factors that influenced the realization of the project’s goals and results were the adequacy of the research questions formulated by students, students’ inquiry skills, and the teachers’ teaching styles. Students’ learning results show that it is possible to teach Web literacy skills in the context of collaborative inquiry activities. All classes show knowledge gain with regard to the subject healthy food and all classes but one show knowledge gain with regard to Web literacy skills. Although many students show adequate use of particular Web searching, reading and evaluating skills after the project, inconsistency, impulsiveness and impatience are also typical of their Web behaviour. In the context of collaborative inquiry activities teachers are challenged to deal with the paradox that they want their students to be active knowledge builders with help of the Web, whereas the Web seems to invite students to be more or less passive searchers.     

Learning about systems by making models

Dynamic systems are difficult for students to understand and for teachers to present whether the subjects are industrial plants, economic activities or environmental systems. Teachers, lecturers and trainers alike face the challenge of designing learning activities which help their students understand not only the form of systems but also the ways in which they function and change. One approach to this challenge is to help students express and construct their own understandings of system behaviour through model-making activities with computers. This may seem impractical because of excessive demands on the expertise and time of teachers and students, but research into progression in student activities and appropriate software environments may indicate ways forward for model-making by beginners. Taking one type of dynamic system as an example, this paper outlines preliminary research into the difficulties encountered by sixth-form geography students modelling hydrological systems. An analysis of the difficulties is proposed and related to the design of HyperCard software which may help students progress from handling ready-made simulations to making their own models with STELLA on Apple Macintosh computers.     

Characteristics of students assigned to technology-based instruction

Previous research has examined factors influencing teacher decisions to integrate technology using between-teacher designs. This study used a within-teacher design to compare students who were assigned multi-media learning objects for learning fractions with students taught by the same teachers who were not assigned to the technology. There were two conditions: (1) teachers were asked to limit the number of assigned students to 25% of their class ( N  = 375 grade 7–10 students) and (2) teachers could assign as many students as they wanted ( N  = 149 grade 7 students). In the constrained decision setting, students assigned to the technology were more likely than students not assigned to score lower on a fractions achievement test, have dysfunctional attitudes towards mathematics learning, have low self-efficacy, exert low effort, and be male. In the unconstrained decision setting, 70% of students were assigned the technology and the only statistically significant predictor was prior achievement. Teachers' criteria were congruent with research identifying correlates of mathematics achievement and comfort with technology.     

关联规则在大学课程实验效果分析中的应用

课程实验是大学教学中非常重要的一环,教师需要全面地分析学生实验成绩从中发现规律才能科学地进行实验教学。运用数据挖掘中的关联规则技术建立大学课程实验效果分析模型,对学生课程实验成绩进行关联度分析。实验证明该分析模型的分析方法是可信、有效的,对帮助教师有针对性的指导学生实验具有一定的现实意义。     

Authority and convergence in collaborative learning

Teachers and students have established social roles, norms and conventions when they encounter Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) systems in the classroom. Authority, a major force in the classroom, gives certain people, objects, representations or ideas the power to affect thought and behavior and influences communication and interaction. Effective computer-supported collaborative learning requires students and teachers to change how they understand and assign authority. This paper describes two studies in which students' ideas about authority led them to converge on what they viewed as authoritative representations and styles of representation too early, and the early convergence then hindered their learning. It also describes a third study that illustrates how changes to the CSCL system CAROUSEL (Collaborative Algorithm Representations Of Undergraduates for Self-Enhanced Learning) improved this situation, encouraging students to create representations that were unique, had different styles and emphasized different aspects of algorithms. Based on this research, methods to help students avoid premature convergence during collaborative learning are suggested.     

Moodle系统中的教学评价

传统的教学评价大都是由老师批改学生的作业和考卷,或凭主观印象给出成绩,这种评价方式存在着一定的弊端。随着教学信息化改革的推进和计算机的普及,在网络环境下进行教学评价已成为可能。本文以开源学习管理系统Moodle为平台,讨论了一种将教师评价、同侪互评以及学生自评相结合的评价模式及其特点,并探讨了其在计算机基础教学中的应用设想。     

Online assessment of problem solving skills

This overview evaluates the effectiveness of an alternative interactive scenario based assessment system (ISBAS). ISBAS addresses the limitations of traditional assessment methods, allowing students to troubleshoot complex scenarios, ask questions, and make diagnoses through an interactive web interface. The choices the student makes are tracked and scored based on predetermined, objective values. An analysis of student choices/decisions is used to assign a grade/proficiency level and provide the student feedback. ISBAS is efficient, flexible, and objectively evaluates the sophistication of complex knowledge and skills.     

Assessment of affective state in distance learning based on image detection by using fuzzy fusion

Distance learning can solve the limitations of time and space in learning. However, due to the distance, teachers cannot manage students learning behaviors, i.e. they do not know whether a student is attentive, drowsy or absent. Teachers can overcome difficulties in students’ management by knowing the affective states of the students. This study adopts image recognition to capture face images of students when they are learning, and analyzes their face features to evaluate their affective states by fuzzy integrals. Test results indicate that the bad affective states are accurately identified. Teachers can monitor the students’ affective states from the detection results on the system interface.     

Examining Factors That Influence the Effectiveness of Learning Objects in Mathematics Classrooms

Abstract

Learning objects are interactive online tools that support the acquisition of specific concepts. Limited research has been conducted on factors that affect the use of learning objects in K–12 mathematics classrooms. The current study examines the influence of student characteristics (gender, age, computer comfort level, subject comfort level, and mathematics grade), instructional design (structured vs. open ended), and teaching strategy (teacher led vs. student based) on student attitudes toward the use of learning objects and learning performance. Data in the form of surveys and pre- and posttests were collected from 286 middle and secondary school students. Higher computer and subject area comfort ratings were significantly correlated with more positive student attitudes about learning objects. Older students in higher grades learned more than younger students in lower grades after using learning objects. Learning performance was significantly higher for students who used structured (vs. open-ended) learning objects and participated in teacher-led (vs. student-based) lessons. It is speculated that younger students might need more scaffolding when using mathematics-based learning objects.     

Betting system for formative code review in educational competitions

Using competitions to motivate students is a well-known practice that has proved to be successful. Nevertheless, grading students only through their results in the competition could unfairly limit the range of grades that each student can get: regardless of the quality of the different teams participating, one student must necessarily win the tournament, another must be second, and so on until the last place. In fact, player rankings are relative assessments that are conditioned by the performance of every student. In this paper, we propose solving this issue by making students do a code review before betting on the competition. By betting, the grade of students depends both on the performance of their own solution and the one they bet on. This way, grades represent not only coding skills, but also code analysis skills, widening the attainable range of grades and allowing for a fairer grade distribution. As a result, students that are not so proficient in coding are rewarded if they demonstrate they can do a good analysis of the source code written by others, which is a very valuable skill in the professional world. We provide a case study in an undergraduate course, showing positive results.     

Teacher regulation of multiple computer-supported collaborating groups

Teachers regulating groups of students during computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) face the challenge of orchestrating their guidance at student, group, and class level. During CSCL, teachers can monitor all student activity and interact with multiple groups at the same time. Not much is known about the way teachers diagnose student progress and decide upon appropriate interventions when they regulate multiple groups synchronously. This explorative study describes the strategies and experiences related to regulating the activities of seven groups of students, as reported by two teachers, and aimed to widen the framework for describing teacher regulation of CSCL settings that are characterized by synchronicity. Recurring themes included the high amount of information load teachers experienced while diagnosing students’ needs, the focus and level of regulation, and the way the teachers used prior knowledge of students to decide on an intervention after diagnosis. Both teachers valued the ability to monitor student progress online, and mentioned the necessity of students being able to follow the teacher’s activity as well. Theoretical implications are described in terms of understanding teacher regulation, synchronicity, and information load. Practical implications are described for lowering information load.     

A study on learning effect among different learning styles in a Web-based lab of science for elementary school students

The purpose of this study is to explore the learning effect related to different learning styles in a Web-based virtual science laboratory for elementary school students. The online virtual lab allows teachers to integrate information and communication technology (ICT) into science lessons. The results of this experimental teaching method demonstrate that: (a) students in the experimental group using the online virtual lab achieved better grades than those in the control group under traditional class instruction, (b) in the experimental group, grade achievements of students having different learning styles were not significantly different from each other leading us to conclude that the Web-based virtual learning environment is suitable for various learning styles, (c) students with the “accommodator” learning style made the most significant achievements in this study, the scores obtained by the experimental group being remarkably better than those in the control group, and (d) up to 75% of the students surveyed indicated that they preferred using the Web-based virtual lab to reading textbooks only. The results of the experimental teaching and the survey show the feasibility and effectiveness of the Web-based learning environment being studied. It encourages further development of the Web-based virtual lab.     

应用型高校翻转课堂教学模式可行性调查研究

本文从学生视角研究翻转课堂教学模式开展的可行性。采用问卷调查法,对应用型高校的学生进行随机抽样。分别从学生课余学习时间、希望得到的帮助、学习工具与平台、课堂态度及表现等四个维度进行调查研究。结果发现:首先,约有70%的学生有充足的课余学习时间,能够保证翻转课堂课前学习任务的完成,仍有30%的学生因课余时间不足或学习态度不端正,不能保证课前学习任务的完成;其次,学生自主解决问题的能力与学业水平成正相关性。成绩优秀的学生喜欢自主解决问题,成绩较差的学生喜欢依靠同伴的帮助解决。学生成绩处于良好和中等的学生,喜欢教师给予指导和帮助;再次,学生具备翻转课堂硬件设备。但对学业水平较差的学生以及低年级的学生,要进行MOOCS学习平台和教学管理平台的培训;最后,学生受传统教学模式影响深刻,仍喜欢课堂上以教师讲授为主。因此教师要充分分析其可行性,对存在的问题采取措施进行解决,才能保证翻转课堂顺利开展。     

Comparing grades in online and face-to-face writing courses: Interpersonal accountability and institutional commitment

In spite of benefits surrounding distance education programs, many online writing courses suffer from low student completion rates. Student retention has been identified as a concern in a number of studies of online education. We extend this discussion by examining the relationship of assessment of student work to retention, and comparing the grades students receive in online and face-to-face undergraduate writing courses. Our data point to what we call the “thrive or dive” phenomenon for student performance in online writing courses, which describes the disproportionately high percentage of students who fail or do not complete online courses compared to conventional, face-to-face courses. We extend this discussion on challenges related to student retention and propose instructional approaches for online learning that include the interpersonal accountability between teachers and students, as well as the institutional commitment necessary to ensure that students can succeed in online writing courses and programs.     

高职校计算机教学与“罗森塔尔效应”

"罗森塔尔效应"是爱的效应。教师必须真心实意地热爱每一个学生。高职校学生需要更多的关爱。在计算机教学中师生接触比较频繁,上机实习中的个体辅导是教师传递感情信息的理想平台。教师应科学地设计教学过程,带着爱心极力捕捉每一个学生的闪光点,用以培育学生的自信心,必能得到最佳的效果、最好的回报。     

Using an age old methodology to enhance a state of the art technology

With the current hype of computers still on the upswing, schools have felt a great deal of pressure to provide students with hands-on computer experiences. Purchasing powers have so far been unable to meet the hardware demands of schools at large. As a result teachers have been faced with the difficult task of stretching one microcomputer over classrooms full of children. Even when two or three computers are available, the major problem has been how to manage their use efficiently.This paper has described how the age old methodology of peer teaching or tutoring can enhance and maximize learning with one computer in the school of 215 students. An analysis of the data collected during the first year of program implementation and operation has examined the existing effects of the program on its participants.At Oakenwald School in Fort Garry during the 1982–1983 school year, grade six proctors (trained computer tutors) worked individually with students in grades kindergarten to six focusing on one of three programs; Logo in grades K-3, APPLESOFT BASIC in grades 4–6, and general purpose CAL (computer assisted learning) in grades K-6. One computer was available for use in the program.This paper has addressed the administrative aspects of the program such as timetabling, documentation, evaluation, proctor and student selection and pairing. In addition to this, the curriculum and methodology aspects such as program content, and proctor training have been discussed.Program outcomes have been discussed on the basis of evaluations completed by teachers, students and proctors.