Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 56-59).

This thesis reports the results of studies set up to investigate formative assessment in the context of a computer managed learning (CML) practice test. The studies sought to determine whether taking the practice test affects performance on later CML assessed tests for first year university students and to determine the characteristics of the most effective CML practice test. The study was carried out in the context of CML testing at Curtin University of Technology. Because data were collected in a real testing environment, the research questions were addressed using a series of small studies, each focusing on a one-semester unit for first year students. Those students who sat a practice test improved their performance from the practice to the assessed test. Further, they outperformed the non practice test group on the assessed test. The effect was statistically significant in eleven of the twelve studies where CML test results were investigated. Student ability, anxiety level, and sex did not affect test performance or choice to sit the practice test. Students preferred to be given the correct answer for an incorrect response and to have a practice test that was the same length as the assessed test but students continued to show improved performance regardless of these conditions. They reported that they used the feedback in a variety of ways including identifying important areas of content, identifying their own error areas and as a motivator for further study. The findings suggest that using the CML system as a formative assessment tool improves student performance on summative assessment. The practice test is contributing to improved performance, however this improvement cannot be attributed to a single factor. In those cases where the practice test only partially covers the content of the assessed test, the improvement is seen on that common part, however when ++ / there was no overlap of content the group who did the practice test still performed better on the assessed test than the group who did not. This suggests that a contributing factor may be familiarity either with the CML system, items or test type. It is also possible that the beneficial effect was due to prior exposure to the CML system and that only one test is required for this purpose.This research has implications for current teaching practices because the acceptance of a practice test provides feedback to both students and lecturers prior to the assessed test. The optimal practice test c covers the same content as the assessed test with the same number of items and provides the correct answer for a item answered incorrectly. The key recommendation for use of the CML system is the provision of a practice test for formative purposes, for the use of both lecturers and students. Lecturers need to encourage student participation not just on an initial practice test but on all practice tests provided. Students need to be encouraged to review their error summary, as is the current practice in the CML Laboratory. Lecturers need to make more use of the feedback provided by the tests, in terms of content coverage, revision and consolidation of work, and quality of test items.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2005. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 132-135).

Since there are insufficient mathematicians to meet economic and educational demands and many well-qualified, successful mathematics students exhibit signs of disaffection, the student experience of undergraduate mathematics is high on the political agenda. Many undergraduates struggle with the school-university transition, which has been associated with students’ prior experiences of mathematics which, at A-level, are regularly criticised for being too easy and too different to undergraduate mathematics. Furthermore, the University of Oxford administers a Mathematics Admissions Test (OxMAT) as a means of identifying those best prepared beyond the limited demands of A-level. Consequently, a study was conducted into the mathematical enculturation of Oxford undergraduates, specifically in terms of examination questions and students’ approaches to learning. Analysis of the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) (Tait et al., 1998) revealed the majority of students to adopt strategic approaches to learning (ATLs) in all four year-groups, though the descriptions given by students in interviews of the nature of their ATL highlighted some shortcomings of the ASSIST as the motivation for memorisation appeared to be an important factor. The MATH taxonomy (Smith et al., 1996), revealed that most A-level questions require routine use of procedures, whereas the OxMAT tested a variety of skills from applying familiar mathematics in new situations to justifying and interpreting information to form proofs. This is more in-line with the requirements of undergraduate assessment, although the MATH taxonomy and student interviews revealed that these still allowed for rote memorisation and strategic methods. Thus, the changing nature of mathematics and questions posed to students at the secondary-tertiary interface appears to affect students’ ATLs, though this is not reflected by the ASSIST data.

No / We describe a study conducted during 2009-12 into innovative assessment practice, evaluating an assessed coursework task on a final year Medical Genetics module for Biomedical Science undergraduates. An authentic e-assessment coursework task was developed, integrating objectively marked online questions with an online DNA sequence analysis tool (BLAST), routinely used by NHS and research professionals. The aim was to combine the assessment of understanding of complex module learning outcomes with real-world authentic skills highly valued in the work place. This approach challenges the oft-heard accusation that online computer-marked tests can lack validity and authenticity in higher education. The study demonstrates the content and construct validity of this form of e-assessment, showing that careful question design, allied with integration with the real life BLAST tool, enables instructors to assess complex higher order understanding, and requires students to demonstrate skills relevant for the work place. A study of three years of test results and measures of internal consistency data also show the reliability of this assessment. In addition, the results of surveys of student opinion and positive feedback from student module feedback questionnaires suggest that it is effective in terms of face validity.

Level 6 of the Assessment of Basic Learning Abilities (ABLA) assesses the ease or difficulty with which persons with developmental disabilities (DD) are able to learn a two-choice auditory-visual discrimination. Individuals with DD who have passed ABLA Level 6 are likely to have at least some language skills, and their language is likely to be more complex than those individuals who have not passed Level 6 (Marion et al., 2003). Thus, an individual’s performance on Level 6 of the ABLA may be predictive of the types of language skills he/she will readily learn. Previous research (Verbeke, Martin, Yu & Martin, 2007) demonstrated that an individual’s pass/fail performance on ABLA Level 6 predicted his or her ability to point to pictures of common objects when the tester said the names of the objects. The present research examined whether performance on ABLA Level 6 might predict the ability of a person with a severe DD to learn to say the names of common objects (called tacting). Specifically, this study investigated whether participants who passed ABLA Level 6 (the Auditory-Visual Group – Group 1) would more readily learn object naming behavior (vocal tacts) than those clients who failed ABLA Level 6 (the Visual Group – Group 2). The groups were matched on the Communication Subscale of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS). Results indicated that: (a) Group 1 met mastery criterion for a significantly larger number of naming responses than Group 2; and (b) the mean number of trials to mastery criterion was significantly lower in Group 1 than in Group 2. The implications for language training are discussed.

Researchers have hypothesized that for people with autism, the deficits in learning certain tasks may be a function of deficits in learning the prerequisite auditory, visual and motor discriminations. The Assessment of Basic Learning Abilities (ABLA) Test is a useful tool by which these discriminations are assessed. This study investigated whether performance on ABLA Level 6, an auditory-visual discrimination, predicts performance on a receptive language task with children with autism. Participants included five children who passed ABLA Level 6, four children who passed ABLA Level 4 but failed ABLA Level 6, and one child who passed ABLA Level 3 but failed ABLA Level 4. Standardized prompting and reinforcement procedures were used to attempt to teach each participant to respond correctly on ten name-recognition tasks. During a task pictures of two objects were placed in randomly alternated left-right positions, and a child was required to point to the picture that was named. Training on a task continued until either a pass or a fail criterion was met, whichever came first. Three of the Level 4 participants passed all ten of the picture name recognition tasks, and one passed eight of the ten tasks. The Level 3 participant passed two of the ten tasks. All five of the Level 6 participants passed all picture name recognition tasks. The difference in performance between children at ABLA Level 4 and Level 6 was not significant at the .05 level. These results suggest that children with autism at ABLA Level 4 or 6 are approximately equally capable of learning receptive name recognition tasks.

Level 6 of the Assessment of Basic Learning Abilities (ABLA) assesses the ease or difficulty with which persons with developmental disabilities (DD) are able to learn a two-choice auditory-visual discrimination. Individuals with DD who have passed ABLA Level 6 are likely to have at least some language skills, and their language is likely to be more complex than those individuals who have not passed Level 6 (Marion et al., 2003). Thus, an individual’s performance on Level 6 of the ABLA may be predictive of the types of language skills he/she will readily learn. Previous research (Verbeke, Martin, Yu & Martin, 2007) demonstrated that an individual’s pass/fail performance on ABLA Level 6 predicted his or her ability to point to pictures of common objects when the tester said the names of the objects. The present research examined whether performance on ABLA Level 6 might predict the ability of a person with a severe DD to learn to say the names of common objects (called tacting). Specifically, this study investigated whether participants who passed ABLA Level 6 (the Auditory-Visual Group – Group 1) would more readily learn object naming behavior (vocal tacts) than those clients who failed ABLA Level 6 (the Visual Group – Group 2). The groups were matched on the Communication Subscale of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS). Results indicated that: (a) Group 1 met mastery criterion for a significantly larger number of naming responses than Group 2; and (b) the mean number of trials to mastery criterion was significantly lower in Group 1 than in Group 2. The implications for language training are discussed.

Researchers have hypothesized that for people with autism, the deficits in learning certain tasks may be a function of deficits in learning the prerequisite auditory, visual and motor discriminations. The Assessment of Basic Learning Abilities (ABLA) Test is a useful tool by which these discriminations are assessed. This study investigated whether performance on ABLA Level 6, an auditory-visual discrimination, predicts performance on a receptive language task with children with autism. Participants included five children who passed ABLA Level 6, four children who passed ABLA Level 4 but failed ABLA Level 6, and one child who passed ABLA Level 3 but failed ABLA Level 4. Standardized prompting and reinforcement procedures were used to attempt to teach each participant to respond correctly on ten name-recognition tasks. During a task pictures of two objects were placed in randomly alternated left-right positions, and a child was required to point to the picture that was named. Training on a task continued until either a pass or a fail criterion was met, whichever came first. Three of the Level 4 participants passed all ten of the picture name recognition tasks, and one passed eight of the ten tasks. The Level 3 participant passed two of the ten tasks. All five of the Level 6 participants passed all picture name recognition tasks. The difference in performance between children at ABLA Level 4 and Level 6 was not significant at the .05 level. These results suggest that children with autism at ABLA Level 4 or 6 are approximately equally capable of learning receptive name recognition tasks.

There is a large demand for the use of e-learning tools to support student learning, in the form of distance or blended learning. The need for e-learning environment that encourages learners to learn independently or in groups in virtual settings is crucial. Some e-learning environments provide repositories of 'resources'. They neither facilitate a strategy for learning or teaching, nor they guide students through the resources, and tutors in constructing their courses. E-learning environments need to incorporate pedagogical practices which support and allow students to learn by removing any barriers that might inhibit their learning. Therefore, one of the most important aspects in developing e-learning environments is defining appropriate models where technology and pedagogy are integrated. This thesis provides such a framework for developing e-learning applications; it aims to make it easier for tutors to implement their lesson content and engage learners to achieve the course objectives. The proposed model incorporates constructive alignment, assessment and feedback and unlike other e-learning environments guides the tutor to construct lessons and help learners to use effective learning environment. Furthermore, the thesis investigates on how supported learning can help students adapt to the different approaches to learning. The empirical work undertaken investigates the role of constructing a well designed self-assessment and feedback unit within a learning environment.