A case study approach is used to examine two formative computer based assessments (CBAs) used in a School of Medicine and Faculty of Education at a Canadian university. Both assessments contained primarily scenario-based, multiple-choice items however the number of items and complexity was different. The formative CBAs were examined in terms of how feedback is provided to students, the effectiveness of different types of feedback, and the characteristics of items used for assessment. Feedback was channelled to students in one case, immediately following responding to an item and in the second case, at the end of a set of items. Feedback given to students immediately following an item was more effective given that the timing captured students’ construction of knowledge. The most favoured type of feedback provided additional information. Students also indicated that feedback using a live internet link to direct them to a resource would be acceptable. Although feedback that simply stated a response was correct or incorrect was previously shown to be ineffective, students from the School of Medicine indicated this type of feedback was acceptable for low cognitive items. In both case studies, students reported that more items were required and in one case study, students recommended these items be added at the higher end of the cognitive scale. / Thesis (Ph.D, Education) -- Queen's University, 2009-01-28 13:55:37.823

Mathematics has been singled out as a challenging discipline to teach fully online (FO). Yet both the demand for and development of FO mathematics courses is increasing with little known about the quality of these courses and many calling for research. Whereas most research has investigated the nature of these courses by examining instructional outputs such as student grades this research seeks the same insight but by examining instructional inputs. Specifically, it seeks to investigate the nature of current assessment practice in FO mathematics courses. To conduct this investigation, deep learning (Marton & S??lj??, 1976a, 1976b) is used as the principle theoretical framework. From the growing body of literature associated with deep learning, two studies are selected to investigate current FO mathematics instructors assessment practices. An additional framework based on empirical findings related to the use of different kinds of feedback is also used. In total, six study measures are used to conduct a mixed methods study in two parts. The target demographic and course context are tertiary instructors from Western nations that teach introductory level mathematics (particularly statistics and calculus). The first study explores current FO mathematics assessment practices using an online survey (n=70) where the majority of participants originate from US higher education institutions. In the second study six of the US survey participants are interviewed about how their assessment practices and approaches used in their FO mathematics courses differ from those used in their face-to-face (F2F) mathematics courses. This study represents the first known attempt to investigate the nature of tertiary FO mathematics instructors assessment practices using appropriate theoretical frameworks. In particular, it investigates mathematics instructors experiences of the affordances and constraints of the FO course context when adapting their F2F practice to this new environment. Findings suggest the FO course context is a challenging environment for instructors to orient their teaching and assessment practice in a way that helps develop students understanding of mathematics. Analysis of interview responses suggests the problem lies with the nature of interactivity provided in the FO course context.

Despite the implementation of various strategies to improve outcomes, the pass rates for the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) for an associate degree nursing (ADN) program continue to decrease. This study examined the use of a supplemental computer-assisted formative assessment (SCAFA) as a strategy for NCLEX-RN success. A qualitative case study with a theoretical framework based on constructivism was designed to investigate nurse educators' perspectives of this particular strategy for successful outcomes. To explore these perspectives, data were collected from face-to-face interviews with nurse educators and from program documents from 1 ADN program in the southeastern United States. Guiding research questions explored nurse educators' perceptions of SCAFA and determined if and how data from these assessments were utilized. The data were analyzed using lean coding to determine emerging themes. The findings showed that a lack of consistency in the use of this tool diminishes the effectiveness of this supplemental strategy. Additional themes that emerged: educator and student attitudes, orientation and SCAFA process, resource allocation, training and preparation, and data-driven decision making. These findings were used to design a professional development project focused on the effective use of SCAFA throughout the nursing program. The study and project are expected to promote positive social change by contributing to the body of evidence on computer-assisted formative assessment, bolstering student and nurse educator learning, increasing the number of nursing students who are prepared to successfully pass the NCLEX-RN, improving program outcomes, and contributing to the professional nursing workforce.