This study examines how well the qualities of good essay writing expressed in the British Columbia Ministry of Education's handbook, Using rating scales to evaluate student writing, are transmitted to teachers and students. In asking how well those values are communicated to teachers and students involved in grade twelve English examinations, the study compares the features demonstrated in the writing reference sets and specified in the Holistic scoring guide to the responses of markers, teachers and students who were surveyed concerning their familiarity with those terms and to their beliefs about what constituted a good essay. Most teachers reported instructional practices which utilized these reference sets, and students supported this assertion. The qualities described by teacher-markers such as “command of language, thoughtful, well structured, interesting argument, depth of understanding, engaging, sense of voice” were also compared to salient features of papers which they had just scored and found to correspond quite closely. Students, however, in describing the features they hoped to produce in writing a good essay, did not use the terms of the official rating scale descriptors, but instead, fell back on a vocabulary expressing the most basic features of the process approach to writing, such as “planning, webbing ideas,” and “revising.” Survey instruments used in the study were not sufficiently detailed to provide data on student comprehension of rating scale terms. Observations are made on such aspects of large-scale writing evaluations as recommended scoring practices, the need for thorough marker preparation, the vagueness of some criteria such as “voice”, and on current approaches to high school composition instruction with emphasis on modelling theory as the basis for instruction in a jurisdiction which uses reference sets of student work as standards for its rating scales. Shortcomings of the study are noted and suggestions for future research in this area are offered. The appendices include all survey forms used, results of a feature analysis of over 300 highly-rated examination essays, typescripts of student interviews, and a sample writing reference set with scale-point descriptors. / Graduate

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Magister Educationis - MEd / The general performance of learners in mathematics in most secondary schools in South Africa is not encouraging. Statistics reveal that there is a general poor performance in mathematics and related science subjects especially in those schools located in previously disadvantaged communities. There is just a need for appropriate interventions of the significance of mathematics in present society which is now characterised by high information and technology thrust. The objective of the study was to investigate the impact of the tutorial intervention programme on the performance of a grade eleven mathematics class with a view to improving the mathematics performance of these grade 11 learners. The selection of the action research based method was premised on the idea that it would help the researcher to improve his tutoring practice as well as contributing to better learner performance. Data was collected through the use of qualitative research methods. These involved observation, the utilisation of focus group discussions of learners, and in-depth interviews with randomly selected learners and other mathematics colleagues. A careful mix of learners of different learning abilities was made so that high performers would assist those whose performance was lower. In each group of five at least two high performers were included. Findings of the study point to the effectiveness of the tutorial process, justifying its adoption on a long term basis. In general, it can be concluded that the tutoring strategies used by the researcher had a positive effect on the knowledge retention of the learners. This conclusion was arrived at from an observation of improved test results over time, the learners‟ views in the questionnaires as well as those of peer observers.

In today’s business world, information has become the driving force of organizations. With organizations transmitting large amounts of information to various geographical locations, it is imperative that organizations ensure the protection of their valuable commodity. Organizations should ensure that only authorized individuals receive, view and alter the information. This is also true to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), which need to protect its examination papers, amongst other valuable information. With various threats waiting to take advantage of the examination papers, HEIs need to be prepared by equipping themselves with an information security management system (ISMS), in order to ensure that the process of setting examination papers is secure, and protects the examination papers within the process. An ISMS will ensure that all information security aspects are considered and addressed in order to provide appropriate and adequate protection for the examination papers. With the assistance of information security concepts and information security principles, the ISMS can be developed, in order to secure the process of preparing examination papers; in order to protect the examination papers from potential risks. Risk assessment form part of the ISMS, and is at the centre of any security effort; reason being that to secure an information environment, knowing and understanding the risks is imperative. Risks pertaining to that particular environment need to be assessed in order to deal with those appropriately. In addition, very important to any security effort is ensuring that employees working with the valuable information are made aware of these risks, and can be able to protect the information. Therefore, the role players (within the examination paper preparation process (EPPP)) who handle the examination papers on a daily basis have to be equipped with means of handling valuable information in a secure manner. Some of the role players’ behaviour and practices while handling the information could be seen as vulnerabilities that could be exploited by threats, resulting in the compromise in the CIA of the information. Therefore, it is imperative that role players are made aware of their practices and iv behaviour that could result in a negative impact for the institution. This awareness forms part and is addressed in the ISMS.

M.A. Florida State College for Women 1931

Der vorliegende Artikel nähert sich der Frage, welche Bedingungen Hochschulen erfüllen müssen, um E-Assessments anbieten zu können. Er bietet Hinweise darauf, welche technischen und bauplanerischen Bedingungen erfüllt sein sollten, um diese nach dem gegenwärtigen Stand nachhaltig rechtssicher durchführen zu können. Dabei werden drei Typen für E-Assessment-Center gegenübergestellt: das genuine E-Assessment-Center, E-Assessment-Center in PC-Pools, temporäre E-Assessment-Center (als stationäre und mobile Center). Welches Raumszenario sich für die jeweilige Hochschule eignet, muss fallweise entschieden werden.:1. Einleitung 4 2. Grundlagen 5 2.1. Begriffliche Eingrenzung 5 2.2. Rechtlicher Rahmen 6 2.2.1. Prüfungsrecht 6 2.2.2. Datenschutzrecht 7 2.2.3. Versammlungsstättenverordnung 7 2.3. Bauplanerische und raumtechnische Voraussetzungen 8 2.3.1. Einbruch und Diebstahlsicherung 8 2.3.2. Klimatisierung und Belüftung 8 2.3.3. Verdunklung und Beleuchtung 9 2.3.4. Akustik und Schallschutz 9 2.3.5. Netzwerkanbindung und Stromversorgung 9 2.3.6. Inklusion von behinderten Prüfungsteilnehmenden 10 2.3.7. Anordnung der Prüfungsplätze und Verhinderung von Betrug 11 2.3.8. Ein-, Aus- und Notausgänge 12 2.3.9. Administrative Bereiche 12 2.3.10. Warte- und Anmeldebereiche für Teilnehmende 12 2.3.11. Garderobenbereiche 12 2.3.12. Sanitäre Einrichtungen 13 2.4. IT- und medientechnische Bedingungen 13 2.4.1. Server 13 2.4.2. Prüfungs-Clients 15 2.4.3. Prüfungssoftwarelösung 15 2.4.4. Anlagensteuerung der Prüfungs-Clients 18 3. Raumszenarien für E-Assessments 19 3.1. Genuines E-Assessment-Center 19 3.1.1. Beschreibung 19 3.1.2. Umsetzbare Prüfungstypen 19 3.1.3. Vorteile 20 3.1.4. Nachteile 20 3.1.5. Umsetzungsbeispiele 20 3.1.6. Grobschätzung initialer Investitionskosten und Folgeinvestitionen 20 3.1.7. Dauerhafte personelle Ressourcen 20 3.2. E-Assessment in PC-Pools 21 3.2.1. Beschreibung 21 3.2.2. Umsetzbare Prüfungstypen 21 3.2.3. Vorteile 21 3.2.4. Nachteile 22 3.2.5. Umsetzungsbeispiele 22 3.2.6. Grobschätzung initialer Investitionskosten und Folgeinvestitionen 22 3.3. Temporäres E-Assessment-Center 23 3.3.1. Beschreibung 23 3.3.2. Umsetzbare Prüfungstypen 24 3.3.3. Vorteile 24 3.3.4. Nachteile 24 3.3.5. Umsetzungsbeispiele 25 3.3.6. Grobschätzung der Investitionskosten 25 3.3.7. Dauerhafte personelle Ressourcen 26 4. Zusammenfassung und Bewertung 27 4.1. rechtliche Grundlagen 27 4.2. bauplanerische und raumtechnische Voraussetzungen 28 4.3. IT- und medientechnische Bedingungen 29 4.4. Raumszenarien für E-Assessments 30 4.5. Fazit 32 5. Literaturverzeichnis 32

Test makers and test users are giving increasing attention to the critical analysis and evaluation of standardized tests, scales, and inventories. Such analyses are too many times so brief and general as to be of little value to those desiring to use the best test measure. Hence it was deemed worth while to attempt in this paper a representative critical analysis of each of several types of measures. Certain assumptions and principles basic to this study follow. / "May, 1948." / Typescript. / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts under Plan II." / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 43-44).

This phenomenological study explored the role of end-of-course examinations on teachers’ decision-making on curriculum and instruction through a comparative analysis of teachers who taught courses with end-of-course examinations and teachers who taught courses with locally created assessments (LCA). This study examined the experiences of nine teachers in a small school district located on the east-central coast of Florida. The study’s theoretical framework drew on Bourdieu’s (1972/1977) tools of habitus, capital, practice, and fields to explain the role of education in the reproduction of social system. The study examined how standardized testing shaped teachers’ use of habitus and capital to determine their practice in their curriculum, instruction, relationships in different educational fields, morale, and perspectives on teacher evaluation. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2020. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Background: To determine the pass rate of the final exit examination of the College of Orthopaedic Surgeons of South Africa [FC Orth(SA)] and to assess the correlation between the written component with the clinical and oral component. Methods: Results of candidates who participated in the FC Orth(SA) final examination during a 12-year period from March 2005 through to November 2016 were assessed retrospectively. Pass rates and component averages were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Spearman's rho test was used to determine the correlation between the components. Results: A total of 399 candidates made 541 attempts at the written component of the examination; 71.5% of attempts were successful and 387 candidates were invited to the clinical and oral component, of which 341 (88%) candidates were certified. The second-attempt pass rate for those candidates who wrote the written component again was 42%. The average annual increase in the number of certified candidates was 8.5%. The overall certifying rate increased by 1.5% for this period. Invited candidates who scored less than 54% for the written component were at significant risk of failing the clinical and oral component. The written component showed weak correlation with the clinical and oral component (r=O.48). Conclusion: While the written component was found to be an effective gatekeeper, as evidenced by a high eventual certifying rate, the results of this component of the FCOrth(SA) final examination did not correlate strongly with the performance in the clinical and oral component. This finding confirms the value of the written component as part of a comprehensive assessment for the quality of orthopaedic surgeons.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Needs Education at the University Of Zululand, 2017 / The study sought to determine whether the use of the National Senior Certificate Examination Diagnostic Report (NSCEDR) in an intervention programme would improve the performance of learners in Mathematics. The study utilised a mixed method approach. An action research that employed a quasi-experiment, one group, pre-test and post-test research design was used. A total of 74 grade twelve learners, 46 girls and 28 boys, were selected and participated in an intervention programme for six weeks. Three NSCEDR documents, from 2014 to 2016, were used to determine the topics that were challenging to learners in Mathematics, as well as the errors and misconceptions made by learners in examinations. The topics that were challenging were identified together with their frequency in the three documents. The marks of the learners before and after the intervention programme were compared and analysed. The Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) and Excel were used to analyse the research data. The results of the study revealed that the use of the NSCEDR findings in the intervention programme improved the performance of the learners, while the impact was indifferent for boys and girls, and as well as for low performers and high performers. Trigonometry, Euclidean Geometry and Counting Principle were some of the most challenging topics in Grade 12 Mathematics that were identified from the NSCEDR. Based on these results, it was recommended that the NSCEDR should be readily available to all teachers to use, as their use in the classroom improved the performance of the learners.