Objectives. To determine if student self-testing improves performance during a doctor of pharmacy course. Methods. Students were given access to online quizzes with a large pool of randomly selected questions specific to upcoming examination content. Quizzes were electronically scored immediately upon completion and students were provided corrective feedback. Results. Examination scores following implementation of the practice quizzes were significantly higher in all but the last testing period. The upper fiftieth percentile of students scored higher on both the practice quizzes and subsequent examinations in all but the fourth testing period. Conclusions. Providing pharmacy students with self-testing opportunities could increase their retention of course material and provide feedback to both students and educators regarding learning, as well as provide students with a measure of their metacognition.

Objective: To determine if the frequency of self-testing of course material prior to actual examination improves examination scores, regardless of the actual scores on the self-testing. Methods: Practice quizzes were randomly generated from a total of 1342 multiple-choice questions in pathophysiology and made available online for student self-testing. Intercorrelations, 2-way repeated measures ANOVA with post hoc tests, and 2-group comparisons following rank ordering, were conducted. Results: During each of 4 testing blocks, more than 85% of students took advantage of the self-testing process for a total of 7042 attempts. A consistent significant correlation (p≤0.05) existed between the number of practice quiz attempts and the subsequent examination scores. No difference in the number of quiz attempts was demonstrated compared to the first testing block. Exam scores for the first and second testing blocks were both higher than those for third and fourth blocks. Conclusion: Although self-testing strategies increase retrieval and retention, they are uncommon in pharmacy education. The results suggested that the number of self-testing attempts alone improved subsequent examination scores, regardless of the score for self-tests.

Online learning, which began in the area of tertiary and adult learning and professional development, has been spreading rapidly as an alternative way for students to pursue learning in the K-12 sector. While adult learners may be expected to be more experienced students and cope with the variations in the implementation of online learning, younger K-12 students need a more structured approach to organize their online learning experiences. Formative assessment has been promoted as a means of enhancing all learning, including online learning. This study explored the use of the formative assessment process in the design and facilitation of an asynchronous discussion among high school students. The community of inquiry model provided a lens for the evaluation of the learners' experiences, and students' cognitive presence was assessed in this quasi experimental study. The study addressed whether implementation of an assessment for learning approach in the design and facilitation of an asynchronous discussion would result in significant differences in cognitive presence messages. Content analysis was used to classify discussants' statements according to levels of cognitive presence. Chi-squared analysis was performed to determine independence among levels of cognitive presence and assessment for learning. The findings indicated that there was a significant relationship between the incidence of different levels of cognitive presence statements and assessment for learning. The findings also suggested a way to empower K-12 online learners to play a more significant role in their learning and make their experiences more impactful. However, study with more diverse populations and incorporating measures of achievement is recommended.

This case study instantiates longitudinal change over a two year period by examining the role of School Situated Sustained Professional Development (SSSPD) on the evolution of the participant's practice. The participant was a secondary science teacher who emerged as an exemplar in integrating Technology Enhanced Formative Assessment (TEFA) pedagogy into her practice, which was facilitated by personal response systems (PRS). The research question was: What could be revealed about the impact of SSSPD by studying teacher learning of a teacher who emerged as an exemplar? The participant was one of ten teachers learning the TEFA pedagogy. Professional development (PD) that facilitates change in teachers' practice and that sustains those changes over time is critical. Findings were triangulated from seven quantitative and qualitative data sets including monthly surveys, lesson observations, journal entries, interviews and action research sessions. The major findings of the study were: (1) implementing TEFA led to changes in the participant's practice, and (2) the SSSPD model was instrumental in the participant learning how to implement TEFA. Findings also revealed changes in the participant's beliefs, teaching strategies and in her modification of TEFA. Eight elements of teacher change were identified which were used to develop the Elements of Teacher Change in Adoption of Pedagogy (ETCAP) model. Gaining a better understanding of the SSSPD model and its potential as an effective model for PD is dependent on proving its effectiveness in promoting teacher change and sustaining that change over time.

<p>This study explores the assessment practices of adult educators in Mamelodi Adult Learning Centers using a qualitative methodology. The study recognizes that assessment is an important activity within the education and training enterprise since it can be used to improve the quality of teaching as well as improve and support the learning process. The study sets out to investigate how Mamelodi adult educators conceptualize assessment / the skills levels of these educators / the nature of support and training these educators received to enhance their assessment practices / the different assessment methods employed by the adult educators to assess learners / and the educational validity and efficacy of these practices.</p>

In the 1930s and 1940s, less than one percent of the Swedish population were in higher education. By the beginning of 1990s this proportion had reached 2.4%. During the 1990s, however, a new economic current flowed in Swedish higher education. A period of general economic stringency brought the costs of higher education under scrutiny. Further expansion, therefore, was to be accompanied by a reduction of unit costs. A discourse of expansion was to be joined by discourse of efficiency. By the end of the 1990s, however, an efficiency discourse based on quality assurance was facing difficulties. The educational merits of the efficiency reforms were not easily discerned. A new educational - or pedagogical - emphasis emerged. Quality and effectiveness were to be augmented via ‘quality enhancement processes’ and by ‘mobilising the inner resources’ of each institution. The emphasis of such thinking was on development of institutional practices that ‘best favour the development of activities’ that, in turn, lead to the ‘best long-term outcomes in teaching and research’. For these reasons, the student body had entered a new world by the start of the third millennium. The proportion of traditional students was matched by the proportion of non-traditional students. These changes, demographic and economic, represented a challenge to policy-makers and practitioners in Swedish higher education. Was it possible to ‘mobilise inner resources’ to meet the challenge of this new body of students? This thesis focuses on one of the responses to this challenge – the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) as an integral part of the pedagogics of higher education. Can ICT, therefore, become an add-in rather than an add-on to higher education. In particular, this thesis focuses not on teaching in general but, rather on an add-in issue; that is, can formative assessment be used as an integral support for learning. Five papers provide perspectives on this response; and the introduction sets the scene by identifying the key ideas that hold the studies together, reporting the development projects that were used to clarify these ideas; clarifying the events and ideas which governed the preparation of the five papers; and, finally, summarising the conclusions that arise from my research. The landscape of learning, like the physical landscape, is constantly changing. But are these changes superficial? Are they the result of ideas and tools that merely till the surface of the learning landscape? Or do these tools contribute to shaping the new knowledge that is expected of the learning society? This thesis explores these overarching questions. It concludes that the distinction between ICT as add-on or as an add-in remains central to the organisation of formal education in Sweden.

The aim of this study was to analyze the assessment of the primary school, from the teacher’s perspective. There has been an ongoing discussion regarding assessment and about the purposes of assessment for a long time. But there is a paucity of research on what teachers believe about. This study examined primary teachers’ beliefs on major purposes of assessment. Assessment is the process of gathering and interpreting information about students’ learning. The main purpose of assessment is to stimulate and encourage students' cognitive and social development. There are several types of assessment but the most relevant for this study is: assessment of learning (summative assessment) and assessment for learning (formative assessment). Assessment of learning looks at a student’s performance or presentation on a specific task or at the end of a part of teaching and learning. Assessment for learning should be used as a regular part of teaching and learning. The information teachers’ gain from assessment activities should be used to shape the teachers future teaching and that assessment for learning should be an essential and integrated part of the teaching and learning process. The main intention with assessment is to allow for students to demonstrate what they know and can do. It is also important that students are involved in the assessment process This study is based on interviews and qualitative research studies. I interviewed four teachers from two different schools.

Denna forskning handlar ett system som jag och min kollega Pierre Brockmanns skapade för att kunna visa för eleven hur han/hon ligget till i sina kurser som praktiseras ute i arbetslivet. Efter en inspektion från Skolverket uppdagades det att tydligheten på det gamla systemet inte var tillfredsställande. I studien har jag använt mig av kvalitativ studie för att få veta vad elever, handledare och yrkeslärare upplever att det fungerar. Tack vare djupintervjuerna fram kom förbättrings förslag vilket har lätt till att APU/APL- uppföljningssystemet har kunnat vidareutvecklas, och bli ännu tydligare. Även dokumentationen inne på skolan har utvecklats, för att tydliggöra för eleven ”vart den är på väg”. För handledarna har systemet betytt mer förståelse för att det är skola som eleven gör ute på sin praktik, och att medvetenhet om vad som skall läras på praktiken har gjorts tydligare. Yrkeslärarna känner sig mer professionella och att de har ett meningsfullt uppdrag när de är på APU/APL besök. De önskar också att mer tid för utveckling och för att få sätta sig in i och skapa bättre matriser hade schemalagts. / This research is a system that I and my colleague Pierre Brockmann created to show the student how the Ligget in their courses as practiced in working life. After an inspection by the National Agency revealed that the clarity of the old system was not satisfactory. In the study I have used the study to find out what students, tutors and trainers feel that it works. Thanks depth interviews came suggestion for improvement which have been easy to APU/APL- monitoring system has been further developed, and become even clearer. Although the documentation inside the school has developed, to make it clear to the student "where it is heading”. For supervisors, the system has meant more understanding because it's school that the student does outside of his practice, and that awareness of what is learned in practice have been clarified. Vocational Teachers feel more professional and have a meaningful mission when they are on the APU / APL visit. They also want more time for development and to get acquainted with and create better matrices had been scheduled.

Math skills are essential to daily life, impacting a person?s ability to function at home, work, and in the community. Although reading has been the focus in recent years, many students struggle in math. The inability to master math calculation and problem solving has contributed to the rising incidence of student failure, referrals for special education evaluations, and dropout rates. Studies have shown that curriculum based measurement (CBM) is a well-established tool for formative assessment, and could potentially be used for other purposes such as a prediction of state standards test scores, however to date there are limited validity studies between mathematics CBM and standard-based assessment. This research examined a brief assessment that reported to be aligned to national curriculum standards in order to predict student performance on state standards-based mathematics curriculum, identify students at-risk of failure, and plan instruction. Evidence was gathered on the System to Enhance Educational Performance Grade 3 Focal Mathematics Assessment Instrument (STEEP3M) as a formative, universal screener. Using a sample of 337 students and 22 instructional staff, four qualities of the STEEP3M were examined: a) internal consistency and criterion related validity (concurrent); b) screening students for a multi-tiered decision-making process; c) utility for instructional planning and intervention recommendations; and d) efficiency of administration, scoring, and reporting results which were the basis of the four research questions for this study. Several optimized solutions were generated from Receiver Operator Curve (ROC) statistical analysis; however none demonstrated that the STEEP3M maximized either sensitivity or specificity. In semi-structured interviews teachers reported that they would consider using the STEEP3M, however only as a part of a decision-making rubric along with other measures. Further, teachers indicated that lessons are developed before the school year starts, more in response to the sequence of the state standards than to students? needs. While the STEEP3M was sufficiently long enough for high-stakes or criterion-referenced decisions, this study found that the test does not provide sufficient diagnostic information for multi-tiered decision-making for intervention or instructional planning. Although practical and efficient to administer, the conclusions of this study show the test does not provide sufficient information on the content domain and does not accurately classify students in need of assistance.

The aim of this study was to investigate what formative assessment means and get information about how teachers’ assessment practice in formative assessment can look like, based on five key strategies. I have observed five teachers in grade 4 to 6 during a week of their mathematics teaching. Formative assessment is assessment for learning and has the purpose to support students’ knowledge development. There are five key strategies for formative assessment and all strategies should be used to create as good conditions as possible for the students’ knowledge development. Key strategy 1 is that teachers must clarify intentions and knowledge criteria for students. Key strategy 2 involves the teacher to elicit evidence of students’ learning through questions for example. Key strategy 3 is that the teacher should give feedback that moves the student forward. Key strategy 4 is to activating students as resources for each other and finally key strategy 5 is to activate students as the owner of their learning. The results show that teachers use all strategies but some use them more than other teachers. Teachers use about one third of the time of a full week teaching time to work with key strategies. The first key strategy is the most common strategy and the fourth strategy is given most of the time, even if it’s not used during all lessons. / Syftet med mitt examensarbete var att beskriva vad formativ bedömning innebär och få en inblick i hur lärares bedömningspraktik för formativ bedömning kan se ut utifrån fem nyckelstrategier. För att ta del av detta har jag observerat fem lärare i årskurs 4-6 under en veckas matematikundervisning. Formativ bedömning är bedömning för lärande och har syftet att stödja elever i deras kunskapsutveckling. Det finns fem nyckelstrategier för den formativa bedömningen och alla strategierna bör användas för att skapa så bra förutsättningar som möjligt för elevers kunskapsutveckling. Nyckelstrategi 1 är att lärare ska tydliggöra mål och kunskapskriterier för elever. Nyckelstrategi 2 handlar om att läraren ska synliggöra elevers lärande. Nyckelstrategi 3 är återkoppling som för eleven framåt. Nyckelstrategi 4 ska läraren aktivera eleverna som resurser för varandra och till sist nyckelstrategi 5 ska eleverna aktiveras som ägare av sitt eget lärande. Resultatet visar att alla strategier används av lärare men vissa mer än andra.  Lärare använde ungefär en tredjedel av en veckas av matematikunder-visningens tid för arbetet med nyckelstrategierna. Första nyckelstrategin är mest förekommande i undervisningen medan fjärde nyckelstrategin tillägnas mest tid även om den inte är återkommande vid varje lektion.