Academics encounter problems with the selection, evaluation, testing and implementation of e-assessment software tools. The researcher experienced these problems while adopting e-assessment at the university where she is employed. Hence she undertook this study, which is situated in schools and departments in Computing-related disciplines, namely Computer Science, Information Systems and Information Technology at South African Higher Education Institutions. The literature suggests that further research is required in this domain. Furthermore, preliminary empirical studies indicated similar disabling factors at other South African tertiary institutions, which were barriers to long-term implementation of e-assessment. Despite this, academics who are adopters of e-assessment indicate satisfaction, particularly when conducting assessments with large classes. Questions of the multiple choice genre can be assessed automatically, leading to increased productivity and more frequent assessments. The purpose of this research is to develop an evaluation framework to assist academics in determining which e-assessment tool to adopt, enabling them to make more informed decisions. Such a framework would also support evaluation of existing e-assessment systems. The underlying research design is action research, which supported an iterative series of studies for developing, evaluating, applying, refining, and validating the SEAT (Selecting and Evaluating an e-Assessment Tool) Evaluation Framework and subsequently an interactive electronic version, e-SEAT. Phase 1 of the action research comprised Studies 1 to 3, which established the nature, context and extent of adoption of e-assessment. This set the foundation for development of SEAT in Phase 2. During Studies 4 to 6 in Phase 2, a rigorous sequence of evaluation and application facilitated the transition from the manual SEAT Framework to the electronic evaluation instrument, e-SEAT, and its further evolution. This research resulted in both a theoretical contribution (SEAT) and a practical contribution (e-SEAT). The findings of the action research contributed, along with the literature, to the categories and criteria in the framework, which in turn, contributed to the bodies of knowledge on MCQs and e-assessment. The final e-SEAT version, the ultimate product of this action research, is presented in Appendix J1. For easier reference, the Appendices are included on a CD, attached to the back cover of this Thesis.. / Computing / PhD. (Information Systems)

Previous research has shown that substantial learning gains are possible when formative assessment and support for students’ development of self-regulated learning skills are implemented in classroom practice. Such implementation is not straightforward and there is a need for both further understanding of the knowledge and skills teachers require to practice formative assessment, and further insights into how different characteristics of ordinary teaching practices support students’ in becoming proficient self-regulated learners. This doctoral thesis includes a licentiate thesis and two articles. In the licentiate thesis, classroom observations are used to investigate the knowledge and skills used by a teacher engaged in a comprehensive formative classroom practice. The results show that the teacher's practice is complex and requires advanced knowledge and skills that are often used simultaneously and under time pressure. For example, the teacher, sometimes in a matter of seconds, handles new (to her) mathematics, makes inferences from students’ responses to their understanding, and based on these inferences makes decisions about her teaching. The first article is a literature review focusing on the effects of formative assessment on student achievement in mathematics since there is a lack of knowledge of the effects of formative assessment on student achievement, in particular for subject areas such as mathematics. In the review, a systematic literature search is made for articles studying the effects of both teacher-centered approaches and approaches emphasizing student involvement in the formative assessment processes. The latter type of approaches includes teacher practices that support students’ development of aspects of self-regulated learning competence. The results show that all approaches included in the review have significant positive effects on student achievement in mathematics. The second article examines in what ways learning situations in authentic classroom practices provide opportunities for the students to develop self-regulated learning skills, and how students experience these opportunities. The analysis is based on data from classroom observations of three teachers’ mathematics lessons, and on interviews with their students. The results show that instruction in self-regulated learning skills mostly occurred implicitly, and the opportunities to develop the skills were mainly provided and experienced at the observational level.

This study examined the formative assessment practices of three teachers in English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms using a sociocultural theoretical framework. The study was conducted in a postsecondary ESL setting at a large public university in the southeastern United States. Using an embedded mixed methods design, this study employed teacher interviews and classroom observations to address the overarching question: What individual and contextual factors are present in the formative assessment practices of participant ESL teachers? The study also explored the relationship between student metacognitive judgments of learning (JOL) and performance with the purpose of informing formative assessment practice. To this end, 51 students responded to pre and post surveys on their metacognitive beliefs and judgments of learning questionnaires prior to three unit tests. Summary reports of students’ JOL were provided to teachers for their review and use. Findings showed teachers in this ESL setting engaged in a variety of formative assessment techniques; successful implementation of their techniques were influenced by their instructional style and student attributes like attendance, class participation, and students’ academic or educational experiences. Findings also indicated the central role of assessments in this context that provided ample opportunity for formative assessment. Overall, findings point to the value of using a sociocultural theoretical lens to examine the nature of factors affecting teachers’ formative assessment practice. With regard to the use of metacognitive judgments of learning in formative assessment, findings showed a mixed relationship between student JOL and performance, and there was no change in students’ metacognitive beliefs about writing over the duration of the semester. Although teachers did not use the JOL information in their instruction, they attributed inaccuracies in judgments to students’ achievement level. These findings are limited by implementation issues and sample size. Further study is needed to understand the nature of postsecondary ESL students’ JOL in authentic assessment situations and their applicability in the formative assessment process.

Book description KULDOVÁ, Jana. Formative evaluation of the pupil on the 1. the degree of primary school: Diploma thesis. Prague: Charles University, Faculty of education, Department of primary education, 2014. 118 sheets, 12 sheets of annexes. Senior thesis PhDr. Helena Hejlová, PhD. Abstrakt The aim of the thesis is to determine how can school the formative evaluation to create conditions for the promotion of pupils ' personal and social development in General, and especially on vulnerable groups of children in schools in the children's home with the school. The theoretical section discusses the formative school ratings, its features and specifics of the socialization and personality development of the students. The second area, which is the theoretical part, the possibilities and limits of the school are teaching younger school-age children in institutional care. The practical part of a proposal for a concept of the formative evaluation of the school, which has an impact on the social development of children with ordered institutional and protective upbringing. This concept is based on an analysis of the conditions and requirements laid down in the national evaluation of school curricular documents and school education programmes in schools and case studies school at the children's home with the school....

Syftet med den här studien var att undersöka hur lärare förhåller sig till samt arbetar med formativ bedömning i mellanstadiets historieundervisning. För att nå denna kunskap har kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer genomförts med totalt tre lärare som undervisar i ämnet historia för årskurs 4–6. Under samtliga intervjuer fick lärarna möjligheten att lyfta fram sina egna tankar, kunskaper och erfarenheter av formativ bedömning och därtill möjligheten att berätta om sitt formativa arbetssätt i historieundervisningen. Lärarnas redogörelser har sedan legat till grund för analys där lärarnas formativa strategier och arbetssätt har belysts med utgångspunkt i den teori som den aktuella studien bygger på. Det huvudsakliga resultat som denna studie visar var att de tre lärarna som medverkat i studien har ett likartat synsätt på formativ bedömning, då samtliga lärare talar om att formativ bedömning generellt sett handlar om att utveckla elevernas lärande. Studien har även visat att lärarna har en positiv inställning till att arbeta med formativ bedömning i sin historieundervisning, men att förutsättningar såsom tid och ork har en avgörande betydelse för hur lärarna bedriver sitt formativa bedömningsarbete i ämnet historia. Utöver detta har det konstaterats att de tre lärarna i studien arbetar med formativ bedömning i historieämnet på ett relativt liknande sätt. Lärarna arbetar främst med formativ bedömning i sin historieundervisning genom att förklara och tydliggöra lärandemålen för eleverna, skapa olika läraktiviteter och uppgifter för att synliggöra elevernas förkunskaper och lärande, samt genom att föra samtal och diskussioner tillsammans med eleverna i syfte att skaffa sig kunskap om vad eleverna kan. Eleverna får även ofta arbeta i par eller i grupp i ämnet historia för att de ska ges möjligheten att ta del av varandras kunskaper. Dessutom arbetar samtliga lärare i studien formativt i sin historieundervisning genom att ge återkoppling till eleverna, framförallt i syfte att de ska utvecklas i sitt fortsatta lärande. Dock har det visat sig att en av lärarna sticker ut från övriga lärare med anledning av att läraren arbetar med att göra eleverna införstådda med historieundervisningens mål och krav på ett mer utvecklat sätt än övriga lärare i studien. / The main purpose of this study was to examine how teachers relate to and work with formative assessment in middle school’s history teaching. To achieve this knowledge, qualitative semistructured interviews have been conducted with three teachers who teach in the school subject history in grades 4–6. During all the interviews, the teachers were given the opportunity to share their own thoughts, knowledge and experiences of formative assessment and also the opportunity to tell about their way of working with formative assessment in their history teaching. The reports of the teachers have been the basis for analysis where the teachers’ formative strategies and working methods have been declared based on the theory which the present study is based. The main results of this study show that the three teachers have a similar approach to formative assessment because all teachers point out that formative assessment is generally about developing pupils’ learning process. The study has also shown that the teachers have a positive attitude towards working with formative assessment in their history teaching, but conditions such as time and energy have a decisive impact on how the teachers work with formative assessment in the subject of history. In addition, it has been found that the three teachers work with formative assessment in the subject of history in a relatively similar way. The teachers work primarily with formative assessment in their history teaching by clarifying the learning goals, creating different learning activities and tasks in order to make pupils’ previous knowledge and learning process visible and also by conducting conversations and discussions with the pupils in order to find out pupils’ knowledge. The pupils may also work in pairs or in groups in the subject of history with the intention of learning from each other. Furthermore, all teachers in the study work with formative assessment in their history teaching by providing feedback to the pupils, especially with the aim of developing pupils’ learning process. On the other hand, it has been found that one of the teachers stands out from the other teachers due to the fact that the teacher makes the pupils understand the goals and the requirements of the school subject history in a more developed way than the other teachers in the study.

The purpose of the study is to investigate the formative assessment work in Swedish compulsory special school, for students who read focus subject. The questions are how special educators working with formative assessment in different ways, and how they make the knowledge requirements visible by artefacts as the use of image support, alternative communication, digital tools and more. Theoretical approach consists of previous research on formative assessment. Sociocultural perspective has been used to analyse the results. Qualitative methods in the form of five observations and five interviews were used for the collection of empirical data. Results show that educators are working consistently with formative assessment in different ways and that teacher’s give students feedback for learning forward. In the categories peer assessment and the visibility of the knowledge requirements, it appears on the basis that it appears less in teaching. The study's implications based on the results is to make visible the objectives for students and help them to their own development. It also contributes to further research on the importance of students with intellectual disabilities may need alternative individual adaptations for perceiving information and communication about learning objectives and criteria. The work of visible learning and make students involved in their own development becomes more complicated when the curriculum and syllabuses exist only as text documents. Teachers need to create own image support in the student's immediate environment to increase the possibility for communication about the student's knowledge of the formative process

Följande didaktiska studie har syftet att undersöka gymnasieelevers uppfattningar om svensklärares återkoppling i skrivprocessen. Förhoppningen med syftet är att urskilja eventuella utvecklingsmöjligheter inom formativ bedömning och skrivundervisning för svensklärare. Undersökningen har genomförts genom individuella intervjuer och fokusgruppsintervjuer med gymnasieelever, samt genom en enkät som har besvarats av gymnasieelever. En lärstrategi inom formativ bedömning om att ge effektiv återkoppling för att gynna lärandet appliceras på resultatet. Utöver det didaktiska perspektivet tillämpas även ett sociokulturellt perspektiv på skrivprocessen och återkopplingen, samt en teori om tre olika roller som lärare anses kunna inta när de ger återkoppling (Anson 1989). Resultatet visar att elevernas uppfattningar varierar, men majoriteten anser att återkoppling är viktigt för den egna utvecklingen och för att bli motiverad till fortsatt lärande. Återkopplingen förväntas innehålla information om vad som var bra i texten, vad som kan utvecklas i texten, hur de kan gå tillväga för att utveckla det samt nivå eller betyg. Förarbetet är den del i skrivprocessen som de flesta elever uppfattar som svårast. I likhet med tidigare forskning visar även resultatet att eleverna mestadels får återkoppling vid bedömning av den färdiga texten, samt att de skulle vilja ha återkoppling tidigare och arbeta med den i undervisningen. De önskar dessutom att få mer konkreta förslag på hur de ska kunna utvecklas. Det sociokulturella perspektivet visar att skrivundervisningen och det sociala mötet med läraren påverkar skribentens skrivutveckling i form av undervisningsinnehåll och möjlighet till muntlig återkoppling. Det finns även exempel i materialet som talar för alla tre olika roller kring lärares återkoppling. Baserat på elevuppfattningarna, och för att utveckla svensklärares formativa återkoppling, är slutsatserna för uppsatsen att svensklärare bör integrera återkopplingen mer i undervisningen och under skrivprocessen. I återkopplingen behöver de även fortsätta ge, eller börja att ge konkreta förslag på hur eleven ska gå tillväga för att utvecklas. / The following didactic study aims to investigate senior high school students' perception of Swedish teachers' feedback in the writing process. My purpose is to distinguish possible opportunities for improvement in formative assessment and writing teaching for Swedish teachers. A survey has been conducted through individual and focus group interviews with high school students, as well as a questionnaire that has been answered by high school students. A learning strategy in formative assessment of providing effective feedback to promote learning is applied to the result. In addition to the didactic perspective, a socio-cultural perspective is also applied to the writing process and feedback, as well as a theory of three different roles that teachers are considered to take when giving feedback (Anson 1989).  My result shows that the students' perceptions vary, but the majority believes that feedback is important for their own development and for staying motivated to continue learning. The feedback is expected to contain information on what was good in the student’s text, what can be improved in it and how to go about achieving this improvement, as well as information about the student’s level or grade. The preliminary work is the part of the writing process that most students perceive as the most difficult. As with previous research, the result also shows that the students receive the most feedback when assessing the finished text, and that they would like to receive feedback earlier on as well and work with it throughout the teaching. They also want more concrete suggestions on how they can improve. The socio-cultural perspective shows that both the writing instruction and social interactions with the teacher affect the writer's writing development in the form of teaching content and the possibility of oral feedback. There are also examples in the material that speak for all three different roles regarding teacher feedback. My conclusion is that in order to develop Swedish teachers’ formative feedback, they should integrate the feedback more into their teaching and during the writing process based on the student’s perceptions. In the feedback they also need to begin or continue to give concrete suggestions on how the student should proceed in order to improve.

En svensk skolkommuns ambitioner har varit att klättra på skolrankingen. Ett sätt att göra detta är att utforma ett kommunalt matematikprov för årskurs 5 i syfte att upptäcka kunskapsluckor i god tid innan det nationella provet i årskurs 6. Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur detta prov påverkar matematiklärarnas arbete. Detta har undersökts genom kvalitativa intervjuer av de berörda matematiklärarna. Svaren har analyserats utifrån den teoretiska utgångspunkten sociomatematiska normer. Vi har också analyserat det matematiska innehållet i ett arbetsmaterial som kommunen har uppmanat lärarna till att använda som förberedande material. Resultatet pekar på att matematiklärares arbete påverkas i hög grad av att huvudmannen anordnar ett centralstyrt matematikprov. Detta gäller det matematiska innehållet i deras undervisning och därmed de sociomatematiska normer som råder i klassrummen. Vår slutsats är att kommunens intention att påverka lärarnas arbete infrias, men hur det på längre sikt påverkar elevers kunskapsutveckling återstår att undersöka. / A Swedish school municipality's ambitions has been to climb the school rankings. One way of doing this is to design a test for fifth grade pupils in order to discover gaps in students mathematical understandning well ahead of the national tests in the sixth grade. The purpose of this study is to investigate how this test affects the work of mathematics teachers. This has been investigated through qualitative interviews of the involved mathematics teachers. The data have been analyzed based on the theoretical starting point of socio-mathematical norms. We have also analyzed the mathematical content that the municipality has recommended the teachers to use as preparatory material. The result indicates that the work of mathematics teachers is very much influenced by the fact that the municipality organizes a central-controlled mathematics test. This applies to the mathematical content of their teaching and the socio-mathematical norms prevailing in the classrooms. Our conclusion is that the municipality can influence and alter the teachers' work both inside and outside the math class.

Studien syftar till att belysa huruvida bedömning för lärande (BFL) har institutionaliserats bland lärarna på Lindängsgymnasiet efter ett genomfört skolutvecklingsprojekt. Den har också som mål att, med utgångspunkt i en teori om framgångsrik skolutveckling som utvecklats av Ulf Blossing, ta reda på vilka faktorer under initierings- och implementeringsfasen som kan ha varit avgörande för huruvida projektet nådde institutionaliseringsfasen eller inte. Studien syftar vidare till att klargöra om det finns skillnader mellan lärare som undervisar på yrkesförberedande program och lärare som undervisar på högskoleförberedande program samt mellan lärare som undervisar i karaktärsämnen och lärare som undervisar i allmänna ämnen när det gäller institutionaliseringen av BFL i undervisningen. Studiens ansats är kritiskt realistisk och består dels av en kvantitativ enkät, som besvarats av 58 lärare på Lindängsgymnasiet, och dels av en kvalitativ intervju med den förstelärare som fungerade som projektledare under skolutvecklingsprojektet. Enkätresultatet visar att BFL inte har institutionaliserats bland lärarna på Lindängsgymnasiet och analys av både enkätresultat och intervju gör gällande att förklaringarna står att finna i såväl initierings- som implementeringsfasen. För att ta reda på om det finns skillnader mellan lärare som undervisar på yrkesförberedande program och lärare som undervisar på studieförberedande program samt mellan lärare som undervisar i karaktärsämnen och allmänna ämnen användes Chi2-test, t-test och Mann-Whitney U-test. Resultaten av testen tyder inte på några skillnader mellan lärare som undervisar på yrkesförberedande och högskoleförberedande program när det gäller institutionaliseringen av BFL. Resultaten tyder dock på att lärare som undervisar på yrkesförberedande program i något större utsträckning upplever att de har förändrat sin undervisning beroende på BFL-projektets genomförande än lärare som undervisar på högskoleförberedande program. Testen visar inte på några skillnader mellan lärare som undervisar i karaktärs- respektive allmänna ämnen. Studien kan vara användbar för till exempel skolledare vid planering av utvecklingsarbete och kollegialt lärande, då studien bland annat pekar på vikten av en genomtänkt initieringsfas samt kontinuerlig medverkan av skolledare under ett skolutvecklingsprojekt. / This study aims to highlight whether assessment for learning (AFL) has become institutionalized among the teachers at Lindängsgymnasiet after a school improvement project. It also aims to investigate, based on a theory on successful school improvement developed by Ulf Blossing, what factors during the initiation and the implementation phase that may have been crucial for whether the project reached the institutionalization phase or not. The study further aims to clarify if there are differences between teachers who teach on vocational programs and teachers who teach on preparatory programs and between teachers who teach characteristic subjects and teachers who teach general subjects regarding the institutionalization of AFL in the classroom. The approach of the study is critical realistic and it consists of a quantitative survey, that was answered by 58 teachers at Lindängsgymnasiet. It also consists of a qualitative interview with the head teacher that had the role of project manager during the school improvement project. The results of the survey show that AFL has not been institutionalized among the teachers at Lindängsgymnasiet and analysis of both survey results and the interview claims that the explanations can be found in the initiation and implementation phase. In order to find out if there are differences between teachers who teach on vocational and teachers who teach on preparatory programs, and between teachers who teach characteristics and teachers who teach general subjects, Chi2 test, t-test and Mann-Whitney U test were used. The results of these tests do not indicate any differences between teachers who teach on vocational and on preparatory programs in the institutionalization of AFL. The results indicate that teachers who teach on vocational programs to a greater extent experience that they have changed their education due to the implementation of the AFL-project than teachers who teach on preparatory programs. The tests do not indicate any differences between teachers who teach characteristics and teachers who teach general subjects. The study can be useful for school leaders in planning of school improvement work and collaborative learning, as the study focuses on the importance of a well-considered initiation phase and continuous participation by school leaders during a school development project.

A Educação a Distância tem como característica principal a separação temporal e espacial entre professor e aprendiz. Visando a aplicação de um ensino mais individualizado, esta pesquisa permitiu desenvolver um curso online de matemática financeira usando HP-12c, o qual contemplou o desenvolvimento, a implementação e a avaliação de um feedback personalizado, tempestivo e com qualidade. O curso foi baseado no modelo de design instrucional ILDF (Integrative Learning Design Framework) online, na avaliação formativa, nas teorias de aprendizagem (behaviourism, cognitivism e socio-constructivism) e no communal knowledge, que defende o fato de que os alunos novos podem aprender com as experiências dos alunos anteriores. O modelo ILDF online contempla três aspectos importantes para a elaboração de cursos a distância: modelo pedagógico, estratégias instrucionais e tecnologias instrucionais. A fim de facilitar a implantação das tecnologias instrucionais selecionadas, o Moodle© foi o ambiente virtual de aprendizagem escolhido. A metodologia utilizada neste estudo foi desenvolvida em duas fases: desenvolvimento e implementação do feedback e avaliação do feedback, na qual foi feito um acompanhamento dos alunos pertencentes à amostra pesquisada (grupo de alunos graduandos, pós-graduandos e profissionais da área financeira) através da coleta dos respectivos dados gerados acerca das atividades disponíveis no ambiente. O feedback também foi avaliado de acordo com as respostas dos alunos em uma entrevista realizada. A Educação a Distância mostrou um potencial significativo para que os cursos online sejam planejados e desenvolvidos de forma a alcançarem o objetivo do processo de ensino-aprendizagem. Para o exemplo utilizado neste estudo, 66% dos estudantes foram ajudados pelo feedback e, entre todos eles, 84% obtiveram evolução na avaliação somativa em relação à avaliação diagnóstica. Segundo os números demonstrados e os depoimentos dos alunos, este trabalho permitiu concluir que a aplicação do feedback demonstrou um grande potencial para a efetivação do aprendizado. / Distance Education has as main feature a temporal and a spatial separation between teacher and learner. Aim to achieve a more individualized education, this research allowed develop an online course of financial math using HP-12c. The course contemplated development, implementation and evaluation of a customized, tempestive and quality feedback. The course was based on instructional design model called ILDF (Integrative Learning Design Framework)online, on formative assessment, on learning theories (behaviourism, cognitivism and socio-constructivism) and on communal knowledge, which believe that the new students maybe learn more with experiences from old students. The ILDF online model covers three important issues to elaborate a distance course: pedagogic model, instructional strategies and instructional technologies. The Moodle© was used as a learning management system to make easier to apply the instructional technologies chosen. The methodology used in this research was developed in two stagies: development and implementation of feedback and evaluation of feedback. On this last stage was done a monitoring of students who were included in the students group used in this research (undergraduate and post-graduate students and financial professionals). The monitoring was done by data collect generated by the activities available on the LMS. The feedback was also evaluated by data collected in interviews with the students. The Distance Education showed an important potential to ensure that the online courses to be planned and developed in the way to achieve the teaching-learning process goal. On the study case shown in this research, 66% of students was supported by feedback and, between all of them, 84% obtained improvement on the somative evaluation in comparison with diagnostic evaluation. In accordance with the result shown and the testimony of students, this research allowed to conclude that the use of feedback showed great potential to ensure that learning can be effective.