The assessment procedures utilised in first year Geography modules at the University of Natal Durban were critically reviewed. This revealed a rather narrow approach with an emphasis on summative assessment, limited feedback and a hidden assessment agenda with no student involvement. It was recognised that this traditional approach encouraged a surface approach to learning. In order to broaden the range of assessment procedures available to the students and to improve upon the assessment practice in general, peer and self-assessment exercises were incorporated into a first year module (Environmental Geography I) during this study. It was felt that by participating in peer and self-review exercises, students' self-reflective skills could be developed in order to equip them to become life-long learners. The main aim of the study was to integrate assessment with learning and to determine whether active involvement in the assessment process provided insight into the process and positively influenced students' motivation, attitude and approach to learning. The study, which was conducted over a two-year period using an action research approach, revolved mainly around an essay test students wrote a few weeks into the module. During tutorials prior to the test students were introduced to the skill of essay writing and the concept of criteria by which essays could be assessed. After the test, using a criteria sheet and model answer, students were expected to mark (Le. provide both written feedback as well as a grade) both an essay of an anonymous ' peer' as well as their own test essay. The lecturer subsequently marked the test as well as the actual assessment done by the students. Quantitative comparisons of student-awarded grades and lecturer-awarded grades, as well as a qualitative analysis of student and lecturer feedback during the process, and comments from the evaluations, revealed some general trends from both iterations: • Students showed increased insight into the process of self-assessment with practice. • Good students tended to under-estimate, poor students over-estimate grades. • Students were critical when marking an anonymous peer. • Students tended to be less critical when marking themselves. • Students battled with understanding/implementing certain criteria. • Students found it hard to separate out content from structure and style in an essay. • Students generally saw credit and value in the process of self-assessment. • Students were generally positive about the process of self-assessment • Students were rely-ctant to engage in the process of self-assessment on a more regular basis • Students felt the feedback comments from the lecturer on the self-assessment were the most valuable learning exercise. A large part of the success of the study was that, through integrating assessment in the learning process, students were able to be more critical of their own work. This in turn should pave the way for them being able to work in more self-reflective and independent ways in the future. Furthermore, the study served to open up dialogue with students with respect to our teaching and their learning. By participating in the peer and self-review process they became more aware of the "hidden" aspects of the curriculum. Students appear to have acquired an awareness of the value of criteria in assessment and were able to apply them to some degree in their own context. In general, students felt they had a beneficial experience in peer and self-assessment. The study highlighted a number of issues that need addressing. Firstly, there was a large gap between lecturer expectations in a written answer and what the students felt was acceptable. In particular, students had problems with being able to discriminate and internalise certain criteria such as relevance of information' and in general resorted to what has been tenned the 'shotgun ' approach when providing answers. It is recognised that interpretation of such gaps in understanding have social, cultural and political contexts. Secondly. the actual awarding of grades was an intimidating process for many students and should be done in a less threatening way in the future. Thirdly from a personal point of view, it is recognised that it requires not only a high level of critical reflection but also active engagement and discipline to make necessary changes in an action research process. A conceptual framework in which traditional and educational forms of assessment are represented as two extremes of a continuum of student-lecturer involvement, is presented. This helps to locate the present study and provides direction for future assessment studies in which student learning is the central focus. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal,Durban, 2001.

The purpose of this study was to explore student self-assessment in a reading methods class. The study is the result of my interest in alternative assessment practices in teacher education; specifically, I am searching for ways to eliminate the barriers often found in traditional assessment that inhibit constructive relationships between student learning and assessment processes. I selected an ethnographic method to capture the meaning of student self-assessment as the instructor and the preservice teachers were living the experience. Primary data collection sources included a survey questionnaire, interviews, field notes, various site artifacts and journals. All data were transcribed and coded for themes. The results of the study illustrate how the instructor's approach to student self-assessment is important as it represents the conditions and context necessary to promote student self-assessment. The instructor's approach consists of five properties: class climate and management, small group work, task approach, theory and practice, and student assessment. The way the preservice teachers managed and responded to student self-assessment is delineated in the section on the students’ approach to student self-assessment. Their approach is defined by four properties: participating in small group work, engaging in ambiguous tasks, receiving and giving feedback, and reporting self-assessment. Finally, the study presents the factors influencing student self-assessment and a model of a democratic approach to student self-assessment practiced in the class. The conclusions of this study suggest that the students’ approach to self-assessment is linked to the instructor's approach in a complex way. The instructor's approach in the reading methods class creates the context in which the preservice teachers integrated the methods class and their field-placement experience, engaged in critical inquiry, generated the criteria for their work, received and gave feedback, revised their work, analyzed their work and participated in a democratic learning environment. The interpretations of this study imply that the alternative assessment practices used in the reading methods class studied represent one way to promote professional learning, since it enhanced the preservice teachers' becoming empowered, informed decision-makers, and independent learners. / Ph. D.

University of Macau / Faculty of Education

published_or_final_version / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics

published_or_final_version / Language Studies / Master / Master of Arts

Assessment is the single most powerful influence on student learning, and if it is not designed well, it can easily undermine the positive academic benefits of our teaching and learning. It is therefore important to regularly review and reflect on our teaching, learning, and assessment, especially, conventional individualistic conceptions of assessment practices taken for granted in institutions of higher learning. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether involving students in assessment practices in higher education would help them acquire some understanding of how assessment and grading work, thereby influencing their approaches to learning. Self and peer assessment are used in this study as instructional strategies to support student learning, and are integrated into essay-writing, one of the conventional methods of assessment used in an academic course. The objective was to evaluate the impact of self and peer assessment on students’ learning. The study’s rationale was to involve students in the assessment of their own work and work of others in order to improve substantive acquisition of subject knowledge and understanding, thereby improving their academic performance and achievement. Qualitative data were collected using mainly questionnaires and interviews to solicit students’ perceptions about the impact of self and peer assessment. Quantitative data were used to supplement and complement the questionnaire and interviews methods. Results showed that in the initial involvement in assessment practice students demonstrated inexperience, uncertainty, and deficiency in assessing. There was observable overmarking and undermarking in self and peer assessment, respectively. However, the research study indicated that there were some academic benefits if students are involved in assessment practice over time. There was an overall approval and appreciation of self and peer assessment by students. Furthermore, self and peer assessment promoted interactive, collaborative and cooperative learning among students as opposed to competitiveness. Given the small-scale nature of this research study, there was limited improvement in the development of assessment skills, but a marked improvement in writing an essay. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.

The aim of the research reported in this document was to explore the ways in which first year Journalism students at a South African University construct themselves as learners. The research adopted a case study approach of purposively selected first year journalism students. In exploring this area, focus group and individual in-depth interviewing were employed which illuminated important aspects of learner identity construction. In order to make sense of these self-constructions, the research was located in the larger debates on discourse as espoused by Michel Foucault who argues that discourse constructs subjectivities. The research demonstrated that there were various discourses at play which influenced how these learners spoke and behaved. The influence of these discourses on learners' experiences varied at different times of the year. For example, the awarding of the Duly Performed (DP) certificate for students who met the minimum attendance and work requirements of a particular course, the giving of tests, exercises and examinations were some of the technologies that 'forced' students into compliance. In terms of identity formation, the heterogeneous nature of 'being' a journalism 'student' revealed that the different discourses at play influenced learner behaviour and that their identities continued to change over the year. Doing additional subjects such as Sociology, Drama, Art History and others at the same time as Journalism and Media Studies also meant that the learners had to negotiate the differing role requirements.

The problem with which this investigation is concerned is that of determining perceived attitudes of self-concept of educationally disadvantaged students in special vocational environments, other vocational students, and academic students as measured by the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale. The hypotheses formulated to carry out this study included: 1. There is no significant difference in the mean attitude self-concept score of vocational education students, academic students, and educationally disadvantaged students (CVAE) as measured by the Piers-Harris ChildrenIs SelfConcept Scale. 2. There is no significant difference in the mean attitude self-concept scores as measured by the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale between vocational education students, academic students, and CVAE students and number of years of placement in a vocational program, academic program and CVAE program. The Piers-Harris Children1s Self-Concept Scale was administered to 311 students from the CVAE, vocational, and academic programs in the Birdville Independent School District, Fort Worth, Texas and Denton Independent School District, Denton, Texas.

published_or_final_version / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics

The purpose of this project is to develop a domestic violence consciousness raising-education program and a self-administered risk assessment for a population of community college nursing students. When the faculty became aware that attrition rates were rising and that a high number of requests to drop out of nursing school were disproportionately linked to recent incidences of domestic violence, a potential contributing cause of the high drop out rate was revealed.