Background: Self-assessment is widely used across the health professions for a variety of purposes, including appraisal, CPD and revalidation. Despite numerous reported short-comings, the use of self-assessment is increasing, frequently on the requirements of regulatory bodies. Traditionally it has been a paper exercise, but in recent years self-assessment has appeared in electronic portfolios – a medium often used to collate assessments and other educational requirements. This thesis evaluates the effectiveness of self-assessment, in particular delivered via an e-portfolio, to determine if it: ? Improves the accuracy of perception of learning needs ? Promotes appropriate change in learner activity ? Improves clinical practice Methods: This thesis is comprised of two systematic reviews and a case study. The first of two systematic reviews examines the evidence for effectiveness of self-assessment in the three research questions. The second evaluates the effectiveness of portfolios as a medium for postgraduate healthcare education. Both reviews are notable in that they employ systematic review methodology on non-clinical questions and amalgamate quantitative and qualitative data. The final research component is an exploratory case study that tests the questions against a large data set (an entire training year of Scottish Foundation doctors) collated by the NHS ePortfolio. The case study provided the opportunity to separate groups of self-assessors identified by the literature, and compare the groups’ self-scores against those of their supervisors and peers in the first and final post rotations; additionally, the groups’ behaviour was matched against the literature for related educational activities recorded by the ePortfolio such as personal development planning. The case study also allowed the medium of e-portfolios to be itself evaluated in practice as an educational infrastructure. Through the comprehensive and iterative examination of the large dataset it became apparent that quantitative analysis was of limited value and qualitative analysis of elicited the richness on the data in context. Results: With both reviews, the original research questions were unable to be fully answered due to the paucity of evidence of sufficient quality; however, both did discover relevant related evidence. The self-assessment review found competent practitioners are the best able to self-assess whilst the least competent are the least able to self-assess. Peer assessment was found to be more accurate than self and better aligns with faculty/supervisor assessment. Feedback and benchmarking can improve self-assessment accuracy, especially for the most competent, and video can be seen to enhance this. There is no conclusive evidence that gender or culture effect self-assessment ability. Practical skills are better self-assessed than knowledge-based or “soft” skills. The portfolio review found summative assessment reliability improved with multiple raters and discussion between the raters. Evidence on whether portfolio use aided reflection was mixed, possibly because it was dependent on individual conditions. The engagement and support of supervisors is key to portfolios being used properly, and there is some evidence portfolio learners are less passive then non-users. The time required to effectively use a portfolio is rarely considered. Although many of the literature’s findings were born out by the case study, the data also revealed (often by omission) many flaws in the use of self-assessment and related activities, many of which can be ascribed to the training year examined Much of the qualitative examination of text corresponded with the wider literature with low self-raters being over-critical of their often superior skills and high self-raters being over confident. However, there was some dissonance with the literature in the final component in that supervisor scoring conflicted with expectations whilst there text comments continued to match the literature. Conclusions: Assessment in post-graduate health care is high stakes and resource-intensive. Self-assessment, and its use within an electronic portfolio, is demonstrated to have enormous potential if properly implemented.

This qualitative study identified the strategies that secondary French teachers use in their classroom to show students that they have made progress in their learning. Six teachers participated in this study. Data were collected from interviews, class observations, and artifacts used by the teachers. The findings suggest that teachers use a variety of strategies to help their students to know that they have made progress. These strategies include various forms of formative assessments, self-assessments, and self-reflections. The findings reveal that teachers choose to use these strategies because they are able to help their students develop characteristics of autonomous learners.

A self-study at a local elementary school revealed that homework assignments appeared to be at lower levels of Bloom’s taxonomy, and students were inadequately prepared for summative assessments that required the application and critical thinking levels of Bloom’s taxonomy. Formative assessment data, ideally, drives teachers’ instructional decisions in the classroom. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to better understand the formative assessment processes that drive instructional decision making. The conceptual framework by Chappuis and influenced by Black and Wiliam includes the strategic process for successful formative assessment teaching and learning. The research questions explored the use of homework as a formative assessment in classrooms. In this intrinsic case study, data collection included face to face interviews with 10 general education Grade 3-5 teachers in 2 different schools within the same, a 2- week document analysis of homework assigned in language arts and mathematics, and a focus group of participants. The data were analyzed with open coding followed by axial coding to determine themes. Member checking and triangulation were used to ensure validity and accuracy. The themes that emerged from the coded data identified ineffective teacher use of feedback, self-assessment, and learning targets—essential practices of the formative assessment process. Improving the formative assessment process for teaching and learning may encourage positive social change through promoting teacher selfefficacy and collaboration through a professional development paired with a professional learning community. This study may also lead teachers to change their formative assessment processes and provide guided instruction that enhances student learning outcomes.

This study involved administering two rating forms (student self-rating on commitment and student rating of teacher rapport) to approximately 1,400 secondary students taught by 12 different teachers at two different high school Latter-day Saint (LDS) released time seminaries along the Wasatch Front in Utah. Seminaries and Institutes of Religion (S&I) function within the Church Educational System (CES) of the LDS Church, providing religious education for secondary students between the ages of 14-18. The purpose of this study was to explore relationships between student, teacher, and course characteristics on student ratings of teacher rapport and to explore a possible relationship between student self-assessments on their own commitment to learning with student ratings on their rapport with their teacher. Evidence suggests that teacher characteristics such as the teacher's age and experience have little to no impact on student ratings of teacher rapport. Female students tended to rate their teacher more favorably on rapport than male students, although practical significance was minimal. Younger students reported greater interest in seminary and higher-grade expectancy. They also tended to rate themselves higher on commitment. A statistically significant difference was found for teacher rapport scores between two groups based on the order of test administration. Group 1--self-first (student self-rating before student rating of teacher rapport) reported higher levels of rapport than group 2--comparison (student rating of teacher rapport prior to student self-rating). Students tended to rate their teacher more favorably after completing a self-rating on commitment. Practical significance between study groups was minimal because findings were small. Further research is suggested based on these findings to seek more understanding regarding the relationship between student self-evaluations and student ratings of their teacher.

Research into learner autonomy has confirmed the importance of learner competencies such as effective strategy use, goal setting and planning, maintaining motivation, and the ability to reflect and self-evaluate to the development of autonomy. The introduction of key competency frameworks to develop learner autonomy has been a focus of recent curriculum development from primary through to tertiary levels in the New Zealand education system. However, facilitating and managing the development of these learning competencies in a programme of study that has a number of different papers and staff, can be problematic. The learning portfolio is emerging as a possible medium to provide the required framework. This study investigated the effectiveness of an ePortolio in enhancing learner autonomy in the context of a language learning programme. The aim of this study was to gain insight from a student perspective into the usfulness of ePortfolios as a tool to enhance student learning. Investigating learner autonomy and the development of self-reflection resulting from the use of ePortfolios was the main focus of the study. It also examined some of the practicalities of using an ePortfolio to develop the desired learner competencies, and discussed whether an ePortfolio provides an effective framework to record, monitor and provide feedback to students. The results of the study reinforce the findings of previous studies in that there are benefits of ePortfolios as they encourage reflection. ePortfolios also have the potential to support the reflective process by making learning outcomes visible and they promote goal-setting. However, despite these apparent benefits, the findings suggest that there are many challenges, which have the potential to negatively influence its effectiveness. The ePortfolio in this study was used with varying degrees of success. The findings have raised several issues regarding the introduction of an ePortfolio. The time it takes for teachers to give individual feedback and maintain an adequate level of feedback throughout the semester was one major challenge. The extent to which learners need to be trained in the purpose of the ePortfolio and its link to reflection and developing autonomy was another issue that was raised. In addition, getting students to reflect on their learning holistically also proved to be problematic. Overall however, findings as to the effectiveness of the ePortfolio in promoting autonomous learning appear promising, but they have highlighted the need to make changes to the ePortfolio itself. Its integration into the curriculum needs to be reconsidered to maximize its use and gain maximum benefit.

The purpose of this essay is to discover what Formative Assessment is used for in practice and also how teachers use the Curriculum for elementary school, preschool and after-school activity 2011 (Lgr 11) in their Formative Assessment work. The questions are as follows: What considerations do teachers take into account when assessing a student? How do teachers view assessment for learning? How do the teachers consider formative assessment works in relation to Lgr 11? I have used a qualitative research method to answer my questions. I have interviewed five teachers regarding their view on and experience with assessment. Using a hermeneutic approach I have tried to retrieve a deeper meaning from my interviewees regarding formative assessment. I have approached formative assessment using the socio-cultural perspective because I believe it to be the best fit. All of the informants believe formative assessment has made it easier to assess students and also that it works very well together with Lgr 11. A well done and effective formative assessment is always according to the teachers in the study based in the dialog and interaction with the student with-in the socio-cultural integration. The interaction between teacher and student is central to the success of his/her education. Through communication the teacher helps the student to understand abstract concepts and connect them to their earlier experiences. Especially during the earlier school years where the teachers seem to be more reluctant towards giving out a written grade.

Organizations benefit from the use of training and performance assessments. Self-assessment is a way for trainees to monitor their progress throughout training and on the job. The literature indicates that ambiguity and skill level are factors that impact the accuracy of self-assessments. Previously, the effect of the interaction of ambiguity and skill level on self-assessment accuracy had not been investigated. The present study assessed the effect of skill level and item ambiguity on the accuracy of self-assessments made by Lieutenants and Captains in the U. S. Army. The results indicated that increased skill level resulted in increased accuracy of self-assessments while ambiguity had no effect. Counter to the hypothesis, as items became more ambiguous, both Captains and Lieutenants self-assessed more accurately. Implications and limitations are discussed, along with recommendations for future research.

Visos mokyklos rūpinasi savo darbo rezultatais, jaukios aplinkos kūrimu, veiklos tobulinimu. Atliktą pažangą mokykloje reikia įvertinti ir pagrįsti veiklos kokybės svarbą, siekiant tobulėjimo. Veiklos kokybės įsivertinimas yra neatsiejama kokybės valdymo dalis. Įsivertinimui kiekviena mokykla kartu su visa bendruomene turi atrasti geriausius tinkamiausius veiklos kokybės vertinimo būdus. Atsižvelgiant į šios temos aktualumą iškeltas tyrimo tikslas - Nustatyti mokyklos veiklos kokybės įsivertinimo svarbą, siekiant mokyklos tobulėjimo. Tyrimo objektu laikoma - bendrojo lavinimo mokyklos veiklos kokybės įsivertinimo svarba. Tyrimui iškelti uždaviniai: išanalizuoti mokyklos veiklos kokybės įsivertinimo sampratą; pagrįsti mokyklos veiklos kokybės įsivertinimo svarbą mokyklos tobulėjimui; nustatyti mokyklos veiklos kokybės įsivertinimo svarbą, siekiant mokyklos tobulėjimo. Darbe naudojami metodai: mokslinės literatūros ir dokumentų apžvalgos analizė; anketinė apklausa; statistinė duomenų analizė. Tyrimo metodologija: kiekybinis, lyginamasis tyrimas. Nustatant mokyklos veiklos kokybės įsivertinimo svarbą, siekiant mokyklos tobulėjimo, atliktas kiekybinis lyginamasis tyrimas. Išsiaiškinta mokytojų nuomonė apie veiklos kokybės įsivertinimo svarbą, duomenys palyginti su su LR Švietimo ir mokslo ministerijos ir Šiaulių universiteto socialinio tyrimų mokslinio centro atliktu 2008m tyrimo „Mokyklų vadovų ir mokytojų nuomonė bei nuostatos apie vidaus audito paskirtį ir organizavimą“... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Each school strives to improve the results of their work, to create a comfortable environment, and to advance their operations. The achieved progress needs to be assessed, and the importance of the operations quality needs to be justified, when seeking improvement. Self-assessment of operations quality is an integral part of the quality management. Each school, in coordination with the entire community, has to find the best and most appropriate methods to carry out the said self-assessment. With regard to the relevance of the present topic, the objective of the research is defined as: determination of the importance of self-assessment for schools with the aim of improving school operations quality. The research object is: importance of the self-assessment in the aspect of a secondary school operations quality. Tasks of the research: to analyse the concept of the operations quality self-assessment for a secondary school; to justify the importance of the operations quality self-assessment for a secondary school in the context of the school improvement process; to determine the importance of the operations quality self-assessment for a secondary school for the school improvement commitment. Methods used in research: analysis of the scientific literature and documentation review; statistic data analysis. Research methodology: quantitative, comparative survey. A quantitative comparative survey was carried out in order to determine the importance of the school operations quality... [to full text]

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of cooperative learning as a rehearsal technique on high school full-band performance compared to traditional rehearsal methods. Two intact high school bands from the same Kentucky Music Educators Association District participated in the study. One band served as the treatment group using cooperative learning rehearsal techniques and the other group served as the control group using traditional rehearsal methods in a quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group design. The study spanned six weeks in which both schools prepared the same performance piece, Variants by Jack Bullock. The groups were pre-tested using a recording of their recent Kentucky Music Educators Association (KMEA) concert festival performance to ensure no statistically significant difference existed in performance ability. The bands rehearsed the study piece for 15-20 minutes two times per week for a total of 12 rehearsals. The bands were also asked to play a researcher-composed warm-up prior to each rehearsal of the performance piece. At the end of the study, the groups recorded final performances of the piece and the warm-up. The full-band performances were measured using the Performance Evaluation Form. Recordings of all tests were sent to four independent judges for evaluation. Statistically significant differences were found between the two groups on both post-test recordings, with the treatment group scoring higher than the control group. Additionally, the within-group comparisons resulted in statistically significant differences for both groups. The treatment group scored higher on the study piece than the pre-test while the control group scored lower on the study piece than their pre-test. Descriptive and qualitative data were gathered on student self-assessment of performance and the implementation of cooperative learning into high school band. Results indicate that students in the cooperative learning treatment group varied greatly in ability to self-assess and that those abilities progressed over time. Students also engaged in the learning activities in a variety of ways. Factors that must be taken into consideration when implementing cooperative learning in a high school ensemble include the structure of the cooperative activities, the role of the band director, and the usage of time.

2011 führten wir eine Studie zur vergleichenden Selbsteinschätzung als Methode der Lehrevaluation durch. Die Studie bestand aus zwei Anteilen – Fokusgruppengesprächen als qualitativem und Befragungen der Studenten als quantitativem Anteil. Die Befragungen beinhalteten sowohl Selbsteinschätzungen als auch formative Testate vor und nach Absolvierung der Lehrveranstaltungen. Zunächst wurde untersucht welchen Stellenwert die Evaluation für die Studierenden hat. Es stellte sich außerdem die Frage ob ein paarweiser Vergleich studentischer Selbsteinschätzungen andere Ergebnisse als die Kalkulation des Lernzuwachses aus den Mittelwerten einer gesamten Studentenkohorte liefert. Weiterhin sollte gezeigt werden ob sich die Ergebnisse bei prospektiver Datenerhebung im Gegensatz zu retrospektiver Erhebung des initialen Leistungsstands ändern. Die Anzahl der pro Modul abzufragenden Lernziele, mit denen reliable Berechnungen möglich sind, sollten ermittelt werden. Außerdem war unklar ob das Ergebnis der vergleichenden Selbsteinschätzung durch psychometrische Größen wie das Selbstwertgefühl beeinflusst wird. Es stellte sich die Frage nach einer akzeptablen Kriteriumsvalidität. Zuletzt sollte, wenn möglich, ein Cut-Off-Wert für die Unterscheidung erfolgreich und erfolglos gelehrter Inhalte definiert werden. Der Stellenwert der Evaluation wurde von den Studierenden, die an den Fokusgruppengesprächen teilgenommen haben, als sehr hoch eingestuft. Zudem wurde der Lernzuwachs als wichtiges Kriterium in der Lehrevaluation identifiziert. Die group-level-Analyse bot gegenüber der individual-level-Analyse deutliche Vorteile. Die breite Streuung der Korrelationskoeffizienten zwischen subjektiven und objektiven individuellen Lernzuwachsberechnungen wies auf die Nachteile der individuellen Berechnung hin. Der Vergleich der prospektiven mit der retrospektiven Erhebung des Leistungsstandes zu Modulbeginn zeigte keine relevanten Unterschiede. Bei Einschluss von 39 Lernzielen lag die Schwankungsbreite bei unter 10%. Ein Einfluss des Selbstwertgefühls auf die vergleichende Selbsteinschätzung konnte nicht bestätigt werden. Die Studie gab Hinweise auf eine akzeptable Kriteriumsvalidität des Evaluationsinstruments. Der Cut-Off-Wert für die Unterscheidung von erfolglos und erfolgreich gelehrten Inhalten konnte für die aggregierten Selbsteinschätzungen (sALZ) bei 54,7% ermittelt werden.