This study investigates teachers’ perceptions about the value of peer and self-assessment as tools for enhancing EFL writing in the context of upper-secondary education in Sweden. In addition, this study examines the relationship between teachers’ beliefs, knowledge of the methods, and their reported teaching practices. Based on teachers’ comments, this paper identifies the ways in which peer and self-assessment can be effectively implemented in EFL classrooms. A mixed-methods approach was used in the study. Three qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted. The interviews were complemented with a questionnaire survey in order to check the generality of the interview findings. Through a process of triangulation, the datasets obtained from the questionnaires and interviews were analysed and interpreted in light of theory and recent research on peer and self-assessment. Results show that these teaching and learning tools are appreciated by teachers as a way to enhance learning in relation to EFL writing. However, the investigation showed significant inconsistencies regarding teachers’ usage of the method. The results obtained showed that, in order for these practices to be effective, careful training is needed. Moreover, in order to provide proper training for their students, teachers themselves need to understand the value of the tools, and to be trained in how to effectively implement them. Therefore, the study concluded that information about peer and self-assessment should be included in teacher education and in-service training in Sweden.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between students'achievement level and the validity of students' self-assessments in the coursesocial studies. The students were divided into two achievement groups,low-achiever and high-achiever. Low achievers were students with the grade F-Din the subject of social science and high achievers were students with the gradeC-A in the subject of social science. The students had to do a test which they thenhad to self-assess. The questions on the test were divided into three abilities;factual knowledge, understanding and skill. The students did threeself-assessments, one for each ability. The study found that there is a positivecorrelation between the students' level of achievement and the validity of theself-assessments. This was in line with previous research (Yao-Ting, 2010). Thelow achieving students overestimated an average of 0.7 grade points compared tothe high achievers who overestimated an average of 0.3. The study saw a certaindifference in the validity of self-assessments depending on ability, factualknowledge was the ability that the students overestimated themselves most.

Digital tools are being implemented in every area of society. Digital healthcare, or E-health, is an area that is increasing in popularity with various mobile applications and online services available. Entergate, a company based in Halmstad, has developed a service called EnterMedic. It is a cloud service that collects data from patients through online questionnaires. Once submitted, the service can directly forward data from these questionnaires to patient journals. EnterMedic also helps researchers with data to develop effective work methods in healthcare. The service was however limited to the web. This thesis consists of developing a mobile version of the service as it is more convenient to use compared to a web-based one and research contributing to what E-health applications can be used for. Interactivity is a desired feature for applications. EnterMedic will provide the users with feedback after questionnaire submissions, to help them track their state of health. / Digitala verktyg blir implementerade i alla områden av samhället. Digital hälsovård, eller E-hälsa, är ett område som ökar i populäritet med olika mobiltelefon applikationer och on-line tjänster tillgängliga. Entergate, ett företag baserat i Halmstad, har utvecklat en tjänst som heter EnterMedic. Det ar en moln-tjänst som samlar data från patienter genom online formulär. När dessa skickas in kan tjänsten direkt vidarebefodra datan från formulären till patient journaler. EnterMedic hjälper även forskare med data för att utveckla mer effektiva arbetsmetoder inom hälsovården. Tjänsten är dock begränsad till webben. Det här examensarbetet består av att utveckla en mobil version av tjänsten då det är mer bekvämt att använda jämfört med en webb-baserad tjänst och forskning som bidrar till vad E-hälsa applikationer kan användas för. Interaktivitet är en önskad funktion för applikationer. EnterMedic kommer förse användare med återkoppling efter att ett formulär har skickats in, som i sin tur hjälper dem följa sitt hälsotillstånd.

No description available.

Thinking Skills has, since its conception as a teachable subject, been difficult to assess due to lack of a universal definition of Thinking Skills. McMahon (1999) warns that the chosen strategy for assessing Thinking Skills must itself promote and reward thinking skills. Self- and Peer- assessment are the methods of assessment proposed by Costa and Kallick (2000) for the assessment of their Thinking Skills programme, Habits of Mind. This study investigates the diversity of perceptions which can be generated through self-, peer- and teacher-assessment, and how a balance can be struck between them through incorporating dialogue into assessment. 12 Grade 8 learners who study Habits of Mind as a school subject in a South African all-girls' private school participated in 4 assessment tasks. For each task, participants were assessed by a peer, a teacher and themselves. After each task, all participants reflected on the rubrics from all three assessors. Participants in this study demonstrated more extensive learning across Anderson's (2010) Dimensions of Growth when they engaged in reflective dialogue compared to when they engaged in written reflections. Through dialogue, learners were empowered as role-players in their own assessment and became able to shift their own perspective to include the perspectives of others. Dialogical Assessment also facilitated the development of meta-cognition in participants.

Purpose: The aim was to investigate whether the degree of self-rated physical activity level correlates with self-rated swelling as a symptom of lymphedema in women treated for breast cancer. Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women and subsequent lymphedema related to radiotherapy and surgery of tumors is one of the most common complications after treatment. Regular physical activity has shown different effects for these patients during and after treatment, as it can affect later side effects. Method: A quantitative cross-sectional study. The participants were women with a diagnosis of breast cancer who had undergone radiotherapy and surgery, who were 18 years or older, could communicate in writing in Swedish and who had provided data for the two current study questions about physical activity level and swelling degree. Their self-assessed physical activity level and lymphedema level were estimated using a questionnaire answered by patients at four different Swedish oncology clinics. The data that was used was collected from a previously conducted study where two questions from that questionnaire was analyzed.  Results: The main finding showed that there was little or no correlation between the women's physical activity level and swelling as a symptom of lymphedema. Conclusion: About a quarter of the participants had some form of swelling. After analysis, it resulted in a small positive correlation indicating that the physical activity has little or no relationship with the women´s degree of swelling. The relationship between physical activity and swelling as a symptom of lymphedema needs further research. / Syfte: Syftet var att undersöka om graden av självskattad fysisk aktivitetsnivå korrelerade med självskattad svullnad som ett symptom på lymfödem hos kvinnor som behandlats för bröstcancer. Introduktion: Bröstcancer är den vanligaste cancerformen hos kvinnor och efterföljande lymfödem relaterat till strålbehandling och operation av tumörer är en av det vanligaste komplikationerna efter genomgången behandling. Regelbunden fysisk aktivitet har visats på olika effekter för dessa patienter under och efter behandling, då det kan påverka senare biverkningar.  Metod: En kvantitativ tvärsnittsstudie. Deltagarna var kvinnor med en bröstcancerdiagnos som genomgått strålbehandling och operation, som var 18 år eller äldre, kunde kommunicera skriftligt på svenska och som hade lämnat data till de två aktuella studiefrågorna om fysisk aktivitetsnivå och svullnadsgrad. Deras självskattade fysiska aktivitetsnivå och lymfödemnivå skattades med hjälp av en enkät som besvarades av patienter på fyra olika svenska onkologiska kliniker. Den data som användes fanns insamlad från en tidigare utförd studie där två frågor från det frågeformuläret analyserades. Huvudresultat: Det huvudsakliga fyndet visade att det fanns en liten eller obefintlig korrelation mellan kvinnornas fysiska aktivitetsnivå och svullnad som symtom på lymfödem. Slutsats: Cirka en fjärdedel av deltagarna hade någon form av svullnad. Efter analys resulterade det i en liten positiv korrelation som indikerade att den fysiska aktiviteten har ett litet eller obefintligt samband med kvinnornas svullnadsgrad. Relationen mellan fysisk aktivitet och svullnad som symtom på lymfödem behöver ytterligare forskning.

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As the learning outcomes movement gains strength, the need to effectively measure learning outcomes becomes more important. This study looked at the effectiveness of self-reported mastery in measuring learning outcomes by examining the correlations between (a) self-reported mastery, (b) self-reported gains, and (c) objective measures of learning outcomes. The objective measures of learning outcomes were final exams for two classes, Calculus (consisting of two forms) and Statistics. The self-reported mastery and self-reported gains items were taken from the pilot student ratings form and the old student ratings form. A total of 848 undergraduate students completed the final exam and the two student ratings forms. The summed total of the self-reported mastery items correlated at a medium strength with objective measures of learning outcomes (Calculus Form A: r = .436; Calculus Form B: r = .361; Statistics: r = .416). The relationship between self-reported gains and objective measures of learning outcomes was weaker than that of self-reported mastery and objective measures of learning outcomes (a difference of .276 for Calculus Form A, .138 for Calculus Form B, .110 for Statistics). The relationship between self-reported gains and self-reported mastery was stronger than the other two relationships (Calculus Form A: r = .473, Calculus Form B: r = .500, Statistics: r = .628). A confirmatory factor analysis produced even stronger relationships between the three latent variables, including differences between the two forms of the Calculus exam. Self-reported mastery may be more effective at measuring objective measures of learning outcomes than self-reported gains, but self-reported mastery cannot completely serve as a proxy for objective measures of learning outcomes. Administrators or researchers measuring learning outcomes on a large scale may benefit by administering self-reported mastery items instead of self-reported gains items.

This action research thesis was performed to explore the research questions: How did the use of formative assessment affect student performance data in understanding the concepts of the Sun-Earth-Moon system?, How did the use of learning scales as formative techniques impact student self-assessment of their knowledge of the Sun-Earth-Moon system?, How did the implementation of formative assessment techniques affect student discourse on the topic of the Sun-Earth-Moon system? Formative assessment techniques including "talk-friendly" probes, sticky bars, and agree-disagree statements were used in the classroom to expose gaps in knowledge, to facilitate discourse, and promote self-assessment. A triangulation of data included a district-provided pre/post-test, teacher observation, written and oral student responses of formative assessment, self-assessment, discourse, and student self-assessment on a learning goal tracker. Data gathered from student responses to formative assessment techniques given during discourse, lab experiences, in written responses, and from the student learning scale tracker were analyzed to expose misconceptions and gaps in knowledge and guide classroom instruction. Data showed that student performance data improved overall and students narrowed gaps in knowledge of the Sun-Earth-Moon system. Improvement in student participation and skill of discourse was evident; however students needed more practice developing written explanations for phenomenon within the Sun-Earth-Moon system. Through the use of self-assessments students showed improvement in ability to self-assess and realized gained knowledge toward their learning goal.

This study explored the effectiveness of a Willingness to Communicate (WTC) scale with advanced foreign language (L2) learners. The WTC instrument included sections on communicating with native speakers of the L2 and peer language learners in various settings (at home, abroad, in-class and online). As most prior research had focused on beginning language learners, for this study, we recruited participants who began to learn their respective languages in informal, long-term immersion settings. Participants took the WTC survey as part of a larger self-assessment instrument with a subset of 600 intermediate and advanced level Spanish (n = 339), Portuguese (n = 155), and French (n = 106) L2 students taking an Oral Proficiency Interview (computerized). The instrument was found to be reliable (Cronbach α = .88), and there was a significant difference [t (5) = 2.97, p = .031] in WTC between sections for online and in-class settings. However, the WTC had no significant relationship (Pearson's r2 = .0005) with OPIc score. Thus, while WTC might help beginning learners reach advanced level language, it might not discriminate among learners who are already advanced.