Assessment Of Best Practices Research Articles

An Assessment-based Metamodel towards a Best Practice Assessment Model in Higher Education

Objectives: There are numerous assessment practices being implemented by higher education practitioners. However, these best practices are not widely shared. In this study, a metamodel that shares the best practices is created to denote important concepts and knowledge related. Methods/Statistical Analysis: The development is using 8-steps metamodelling approach adapted in, this approach uses various models to analyse and construct the concepts, rules, constraint and relationships to model a predefined class of problem domain. There are twenty assessment models used for development and validation. The validation technique used is comparison against other model, in order to check the completeness of the metamodel. Then, the propose knowledge repository is created to represent the practicality of the metamodel. Findings: The resultant from metamodeling development is the Assessment-based Metamodel represented using UML class diagram. The concepts embedded together with the relationships cover 16 important related concepts. The creation of the metamodel can be used as a foundation of Assessment Knowledge Repository (AKR). It gathers all concepts, processes and allows various approaches to be easily shared and communicated. The AKR also consists of a collection of best practices in assessment viewed by various levels of stakeholders. Application/Improvements: This study proposes the Assessment-based Metamodel which has a capability to capture various knowledge and best practices in implementing assessment in higher education. The metamodel enables people to communicate in a well-defined language, simultaneously easy for knowledge sharing and helps in decision making. While the AKR demonstrates the usefulness of the metamodel.

SIGCSE special project grants

Since 2003, SIGCSE has awarded a limited number of Special Projects Grants each year. These grants help SIGCSE members investigate and introduce new ideas in the learning and teaching of computing. Projects must provide some clear benefit to the wider disciplinary community in the form of new knowledge, developing or sharing of a resource, or good practice in learning, teaching, or assessment. The next deadline for submissions is November 15, 2016. See http://sigcse.org/sigcse/programs/special/ for additional information. Questions are welcome and should be sent to apply@sigcse.org. Proposers must be ACM/SIGCSE members.

Building Bridges in New Jersey.

This article describes the experience and outcomes of the National Institute on Drug Abuse-funded Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Studies 2 Improving Best Practices in Assessment and Case Planning for Offenders protocol in the state of New Jersey. The protocol was designed to test the effectiveness of an Organizational Process Improvement Intervention in improving four assessment and case planning domains for drug-involved offenders in correctional settings transferring to community treatment based agencies. This article describes the protocol and the change team model process through which correctional and community agency staff collaborated to improve assessment and case planning for offenders with substance abuse problems. The primary goal of these collaborative efforts was to link information across stages of the treatment continuum to improve service coordination. Data taken from qualitative interviews with agency participants are used to illustrate the common themes that emerged relating to the intervention process, barriers to implementing developed goals, and facilitative factors that contributed to successes. The findings from the current study provide indication that organizational process improvement strategies can be implemented within a correctional setting to reduce interorganizational barriers and to facilitate improvements in the continuum of care involved in the treatment of offenders with histories of substance abuse.

The assessment strategy: An elusive curriculum structure

The unprecedented scale of curriculum development in response to national imperatives has prompted questions on curriculum approaches and strategies. The focus of this article is on how four departments conceived assessment during the recurriculation of diploma qualifications. The findings suggest that assessment is approached from a technicist perspective and compliance with principles of good assessment practice. In response to the findings, the purpose and structure of an assessment strategy as an over-arching mechanism to inform and guide assessment practices at programme level are explored. It is argued that a collaborative, programme-specific assessment strategy creates an opportunity for synergy to achieve the purpose of the qualification and for holistic graduate development.

Developing school heads as instructional leaders in school–based assessment: Challenges and next steps

The study explored challenges faced by school leaders in the Pacific nation of Solomon Islands in school-based assessment, and the adequacy of an assessment course to prepare them. A questionnaire including both open and closed-ended questions elicited relevant data from the school leaders. Modelling best practices in school-based assessment was recognised as a major challenge for them. Their responses indicate their feeling that the limitations of their knowledge and skills lie at the heart of their difficulties in effective use of this assessment method. They trace the origin of their problems to an initial teacher training programme that included little on assessment, which adversely affected their ability to work as instructional leaders in assessment for learning and teaching in schools. Their critical reflection on the assessment course they completed as part of a current leadership programme suggests the preparation has been adequate in giving them new knowledge and skills in applying best practices in school-based assessment. Though only on a small scale, this study implies that greater attention to this area to promote children's learning is warranted. The value of best practices in assessment is applicable not only in Solomon Islands but also in other education systems within and beyond the Pacific region, to ensure meaningful progress and development in education.

Assessment of Hydrological and Statistical Significance

Assessment of Hydrological and Statistical Significance

Coordinating Student Affairs Divisional Assessment: A Practical Guide ed. by Kimberly Yousey-Elsener, Erin M. Bentrim, and Gavin W. Henning

Reviewed by: Coordinating Student Affairs Divisional Assessment: A Practical Guide ed. by Kimberly Yousey-Elsener, Erin M. Bentrim, and Gavin W. Henning Dena R. Kniess Coordinating Student Affairs Divisional Assessment: A Practical Guide Kimberly Yousey-Elsener, Erin M. Bentrim, and Gavin W. Henning (Editors) Sterling, VA: Stylus, 2015, 176 pages, $29.95 (softcover) Within the past decade, internal and external stake holders in higher education have increased their demands for data surrounding student learn ing. Consequently, student affairs divisions and departments have been asked to demonstrate what students are learning in the [End Page 902] co-curriculum in addition to providing metrics regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of various services. While assessment in higher education is not new, Erin M. Bentrim, Gavin W. Henning, and Kimberly Yousey-Elsener highlight the growing trend for student affairs divisions to hire and/or appoint an assessment coordinator to facilitate and support assessment efforts for the entire division (p. xv). In Coordinating Student Affairs Divisional Assessment: A Practical Guide, the editors have developed a comprehensive guide for new student affairs assessment coordinators to facilitate and sustain a culture of assessment at their institutions. In the preface, the editors recount a brief history of the student affairs profession, assessment in higher education, and student affairs assessment and then outline of each of the 10 chapters that highlight different aspects of the assessment coordinator role. The editors state two assumptions: that those reading and using the book will already have knowledge of student development theory and data literacy, defined as the ability to write learning outcomes, design survey instruments, and analyze and interpret data. The primary focus of each chapter is on strategies for coordinating assessment and moving between the larger vision and goals of a student affairs division to department level initiatives supporting that vision. In chapter 1, Bentrim and Henning outline the various functions of the assessment coordinator. One of the main goals of the assessment coordinator is to build capacity in the division of student affairs by increasing the assessment knowledge, skills, and attitudes of everyone in the division. The authors also describe the main roles of the assessment coordinator that serves as the framework for the rest of the book. The main roles of the assessment coordinator are creating an evidence-based culture, developing talent and knowledge, generating and disseminating knowledge, strategic planning, engaging and collaborating with stakeholders, and using technology in assessment practice. In chapter 2, Henning focuses on the key elements in building a culture of assessment in student affairs. Overall, the key take aways from this chapter were grounding assess ment in the mission and culture of the institution, embedding assessment into activities and programs, and having a vocal and persistent leader to champion assessment across the division. In chapter 3, Michael Christakis and Dan Bureau note the importance of developing systems and resources to support assessment work in divisions of student affairs. They argue that a strong infrastructure for assessment is built with a framework for assessment, resources (fiscal, human, financial, intellectual, and technological), and schedules and opportunities for reporting assessment. Student affairs assessment coordinators must also recognize good assessment practices in the division in addition to implementing systems that address poor assessment practice. In chapter 4, Justin Keen reviews the logistical and administrative aspects of assessment tasks in student affairs. Organizational considerations, such as the placement of the assessment coordinator within student affairs, fiscal and human resources needed for capacity building efforts, and project planning techniques play a vital role in building a strong infrastructure for assessment. In chapter 5, Bentrim and Ted Elling discuss the role technology plays in advancing assessment efforts. Throughout this chapter, different technological tools for assessment are described highlighting their features and potential use in student affairs assessment. Chapter 6 authors Vicki L. Wise and Robert W. Aaron explore the role assessment coordinators have in building talent and [End Page 903] knowledge throughout the division. Beyond clarifying the divisional expectations for assessment, the authors provide strategies and resources for building familiarity with assessment terms and developing key practices for sustaining assessment activities. Formal and informal training methods are also discussed. Resource allocation and decision-making are integral processes in student affairs divisions...

Low back pain misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis: Core principles

Consensus guidelines for the management of low back pain recommend that the clinician use contemporary best practice for assessment and treatment, consider biopsychosocial factors and, if chronic, use a multimodal and multi-disciplinary approach. Where guidelines are not followed and basic assessment is inadequate the diagnosis may be compromised and the sequelae of errors compounded. Factors such as a lack of knowledge or recognition of the common structure specific pain referral patterns, poor clinical reasoning, inappropriate referral and predilection for popular management approaches also contribute to mis-diagnosis and mis-management. This report describes two cases of chronic low back pain with lengthy histories of multiple failed interventions to highlight the consequences of focussing on a singular approach to the exclusion of evidence based pathways and the resulting risk of a missed diagnosis. The eventual management to mitigate these problems is reported with the aid of low back pain outcome measures, computer-aided combined movement examination, disability and pain questionnaires and health quality of life surveys.

David Carless: Excellence in university assessment: learning from award-winning practice

The concept of ‘‘learning-oriented assessment’’ was coined by David Carless in 2003, which aims to promote a way of thinking that all assessment could target the development of productive student learning processes, regardless of their formative or summative nature. Since the introduction of the term, David Carless has devoted himself to the research of learning-oriented assessment and has published a series of relevant papers in a number of prestigious international journals. His recent book, ‘‘Excellence in University Assessment: learning from award-winning practice,’’ accounts for an ethnographical project on exploring the potential for learning-oriented assessment at the tertiary phase. Five awardwinning male teachers who teach different disciplines and some of their students were invited to participate in classroom observations and semi-structural interviews to conceptualize and exemplify a framework of learning-oriented assessment and to reveal the complexity of implementing learning-oriented assessment in classrooms. The book provides a student-centered perspective of assessment supported by classroom research evidence from multiple disciplines and informs the assessment practice in higher education by sharing good assessment practices of excellent university teachers. Carless’s book is a fascinating read for university leaders, staff developers, teachers, and researchers who are enthusiastic about assessment. ‘‘The art of compromise’’—the metaphor of good assessment—would arouse the reader’s interest at the very beginning of the book. Carless (2015, p. 44) believes that ‘‘enhancing student learning should be a primary aim for all assessment’’ when making compromise among competing priorities. Carless thinks that assessment would enhance student learning when assessment tasks support student learning, when students develop their evaluative expertise through activities that engage them in understanding quality and standards in their disciplines, and when feedback is forward-looking and feasible. These

Perspectivas internacionales sobre la práctica de la evaluación en Educación Superior

La evaluación universitaria varía considerablemente de unos países a otros, con diferentes expectativas sobre estándares y niveles, sobre qué son las buenas prácticas de evaluación y sobre los auténticos propósitos de la evaluación, así como la terminología especializada que se usa y qué prácticas se consideran aceptables. La gama de métodos y enfoques que se utilizan es igualmente muy variada, al igual que las expectativas sobre cómo debe darse y utilizarse la retroalimentación. Los sistemas de evaluación son administrados en diferentes formas a nivel mundial y no hay un acuerdo sobre qué es una buena conducta académica. El artículo plantea que tanto los académicos como los estudiantes pueden beneficiarse de orientación y formación sobre evaluación, y aboga por el diálogo sobre la manera de mejorar la evaluación, de modo que esté verdaderamente integrada en el proceso de aprendizaje

Human health risk assessment related to contaminated land: state of the art.

Exposure of humans to contaminants from contaminated land may result in many types of health damage ranging from relatively innocent symptoms such as skin eruption or nausea, on up to cancer or even death. Human health protection is generally considered as a major protection target. State-of-the-art possibilities and limitations of human health risk assessment tools are described in this paper. Human health risk assessment includes two different activities, i.e. the exposure assessment and the hazard assessment. The combination of these is called the risk characterization, which results in an appraisal of the contaminated land. Exposure assessment covers a smart combination of calculations, using exposure models, and measurements in contact media and body liquids and tissue (biomonitoring). Regarding the time frame represented by exposure estimates, biomonitoring generally relates to exposure history, measurements in contact media to actual exposures, while exposure calculations enable a focus on exposure in future situations. The hazard assessment, which is different for contaminants with or without a threshold for effects, results in a critical exposure value. Good human health risk assessment practice accounts for tiered approaches and multiple lines of evidence. Specific attention is given here to phenomena such as the time factor in human health risk assessment, suitability for the local situation, background exposure, combined exposure and harmonization of human health risk assessment tools.

The Policy Context of Depression and Suicide Prevention in Europe. Results of the Joint Action Situation Analysis

Fight against depression and suicide in Europe: evidence-based tools partly utilised. Results of JA situation analysis Gyorgy Purebl, Tamas Kurimay Semmelweis University of Medicine, Budapest, Hungary Introduction According to the WHO GBD Study depression will be the second most frequent cause of disability by 2020. Although many activities and research have been done against depression, and devidence-based therapies are also available, depression remains a top health concern with increasing significance. Aims Joint Action of Mental Health and Well-being Workpackage 4 aims to develop a framework for action at the level of policies, infrastructures and interventions for prevention and treatment of depression and suicide. The first step is the data collection about the best practices in the participating countries. Method Comprehensive assessment was conducted for evaluating the utilisation of evidence-based tools: 1.) systematic review of scientific publications and policy documents in the field, 2.) assessment of best practices 3.) situation analysis in national frameworks. The evaluation do not focus only to scientific and clinical excellence but also management and activity on policy level. Data collection is conducted with the help of the JA WP4's key stakeholders. Results The preliminary data of the evaluation revealed that although many evidence-based tools are available, there are considerable differences in their utilisation, and many of them are not enacted into a policy context in the different participating countries. The final data will be presented in more details. Conclusion Although combating depression and suicide is a significant need in public health, evidence-based tools are partly exploited in the practice. In the next phase of JA an action framework will be developed, for tackling the obstacles of dissemination of evidence-based practices in Europe, with the invocation of policy context.

Two Teacher Educators’ Approaches to Developing Preservice Elementary Teachers’ Mathematics Assessment Literacy: Intentions, Outcomes, and New Learning

The purpose of this study was to examine and reflect on two teacher educators’ approaches to developing preservice elementary teachers’ mathematics assessment literacy. We explored the similarities and differences in preservice teachers’ conceptions of good assessment practices and their critique of assessment items. We found that we, as course instructors, had different assumptions pertaining to the role of preservice teachers in the development of assessment and offered different assessment-related course activities. Despite these differences, there were more similarities than differences between the two groups of the preservice teachers with regard to their overall perceptions about good assessment practices and their critique of assessment items. However, we also observed differences in the criteria they used in critiquing assessment items. Discussions and implications are presented in accordance with these findings as a means to improve our own teaching and student learning.

Assessment and Intervention for English Language Learners With Primary Language Impairment

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are experiencing the exciting challenge of serving increasing numbers of English Language Learners (ELLs) in U.S. schools. When ELLs struggle in school, they may be overreferred for speech-language services. SLPs are routinely expected to differentiate a language difference based on cultural, linguistic, and environmental characteristics from an underlying primary language impairment (PLI). This tutorial is designed to guide researchers and practicing professionals in the selection of research-based best practices for assessment and intervention for ELLs with potential PLI.

Two Teacher Educators' Approaches to Developing Preservice Elementary Teachers' Mathematics Assessment Literacy: Intentions, Outcomes, and New Learning

The purpose of this study was to examine and reflect on two teacher educators’ approaches to developing preservice elementary teachers’ mathematics assessment literacy. We explored the similarities and differences in preservice teachers’ conceptions of good assessment practices and their critique of assessment items. We found that we, as course instructors, had different assumptions pertaining to the role of preservice teachers in the development of assessment and offered different assessment- related course activities. Despite these differences, there were more similarities than differences between the two groups of the preservice teachers with regard to their overall perceptions about good assessment practices and their critique of assessment items. However, we also observed differences in the criteria they used in critiquing assessment items. Discussions and implications are presented in accordance with these findings as a means to improve our own teaching and student learning.

Adding confidence to knowledge

This paper reviews knowledge surveys as a best practice in assessment and illustrates how this assessment tool was used to compare teaching methods and its value to students during a 5-year study. The goal was to improve assessment, active learning, and course design. On each survey, students rated a type of confidence known as self-efficacy before and after instruction, used the survey as a study guide during instruction, and rated its value at the end of the course. Results showed gains in self-efficacy (p<.001), high value for the survey experience, and differences in scores across teaching methods (p<.001).

The fairness, predictive validity and acceptability of multiple mini interview in an internationally diverse student population--a mixed methods study.

BackgroundInternational medical students, those attending medical school outside of their country of citizenship, account for a growing proportion of medical undergraduates worldwide. This study aimed to establish the fairness, predictive validity and acceptability of Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) in an internationally diverse student population.MethodsThis was an explanatory sequential, mixed methods study. All students in First Year Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway 2012 were eligible to sit a previously validated 10 station MMI. Quantitative data comprised: demographics, selection tool scores and First Year Assessment scores. Qualitative data comprised separate focus groups with MMI Assessors, EU and Non-EU students.Results109 students participated (45% of class). Of this 41.3% (n = 45) were Non-EU and 35.8% (n = 39) did not have English as first language. Age, gender and socioeconomic class did not impact on MMI scores. Non-EU students and those for whom English was not a first language achieved significantly lower scores on MMI than their EU and English speaking counterparts (difference in mean 11.9% and 12.2% respectively, P<0.001). MMI score was associated with English language proficiency (IELTS) (r = 0.5, P<0.01). Correlations emerged between First Year results and IELTS (r = 0.44; p = 0.006; n = 38) and EU school exit exam (r = 0.52; p<0.001; n = 56). MMI predicted EU student OSCE performance (r = 0.27; p = 0.03; n = 64). In the analysis of focus group data two overarching themes emerged: Authenticity and Cultural Awareness. MMI was considered a highly authentic assessment that offered a deeper understanding of the applicant than traditional tools, with an immediate relevance to clinical practice. Cultural specificity of some stations and English language proficiency were seen to disadvantage international students. Recommendations included cultural awareness training for MMI assessors, designing and piloting culturally neutral stations, lengthening station duration and providing high quality advance information to candidates.ConclusionMMI is a welcome addition to assessment armamentarium for selection, particularly with regard to stakeholder acceptability. Understanding the mediating and moderating influences for differences in performance of international candidates is essential to ensure that MMI complies with the metrics of good assessment practice and principles of both distributive and procedural justice for all applicants, irrespective of nationality and cultural background.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12909-014-0267-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Predicting Impairment in College Students With ADHD: The Role of Executive Functions

Objective: This study longitudinally evaluated whether parent-ratings and self-ratings of executive function (EF) predicted the academic and overall functioning of college students with ADHD and whether EF deficits mediated the relationship between ADHD symptoms and functioning. Method: A prospective longitudinal study of 59 college students comprehensively diagnosed with ADHD and their parents who completed ratings at the beginning and end of the school year. Results: Student-rated motivation and parent-rated emotion regulation significantly predicted overall impairment above and beyond symptoms of ADHD. Student-rated EF motivation mediated the relationship between ADHD symptoms and overall impairment. Student-rated EF organization mediated the relationship between ADHD symptoms and end of the year grades. Conclusion: Motivation and organization aspects of EF appear particularly important for functioning. However, given the study’s modest sample size, additional longitudinal research is needed to confirm these findings and to develop best-practice assessment and treatment recommendations for college students with ADHD.

Do LEGO® Models Aid Reflection in Learning and Teaching Practice?

In this paper we describe the use of LEGO® models within assessment of the Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP) offered at the University of Salford. Within the context of the PGCAP, we model innovative and contextualised assessment strategies for and of learning. We challenge our students, who are teachers in higher education (HE), to think and rethink the assessment they are using with their own students. We help them develop a deeper understanding and experience of good assessment and feedback practice in a wider context while they are assessed as students on the PGCAP. We report on an evaluation of how the LEGO® model activity was used with a cohort of students in the context of the professional discussion assessment. We share the impact it had on reflection and the assessment experience and make recommendations for good practice.

Data‐driven assessment techniques to catalyze student learning (618.19)

As we rearticulate the undergraduate biochemistry curriculum to emphasize deep foundations in core biochemical principles and skills, we must also reconsider the assessment of student learning. Assessment is perhaps an instructor’s most powerful tool for affecting student learning, particularly when it is used to diagnose student understanding and to subsequently adjust activities to address learning difficulties. Yet, in undergraduate science teaching, assessment is largely employed as a summative activity, reducing its effectiveness as a tool for developing student understanding. While extensive research at the K‐12 level provides several insights into best practices for assessment, there is less research at the undergraduate level in general, and undergraduate science in particular.The purpose of the research presented here is to contribute to the growing literature base on effective assessments for undergraduate learning in the molecular life sciences. We designed and tested the efficacy of two formative assessment tools in large‐enrollment, introductory biochemistry courses for majors. Both tools make use of Learning Management Systems (e.g. Desire2Learn, Blackboard, WebCT) to formatively assess and diagnose student understanding and provide responsive feedback for instructors and students to inform learning. Data collected for analysis include: student clickstream data from Learning Management System usage, student open‐response items, student achievement data, and self‐report data. We will present results demonstrating the effectiveness of these tools in terms of (1) ability to uncover the range and extent of student reasoning difficulties, (2) ease and use by instructors, (3) utility to predict student performance and enact early warning systems for at‐risk students, and (4) impact on student learning.Grant Funding Source: Supported by the National Science Foundation, HRD‐0811239