Formative Assessment Tool Research Articles

Progress testing anytime and anywhere – Does a mobile-learning approach enhance the utility of a large-scale formative assessment tool?

Background The widespread use of mobile devices among students favors the use of mobile learning scenarios at universities. In this study, we explore whether a time- and location-independent variant of a formative progress test has an impact on the students’ acceptance, its validity and reliability and if there is a difference in response processes between the two exam conditions. Methods Students were randomly assigned to two groups of which one took the test free of local or temporal fixations, while the other group took the test at the local testing center under usual examination conditions. Beside the generated test data, such as test score, time-on-test, and semester status, students also evaluated the settings. Results While there was no significant effect on the test score between the two groups, students in the mobile group spent more time on the test and were more likely to use the help of books or online resources. The results of the evaluation show that the acceptability among students is increased by a mobile version of the formative progress test. Conclusions The results suggest that the acceptance and motivation to participate in formative tests is enhanced by lifting local and temporal restrictions. The mobile version nonetheless does not have an impact on the students’ performance.

Evaluation of a web-based learning management platform and formative assessment tools for a Medical Parasitology undergraduate course

Background: Medical education for undergraduate students in preclinical sciences is challenging and often described as boring by students. Educators have to find interesting new methods to deliver information and increase students' engagement and performance. The incorporation of new technological tools can help in this regard. Objectives: This retrospective study investigated two technological tools: Google Classroom learning management platform and Google Quiz Forms for online assessment, as regards students' satisfaction, engagement, and performance. Design and Methodology: The same Parasitology course has been taught in a classic face-to-face way during the first year of the study and taught by blended learning technique over the second year. The performance of the students of each year was compared and a questionnaire was introduced at the end of the second year to assess the students' satisfaction. Results: Students who took full advantage of these tools showed improvement of their performance (Mean= 79 in the assessment versus 83.6 in their final exam (P=0.01) and achieved significantly better scores than those of year-1 and year-2 in the final exam (Mean= 83.6 versus 76.3 and 72.7 respectively, P<0.001). Among 128 questionnaire responders, 78.9% preferred the e-learning, 94.5% found the Google Classroom easy to use, 76.6% described it as a time saver for submission of assignments and 96.9% expressed their wish to continue to use the blended learning as well as the formative assessments in other courses and would recommend it to others. They all agreed that the formative assessments at the end of each lecture helped them in summarizing the delivered topic and consolidated the received information. Conclusions: Use of these mobile-friendly, freely available technological tools in resource-limited higher education institutions is recommended to improve the students' engagement and performance in the preclinical sciences.

A Formative Assessment Example: Word Association Test

This research was carried out to determine the effectiveness and functionality of the word association test (WAT), which is a formative assessment tool that is frequently emphasized on today&amp;rsquo;s modern education systems. The study group consisted of 60 students in a public school in Kocaeli in the school year 2018-2019. Participants were identified using convenience sampling technique. The data of the study were obtained by using pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental design with no control group. The data were categorized by subjecting to content analysis. The findings were tabulated using the cut-off technique and analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. When the results of the study were examined, it was concluded that conceptual change and development occurred in participants&amp;rsquo; minds and there was a significant difference in the results of the Wilcoxon test performed before and after the implementation. It was observed that the students wrote 1669 words before the implementation, and the number increased to 2193 after it. This shows that the students associate the key concept of &amp;ldquo;migration&amp;rdquo; with more words after the implementation and thus there is a wider connotation related to migration in their minds. In addition, the results of this research reveal that the WAT is suitable for formative assessment and can be used in educational studies.

Comparison of Objective Structured Practical Examination (OSPE) Versus Conventional Pathology Practical Examination Methods Among the Second-Year Medical Students-a Cross-sectional Study.

The medical education in India is moving towards competency-based medical education (CBME) with many cognitive and psychomotor skills needed to be taught and assessed in the various subjects of the undergraduate medical curriculum. In the Pathology subject, psychomotor skills such as haemoglobin estimation, blood grouping, urine examination, liver function test/cerebrospinal fluid interpretation, histopathology and haematology slide interpretation are taught and assessed for many years. Skill assessment by the conventional method, which is followed since many years, is subjective in nature and lack of scope for direct observation of the performance of skills. Objective structured practical examination (OSPE) is one of the methods to minimize the variations in subjectivity, thus enhancing the objectivity. Due to a technicality and labour intensity, it is implemented only in a few medical colleges and universities across India. Because of CBME curriculum on the roll, the assessment of practical skills in medical education needs to be shifted from conventional subjective methods to more objective OSPE methods. After institutional ethical clearance, the second-year medical students appearing for practical in Pathology were selected for the study. Practical skills of the students were assessed by both the conventional way and OSPE after obtaining the written consent. Among 104 students, 89 students were assessed by both methods. Adequate instructions about the pattern of the examination were given in both assessment methods. For the OSPE group, specific instructions about the role of observer, response stations and method of scoring were given. Practical performance of haemoglobin estimation and blood grouping by slide method was assessed, and scores were compared. Student and faculty perception regarding OSPE was assessed by a prevalidated questionnaire. In the conventional group, the mean score of 6.91 ± 1.08 was obtained, while in OSPE, it was 8.43 ± 1.41. In comparing both, a p value of > 0.001 was obtained, which is found to be significant. Student's perceptions appeared to favour the OSPE format rather than the traditional examination. This study showed a significant difference in scores obtained by OSPE in comparison with conventional practical examination. Thus, this information suggests that OSPE format was perceived better by the students, and resulted in a higher average score. Hence, the use of OSPE as a formative assessment tool will help in modifying teaching-learning strategies so that it is beneficial to students and teachers.

Online Teaching Resources

Because of the global COVID-19 pandemic during the spring of 2020, colleges and universities found themselves rapidly moving all courses to online modalities, a format that many instructors were not experienced in or comfortable with. Academic librarians were called upon to help support faculty in this sudden transition, as well as migrating their own library services and instruction online. For many, it felt like a mad scramble to find best practices for online teaching, or even just “good-enough” practices, as well as specific tools that instructional faculty and librarians could utilize to keep their students engaged and learning during such a trying time. At the time of this writing, some universities have announced that they will continue to hold most, if not all, courses online in the fall 2020 term. Resources to support online teaching are critical now, and they will continue to be important going forward even after the global pandemic subsides. The reviews in this column cover a variety of online instructional tools and instructional support sites. The resources reviewed range from providing best practices for online pedagogy, creating engaging formative assessment tools, developing video discussion boards, creating interactive images, using virtual bulletin boards for student collaboration, and ensuring online content meets accessibility requirements. These resources will be useful for librarians and instructional faculty as they continue to teach in the online environment.

EXAMINING THE EFFECT OF AN ONLINE FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT TOOL (OFAT) OF STUDENTS’ MOTIVATION AND ACHIEVEMENT FOR A UNIVERSITY SCIENCE EDUCATION

Online formative assessment is still challenging although it is getting an increased attention as a significant tool for diagnosing and analysing students’ motivation and achievement in various education domains. This research examines the effects of an online formative assessment tool (OFAT) about science motivation and achievement in second-year students’ university education during four consecutive academic years, 2014 to 2018. A research on the basis of a randomized experimental design was conducted that assigned groups used an OFAT along with various assessments that students participated. A total of 311 students enrolled in the subject take part in the research, respectively 94, 89, 59 and 71 students. Particularly, the OFAT is offering feedback from students, feedback from lecturers and adaptive assignments. Here, data contained student motivation survey data, standardized achievement pre- and post-test data and students’ log records. The results of multiple tier analyses exposed positive effects about students’ motivation and achievement. Based on usage measurements, students’ intensity offers the positive effects about students’ motivation and achievement. Furthermore, along with overall students’ improved performance, the effects of high-performing students’ achievement were higher. Therefore, the results acquired meaningfully contribute to recover main drawbacks and difficulties of traditional science learning programs. Keywords: adaptive assignment, formative assessment, teaching/learning methodologies, university science education.

Use of multiple choice questions to assess the knowledge and awareness about HIV/AIDS - A core competency, among first and second MBBS students of KBNIMS, Gulbarga

Multiple choice questions (MCQ’s) are a reliable and an efficient method of assessment. It is an objective type of assessment where, its efficiency depends on the item and the options given. A well framed MCQ is a very good tool for formative and summative assessment of the student. It is also been introduced in medical education, different entrance exams. The student can be assessed for the depth of the knowledge he/she has using MCQs. Also, the MCQs are less time consuming, cost effective and efficient and reliable. To compare the knowledge and awareness about HIV/AIDS in 1 and 2 MBBS students using MCQs as an assessment method The study comprised 100 1 MBBS and 100 2 MBBS students from KBNIMS, Gulbarga. Students were given 14 MCQs on HIV/AIDS and were asked to tick the correct answers. In our study we found that the performance of 2 MBBS students was better compared to 1 MBBS students in majority of the MCQs In this study we found that MCQs can be used as assessment tool to compare the knowledge and awareness about HIV/AIDS among UG medical students. We found that the knowledge and awareness of AIDS is better among 2 year students who have the topic as core competency to learn.

Using Plickers in Formative Assessment to Augment Student Learning

The aim of this quasi-experimental research is to investigate the effectiveness of formative assessment on the progress of private elementary school students. 77 students (33 girls and 44 boys) were split into two groups. The experimental group used an app called the Plickers app daily and was further divided by gender into two groups, while the control group used a revision sheet as a formative assessment. Student progress was assessed by comparing the mean scores of a pre-test to those of a post-test taken after one week of using the formative assessment tools. The results indicate that both formative assessment tools help improve student progress. However, the Plickers App had a greater positive impact than the revision sheet. Further, greater improvement was displayed by girls compared to boys. The researchers concluded that continuous usage of Plickers in classes can help promote positive students' perception, improve performance, and reduce gaps between high and low achievers.

Use of DOPPS as a Teaching Tool in Teaching Physiology Practicals to Undergraduate Medical Students.

IntroductionThe current summative methods of assessing the practical skills of Physiology during exit examination neither provide sufficient opportunities to the students for learning nor it provide adequate opportunity to the assessor to observe the trainee, thus limiting the learning with little or no feedback. The literature search also failed to reveal any such learning and assessment tool. Hence, there is a strong need to design such an instrument which should fulfill this gap. This study has been conducted to develop and validate an instrument for formative assessment of physiology practical skills of undergraduate students by direct observation of physiology practical skills (DOPPS). Another important aspect of the study is to assess the impact of feedback on learning of students by assessing the change in their scores using the DOPPS for physiology practical.MethodologyThe study was conducted in the laboratory of department of Physiology at a private undergraduate medical college after ethical approval. A total of 78 undergraduate students had participated in the study after informed consent. Along with this, 8 assessors who are faculty members in the department of Physiology were also trained to assess the two physiology practical skills (estimation of bleeding time and determination of blood group) of the participating students and provide them feedback at the end of the formative assessment. The students were randomly divided among two groups with three assessors present in each group at a time. All the students of the first group received the feedback at the end of their performance of practical skills while the students in the other group were silently observed by the assessors and no feedback was given at this point of time. Both the groups were reassessed for the same practical skills after a period of three weeks to assess the impact of feedback on their learning. This time the other group received the feedback at the end of the session. Score of both the groups for both the session were compared to assess the impact of observation and feedback on learning using DOPPS.ResultsResults showed significant difference in the assessment scores before and after a gap of three weeks between the two groups who received the feedback to the one who didn’t receive the feedback. The reliability of DOPPS was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and it is found to have an alpha value of 0.92.ConclusionIt has been concluded from the study that students who received the feedback on their performance scored more as compare to those who didnt receive the feedback using DOPPS as a formative assessment tool. The tool is found to be valid and reliable and has good construct and face validity and it can be use as a standard tool for formative assessment of students practical’s skills in undergraduate physiology. In future the tool may also be used in post graduation in physiology and other basic medical sciences to assess its impact on learning. Descriptive score of students performing practical skills under observation using DOPPS ITEM N MEAN SD MIN MAX Demonstrates understanding of relevant technique/procedure/practical skill 174 3.72 .74 1 5 Pre‐procedure Preparation 174 3.65 .81 1 6 Demonstrates steps of Procedure or practical skill 174 3.55 .90 1 6 score of procedures or practical skills × 3 174 10.65 2.70 3 18 Appropriate Sample handling 174 3.58 .90 1 6 post procedure management 174 3.58 .93 1 6 score of post procedure management × 2 174 7.16 1.87 2 12 Produce, analyze and report appropriate laboratory data 174 3.56 .97 1 6 score of analysis and report × 3 174 10.67 2.91 3 18 Laboratory safety/Biosafety 174 3.56 .96 1 6 ethical skills 174 3.66 1.02 1 6 communication skills 174 3.68 .96 1 6 demonstrate professionalism 174 3.67 .88 1 6 overall ability to perform procedure 174 3.65 .91 2 6 score of ability × 8 174 29.19 7.33 16 48 TOTAL. 1 174 54.01 11.26 27 83 Cronbach’s Alpha and itemtotal Statistics for practical 1 using DOPPS Item Corrected Item Total Correlation Cronbach’s alpha item deleted Demonstrates understanding of relevant technique/procedure/practical skill .526 .94 Pre‐procedure Preparation .598 .937 Demonstrates steps of Procedure or practical skill .712 .932 Appropriate Sample handling .835 .926 post procedure management .787 .929 Produce, analyze and report appropriate laboratory data .812 .927 Laboratory safety/Biosafety .794 .928

Application of Kahoot! as a Teaching and Learning Tool in PharmD Curriculum

Millennials approach things differently compared to earlier generations, and this includes the manner in which they learn. The absence of approaches best suited for teaching this generation can hinder their learning abilities. This can be particularly challenging in professional programs such as doctor of pharmacy where students are not only expected to have mastery of content but also demonstrate high level of knowledge retention. In recent years, there have been significant technological advances and an educational approach that takes advantage of these will be well received by this young generation of students. In a bid to capitalize on such teaching and learning approaches to better connect with the students of today, there has been a proliferation in gamification tools for teaching. In this study we employed a game‐based student response system known as Kahoot! to assess PharmD students’ perception on gamification and its influence on learning outcomes. We introduced Kahoot! as a formative assessment tool in the classroom for pharmacy students in professional years one to three (P1 – P3) at Chicago State University. We administered a questionnaire to the students and their responses were collated and analyzed using Qualtrics. Results of the study show that over 84 % of the sampled PharmD students indicated that Kahoot! was fun and easy to use. Overall, the findings reveal that using Kahoot! enriches the quality of student learning in the classroom, with 73 % of respondents reporting that gamification gives them a better understanding of topics. The same percentage of students responded positively about employing the gamification tool to assess students’ understanding of topics. About 71 % of participants reported that the tool was able to highlight areas that required more attention. The study also revealed that 73% of respondents indicated that the use of games in the classroom kept them engaged and helped them score well on tests given at the end of the lecture. Of note, about 80% of students stated that the tool has given their confidence a boost. Taken together, gamification has improved the quality of teaching and learning beyond what is provided in conventional classrooms where normal PowerPoint slides and “chalk and talk” are used.

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ICT IN TEACHING THE PREFIX PEN-

This study examines the effectiveness of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as one of the Formative Assessment tools in the teaching and learning of Malay Language grammar. This study focuses on the level of understanding and understanding of pupils on the lessons learned through the application of Nearpod. The subject involved in this study were 26 students of Primary 4. They are from middle and high progress students. Through Nearpod Application, teachers can monitor and evaluate students' learning-related lessons. Teachers are able to give immediate feedback as students’ responses will be flashed on the projector screen. Peer assessments are also used in this lesson. Through teacher observation, the Nearpod Application was successfully used as one of the Formative Assessment tools. The findings show that 90% of students are able to understand the use of prefix peN- clearly. This application can also arouse students’ interest to learn Malay in a fun environment.

“We observed that the magnetic field is stronger than gravity”: Exploring linguistically diverse fourth-grade students’ written explanations in science notebooks

This article presents analyses of fourth-grade students’ written explanations in a science unit on magnetism. The purpose of the study was to explore connections between students’ science conceptual understanding and written communication. Data include science notebooks collected from 16 fourth-grade students in two classrooms; our analysis focuses on notebooks produced by five linguistically diverse students. Using formative assessment tools and tools from systemic functional linguistics (SFL), we determined the genres used in the science notebooks, the adequacy of students’ explanations, and the lexicogrammatical resources applied. Findings revealed that most students were successful in making and supporting claims with evidence, but often struggled to represent their scientific reasoning in writing. This study reinforces the need to model scientific reasoning orally and in writing and support students’ efforts using both preplanned and more flexible, contingent scaffolding. The study also demonstrates how SFL can enrich our assessment of student writing and thinking.

Exploring STEM postsecondary instructors\u2019 accounts of instructional planning and revisions

BackgroundLocal and national initiatives to improve the learning experiences of students enrolled in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses have been on-going for a couple of decades with a heightened momentum within the last 10 years. However, recent large-scale studies have demonstrated that transmission of information is still the primary mode of instruction in STEM courses across the undergraduate curriculum. The limited impact of instructional change reform efforts can be partly explained by the one-sided focus of educational research on the development of evidence-based instructional practices and production of evidence demonstrating their impact on student learning. This has been done at the expense of understanding faculty members’ instructional practices and mindsets about teaching and learning that underlie their practices. This study addresses this gap in the literature by characterizing STEM instructors’ instructional intentions and reflections on their teaching performance for a week of instruction. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 42 STEM faculty members from one doctorate-granting institution in the USA.ResultsSTEM instructors in this study had teacher-centric mindsets with respect to their instructional planning (e.g., content-focused learning goals, lecture is seen as an engagement strategy). We found that these instructors mostly saw formative assessment tools as engagement strategy rather than tools to monitor student learning. Reflections on their level of satisfaction with their week of teaching focused heavily on content coverage and personal feelings and minimally considered student learning. Finally, we found that pedagogical discontent was not a driver of planned course revisions.ConclusionsThis study identifies mismatches between STEM instructors’ teaching mindsets and current approaches to instructional change. STEM instructors in this study paid minimal attention to student learning when considering course-level revisions and many of their reflections were anchored in their personal feelings. However, instructional reform strategies often attempt to convince faculty of a new approach by demonstrating its impact on student learning. The misalignment identified in this study further highlights the need to better characterize STEM instructors’ cognition around teaching so that reform efforts can better meet them where they are.

The counselling self-efficacy scale for teachers: action research

ABSTRACT The action research describes the process of how the Counselling Self-Efficacy Scale for Teachers (CS-EST) was developed and explores its suitability as a teaching and learning tool using a pilot study of 178 students at Tallinn University, Estonia. The study integrated action research, interdisciplinary project-based learning, scale development and adaptation principles. During six counselling courses the SC-EST has been used both from the third-person perspective of the action researcher to reflect on the learning outcomes of students and from the student’s first-person perspective to support reflecting on one’s own counselling skills. The study showed that counselling self-efficacy in prospective teachers significantly raised during the courses. The scale can be used as an online self-assessment task in conjunction with reflective journaling during university-level counselling courses, as the study showed that together they form a useful formative assessment tool. The SC-EST seems to be suitable for Estonian and international students, however larger international studies are needed to further validate the scale. I consider the action research as a transformative learning experience in my professional development.

Lighting the Fires of Learning in Law School: Implementing ABA Standard 314 by Incorporating Effective Formative Assessment Techniques Across the Curriculum

The American Bar Association now requires law schools to incorporate formative assessment into the law school curriculum by providing feedback to students relating to course-specific learning goals before the end-of-semester exam. Peer reviews and self-evaluations are two powerful formative assessment techniques that faculty can use to meet the new ABA standards to assess the students’ learning outcomes while courses are ongoing, creating more effective learning environments within the classroom. This article argues that peer reviews and self-evaluations can be successfully used across the law school curriculum to deepen student understanding, encourage student cooperation, and develop students’ abilities to be self-regulated learners in law school. We provide background on the power of formative assessment in general as a teaching and learning tool, and then move on to focus specifically on peer reviews and self-evaluations. The nature and essential components of these formative assessment tools in teaching and learning contexts are explained, with a discussion of research supporting their usefulness in enhancing learning across multiple educational contexts and disciplines. We provide examples of how both peer review and self-evaluation exercises have already been used in some courses and make specific suggestions regarding how these tools can be used across the law school curriculum as effective formative assessment tools, serving the goals of ABA Standard 314 without creating an undue burden on faculty even in large classes that rely primarily on a lecture or Socratic dialogue format. Finally, we conclude that incorporating formative assessment across the law school curriculum will benefit teachers and learners alike and suggest ways for law schools to create express incentives for faculty to develop and implement peer review and self-evaluation exercises across the curriculum.

Motivation by gamification: Adapting motivational tools of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) for peer-to-peer assessment in connectivist massive open online courses (cMOOCs)

In the first decade of the 21st century, distance learning (usually subject to course fees and resulting in formal certification) was complemented by free-of-charge open learning courses with unlimited numbers of participants and no final certificate. Termed massive open online courses (MOOCs), these soon fell into different categories, depending on their concept. Among them are connectivist massive open online courses (cMOOCs) which emphasise a collaborative approach to learning. However, while initial enrolment is indeed massive, completion rates are very low and cMOOCs notoriously lack an appropriate method of evaluating learning progress and motivational resources. The author of this article suggests that one way of addressing this problem might be to adapt motivational formative assessment tools used in massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) to cMOOCs. He argues that some characteristics of MMORPGs can be effectively incorporated in cMOOCs, thus benefiting from the motivational potential of MMORPGs. He cautions, however, that even if MMORPGs (and ongoing, low-stakes formative assessment in general) are motivational, they can only be applied to cMOOCs if the idea of formative assessment is not in tension with connectivist principles. Hence, the author argues for their compatibility, and builds on peer-to-peer assessment as a solution for resource allocation problems with low instructor–learner ratio.

Plickers: An ICT Tool for Formative Assessment and Feedback

Plickers: An ICT Tool for Formative Assessment and Feedback

Informing engineering design through adaptive comparative judgment

ABSTRACT Considering the challenges associated with the teaching of engineering design, and recognising potential differences in design values of individuals from various backgrounds, this study investigated the utility of adaptive comparative judgment (ACJ) as a method for informing the teaching and practice of engineering design. The authors investigated a series of research questions to examine the use of ACJ as a formative method for influencing an engineering student’s design decision-making as well as identifying/comparing design values of different engineering education stakeholders. The study results indicate that the ACJ process enabled students to gain insights for enhancing their designs through the critique of peer-work and the receipt of feedback on their own projects. Also, the results revealed similarities/differences between the ways instructors, students, and practicing engineers judged design projects. In light of these findings, it appears ACJ can be a valuable formative assessment tool for informing the practice/processes of education related to engineering design.

Classroom Response Systems as a Formative Assessment Tool: Investigation into Students’ Perceived Usefulness and Behavioural Intention

Assessments are conducted to determine the effectiveness of learning. One type of these assessments are formative assessment, which aims to fill the gap between the learner's present situation and the desired situation by giving feedback to learners. For this purpose, Classroom Response Systems can be used in large groups. Paper-based tests, Kahoot, Quizizz, and, Plickers were used for formative assessment. Multiple-choice tests can be created for students with these applications. Students can connect to Kahoot and Quizizz applications via any computer, tablet or mobile phones with an internet connection and answer the questions in the test. For the Plickers application, the questions are displayed by the instructor in an area that all students can see. Students indicate their responses by lifting their paper which has QR code. The instructor scans these QR codes with the help of a mobile device and the students' answers are seen directly. In this context, the perceived usefulness and behavioral intention of the students to use different classroom response systems were investigated. The research was conducted with freshman students at a state university and continued for four weeks. Different applications were presented to the students as like that a paper-based test, Kahoot, Quizizz, and Plickers. When the findings were examined, it was found that students noted Kahoot, Quizizz, and Plickers applications were statistically more useful than the paper-based test. Based on these results, it can be said that students prefer to use technology-supported classroom response systems instead of the paper-based test.

THE PORTFOLIO - A MODERN METHOD FOR FORMATIVE EVALUATION

The article presents the idea of ​​using the portfolio as an opportunity to fully document the process of developing students' competencies. Its possibilities as a tool for formative assessment, are commented. On the basis of this type of formative assessment the competencies of the student are determined, which gives an idea of ​​the achievements of each of them at the end of a certain stage of the educational process. The motivating function of the portfolio is also considered. The results of a survey conducted among pedagogical specialists are also presented, the aim of which is to prove the possibilities of the portfolio as a tool for formative assessment in the educational process.