Student-centered Assessment Research Articles

The Evolution and Importance of Student-Centred Assessment in Modern Education

This paper is based on the concept of examining the development and significance of the kinds of assessments that focus on students in present-day learning environments. This work examines the historical context of educational assessment from the oral tradition of the ancients to present-day standardized testing and reflects on the emergence of student-centred paradigms. The discussion also covers the advantages of these techniques, which incorporate higher participation, enhanced learning, and preparation for pragmatic problems, together with the issues encountered in the implementation of these techniques. The paper describes real-life examples of successful use across various learning contexts and looks at potential future developments, including AI-facilitated assessments and virtual environments as learning simulations. If these questions are touched on, it is possible to ask questions about ethics and policy consequences: equity, protection of privacy, and adherence to educational norms. This paper examines how student-centred assessment has applied a solution to several restraining factors of global education, including workforce development and the promotion of global citizenship. The conclusion re-emphasizes the capacity and potential of assessment for improving efficiency, fairness, and the learning experience when learning is placed at the centre. Therefore, this paper confirms that practitioners, educators, policymakers, and researchers should come together to enhance the definition and implementation of these practices in their rightful places, recognizing their importance in preparing students for the challenges of the 21st century.

From entry to transformation: exploring AI integration in teachers’ K–12 assessment practices

ABSTRACT This study explores the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in K–12 student assessment practices, focusing on educators’ use of AI tools. Through content analysis of active Facebook groups dedicated to AI in education, the authors examined how educators integrate AI into assessment across various grade levels and subjects. Using the Technology Integration Model, they analysed posts to evaluate the use of AI across subjects and grade levels. The findings revealed a progression from initial interest and experimentation with AI to more advanced, adaptive uses in assessment creation and grading. Educators reported positive experiences with AI-driven tools, especially in automating tasks and gamifying assessments. However, challenges such as ensuring reliable, context-specific feedback persist. Overall, the research highlights AI’s potential to enhance student-centred assessment practices and provides insights for educators, administrators and policymakers on AI’s evolving role in education.

Assessment FOR students, OF students, BY students: Student-centred assessment with assessment as learning pedagogy

Assessment as learning (AaL) is conceptualised as a learner-led approach that uses assessment as a learning tool, enhancing metacognition and self-regulated learning (Yan & Boud, 2021), but its practical implementation remains underexplored. This paper proposes a pedagogical framework called Democratic Assessment, which includes activities such as writing self-reflective journals (selfassessment), acting as assessors (peer-assessment), and developing unit tests (learner-created assessment). A case study with 16 B2-level students at EF Brisbane showed that these strategies foster self-regulated learning and critical thinking, leading to improved outcomes. However, further research is needed to validate these findings and expand AaL's applicability.

Malaysian Students’ Perceptions towards Using Peer Feedback to Cultivate Evaluative Judgement of Argumentative Writing

Although peer feedback is a prevailing practice to promote evaluative judgement, its influence on the development of this higher-order cognitive ability has not yet been adequately explored. Specifically, there is a dearth of research that examines the benefit of providing and receiving peer feedback in developing students’ understanding of assessment standards of writing. The purpose of this study is to explore students’ perceptions of how different feedback roles influenced their three types of evaluative judgement of ESL argumentative writing, namely hard, soft and dynamic evaluative judgement. During five weeks, 24 undergraduate students enrolled in an English argumentative writing course at a Malaysian public university were randomly assigned to three distinct peer feedback roles, namely feedback provider, feedback receiver, or feedback outsider, to participate in the peer feedback activities. Thematic analysis of pre- and post-intervention surveys indicated that different feedback roles varied in facilitating the development of evaluative judgement. Despite the limitation of domain-specific knowledge, strategically integrating peer feedback into writing course design afforded students opportunities to cultivate the three types of evaluative judgement. This study translates the theoretical framework of evaluative judgement into identifiable goals within the course of English argumentative writing and sheds light on the cognitive mechanisms inherent in different feedback roles, which enables educators and researchers to better dissect peer feedback curriculum design and student-centred assessment activity.

Student-Centered Assessment Research on Holographic Learning Paradigm Based on Intelligent Analytic Hierarchy Process in Teaching of Bridge Engineering Course

As the core course of civil engineering, the teaching quality of bridge engineering and the learning effectiveness of students are crucial for the construction of bridge engineering. The traditional teaching of bridge engineering courses tends to be teacher-centered, with learning as a supplement, and therefore is commonly referred to as teacher-centered. This article analyzes the drawbacks of the teacher-centered teaching model and proposes a student-centered holographic teaching method in the teaching practice of bridge engineering courses. By reconstructing the learning content and constructing a holographic information field from a comprehensive perspective of digital, physical, and humanistic aspects, a teacher–student learning community guided by teachers and deeply participated in by students is established. From the perspective of integrating life experience, professional knowledge cognition, and engineering philosophy thinking, the learning effect of students is made high order, innovative, and challenging. The improved analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was used to evaluate the student-centered holographic teaching concept, and the results showed that adopting a multidimensional and multi-level holographic teaching method has great practical significance in promoting the establishment of student knowledge systems and the development of diversity.

EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF A PEDAGOGICAL TRAINING PROGRAM OFFERED TO AWARDED UNIVERSITY TEACHERS

A didactic grant competition for academics is organized annually at the West University of Timişoara (WUT), offering a grant to the winners of a public student-centered activity project competition. The teaching grant winners later take part in a program to develop their pedagogical skills in student-centered teaching based on the WUT’s reflexive-collaborative (i.e., RCL) instructional model. Next, during one academic semester, grant winners must implement the RCL instructional model in one specific subject matter. Based on a quantitative quasi-experimental design, this study examined the impact of a pedagogical program offered to the beneficiaries of the 2020 grant competition at both teachers’ and student levels. At the teachers’ level, we measured their conceptions of teaching, teaching approaches, and psychological resources. At the students’ level, we investigated their evaluation of their teachers’ teaching behavior and their learning approaches. Analyses such as Two-way mixed ANOVA, Quade’s ANCOVA, and Mann-Whitney U were conducted to investigate the gathered data. Academics in the EG reported statistically significant improvements in their conceptions of promoting active learning. According to their students, teachers in the experimental group employed more student-centered assessment methods and teaching behaviors that encouraged active learning. Our results also showed that academics in the control group reported higher resilience levels at the end of the academic semester, and according to their students, their more traditional teaching approaches seemed more effective in stimulating their students’ understanding of fundamental concepts. The results could have been more significant regarding the students’ learning approaches. Because of the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, we encountered several obstacles in the impact assessment process (e.g., high values at the pretest, the impossibility of matching students’ answers). Although our findings have some limitations, the present article has noteworthy implications for stakeholders involved in in-service teacher training programs, in particular, conducted in higher education institutions. Practical implications of the findings for both academic developers and future research are discussed.

Building A Student-Centered Assessment Community: Motivations, Experiences, Supports, and Challenges

ABSTRACT Over the past three years, a community of faculty and graduate teaching assistants has developed within the University of Kentucky Mathematics department centered around the use and development of student-centered assessment methods. In this article, we discuss the environmental factors that contributed to the growth of this community, our motivations for engaging in this work, and our surprisingly consistent successes. We conclude by sharing suggestions for experienced instructors interested in building communities around the theme of student-centered assessment methods.

AI, Analytics and a New Assessment Model for Universities

As the COVID-19 pandemic recedes, its legacy has been to disrupt universities across the world, most immediately in developing online adjuncts to face-to-face teaching. Behind these problems lie those of assessment, particularly traditional summative assessment, which has proved more difficult to implement. This paper models the current practice of assessment in higher education as influenced by ten factors, the most important of which are the emerging technologies of artificial intelligence (AI) and learning analytics (LA). Using this model and a SWOT analysis, the paper argues that the pressures of marketisation and demand for nontraditional and vocationally oriented provision put a premium on courses offering a more flexible and student-centred assessment. This could be facilitated through institutional strategies enabling assessment for learning: an approach that employs formative assessment supported by AI and LA, together with collaborative working in realistic contexts, to facilitate students’ development as flexible and sustainable learners. While literature in this area tends to focus on one or two aspects of technology or assessment, this paper aims to be integrative by drawing upon more comprehensive evidence to support its thesis.

Implementation of Specifications Grading in an Upper-Division Chemical Biology Lecture Course

ABSTRACT Specifications grading is a student-centered assessment method that enables flexibility and opportunities for revision. Here, we describe the first known full implementation of specifications grading in an upper-division chemical biology course. Due to the rapid development of relevant knowledge in this discipline, the overarching goal of this class is to prepare students to interpret and communicate about current research. In the past, a conventional points-based assessment method made it challenging to ensure that satisfactory standards for student work were consistently met, particularly for comprehensive written assignments. Specifications grading was chosen because the core tenet requires students to demonstrate minimum learning objectives to achieve a passing grade and complete more content of increased cognitive complexity to achieve higher grades. This strict adherence to determining grades based on demonstrated skills is balanced by opportunities for revision or flexibility in assignment deadlines. These options are made manageable for the instructors through the use of a token economy with a limited number of tokens that students can choose to use when needed. Over the duration of the course, a validated survey on self-efficacy showed slight positive trends, student comprehension and demonstrated skills qualitatively improved, and final grade distributions were not negatively affected. Instructors noticed that discussions with students were more focused on course concepts and feedback, rather than grades, while overall grading time was reduced. Responses to university-administered student feedback surveys revealed some self-reported reduction in anxiety, as well as increased confidence in managing time and course material. Recommendations are provided on how to continue to improve the overall teaching and learning experience for both instructors and students.

In critical need of research-based instructional strategies and assessment: an investigation of ePCR math lesson plans for middle school students

One favored approach to teaching computational thinking (CT) and coding skills in PK-12 computer science education is to use educational physical computing and robotics devices (ePCRs). Marrying the physical functionalities and computer coding possibilities, ePCRs show great promise in cultivating PK-12 students’ CT and 21-st century skills. However, in practice, there is a lack of experienced teachers and readily-available ePCR curricula, which poses challenges in classroom integration. Thus, the purpose of this article is to analyze publicly-available ePCR math lesson plans designed for middle school students, especially focusing on lesson characteristics, instructional strategies, assessment plans, and 21st-century skills cultivated. After analyzing 283 publicly-available ePCR math lesson plans, we found that they used a variety of educational technologies. In particular, the majority utilize physical coding and the tools’ functionalities to move, draw, show visuals, and play audio. However, most of the lesson plans are in critical need of research-based instructional strategies and assessment plans and instruments. Our empirical evidence warrants a great need for additional research, design, and professional development in the area of effectively integrating ePCRs into content areas, especially in the aspects of active learning strategies, student-centered assessment, and more profound pedagogies to cultivate students’ 21st-century skills.

Explore the Effectiveness of Assessment Policy Framework (APF) 2019: Students’ Learning at Elementary Level in Pakistan

The objective of this study was to examine the efficacy of APF 2019 in enhancing learning outcomes for primary school students and to pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of the elementary education system under APF 2019. The study emphasizes the significance of qualitative research in comprehending the effectiveness of pedagogical policies and practices. The research employed a qualitative methodology, which involved interviews with students. The findings of the study indicate that APF 2019 has several benefits, such as providing lucid guidelines for assessment practices, prioritizing student-centred assessment, and emphasizing formative assessment. However, the study also found limitations of APF 2019, including insufficient resources and support for effective implementation, the likelihood of assessment practices becoming standardized and homogenized, and the restricted flexibility for catering to various learning requirements. The research suggests that the successful implementation of APF 2019 necessitates adequate resources and support and the balance between standardization and flexibility while prioritizing student-centred assessment practices.

Difficult but Valuable! Learning in Student-centered Assessment Feedback Practices in Higher Education

Aims: The aim of this study is to fill a gap in research on students' experiences of learning in student-centered assessment feedback practices. The article examines what students tell us about their learning in the context of student-centered feedback practices in higher education during online learning.
 Study Design: The study was conducted as a qualitative online survey among Finnish university students (N=35). The relationship between learning and assessment was explored in the context of formative and summative assessment practices during an online learning environment. The data was analysed using a discursive approach.
 Place and Duration of Study: The research was conducted in Finland during spring 2021.
 Methodology: The scientific and philosophical framework of the study is based on the theory of social constructionism, according to which social reality is formed through language in an interaction between people. The methodology used was discursive reading, i.e., how social reality is discursively produced through language. The starting point was the idea that language creates different discourses or perspectives on reality.
 Results: The feedback practices provided a different picture of learning and highlighted different dimensions of learning. Learning was discussed in terms of positive emotions, multiple perspectives, sociality, renewal, and holistic learning. In addition, negative emotions, disinformation, regression, and the playing field metaphor were associated with learning. 
 Conclusion: The results show that feedback practices that are presented as student-centered do not necessarily support the learning process of adults. Learning and assessment practices based on pedagogy and a learning theory can best support students' personal and social growth and increase their self-esteem. In online learning, teacher guidance and pedagogically based learning support are emphasized. We argue that in online-learning, where the role of the teacher is often small, student-centered well-intentioned assessment practices can only provide a thin veneer of learning unless students are helped to see the holistic importance of assessment as part of the learning process.

초등학생의 형성적 피드백 인식, 지능에 대한 신념, 평가에 대한 태도, 행동의도 및 수업참여 간의 구조적 관계 분석

The aims of this study was to explore the structural relationships among students’ attitudes toward assessment(SATA), the incremental belief of intelligence, the perceived teachers’ formative feedback, behavioral intention, and classroom engagement in either formative or summative assessment situations. In the study the multi-level SEM approach was used to identify the structural relationships among the SATA and its related variables using Mplus. The findings revealed that incremental belief of intelligence and formative feedback had a statistically significant positive effect on expectancy and value and an indirect effect on learners’ participation through value, positive affect, and behavioral intention. Specifically, formative feedback had a positive direct effect on behavioral intention and learners’ participation. The educational implications based on the results of this study are as follows. First, teachers’ formative feedback and students’ incremental beliefs of intelligence are variables with a positive influence on SATA. Second, students ascribe a greater value to and have better expectations from summative assessment rather than formative assessment. They consider summative assessment results to be more important. Although the mean of value and expectation in formative assessment was low, value showed the greatest positive effect on positive affect while expectation reduced negative affect in formative assessment. Therefore, to help improve students’ learning, the role of formative assessment is important. There is a need to emphasize that teachers should use student-centered assessment to consider students’ individual differences in learning and enhance students’ learning by providing formative feedback.

Exploring teachers' attitudes and self-efficacy beliefs for implementing student self-assessment of English as a foreign language writing.

With the growing need to nurture students’ independent learning, English language teaching (ELT) practices should reflect student-centered assessment approaches, such as self-assessment, an ultimate goal of higher education. It has been pointed out that to conduct effective self-assessment, students need to be taught systematically, and that is where teachers are expected to step in. Prior to implementing such a change in ELT, it is important to conduct research on English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ attitudes toward, and self-efficacy beliefs about, implementing self-assessment to cultivate capable student self-assessors. Although the strong global endorsement of self-assessment over the past two decades has witnessed its classroom implementation in different disciplines, such studies are scant in relation to EFL writing classrooms. To address this gap, the present qualitative research examined five Chinese tertiary EFL writing teachers’ attitudes toward and self-efficacy beliefs about student self-assessment of writing, as well as possible reasons that discourage them from engaging students in self-assessment practices. Data collected from in-depth, semi-structured interviews indicated that self-assessment, a critical element of self-regulated learning, is surprisingly missing from the teachers’ knowledge base and previous practices. Additionally, the findings offer insights into the striking differences in teachers’ understanding of, attitudes toward, and low self-efficacy beliefs about self-assessment of writing. Reasons why teachers choose not to implement self-assessment of writing are also discussed. Findings from this study contribute to a deeper understanding of how EFL teachers’ attitudes and self-efficacy beliefs are enacted in relation to their classroom assessment practices in order to move forward discussions on the feasibility of implementing self-assessment of writing in tertiary EFL classrooms.

Principles of Online Learning Assessment: A Literature Review Between Western Education Theory and Islamic Education Theory

Purpose – The right assessment strategy can reduce the number of academic dishonesties during online learning in the pandemic era. Academic dishonesty is a problem considered normal but has a detrimental impact on the development of a nation. Therefore, instructors need to know the principles of assessment that can reduce the number of academic dishonesties in universities.
 Design/methods/approach – This study uses a qualitative approach with a literature study technique. This literature comes from several online assessment books, articles, handbooks, and others. The procedure used in this study involves selecting a topic, developing themes, selecting problems, searching for literature in the database, and selecting and evaluating literature based on these problems.
 Findings – The results of this study are in the form of online learning assessment principles that can be applied in designing assessment activities. First, design a student-centered assessment that includes self-reflection. Second, design and include grading rubrics for assessing contributions to the discussion and assignments, projects, and the collaboration itself. Third, include collaborative assessment. Fourth, encourage students to develop skills in providing feedback. Fifth, use assessment techniques appropriate to the context and learning objectives. Sixth, design an assessment that is clear, easy to understand, and guaranteed success in the online environment. Seventh, ask students for input on how the assessment is carried out.
 Research implications – This study contributes to the development of literature regarding the online learning assessment process, especially in universities.
 Originality/value – Future research should be able to test these online learning assessment principles to find empirical evidence of their effectiveness.

Assessing a Summer Bridge Program: Centering Student Voice and Student Learning

Summer bridge programs (SBPs) are intended to promote student learning, academic achievement, and persistence to graduation. They are also a viable vehicle for supporting diverse minoritized student constituencies. Our study, guided by a student-centered assessment approach, examined the experiences of incoming first-year students. Findings highlight the importance of the program in supporting students’ transition to college, academic skill development, and building social networks. This study offers implications for those interested in assessing and improving SBPs.

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF TEACHERS' BELIEFS ABOUT THE ASSESSMENT OF 4TH GRADE-EFL STUDENTS IN TURKEY, ITALY AND FINLAND

The aim of this study is to find out the beliefs of the foreign language teachers about the ways and types of assessment tools, assessment activities and exercises used for 4th grade-EFL students in Turkey, Italy and Finland. A total of 170 English language teachers (89 in Turkey, 40 in Italy and 41 in Finland) constituted the sample of the study. For data collection, a questionnaire with two parts was used. The quantitative data collected through the questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation) and one-way ANOVA. The results of the study revealed important points about assessing foreign language skills at primary school level. Turkish, Italian and Finnish teachers believed that more student-centered and formative-based assessment procedures should be used for 4th grade-students who learn English as a foreign language. The results also showed that teachers’ beliefs about the types of assessment, the content/skills-focus and the need for different kinds of exercises to assess 4th-graders did not differ significantly in terms of the country. However, teachers’ general beliefs about the assessment of 4th-grade students’ foreign language differed significantly in terms of the country. The post-hoc analysis showed that Italian teachers’ general beliefs about the assessment procedures for 4th grade students’ foreign language was significantly higher than Finnish and Turkish teachers’ general beliefs.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0961/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Pembelajaran dan Penilaian Menggunakan E-Portfolio: Kajian Terhadap Penerimaan Pelajar Fiqh al-Jinayat dan Fiqh al-Muamalat Learning and Assessment Using E-Portfolio: A Study on Students Acceptance in the Courses of Fiqh al-Jinayat and Fiqh al-Muamalat

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced the world of education to take place virtually or entirely online. This situation demands the adaptation of teaching and learning activities to appropriate and effective methods. This article aims to discuss e-portfolio as a method of student-centered learning and assessment. Its application is discussed based on the authors’ experience in teaching Fiqh al-Jinayat and Fiqh al-Muamalat, both subjects offered at the Bachelor level at the Academy of Islamic Studies, University of Malaya. The study also aims to analyze the acceptance of students of both courses towards e-portfolio assignments. This study employs qualitative approach and data were obtained from students’ reported reflections and feedbacks in their e-portfolios. Data were analyzed thematically, and subsequent validation of findings was made using the method, time, and person triangulation. This study finds that students’ acceptance of e-portfolio assignments as a self-learning method and student-centered assessment method was positive. These findings are in line with the theory and result of previous literature. Thus, it is imperative to expand e-portfolio assignments in higher learning institutions with appropriate adjustments based on the goals and needs of the subjects offered. Its implementation is suitable not only in virtual learning mode but also in blended and hybrid learning mode.

Assessment and epistemic (in)justice: how assessment produces knowledge and knowers

ABSTRACT Assessment is often used to promote learning, but the mechanisms of how assessment relates to epistemology – knowledge and knowing – have been scarcely studied and theorised. In this study, we examine students’ epistemic resources in relation assessment in the context of university mathematics education. We draw on the theoretical framework of epistemic injustice in order to understand how assessment produces knowledge and knowers. Using reflexive thematic analysis, we analyse 77 students’ essays about their experiences and ideals of assessment practices. We discuss how the students contributed to co-constructing the dominant status of exams in mathematics - exams were deemed fit to assess mathematical knowledge. At the same time, experiences of alternative assessment practices enabled students to re-define what constitutes valid knowledge and how such knowledge can be demonstrated and assessed. We conclude by noting that developing student-centred assessment practices not only fosters students' learning but also promotes their epistemic resources.

Not all evidence is created equal: assessment artifacts in maker education

Purpose When using embedded, student-centered assessment tools for maker education, understanding the characteristics of a body of evidence can help teachers guide the assessment process. This study aims to examine assessment artifacts from a makerspace program and present a set of qualities that emerged, which researchers and maker educators can use to evaluate the quality of evidence before interpreting it and making claims about student learning. Design/methodology/approach This study used the interpretive analysis approach to identify salient qualities in a body of evidence of maker learning. Data sources included student assessment artifacts, researchers’ analytic memos, notes on the coding and analysis process, background stories and field observations. Findings The study found that the assessment artifacts generated by students aligned with the maker-related target skills. A set of qualities was produced that can be used to describe the strength of a body of evidence and help determine whether it is appropriate to be used in the meaning making phase. Practical implications The qualities identified in this study can be directly incorporated into the embedded assessment toolkit to provide feedback on the strength of evidence for learning in makerspaces. Originality/value Assessment methods for maker education are nascent, and ways to describe the quality of a student-generated body of evidence have not yet been established. This study applies existing knowledge of embedded assessment and reflective practice toward the creation of a new way of assessing skills that are difficult to measure.