The Changing Shape of University Decision-Making Processes and the Consequences for Faculty Participation in Ireland

Abstract

Research shows that formative assessment can exert a powerful effect on student learning, yet the complexity of formative assessment is not well understood and some curricular structures and practices do not fully exploit its potential. This article outlines the background to the political promotion of employability and shows that institutional responses are influenced by multiple considerations. It discusses formative assessment and models it as a complex signalling system before considering the implications, for students’ employability, of accentuating the attention given to formative assessment. The potential for action is discussed with reference to three levels: those of the institution, the department, and the individual academic.     

How is formative assessment related to students’ reading achievement? Findings from PISA 2009

Drawing on the programme for international student assessment 2009 US data-set, this study examines the relationship between formative assessment and students’ reading achievement using a structural equation modelling approach. We find that formative assessment is positively related to students’ reading achievement directly and indirectly (through teacher–student relationship and attitude towards reading) for all students. The direct relationship between formative assessment and reading achievement is significantly stronger for Black students than for White students, whether or not student socio-economic status (SES), gender and school mean SES are controlled for. The total relationship (the direct plus the indirect relationship) between formative assessment and reading achievement also appears to be stronger for Black students than for White students; however, the difference is not statistically significant whether or not we control for covariates. No significant difference is found between White and Hispanic students in terms of the direct and the total relationship between formative assessment and reading achievement. Using a nationally representative data-set, this study provides empirical evidence that formative assessment is positively related to students’ reading achievement in general. In addition, this study provides preliminary evidence to show the potential of formative assessment to help reduce achievement gaps between Black and White students. The implications and limitations of the study are also discussed.     

以就业能力为导向的高职考试制度改革创新

考试制度改革是高职教育改革的重要内容,变革现有的考试制度早已势在必行。创新高职考试改革模式,要突出高职教育的职业性,并以提高就业能力为终极目的。为此提出了以就业能力为导向的学习过程监督的形成性考核方式,以提高学生综合能力为目的的终结性和鉴定性考试方法和科学多样的考核题型,以及获取提升就业能力的“双证书”制度。     

网络教育在线作业系统应用研究——以山东电大开放教育为例

该文介绍了山东电大开展形成性考核的重要举措——开发并应用了一套在线作业系统,通过对在线作业系统的应用数据分析及用户访谈,验证了在线作业这一形成性考核手段的效果,数据表明在线作业对于学生学习有一定的促进作用;并发现了存在软件自身及形成性考核过程的一系列问题,包括系统运行不够稳定、功能设计不够完善、实施过程有待进一步规范等。该文对于当前国家开放大学推动评价制度改革有一定的参考价值。     

论教学设计模式及其对可雇佣性教育的启示

文章从六个角度阐述了教学设计的定义,并论述了三个主要的教学设计模式。这些模式有三个主要的共同活动:分析、战略开发和评估。这些活动均与人员(如学习者和教育者)、教育材料、教育环境、教育方式、教育评估相关。只有结合可雇佣性本身的特点考虑可雇佣性教学,才能使可雇佣性教育具有可操作性。     

Graduateness: an empirical examination of the formative function of university education

The formative merits of university education are at risk of being reduced from graduateness in the sense of broad academic cultivation to professional training with a strong emphasis on employability. The difficulty in opposing this trend is the absence of a clear framework for academic cultivation. The aim of this study is to construct a model that uses the formative function of university education as a starting point, that distinguishes graduateness from employability, and that integrates theories on reflective thinking, scholarship, moral reasoning and lifelong learning. This approach offers the possibility of making use of insights from established theoretical traditions in the study of the intellectual development of students. For this study, a questionnaire was developed to investigate graduateness, or intellectual cultivation, among students in a research university. Structural equation modelling revealed that the expected structure was confirmed by the data. Reflective thinking has the strongest influence on lifelong learning; however, scholarship and moral citizenship are also important elements.     

Formative Assessment: A Meta‐Analysis and a Call for Research

An effect size of about .70 (or .40–.70) is often claimed for the efficacy of formative assessment, but is not supported by the existing research base. More than 300 studies that appeared to address the efficacy of formative assessment in grades K‐12 were reviewed. Many of the studies had severely flawed research designs yielding uninterpretable results. Only 13 of the studies provided sufficient information to calculate relevant effect sizes. A total of 42 independent effect sizes were available. The median observed effect size was .25. Using a random effects model, a weighted mean effect size of .20 was calculated. Moderator analyses suggested that formative assessment might be more effective in English language arts (ELA) than in mathematics or science, with estimated effect sizes of .32, .17, and .09, respectively. Two types of implementation of formative assessment, one based on professional development and the other on the use of computer‐based formative systems, appeared to be more effective than other approaches, yielding mean effect size of .30 and .28, respectively. Given the wide use and potential efficacy of good formative assessment practices, the paucity of the current research base is problematic. A call for more high‐quality studies is issued.     

现代远程教育中形成性评价的现状及对策研究

课程评价是网络教育中学生评价的重要内容,也是网络教育教学质量的保证。目前我国现代远程教育的课程评价仍然侧重于终结性评价,对形成性评价的重视程度不足。在对16所试点高校网络教育学院的调研中,从各网院的形成性评价和终结性评价的比例、内容、形式的分析中证实,这些试点高校开始重视形成性评价。实践表明,形成性评价对学生学习起着重要作用,是保证学习质量的一个关键环节。针对调研中发现的问题,加强形成性评价的策略是：对形成性评价正确定位、从教学设计和技术角度加强学习参与度评价、建立健全形成性评价的反馈机制,不断推进和创新形成性评价工作。     

Do university students,alumni, educators and employers link assessment and graduate employability?

Within higher education literature, assessment and graduate employability are linked and co-presented, in that quality student assessment is purported to enhance employability. This research was designed to query the extent to which these same conceptual links are perceived by those actively involved in higher education. Four stakeholder groups from multiple disciplines and eight Australian states and territories (students, alumni, educators and employers) were interviewed about graduate employability (n?=?127). Interviewers intentionally omitted any mention of assessment to determine whether the various stakeholders would bring it up themselves when asked questions such as what is and is not effective for nurturing employability. The results indicated that among the educators, assessment emerged as a dominant theme. While the three other stakeholder groups infrequently used the term assessment, they did discuss related educational concepts and practices in the context of enhanced employability. All stakeholder groups identified a missing link between theory and practice, with educators specifying that link as assessment. Recommendations to improve employability through assessment are the key takeaways from this research.     

Informal formative assessment: The role of instructional dialogues in assessing students’ learning

This paper focuses on an unceremonious type of formative assessment - informal formative assessment - in which much of what teachers and students do in the classroom can be described as potential assessments that can provide evidence about the students’ level of understanding. More specifically, the paper focuses on assessment conversations, or dialogic interactions or exchanges, which continuously happen in the classroom and that are at the center of informal formative assessment. It is argued that assessment conversations make students’ thinking explicit in an unobtrusive manner, and when students’ thinking is explicit, it can be examined, questioned, and shaped as an active object of constructive learning. The paper conceptualizes informal formative assessment at the center of effective instructional activities with the use of instructional dialogues as assessment conversations, a typical informal formative assessment practice. The paper then presents a discussion about the evidence on the effect of assessment conversations on student learning.     

大学英语教学中的形成性评价及策略研究

形成性评价注重对学生的学习过程进行评价，及时提供反馈，调整教学，满足学生需求。将形成性评价恰当地运用到大学英语课堂，能显著改善教学效果，有效弥补当前大学英语教学与测试的一些不足，并帮助学生成为自主高效的学习者。     

‘Formative good,summative bad?’ – A review of the dichotomy in assessment literature

The debate between summative and formative assessment is creating a situation that increasingly calls to mind the famous slogan in George Orwell’s (1945) Animal Farm – ‘Four legs good, two legs bad’. Formative assessment is increasingly being portrayed in the literature as ‘good’ assessment, which tutors should strive towards, whereas summative assessment is ‘bad’ assessment on which tutors should minimise their focus, instead moving towards formative assessment (Taras 2005). By revisiting the origins of formative assessment, this article aims to bring back to light that summative and formative assessment are connected at their inception. It highlights how research in the literature has unintentionally created a harmful dichotomy between summative and formative assessment, and it identifies some attempts in the literature to re-connect formative and summative assessment. This paper challenges the dichotomy in the literature and invites those in higher education to consider the fundamental idea that formative and summative assessment need to work in harmony and should not be seen as contrary to each other.     

Evaluating a technology supported interactive response system during the laboratory section of a histology course

Monitoring of student learning through systematic formative assessment is important for adjusting pedagogical strategies. However, traditional formative assessments, such as quizzes and written assignments, may not be sufficiently timely for making adjustments to a learning process. Technology supported formative assessment tools assess student knowledge, allow for immediate feedback, facilitate classroom dialogues, and have the potential to modify student learning strategies. As an attempt to integrate technology supported formative assessment in the laboratory section of an upper‐level histology course, the interactive application Learning Catalytics^TM, a cloud‐based assessment system, was used. This study conducted during the 2015 Histology courses at Cornell University concluded that this application is helpful for identifying student misconceptions “on‐the‐go,” engaging otherwise marginalized students, and forming a new communication venue between students and instructors. There was no overall difference between grades from topics that used the application and grades from those that did not, and students reported that it only slightly helped improve their understanding of the topic (3.8 ± 0.99 on a five‐point Likert scale). However, they highly recommended using it (4.2 ± 0.71). The major limitation was regarding the image display and graphical resolution of this application. Even though students embrace the use of technology, 39% reported benefits of having the traditional light microscope available. This cohort of students led instructors to conclude that the newest tools are not always better, but rather can complement traditional instruction methods. Anat Sci Educ 10: 328–338. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists.     

A case study of a formative assessment practice and the effects on students’ self-regulated learning

The study investigates one mathematics teacher’s implementation of formative assessment and its effects on students’ self-regulated learning (SRL). A questionnaire administered before and after the eight-month long intervention shows a significant effect, compared to two control classes, on students’ motivational beliefs involved in SRL. Qualitative data shows a notable enhancement of the students’ SRL behavior in the classroom. Analysis of the teacher’s implemented formative assessment shows a practice integrating several aspects of formative assessment, and provides empirical evidence of what formative assessment with large effects on students’ SRL may look like and how it fits with models of SRL development.     

Formative Assessment in EFL Writing: An Exploratory Case Study

In second‐language writing, assessment has traditionally focused on the written products and how well (or badly) students perform in writing. Teachers dominate the assessment process as testers, while students remain passive testees. Assessment is something teachers ‘do to’ rather than ‘with’ students, mainly for administrative and reporting purposes (i.e. summative). Such assessment, being more retrospective than prospective, holds little value for teaching and learning. In recent years, with a major paradigm shift in assessment and evaluation in English language teaching, writing assessment informed primarily by a product and summative orientation, is considered increasingly inadequate. Such assessment, which focuses on measurement – i.e. marking, monitoring and checking, fails to capture the formative potential of assessment for promoting learning. A formative approach to assessment, on the other hand, focuses more on inquiry – i.e. discovering, diagnosing and understanding, as well as the opportunities assessment provides for improving teaching and learning. To harness the potential of formative assessment in the writing classroom, it is axiomatic that classroom assessment practices be geared towards maximizing student learning. This provides the impetus for my study, which investigates an EFL teacher's attempt to implement formative assessment in her writing classroom and its impact on her classroom practice and students' beliefs and attitudes to writing.     

Formative Assessment and English Learning Strategies——An experiment on teaching vocational college English

The study mainly focuses on the influence of formative assessment upon learning strategies. So as to testify the effectiveness of formative assessment application in the promotion of students’ learning strategy in vocational college, the author has conducted a 20-week study on 76 freshmen in Sichuan College of Architectural Technology. The result shows that the application of formative assessment is mostly effective in the students’ adoption of affective strategy.     

Students’ assessment preferences and approaches to learning: can formative assessment make a difference?

The purpose of this paper is to gain insight into the relationships between hands‐on experiences with formative assessment, students’ assessment preferences and their approaches to learning. The sample consisted of 108 university first‐year Bachelor’s students studying criminology. Data were obtained using the Revised two‐factor study process questionnaire (R‐SPQ‐2F) and the Assessment preferences inventory (API). The study shows that differences in assessment preferences are correlated with differences in approach to learning. Students’ preferences for assessment methods with higher‐order thinking tasks are significantly lower after actual experience with a formative assessment. Moreover, students also changed their approaches to learning after hands‐on experience with a formative mode of assessment. Surprisingly, this change evinced a more ‘surface approach’ to learning. Nevertheless, this is in line with other recent research findings. The paper ends with some possible explanations, and new directions for research are proposed.     

大学英语教学表现性评价的测评新取向

近年来在大学英语教学领域,对教学效果的考评,已经从传统的纸笔测试方式,转变为科学的、优异的表现性评价。这种评价方式,从静态上说它全面地涉及受业者的理论、知识、技能的各个层面;从动态上说它具体地展示了受业者结合实战、运用策略、解决问题、掌握理论知识,形成技能的状态。实践表明,表现性评价是科学的优异的测评方式。     

英语专业阅读课程的评价体系建构研究

形成性评价模式因其注重学生学习过程中的态度、策略、进展和师生间的及时反馈而被较多地应用于学习评价中。为建构一套以形成性评价为主的英语专业阅读课的评价体系,进行了为期一年的实证研究,结果表明新闻共享与互评、课堂测试与自我反思和教学互动等环节的形成性评价活动能够快速有效地提高学生的英语阅读能力。