We explore on the basis of a simple survey tool the perceived impact of the Erasmus mobility experience on the improvement of the thirty generic competences of the Tuning Europe list. We rely on a ...self-assessment procedure, i.e. on data collected by the Erasmus Office of the University of Padova, Italy, through end-of-stay questionnaires, as returned by both outgoing and incoming Erasmus students. Processed data yield the percentage number of ticks, by which a given competence was chosen by the answering samples. We introduce a quantity “importance of improvement”, which measures the perceived degree of development of a given generic competence during the mobility experience and allows a consistent comparison among different samples. On this basis, we can order the thirty competences according to decreasing perceived importance of improvement in the two above samples. From a general point of view, Erasmus students perceive the most important improvement in instrumental competences. We can then carry out meaningful comparisons between the profiles of competences’ improvement of outgoing and incoming students, both in qualitative and in quantitative terms. Such a comparison reveals interesting features linked to the academic and human environments of mobile students. A further step in the analysis describes how country effects give more insight into the previous results. In such a context, we analyze the country impact on each given competence for both outgoing (visiting the country) and incoming (from the country) students, on the country subgroup competences’ profile and on the exchange of competences, which occurs between paired country subgroups.
The study aimed to explore teachers' beliefs about student self-assessment (SSA) and the reasons for their use of it in their classrooms. A representative sample of 944 Spanish teachers (38.8% ...primary school sector, 54.0% secondary school sector and 7.2% university or adult education sector) were surveyed about SSA. Data were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling to determine statistically and theoretically significant predictors of teachers' self-reported use of SSA. Results showed that 90% of the teachers indicated having used SSA in their courses and 90% reported having positive experiences. A well-fitting structural model found five statistically significant predictors for the use of SSA: (1) positive experience with self-assessment, (2) belief in student participation in assessment, (3) willingness to include self-assessment as percentage of final grade, (4) self-assessment advantages and (5) having attended assessment courses. Statistically significant mean score differences for these factors were found according to level of employment and level of educational qualifications. In conclusion, teachers' values, attitudes and prior experiences with this type of assessment contributed a significant proportion of self-reported SSA usage.
Courses at the Master's level in automatic control and signal processing cover mathematical theories and algorithms for control, estimation, and filtering. However, giving students practical ...experience in how to use these algorithms is also an important part of these courses. A goal is that the students should not only be able to understand and derive these algorithms, but also be able to apply them to real-life technical problems. The latter is achieved by assigning more time to the laboratory tutorials and designing them in such a way that the exercises are open for interpretation; an example of this would be giving the students more freedom to decide how to acquire the data needed to solve the given exercises. The students are asked to hand in a laboratory report in which they describe how they solved the exercises. This paper presents a double-blind peer-review process for laboratory reports, introduced at the Department of Electrical Engineering, Linköping University, Sweden. A survey was administered to students, and the results are summarized in this paper. Also discussed are the teachers' experiences of peer review and of how students perform later in their education in writing their Master's theses.
Self-assessment is a process by which a learner collects information about him, and reflects on his/her learning. Self-assessment of students includes reflective activities in which students are ...encouraged to consider the strengths and weaknesses of their work. Students can improve their self-regulation skills through self-assessment. The purpose of this study is to reflect pupils' perceptions about their self-assessment in learning in Kosovo pupils, taking in consideration that pupils' self-esteem is new and has not been applied until now. In the study, will be involved 725 students from 12 to 18 years old, four hundred pupils from lower secondary school and three hundred and twenty-five upper secondary school students. The research is conducted directly with the students using the quantitative research method, questioning the participants through the questionnaire. Participants' response analysis clearly shows that self-assessment helped to develop awareness and metacognitive behavior among students. Most respondents in questionnaires have found useful self-assessment as a learning tool. The results show that both students' and teachers' perceptions consider that pupils' self-assessment in the classroom is present, but not even at a very satisfying level. To students, the result is significant at p < 0.05 (p< 0.00001) and to teachers the result is not significant (p = 0.969701).
In order to self-regulate, students need to honestly reflect on their learning and to take appropriate corrective action. A simple procedure to cultivate student skills in self-regulated learning, ...known as the Task Evaluation and Reflection Instrument for Student Self-Assessment (TERISSA) is discussed in this paper. TERISSA guides students through two evaluations of the complexity of a task: the first is undertaken just before solving the task and the second straight after completing the task. This study involved 63 undergraduate students and observed a statistically significant difference (p = 0.007) in performance between the students who did (6.1/10) and did not (4.1/10) use TERISSA during tutorials leading up to an assessment task.
The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if the use of a video-recorded clinical session affects the accuracy of dental hygiene student self-assessment and dental hygiene instructor feedback.
...A repeated measures experiment was conducted. The use of the ODU 11/12 explorer was taught to students and participating faculty through video and demonstration. Students then demonstrated activation of the explorer on a student partner using the same technique. While faculty completed the student assessment in real time, the sessions were video recorded. After completing the activation of the explorer, students and faculty completed an assessment of the student's performance using a rubric. A week later, both students and faculty viewed the video of the clinical skill performance and reassessed the student's performance using the same rubric. The student videos were randomly assigned a number, so faculty reassessed the performance without access to the student's identity or the score that was initially given.
Twenty-eight students and 4 pre-clinical faculty completed the study. Students' average score was 4.68±1.16 on the first assessment and slightly higher 4.89±1.45 when reviewed by video. Faculty average scores were 5.07±2.13 at the first assessment and 4.79±2.54 on the second assessment with the video. No significant differences were found between the differences in overall scores, there was a significant difference in the scores of the grading criteria compared to the expert assessment scores (p=0.0001).
This pilot study shows that calibration and assessment without bias in education is a challenge. Analyzing and incorporating new techniques can result in more exact assessment of student performance and self-assessment.
The use of electronic audience response systems in university teaching is currently increasing rapidly. This paper describes how a consistent use of peer instruction facilitated by an audience ...response system has been introduced in an introductory engineering dynamics course. Data are presented that reveal that this teaching style leads to an increased learning outcome, especially regarding the students' conceptual understanding of the subject. Further results show that the students are very satisfied with the teaching style and they give high rankings on several parameters, which is important to the learning process. Finally, this study indicates that the use of clickers provides the students with a more critical and hence maybe a more realistic self-assessment of their academic outcome.
Recent publications and research have warned that student self-assessment practices in higher education cannot be presumed to empower students in ways that enhances their learning. This is partly due ...to a tendency to speak of power in student self-assessment in general and undefined terms. Hence, there is a need to identify the types of power present in student self-assessment practices and the contexts which give rise to them. This paper seeks to examine power in the context of different ways that student self-assessment is practised and understood by academics. Earlier research on academics' conceptions of student self-assessment is presented and each of the conceptions is then analyzed for insights into academics' meanings and practices of power in self-assessment. In particular, instances of sovereign, epistemological, and disciplinary power in student self-assessment are identified to illuminate new ways of understanding and using student self-assessment to enhance students' learning.
Competency models offer potential for defining effective and/or superior performance and then aligning curriculum and other learning opportunities with individual development goals. However, barriers ...exist that prevent optimal use of competency models, including difficulty identifying competencies and assessing development appropriately. This paper presents insights based on the design and implementation of a competency model for MPA students at the University of Kansas. Goals of this multiyear effort include (a) helping students assess their development as they progress through the MPA program, (b) linking competencies to curriculum and experiential learning opportunities, and (c) assessing progress using multiple evaluations over time. This paper considers associated challenges, including competency identification, assessment, and the need to capture emerging competencies.
•Tutor- and student self-marking with idealized solutions of lecturer.•Significant difference (p<0.025) between tutor- and self-assessed grades.•Students self-mark 1.16 times greater overall than ...tutor.•No evidence of student collusion in solutions and in awarding self-marks.•Student experience mixed on effectiveness of self-assessment learning.
A summative Mid-term Test in a level IV course of an accredited bachelor degree from a cohort of 32 (8 female, 24 male) students was both self-assessed and assessed by the experienced course tutor, using the idealized solutions and shell-form marking scheme of the lecturer. The assignment required demonstration of discipline-specific, definitions in Pinch Analysis and calculation of temperatures and heat exchanger network (HEN) designs. The grades were analyzed for accuracy, that is, agreement between student self-assessment (S-A) and tutor, marks. In 32 valid responses (100% response rate) the mean mark awarded by the students and tutor was, respectively, 83.1 (stdev=8.3) and 71.7 (stdev=8.3) out of a possible 100. Overall student S-A was therefore about 1.16 times that of the tutor's mark (p<0.025). There was no evidence of student collusion in solutions or “marks sharking”. Granularity in student S-A and tutor grading was, respectively, a ½ and 1. There was no evidence to show any systematic concordance between the tutor's performance ranking and that of the students. An independent Student Experience of Learning & Teaching survey (75% response rate) revealed a mixed reaction: there was 63% broad agreement that S-A was an effective way to learn; but low confidence (50%) that self-marking was correct. The provision of the idealized solutions (and marking scheme) was considered essential (71% broad agreement) for successful student S-A. Significantly, there was good agreement (63%) that S-A stimulated discussion of key concepts out of normal contact hours, indicating good student engagement with their learning and pedagogical effectiveness of S-A.
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