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Formative Computer-based Assessment in Higher Education: Evaluation of an E-learning Instrument
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| Presenter(s):
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| Tess Miller,
Queen's University,
millert@educ.queensu.ca
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| Abstract:
Formative computer-based assessment (CBA) instruments are being developed primarily for use in higher education. The purpose of these instruments is to promote independent learning while focusing on feedback to improve student learning. This paper describes the evaluation of a formative CBA instrument designed for use in a Bachelor of Education course at Queen's University, Canada. In particular, the feedback that was integrated into a CBA instrument and the extent in which the feedback mechanisms stimulated further learning were explored. Although our formative CBA instrument was deemed helpful by students, some feedback mechanisms were found to be more useful than others.
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Course Transformation: A Descriptive Evaluation of the Experiences of 1000 Freshman Enrolled in a Blended Introductory Psychology Course
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| Presenter(s):
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| Marcie Bober,
San Diego State University,
bober@mail.sdsu.edu
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| Abstract:
In Fall 2006, the Dept. of Psychology at San Diego State University, with support from Academic Affairs, conducted an exploratory study meant to determine students' receptivity to a blended learning environment and its impact on academic performance. Unique to this effort was its focus on two sections of a large Introductory course, whose enrollees (n=981) were mostly freshman new to the university environment. Large classes are the norm for freshmen, and there is considerable interest in ways to eliminate their impersonality by building a sense of community while (at the same time) exposing students to innovative uses of technology. This session describes how the project was formatively evaluated, the challenges associated with the evaluative effort (and how they were resolved), and next-steps decisions that key stakeholders made based on the data.
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Surfing the Tidal Wave of Information on the Web: A Collaborative Evaluation of the Use of the Internet in Graduate Level Classrooms
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| Presenter(s):
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| Michelle Bakerson,
Western Michigan University,
michelle.a.bakerson@wmich.edu
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| Abstract:
Although previous evaluations have investigated computer technology (e.g., student use of computers and software, use of the Internet as a tool for distance learning), Internet use as a tool for learning within the classroom and the effects this added resource has on student learning have not been examined. The purpose of this evaluation was to formatively evaluate the effectiveness of using the Internet as a learning tool by measuring graduate students' perception of the importance of using the Internet within the graduate level classroom setting and its effects on learning. A collaborative approach along with a mixed methods approach was selected, because this design gave the opportunity to address the evaluation questions using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. As a consequence, the evaluation was able to assess the effectiveness of using the Internet as a learning tool in a comprehensive way and provide appropriate direction for its improvement.
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