Assessment and Evaluation

It is certainly true that examinations play a major role both in assessment of learning and selection of candidates for subsequent stages of education and/or for employment, (Bray 1998) hence most countries consider assessment and examinations as one of the most important aspects of the education system. Like in most Commonwealth countries 1 , Zimbabwe inherited an examination model of the UK, characterized by Ordinary (O) and Advanced (A) Level examinations. However after gradually taking over the examination process, suddenly, there have arisen negative sentiments on credibility of examinations and maintenance of assessment standards. Is there any objectivity in these statements or it is just a nostalgic attachment to pre-colonial institutions? This paper tries to answer this particular question as well as exploring alternative solutions

TestMaker is an open source tool for generating and managing tests and quizzes supporting teachers in their work. With TestMaker students have self-assessment while attending a course and teachers can easily evaluate students. TestMaker comes with advanced editing capabilities integrated within the EifFE-L framework; it allows evaluating capabilities and knowledge of the students at different times during their learning path. Tests can be created in many shapes and can also be timed. Questions and answers as well, can be proposed by following different models. Authors of tests are also required to give explanation on why answers are right or wrong so that students can learn from their mistakes too. Riassunto: TestMaker è uno strumento open source di supporto ai docenti per creare e gestire test on-line. Con l'uso di TestMaker gli studenti possono verificare il loro grado di apprendimento e i docenti possono facilmente svolgere l'attività di valutazione. TestMaker offre funzi...

'Assessment' and 'evaluation' are the integral parts of the engineering curriculum. These components have direct relevance to quality assurance in engineering education. Literature suggests that better assessment and evaluation practices require certain knowledge and skills about types and methods of assessment and evaluation. It is found that most of the engineering faculty members do not have concrete knowledge about 'assessment' and 'evaluation' types and methods. Further, it is argued that engineering educators are not well aware of 'feedback comments' that are associated with assessment practices. Comments on students' performances are essential because it helps them to know their strengths and weaknesses of a course. In this background, the paper critically analyses assessment and evaluation practices in engineering education setup across the globe. In particular, it discusses the challenges faced by engineering faculty members while assessing students' performances. Finally, the paper offers suggestions to improve assessment and evaluation practices so that students doing engineering programs will be largely benefited.

Based on a large-scale international study of teachers in Los Angeles, Chicago, Ontario, and New York, this book illustrates the ways increased use of high-stakes standardized testing is fundamentally changing education in the US and Canada with a negative overall impact on the way teachers teach and students learn. Standardized testing makes understanding students' strengths and weaknesses more difficult, and class time spent on testing consumes scarce time and attention needed to support the success of all students—further disadvantaging ELLs, students with exceptionalities, low income, and racially minoritized students.

This project validates the Technology Satisfaction Model (TSM) developed. While Technology Acceptance
Model (TAM) developed by Davis (1989) ignored the issue of computer self-efficacy and satisfaction. TSM
incorporates both. While TAM is used for measuring the acceptance of technology in general; TSM examines
the satisfaction on wireless internet usage with a particular focus to the students studying in Higher Education.
To develop and validate the TSM, data gained through a survey conducted with 285 students studying in five
faculties of a comprehensive public university in Malaysia. Quota sampling technique was used. Instrument
reliability and validity were performed by Rasch analysis using Winsteps version 3.49. The results of the study
were analyzed by Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using AMOS version 18.0. The findings showed that
perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness had a statistically significant positive direct influence on satisfaction.
Subsequently, computer self-efficacy discovered a significant positive direct influence on perceived
usefulness and perceived ease of use. Moreover, the results also demonstrated that computer self-efficacy
had a significant indirect influence on satisfaction mediated by perceived usefulness. Eventually, computer
self-efficacy also revealed a statistically significant indirect influence on satisfaction mediated by perceived
ease of use of wireless internet.

Mathematics is very essential and integral part of both daily life and school curriculum. It is compulsory subject in Indian education system therefore every student needs to learn Mathematics till secondary stage of schooling. Most of the students consider it as a boring subject because the curriculum presents Mathematics as a subject having no real life connection.      The present study is primarily concerned with the need for reforming school Mathematics Education focusing on the principle “Learning without Burden.” National Curriculum Framework (2005), a document focuses upon the curriculum load on children, calls for the learning which is a joyful experience for the learner. The prime goal of Mathematics Education is to develop the ability of Mathematisation of learner’s thought process. But the sad reality is that the present status of Mathematics education is far away from this goal. Much emphasis is given on the developing computational ability and rote memorization of formulas rather than understanding the concepts. The present study is an attempt to investigate the higher aims and objectives of teaching Mathematics at different school stages, broad vision to be achieved for Mathematics and various systemic reforms needed  in teaching learning  and assessment and evaluation procedure in India.

Tools that have been used in the process of assessing students remain limited in open and distance education in which instructors and students are physically located in different places. This limitation is more apparent in mega universities in which the number of active students is above a hundred thousand despite the fact that the developments in information and communications technologies provide opportunities
regarding this issue. In this study, how to improve the assessment practices in the Central Open Education System of Anadolu University, which is one of the mega universities providing open and distance education in the world, was investigated. Firstly, tools used for assessing
students were identified by examining the practices of mega universities which are similar in size with Anadolu University. Then, in the context of student-centered approach, opinions of registered students in the System were gathered regarding the current assessment practices, and other tools and techniques were identified that could be used for assessing students in the Central Open Education System, in which
multiple-choice tests have been predominantly used. Both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered in the study in which the mixed
research method was adopted. The results of the analysis of the data gathered from the mega universities through the online questionnaire, semi-structured interviews and the questionnaire applied to students revealed that assessment tools used in the Central Open Education System should be diversified, continuous assessment activities should
be applied, online learning and assessment environments should be enriched and more feedback should be given to students for their learning and assessment process.

Keywords: Open and Distance Education, Assessment, Assessment in Open and Distance Education, Mega Universities, Learner-Centered Instruction and Assessment

Tarih öğretim programlarının doğasını belirleyen temel etken, kabul edilen felsefi paradigmanın ve öğrenme-öğretme yaklaşımlarının özelliklerinin programa yansımasıdır. Kabul edilen yaklaşım, pozitivist bilgi kuramı üzerine dayalı bir yaklaşım olan davranışçılık olduğunda; tarih öğretim programları temelde hedef, içerik, öğretme-öğrenme süreci ve değerlendirme bileşenlerinden oluşur. Post-pozitivist bilgi kuramı üzerine dayalı olan yapılandırmacılık kabul edildiğinde ise; beceri, kazanım, öğrenme-öğretme süreci ve değerlendirme temel bileşenler haline gelir. Bu bileşenlerin kendi aralarında tutarlılık göstermeleri, öğretim programının uygulanabilirliği açısından en temel özelliklerinden biridir. Bu bileşenlerden değerlendirme, programın üç bileşeninin çıktılarını ortaya koyması bakımından önemlidir. Kabul edilen eğitim yaklaşımının, ölçme ve değerlendirme sürecini tanımlaması ve programın doğasını bu sürecin bir parçası haline getirmesi beklenmektedir. Bu araştırmanın amacı, yapılandırmacılık yaklaşımı çerçevesinde hazırlanan MEB tarih öğretim programlarının ölçme ve değerlendirmeye nasıl yansıdığını tartışmaktır. Bu tartışma, uygulama alanında yer alan tarih öğretmenlerinin temel sorunlarını ve sınıf içinde yapılandırmacı ölçme ve değerlendirme yaklaşımının nasıl kullanıldığına dair sonuçları ortaya çıkaracaktır. Araştırmada nitel araştırma desenleri içerisinde yer alan durum çalışması kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın veri toplama araçları ise odak grup görüşmesi ve doküman incelemesidir. Literatürde, " araştırmacı tarafından seçilmiş ve bir araya getirilmiş bir grup insanın kendi deneyimlerinden yola çıkarak araştırmaya konu problem hakkında görüş belirtmeleri ve tartışmaları " şeklinde tanımlanan odak grup görüşmesinin tercih edilmesi, farklı okullarda görev yapan tarih öğretmenlerinin öğretim sürecindeki deneyimlerini birbirleriyle paylaşmasından dolayı da önemlidir. Bu bağlamda İstanbul Eyüp ilçesinde görev yapmakta olan 8 tarih öğretmeniyle yapılan odak grup görüşmesinde tarih derslerindeki " değerlendirme " süreci üzerine görüşmeler yapılmış, yapılandırmacı yaklaşımda öğretim süreci ile birlikte görülen değerlendirme basamağı hakkında öğretmenlerin görüşleri alınmıştır. Görüşmeler aracılığıyla elde edilen veriler, içerik analizi yaklaşımı ile analiz edilmiştir. Araştırma sonuçlarına göre, programı uygulayıcılar, tarih öğretim programlarında yer alan ölçme araçlarının uygulanabilirliğinin mümkün olmadığını, denense bile nesnel ölçme araçlarının kullanılması gerektiğine dair yöneticilerin yönlendirmelerinden ve merkezi sınavların içeriğinden dolayı, yapılandırmacı yaklaşımın ruhuna uygun ölçme ve değerlendirme yapılamadığı, süreçte grup içi değerlendirme ve bireysel değerlendirme formlarının kullanılamayacağını ifade etmişlerdir.

The basic component which effects the history teaching programs majorly, is the reflection of the well accepted philosophical and teaching – learning approaches to the program. If the accepted approach is behaviorism, an approach based on positivist epistemology, the history teaching programs consist of, in general, aim, content, teaching – learning process and evaluation parts. On the other hand, if constructivism is accepted, capability, gains, teaching – learning process and evaluation becomes the parts. This is a crucial component for the application of the teaching program with the parts that show coherence with each other. Among these parts, the " evaluation part " is much more important as it shows the outcomes of the other three parts. It is expected that the well accepted education approach will define the assessment and evaluation period and allow the nature of the program to become a part of this period. The aim of this research is to open to discussion how the MEB history education programs, prepared in the frame work.

Progress test is a test of the whole learning process. Questions are chosen depending on the complete learning objectives of medical school and this can give opportunity to evaluate curriculum. We aimed to examine the use of progress tests in a matrix table as part of a feedback process to curriculum designer and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of curriculum. Progress testing was introduced to our students since 2009. We used 200 MCQ single best answer format questions from 40 departments in 11 organ different systems. In total we gathered 713790 answers from students' paper based tests. The Matrix Analyse Table constructed by tagged questions' answers to departments educational activities. Followed by evaluation of departments depending on students' response with predetermined difficulty indexed questions. Answers embedded to the matrix table to take a snapshot of curriculum. In the Matrix Analyse Table, we summarized organ systems in columns and departments in rows. Endocrine & Metabolism system questions were best correct answers rate while Urogenital System lowest. Infectious Disease Department is rated worst by students' answers as feedback. But by using matrix table, we found infectious disease question, which related respiratory system having good correct rate while cardiovascular infectious disease worst. Such results enable us opportunity to criticize specific point. Our results show that progress testing is a valid and reliable instrument to evaluate effectiveness of departments and divisions in undergraduate medical education. The Matrix Analyse Table gives perfect clues to students and curriculum designers about their strength and weakness.

Many methods and criteria are available to assess aquatic ecosystems, and this review focuses on a set that demonstrates advancements from community analyses to methods spanning large spatial and temporal scales. Basic methods have been extended by incorporating taxa sensitivity to different forms of stress, adding measures linked to system function, synthesizing multiple faunal groups, integrating biological and physical attributes, spanning large spatial scales, and enabling simulations through time. These tools can be customized to meet the needs of a particular assessment and ecosystem. Two case studies are presented to show how new methods were applied at the ecosystem scale for achieving practical management goals. One case used an assessment of biotic structure to demonstrate how enhanced river flows can improve habitat conditions and restore a diverse fish fauna reflective of a healthy riverine ecosystem. In the second case, multitaxonomic integrity indicators were successful in distinguishing lake ecosystems that were disturbed, healthy, and in the process of restoration. Most methods strive to address the concept of biological integrity and assessment effectiveness often can be impeded by the lack of more specific ecosystem management objectives. Scientific and policy explorations are needed to define new ways for designating a healthy system so as to allow specification of precise quality criteria that will promote further development of ecosystem analysis tools.

Listening is one of the four language skills and works behind other skills, especially behind speaking. This study aimed to reveal the challenges of implementing listening practice using audio materials in EFL classroom in Bangladesh. Self-administered questionnaires and 4 FGDs were used to collect data from the respondents who were randomly selected from 10 secondary schools, 2 teachers and 5 students from each. The study found that the respondents from regular schools face more challenges than those are from EIA intervention schools and the challenges emerged from lack of technical support and access to audio materials in regular schools.

Currently, ontology plays an important role in semantic web technology. Ontology learning approach is to distinguish the type of input such as text, dictionary, knowledge, policies, schemes and semi-structured schemes relations. Ontology learning can be explained as information extraction subtask and its objectives are to dig the relevant concepts and relationships from the corpus or a particular type of data sets. In this project, an ontology learning of text extraction from Qur'anic text as input data was assessed using a newly developed support system. The algorithms used to extract Qur'anic text in this project are Alfonseca & Manandhar's and Gupta & Colleagues's approach. The support system will assess and evaluate these two algorithms and compare with the manually text extraction (Gold Standard) in order to come out an appropriate method or technique which suitable to extract the ontologies from Qur'anic text which can help more people to understand the true meaning from Qur'an teaching.