Observed Quality of Formative Peer and Self-Assessment in Everyday Mathematics Teaching and its Effects on Student Performance

<p style="text-align: justify;">The positive effect of peer assessment and self-assessment strategies on learners' performance has been widely confirmed in experimental or quasi-experimental studies. However, whether peer and self-assessment within everyday mathematics teaching affect student learning and achievement, has rarely been studied. This study aimed to determine with what quality peer and self-assessment occur in everyday mathematics instruction and whether and which students benefit from it in terms of achievement and the learning process. Two lessons on division were video-recorded and rated to determine the quality of peer and self-assessment. Six hundred thirty-four students of fourth-grade primary school classes in German-speaking Switzerland participated in the study and completed a performance test on division. Multilevel analyses showed no general effect of the quality of peer or self-assessment on performance. However, high-quality self-assessment was beneficial for lower-performing students, who used a larger repertoire of calculation strategies, which helped them perform better. In conclusion, peer and self-assessment in real-life settings only have a small effect on the student performance in this Swiss study.</p>

A combination of transformative and authentic assessment through ICT in Physical Education (Combinando una evaluación auténtica y transformativa a través de las TIC en Educación Física)

This work analyses the results of an authentic assessment (AA) and transformative assessment (TA) experience and use of information and communication technology (ICT) in Physical Education (PE) classes in high school. The experience involves the use of the Plickers application, and the participation of the students in the evaluation (self-evaluation and peer evaluation processes). This study was carried out in a high school from Spain, as part of a didactic dance unit, with 38 students (15th years old). The AA and TA task was for small groups of students to create a video tutorial of salsa steps as a final product of a dance teaching unit; were self-assessed and peer-assessed using Plickers. Experience was also evaluated. Results: the use of AA and TA processes in PE in high school based on the use of ICT has been a very positive experience. For the students the video tutorial is a good method of learning and assessment and they value positively the peer-assessment and self-assessment processes they carried out, as well as the use of the Plickers. This study can be interesting to PE teachers interested in using AA, TA and ICT. Further research about this topic may be need. Resumen. Este trabajo analiza los resultados de una experiencia de evaluación auténtica (EA) y evaluación transformativa (ET) que utiliza las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC) en Educación Física (EF) en Educación Secundaria. La experiencia implica la utilización de la aplicación “Plickers” y la participación del alumnado en la evaluación (procesos de autoevaluación y de evaluación entre iguales). El estudio se desarrolla en un instituto de educación secundaria español, como parte de una unidad didácica de danza, con 38 alumnos de 15 años. Las actividades de EA y ET se realizaron en pequeños grupos, que crearon un video-tutorial de pasos de salsa como producto final de la unidad didáctica, el cual fue autoevaluado y coevaluado utilizando la aplicación “Plickers”. Se evaluó también toda la experiencia. Los resultados muestran que la utilización de procesos de EA y ET a través de las TIC en EF en secundaria ha sido una experiencia muy positiva. Los alumnos lo consideran un buen método de aprendizaje y evaluación y valoran positivamente los procesos de evaluación entre iguales y autoevaluación utilizados, así como el uso de “Plickers”. El estudio puede ser de interés para el profesorado de EF interesado en utilizar EA, ET y TIC. Parece necesario realizar más investigación sobre la temática.

The Chinese Assessment of physical literacy: Based on Grounded Theory Paradigm for children in grades 3-6

The aim of this study is to construct and validate “physical literacy self-assessment questionnaire” (PLAQ) for Chinese students in grades 3-6. This study uses qualitative and quantitative methods to construct evaluation indicators of PL and determine the weights of each indicator. The 60 items of original PLAQ was based on literature review and interviews, and administered to 1179 primary students graded 3-6 in China. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) are used to optimize the structure and verify the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. The model of PLAQ is composed of 4 first-level indicators, 10 second-level indicators and 35 third-level indicators. The results of EFA and CFA resulted in a 44-items, 4-factor questionnaire. EFA item loadings ranged from 0.558 to 0.896, and Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.818 to 0.892. The results of CFA show that the constructed model fits well, and PLAQ has good convergent validity and discriminative validity. The PLAQ appeared to be reliable and valid that can be used as an assessment tool for students in grades 3-6. PLAQ can be used as a guide for the development of PL. Additionally, PLAQ gives us a shared understanding about what PL is and how it can be developed by Chinese children. However, studies on the accuracy and generalizability of the PLAQ should be conducted to improve it in the future.

Development of Affective Self-Assessment Instrument of Chemistry for High School Student as the Daily Assessment Guideline

<p style="text-align: justify;">The study objectives were (1) developing a valid and reliable Affective Self-assessment Instrument of Chemistry for High School Student and (2) discovering the chemistry affective domain ability trend of high school students based on gender. The current development study utilized 10 non-test instrument development procedures from Mardapi. The study population was all high school students in Yogyakarta Special Region. The sample size was 405 students categorized into two stages and sampling techniques, i.e., the trial stage using cluster random sampling and the measurement stage using simple random sampling. The data analysis techniques were validity test using the Aiken index and construct validity and reliability using the second-order Confirmatory Factor Analysis model. The study findings were (1) the Affective Self-assessment Instrument of Chemistry for High School Student had 15 valid and reliable items and 15 available items to be utilized by teachers to measure students’ affective in the learning process and (2) the chemistry affective domain ability trend of male high school students was dominated by the “good” category and “very good” category for female students.</p>

Attitude to Distance Learning of Schoolchildren and Students: Subjective Assessments of Advantages and Disadvantages

Currently, during the pandemic, the forced transition to distance learning carries a number of problems. These problems affect various aspects of education, including the study of students’ attitudes to distance learning. The purpose of this research is to study the features of the subjective attitude of schoolchildren and students to distance learning. This research involved 140 secondary school students (average age M = 10.7, SD = 7.2 (66.3% men)) and 30 university students (average age M = 22.5, SD = 2.4 (20% men)). The methods used were a questionnaire, Chi-square test and Criterion φ*. Fisher angular transformation. The study showed that schoolchildren do not intend to continue studying in the distance form if they choose, with a generally positive attitude towards distance learning. The self-assessment of motivation to study in a distance format has not changed, both among schoolchildren and students. Students are more likely to have a positive attitude to distance learning than schoolchildren. The variety of choices of advantages and disadvantages of distance learning is greater among students than among schoolchildren. The perspective of this study is thus to study the factors that determine the positive and negative attitudes to distance learning.

Information Security in Medical Robotics: A Survey on the Level of Training, Awareness and Use of the Physiotherapist

Cybersecurity is becoming an increasingly important aspect to investigate for the adoption and use of care robots, in term of both patients’ safety, and the availability, integrity and privacy of their data. This study focuses on opinions about cybersecurity relevance and related skills for physiotherapists involved in rehabilitation and assistance thanks to the aid of robotics. The goal was to investigate the awareness among insiders about some facets of cybersecurity concerning human–robot interactions. We designed an electronic questionnaire and submitted it to a relevant sample of physiotherapists. The questionnaire allowed us to collect data related to: (i) use of robots and its relationship with cybersecurity in the context of physiotherapy; (ii) training in cybersecurity and robotics for the insiders; (iii) insiders’ self-assessment on cybersecurity and robotics in some usage scenarios, and (iv) their experiences of cyber-attacks in this area and proposals for improvement. Besides contributing some specific statistics, the study highlights the importance of both acculturation processes in this field and monitoring initiatives based on surveys. The study exposes direct suggestions for continuation of these types of investigations in the context of scientific societies operating in the rehabilitation and assistance robotics. The study also shows the need to stimulate similar initiatives in other sectors of medical robotics (robotic surgery, care and socially assistive robots, rehabilitation systems, training for health and care workers) involving insiders.

Auditing Risk Prediction of Long-Term Unemployment

As more and more governments adopt algorithms to support bureaucratic decision-making processes, it becomes urgent to address issues of responsible use and accountability. We examine a contested public service algorithm used in Danish job placement for assessing an individual's risk of long-term unemployment. The study takes inspiration from cooperative audits and was carried out in dialogue with the Danish unemployment services agency. Our audit investigated the practical implementation of algorithms. We find (1) a divergence between the formal documentation and the model tuning code, (2) that the algorithmic model relies on subjectivity, namely the variable which focus on the individual's self-assessment of how long it will take before they get a job, (3) that the algorithm uses the variable "origin" to determine its predictions, and (4) that the documentation neglects to consider the implications of using variables indicating personal characteristics when predicting employment outcomes. We discuss the benefits and limitations of cooperative audits in a public sector context. We specifically focus on the importance of collaboration across different public actors when investigating the use of algorithms in the algorithmic society.

gamified sleep intervention for veterans: an overview

A good night’s sleep is well known to be imperative for maintaining one’s overall wellness. Yet, about half of Canadian adults struggle with falling asleep or maintaining sleep. The impacts of insufficient sleep are wide-ranging, from physiological correlates such as diabetes to mental correlates such as depression. Effective treatments for sleep-related issues exist: for example, online interventions for insomnia have been found to be effective. As a medicine and a health psychology student at, respectively, Sherbrooke University and McGill University, we worked on the MissionVAV health promotion program during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing free gamified interventions for Canadian Veterans and their families. Over the course of several online interventions related to physical health, we observed that a large proportion of our participants were dissatisfied with their sleep. Consequently, we have developed an 8-week online sleep intervention to address this primordial element of primary prevention. The intervention aims to better our participants’ sleep through providing weekly readings on the following topics: age-related changes in sleep, proper sleep hygiene, varied relaxation techniques as well as the relationship between sleep and chronic pain, menopause, shift work, rumination, exercise and light. To promote healthy sleep hygiene habits, daily self-assessment questions are provided and are incentivized through points and storytelling. Furthermore, health coaches trained in sleep medicine follow participants throughout their journey to provide support and reinforcement. Ultimately, the intervention aims to shed light on the importance of sleep within preventative medicine, tackling it systematically in an engaging, gamified fashion.