This paper presents questions within a consideration of the nature of doctoral viva examinations from an international viewpoint. We argue that preparation for the viva should begin early - certainly not just immediately after the thesis submission. Key viva questions can be used in a preparatory process with supervisors over time to develop…

This paper presents findings from a case study on the impact of high stakes oral performance assessment on third year mathematics students' approaches to learning (Entwistle and Ramsden, Understanding student learning, 1983). We choose oral performance assessment as this mode of assessment differs substantially from written exams for its dialogic…

Traditional oral examination (TOE) is criticized for the shortage of objectivity, standardization, and reliability. These perceived limitations can be mitigated by the introduction of structured oral examination (SOE). There is little evidence of the implementation of SOE in physiology laboratory courses. The purpose of this study was to…

The purpose of this study is to find out if there is a correlation between the anxiety of a foreign language in nursing students and their performance in an oral examination, and if it exists, how strong is that correlation. It also aims to examine the effect that different levels of anxiety have on students' oral test scores and how students feel…

Objective(s): The focus on competency attainment by professional psychology trainees obligates training programs to assess these competencies prior to completion of an internship. However, little is known about how trainees may perceive such testing. This study examines relationships between performance on an Oral Final Competency Examination of a…

Over the last 10 years faculty members in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the United States Air Force Academy have incorporated individual oral exams into mathematics courses. We have experimented with various approaches, shared results and ideas with other department members, and refined our techniques. We have found that this…

Subconsciously, experienced teachers make use of situated knowledge: knowledge that is connected to, and arises from, the interactions between the physical environment where the action takes place and a material body acting in that environment. Since situated knowledge is important in day-to-day teaching to solve incidents, it should be taught in…

Using multiple representations of a problem can reveal the relationship between complex concepts by expressing the same mathematical condition differently and can contribute to the meaningful learning of mathematical concepts. The purpose of this study is to assess the performances of mathematics teacher-candidates on trigonometry problems…

This article reports on techniques of teaching abstract algebra which were developed to achieve multiple student objectives: reasoning and communication skills, deep content knowledge, student engagement, independence, and pride. The approach developed included a complementary combination of inquiry-based learning, individual (not group) homework…

This article describes a pilot study following on from a curriculum development activity with teachers and children in primary school classrooms, using a framework for group discussion developed by Huthwaite International. The Centre for Science Education at Sheffield Hallam University and Huthwaite International worked with teachers from three…

Including speaking tasks in the foreign language paper of the Spanish University Entrance Examination (PAU) has been inexistent in the last 15 years. However, the implications can be seen in shape of pressure on teachers to get students ready for such tasks in just three years (2009-2012). Because of the high stakes consequences attached to this…

Confidence intervals for the 80, 85, 90, and 95 percent levels of confidence are presented for the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R) using the estimated true score and obtained score based methods. Separate tables are provided for ages 2-1/2 to 18 and ages 19 and above. (Author/VW)

Designed for use by speech pathologists, psychologists, special educators, English-as-a-Second-Language teachers, classroom teachers, and other professionals investigating child, adolescent, and adult language, this test--the Hundred Pictures Naming Test (HPNT)--is a confrontation naming test designed to evaluate rapid naming ability across age…

This test booklet is divided into four parts: (1) Oral Comprehension of Commands; (2) Visual Oral Comprehension; (3) Oral Comprehension of Common Verbs; and (4) Oral Questions. General instructions and teachers' instructions for grading are given in English and instructions for the student in Spanish. There are eight double pictures which are to…

The purpose of this test is to evaluate a non-native speaking student's speaking knowledge of the basic structures of English, using the most frequently used words in the English Language. The test does not attempt to determine vocabulary level or student's ability to learn vocabulary effectively, rather the test focuses exclusively on aural/oral…