Computer Based Assessment (CBA) is propounded as a technique which seeks to meet competing pressures within higher education, both economic and pedagogic. There is, however, a need to better understand the use of CBA across different subject areas and levels, identifying barriers and enablers to its efficacy whilst also ensuring its fit with other…

Online marking and feedback systems are critical for providing timely and accurate feedback to students and maintaining the integrity of results in large class teaching. Previous investigations have involved much in-house development and more consideration is needed for deploying or customising off the shelf solutions. Furthermore, keeping up to…

Reviews lessons learned from experience with computer-aided learning that can inform the use of computers in student assessment in college teaching, describes the experience of two institutions with computer-assisted student assessment, and makes recommendations for developing and implementing effective institution-wide systems. (Author/MSE)

An inexpensive computer-based system supporting mastery instruction is described. Components include an optically scanned card accommodating scores for hand-scored portions of examinations, software for making objective items and scoring, and software for reporting total test scores and designated subscore sets. Subscores can be provided for…

Podcasting has become a popular medium for accessing and assimilating information and podcasts are increasingly being used to deliver audio recordings of lectures to campus-based students. This paper describes a simple, cost-effective and file size-efficient method for producing video podcasts combining lecture slides and audio without a…

A study of the effects of reward structures on the ability of students to evaluate the correctness of their responses to open-ended questions in a computer-based instruction lesson found students' ability to evaluate responses was influenced by their incentive to achieve. In most cases, expert evaluators and students concurred. Order of item…

Describes seven defining characteristics of "authentic" assessment and how they have been operationalized in an interactive multimedia learning environment in preservice teacher education. A study showed students responded favorably to the elements of authentic assessment and had a good understanding of the software's content; this was…

Research findings on college instruction are discussed in 43 papers from the first Regional Conference on University Teaching. The papers are grouped under three large theme areas: "Teaching, Technology and the Future" (15 papers), "Computer Designed Instruction & Testing" (13 papers), and "Basic Skills: Dealing with Differences" (15 papers). The…

In addition to the usual drawbacks of large enrollment college classes such as impersonal atmosphere, discouragement of questions, and insensitivity to individual differences, the testing methods that tend to be associated with large classes can be detrimental to the learning process. Objective tests decrease the level of intellectual mastery…

The goal of test item writing is to create measures of the true achievement dimensions desired, not extraneous abilities or related skills. To encourage university instructors to apply newer test item writing technologies to test construction for course examinations, this paper: (1) sets forth basic principles for quality item writing; (2) reviews…

Research findings on computer designed instruction and testing at the college level are discussed in 13 papers from the first Regional Conference on University Teaching at New Mexico State University. Titles and authors are as follows: "Don't Bother Me with Instructional Design, I'm Busy Programming! Suggestions for More Effective Educational…

Many universities are reevaluating their traditional educational methods and providing pedagogical material through the Internet. Some Web-based systems offer a constructionist learning environment, for example, where students can learn by designing their own objects. Providing effective, convenient technology to support learning is important, and…

This book will improve the quality of instruction that college students need. It makes numerous suggestions that must be tended to when teachers instruct students. For example, the authors speculate about ways teachers can present what may at times seem to be a mountain of information without burying students under it; why teachers must…

Thirty-four papers explore flexible learning and its applications in higher education in the United Kingdom. The papers are: "Flexible Learning: Your Flexible Friend! Keynote Address" (Ellington); "Flexible Learning or Learning to be Flexible?" (Chalkley); "Virtually There: Flexible Learning in the New Millennium"…

The IADIS CELDA 2012 Conference intention was to address the main issues concerned with evolving learning processes and supporting pedagogies and applications in the digital age. There had been advances in both cognitive psychology and computing that have affected the educational arena. The convergence of these two disciplines is increasing at a…