Calls to increase active learning, an approach that positions students in the center of their learning experience, have increased considerably in recent decades. In response, there has been substantial work to expand our understanding and implementation of active learning approaches in many educational spaces. However, much of this instructional…

First-year university students' underdeveloped academic literacies can lead to dissatisfaction and poor performance. University teachers find it difficult to take action without an understanding of students' perceptions and needs. This study investigates first-year Chinese students' perceptions and experiences related to assessment of academic…

Many students possess their own unique potential and "genius," but seem to base their worth on the status of grades instead of their connection to education itself. Antonio Salieri, for instance, created wonderful, emotionally binding music throughout his lifetime. Salieri however, never saw the beauty in his work because Mozart, a child…

Standardized testing and accountability are currently unavoidable components of Texas Public Education. Through years of push-back, parents and educators have demanded that Texas consider alternative testing options that would reduce the high-stakes testing burden on students and schools. In 2015, the State of Texas passed legislation requiring…

Mean or median student growth percentiles (MGPs) are a popular measure of educator performance, but they lack rigorous evaluation. This study investigates the error in MGP due to test score measurement error (ME). Using analytic derivations, we find that errors in the commonly used MGP are correlated with average prior latent achievement: Teachers…

New York City's public specialized high schools have a long history of offering a rigorous, college preparatory education to the city's most academically talented students. Though immensely popular and highly selective, their policy of admitting students using a single entrance exam has raised questions about diversity and equity in access. In…

While studies of predictive factors for success in honors have been increasingly creative and expansive on what these factors might include, they have rarely challenged the dominant, virtually monolithic definitions of success. The majority of studies measure success either by collegiate grade point averages (GPAs) or retention rates in honors,…

Many postsecondary institutions, and community colleges in particular, require that students demonstrate specified levels of literacy and numeracy before taking college-level courses. Typically, students have been assessed using two widely available tests--ACCUPLACER and Compass. However, placement testing practice is beginning to change for three…

Educational Badges are touted as an alternative assessment that can increase learner motivation. We considered two distinct models for educational badges; merit badges and videogame achievements. To begin unpacking the relationship between badges and motivation, we conducted a study using badges within an intelligent-tutor system for teaching…

Purpose: This paper sets out to examine whether the process of accrediting prior experiential learning (APEL) as used in UK universities is the most appropriate approach for providing academic recognition for work-based projects and learning. Design/methodology/approach: Work-based projects that had already been assessed in the context of a…

The validity and reliability of methods for assessing nonformal learning are influenced by the type of knowledge being measured, which in turn influences assessment criteria. Satisfactory methods must consider the specific character of nonformal learning. (SK)

Describes systematic assessment procedures as alternatives to standardized testing which yield more descriptive records of children's reading abilities. Notes that the assessment procedures are consistent with the contemporary understanding of reading which indicates that prior knowledge and the ability to use predictive skills greatly influence…

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) allows students to obtain credits toward their formal education for nonsponsored learning (i.e., material they have learned through non-traditional settings such as work experience or the home). Within the PLA framework, community colleges have implemented the portfolio development process as a way to assess prior…

This guide describes the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology's (SIAST's) (Canada) Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) program. PLAR is an evaluation through a valid and reliable process of the knowledge and skills a student has learned through previous education, training, or experience, to determine the…

The Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) assesses applications to its Prior Learning and Assessment (PLAR) program. This 1999-2000 report is the second annual account of SIAST assessments of PLAR requests. PLAR Policy identifies the following standards for quality assurance in assessing learning for credit: (1)…