This study outlines the assessment culture of mathematics in Finnish basic education (grades 6 and 9) based on a nationally-sampled dataset (N = 673). The study draws on the theoretical framework of assessment cultures as defined through cultures of learning, compliance and fear. We approach the assessment culture of mathematics through the…

Retrieving information from memory can--under many circumstances--strengthen one's memory of the retrieved information itself. The strategic use of retrieval to enhance memory and help long-term retention is known as retrieval practice. However, it is unclear whether its effect also holds true in the case of learning mathematics. This research is…

Formative assessment provides teachers with feedback to help them adapt their behavior. To manage the increasing number of students in higher education, technology-enhanced formative assessment tools can be used to maintain and hopefully improve teaching and learning quality, thanks to the high amount of data that are generated by their usage.…

School teachers often involve parents to assist in online assessment, but parental involvement can violate equity principles when not carefully monitored. In this article, we analyse types of parental involvement in online classroom assessment resulting from teachers' requests, and discuss how such requests may impact on educational equity. Our…

Students' interest is considered an important learning outcome, but it is also a relevant predictor for student learning, and future vocational choices. According to numerous studies, however, students' interest in STEM fields usually declines during the course of secondary education. From the perspective of science education, it is therefore…

Formative assessment supports teachers in recognizing students' learning strengths and shortcomings and enhancing teaching and learning approaches. The current study aims to examine the impact of digital-based formative assessment on students' learning of organic chemistry. In this study, a mixed research strategy was used. Students in senior five…

Background: Formative assessments are needed to enable monitoring how student knowledge develops throughout a unit. Constructed response items which require learners to formulate their own free-text responses are well suited for testing their active knowledge. However, assessing such constructed responses in an automated fashion is a complex task…

This qualitative case study explored how grading can be used to support learning by analyzing the implementation of a skills-based grading system in a high school English department. Black and Wiliam's (2018) model for assessment in relation to pedagogy was used as a lens through which to examine the relationship between the grading system and…

Mole, molar mass and the Avogadro number are used constantly to measure the amount of substance in chemical changes. However, students have difficulty in understanding these concepts because they are not familiar with measuring very small amounts of matter that cannot be seen and weighed in daily life, like atoms. The mole concept was developed to…

Digital automated assessment is a valuable and time-efficient tool for educators to provide immediate and objective feedback to learners. Automated assessment, however, puts high demands on the quality of the questions, alignment with the intended learning outcomes, and the quality of the feedback provided to the learners. We here describe the…

Increased expectations for writing performance have created a need for formative writing assessments that will help middle school teachers better understand adolescents' grade-appropriate writing skills and monitor the progress of students with or at risk for writing disabilities. In this practice piece, we first explain research-based…

The study sought the perceptions of university academics on the use of IT tools for the formative assessment (FA) of students' learning outcomes. This study adopted a quantitative research approach and descriptive survey research design using a sample of 180 university academics. Academics' perception questionnaire was used for data collection.…

Despite the increased use of technology in higher education classrooms, we need a better understanding of pedagogical strategies that improve student ability to produce quality scholarly digital content in the humanities. This research was designed to examine student learning through scholarly digital storytelling, a technology-enhanced…

The purpose of this exploratory, descriptive study was to investigate teachers' perceptions of three types of feedback on students' performance to guide instructional improvements. These include: (1) formative assessment error analyses, (2) mastery charts of class progress on formative assessments, and (3) summative assessment results comparisons…

This paper draws on the findings of a qualitative study exploring the reading assessment materials and criteria used in pre-A1 ESOL classes in the UK and their suitability to low-literate language learners. Open-ended questionnaires and multifunctional analysis of materials were used to investigate current practices and views. The findings reflect…