M.Ed Conference 2012: Sample

Keisha Waller

https://sites.google.com/site/medspringconferencejamaica/shirley-pinnock

Question: How can the use of rubrics as an assessment tool improve scores in communication task at grade four level? Abstract: The key objective of this action research was to determine if using rubrics could help ten to twelve year olds master the Communication Task component of the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), which is the national examination for primary school leavers. I also wanted to find out if students could assess their performance in writing and develop self regulatory skills. Students used and designed the checklist, range and the criteria rubrics. Throughout the intervention, rubrics were used as an instructional and evaluative tool. I employed a specially designed response journal fitted with closed prompts and rubrics. The journal gave additional practice and opportunities for students to reflect, acknowledge their deficiencies and plan ways to improve. I also used an assessment sheet to encourage self regulatory skills. A monthly Author’s Seat session was held to honor students’ effort and promote authorship. Students yielded a 34% improvement over the twelve week period. I also found that the grade six students developed self regulatory practices such as planning, reflecting, editing and rewriting. It can be concluded that using rubrics as an assessment tool improves students’ performance in Communication Task, promotes self assessment and increases students’ self efficacy. Research Questions: Will knowledge of the assessment process/tool improve performance? Can the use of rubrics as a self assessment tool make students writing more focused? Do students find the use of rubrics to be effective?

The Effect of Peer Assessment on students’ Academic Performance Keisha Waller

Methodology

This study measures the effect of peer assessment on students’ academic performance. The study is based on the premise that engagement in peer assessment for formative tasks and coursework assignments help teachers in training develop critical thinking skills and content knowledge which will be reflected by their academic achievements. A quasi experimental design was selected because the research occurred in the natural context and variables were controlled and manipulated (Cohen et al, 2011). True experiments seek to prevent any cross contamination between control and experimental group (Cohen et al, 2011) but the researcher had no control over any sharing that occurred before or after classes as this is a residential programme. The post-test-only, nonequivalent control group design was specifically selected for this study. Here one group received the treatment and the other group did not. Both groups sat the examination which is the post test at the same time. This is consistent with the post-test-only, nonequivalent control group design as outlined in Wiersma and Jurs (2005). Using a quasi-experimental design, the researcher found that peer assessment improves students’ academic performance. The main research question is ‘To what extent does student engagement in peer-assessment improve their academic performance?’

To guide the investigation, the following null and alternative hypotheses were used:

H₀:  There is no significant difference in the performance of students who were engaged in peer-assessment and those who were not.

H₁:  Students, who are engaged in peer-assessment, perform significantly better than those who are not.

Procedure.  The quasi-experimental design was used therefore there was no need for randomization of groups (Creswell, 2005; Wiersma & Jurs, 2005) however the researcher sought to ensure that both groups were similar. This was achieved by removing students who had previous experience in the course or special knowledge about the course material as well as those who failed the prerequisite course. After this was done students were alternatively placed in the control and experimental groups. The independent samples t-test also determined that the variance of the groups were homogeneous as indicated by p-values greater than 0.05.

The 45 hour course is divided into 4 units but was modified slightly to infuse 2 hours of training in providing constructive feedback, and using analytic rubrics. This was done to ensure that all participants would be comfortable using the provided instruments to rate their peers and also to coach them into providing and receiving feedback in a meaningful non judgmental way. Students completed 3 graded tasks as recommended by the Joint Board of Teacher Education. This included one group task which was an oral presentation, two weeks of supervised practicum which was a co-teaching activity and an individual essay. Students also engaged in in-class micro- teaching activity and one essay as formative tasks. Only members of the experimental group engaged in peer-assessment and evaluation of the formative tasks. The control group received general oral feedback from the course facilitators as usual for formative tasks. All graded work for members of the control group was faculty marked only using the same rubrics. Analytic rubrics were prepared by faculty for the formative tasks while JBTE provided rubrics for the graded tasks. Students used the rubrics to rate their peers’ performance on the stated tasks and wrote extended feedback on the same rubrics. The format of the written feedback included area(s) of strength to be commended, area(s) of concern or deficiency to be improved and a suggestion for improvement. Students were not allowed to respond to the ratings or feedback provided by peers.

Peer assessors were randomly selected to avoid friendship marking. All the names were placed in a bag and the assessee would pull his/her peer assessor’s name from the bag. Faculty and peer assessors engaged in standardization before any marking took place. This allowed for any further clarification to be sought before marking began. Faculty also randomly selected a private student peer assessor who was notified beforehand. This means that each task was peered assessed twice by two different assessors, one student selected and one faculty selected. To maintain anonymity of the second peer-assessor, their name was removed from the bag before entering the classroom. This also supports inter-rater reliability to ensure parity and reliability. To reduce situational errors, all students received the same rubrics, tasks, time allotment, and course content and scheduling. Members of the treatment group engaged in peer assessment while the control group did not. All students sat the comprehensive examination which is set by JBTE at the end of the semester.

Statistical Tests.  The results of the examination were analyzed using SPSS.  The independent samples T-test was use to compare the means of the groups. By comparing the data sets the researcher was able to determine a statistically significant difference between the performance of students in the treatment group and those in the control group. Inferential statistics were used to enable generalizability of findings from this small group (Macmillan & Schumacher, 2010).

Independent samples T-tests were conducted to compare means of both groups in each of the four graded tasks as well as the overall performance. The rationale was to reassure the researcher that the differences observed are attributed to the treatment. Another statistical measure observed was the Levene’s test for homogeneity of variance. The reason for observing this statistical test is that equality of groups reduces the chances of type I errors.

Ethical and Legal Considerations

Written consent was received from all participants after the college’s review board granted permission. The researcher met with all participants and shared the purpose of the research, explained their rights including voluntary withdrawal. The researcher also explained her responsibility to protect the participants and the practices that would promote confidentiality and anonymity such as the use of pseudonyms, secure holding area for documents and other data. All data and related documents were destroyed at the end of the research to protect the participants and host college.

 

Validity and Reliability

To ensure validity and reliability the following considerations and actions were taken.

1. Selection Bias may threaten the validity of a quasi-experimental research (Wiersma & Jurs, 2005). To address this, the results of the prerequisite course and the students’ GPA were used as antecedent data to promote similarity between groups. Candidates who possessed special characteristics such as previous knowledge of the course were not included in an attempt to control extraneous variables and increase internal validity. The Levene’s Test of equality of variance was also used to determine homogeneity of variance which was indicated by p-values greater than 0.05 on the independent samples t-tests. This measure assumes that both groups are equal.
2. Statistical regression also threatens internal validity so attention was given to the results of the prerequisite course as an antecedent in order to exclude outliers such as students who scored exceptionally above or below the class mean. This was done to prevent against statistical regression. Cohen et al (2011) explain that students who score highest on pretests are most likely to score lower on post test and vice versa. By removing those cases the groups are more equal which allowed the researcher to confidently attribute changes to the treatment.
3. Recognizing that human judgment and students’ skills in using rubrics and providing constructive feedback may introduce some error in data collection; participants were trained to provide constructive feedback before the treatment began. It should also be noted that standardization sessions were held before a grading exercise so that peer assessors, assesses and faculty would have the same understanding and interpretation of the rubrics. The use of faculty and secret peer assessment to compliment the peer assessment acted as a form of inter-rater reliability.
4. One concern related directly to the treatment is diffusion of treatment. This occurs when members of both groups communicate and may share information and knowledge (Creswell, 2005). When this occurs members of the control group may learn about peer assessment from members of the experiment group. To address this both groups were timetabled for the same time to limit their interactions. They were also facilitated at two separate locations.
5. To limit compensation rivalry there was strategic information management. Specific details about the expectations about the treatment were only shared with the experimental group. Additionally teacher notes were given to the control group in an attempt t compensate and cause members of the control group to appreciate some benefit.

Sample and Sampling Technique

Eighty year two teachers in training registered to the course Strategies of Teaching and Learning. As this is a quasi-experiment no random selection of participants took place instead the researcher sought similarity of the groups on relevant characteristics (Wiersma & Jurs, 2005).To equate the groups only students studying Early Childhood Education with GPA of 2.7 to 3.2 participated in this study. Students who satisfied these two criteria but were resitting the course were excluded. Students who failed the prerequisite course were also excluded. Only females are registered in this programme currently.

By excluding the stated participants, the researcher sought to control extraneous variables that may impact the outcome (Creswell, 2005). Consider a student who is resitting the course for example, he may have a distinct advantage since he would have already been exposed to the course content, assessment tasks and rubrics aligned to the graded tasks. This could have influenced his or his peer’s performance in the course and provided another explanation for results achieved. While I may not be able to control all extraneous factors (Cohen et al, 2011) I sought to make both the control and experimental group similar so that the findings could be reasonably attributed to peer assessment.  All participants are Jamaican except one Haitian and one Panamanian. One was placed in the experimental group and the other in the control group. After the similarity was determined students were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups (Bastick & Matalon, 2007).

Strengths and Limitations of study

• One strength of this research was the control of extraneous factors by equating the groups and using statistical measures to ensure control f variance. This allows the researcher to confidently attribute changes in academic achievement to peer-assessment.
• There was no replication of the study. Before these finding can be generalized, the researcher would seek reproductivity as this is a desirable quality of a scientific design such as experiment (Creswell and Poth, 2018).
• There is a possible threat to internal validity based on the design used. In that the grades of the prerequisite course were used in determining group assignment hence threat of history may occur.
• The design used was suitable for the research interest and questions. This will increase the validity of the study.

Results and Statistical Significance

The results from independent samples t-t indicate that there was a significant difference between the overall scores obtained for the course for the experiment group (M= 79.62, SD 1.69) and that of the control group (M=76.45, S = 1.75) conditions; t (78) = 8.24, p=0.000.  This suggests that there is enough evidence at the 95% confidence level, to allow us to reject the H₀: “There is no significant difference in the performance of students who were engaged in peer-assessment and those who were not” and accept the H₁: Students, who are engaged in peer-assessment, perform significantly better than those who are not.

The impact of the experiment was evident from the third assessment task, which followed the second administration of the formative task to the experiment group only.  A mean difference between both groups of 5.92 was determined, with the experiment group scoring (M=81.57, SD =4.46) and the control group (M=75.65, SD 4.12).  When viewed in terms of statistical significance, the results showed a t (78) = 6.17, p=0.000.

The results obtained in the third assessment, when compared to the results obtained in the second assessment task at which point, the experiment group had only experienced one formative task, showed a widening of the gap between the mean difference of both groups.  At the second assessment, the mean difference was a mere -0.4 with the control group scoring a slightly higher mean (M= 71.57, SD = 4.27) compared to the experiment group (M=71.17, SD = 4.27).  When viewed in terms of statistical significance, the results showed t (78) -0.411, p = 0.682.

The results of the final examination was in line with those obtained in the third assessment and the overall course grade in that the mean for experiment group (M=87.83, SD=1.77) was significantly higher than the control group (M = 82.40, SD = 2.18) conditions t(78)=12.22, p = 0.000

The assessment of the homogeneity of variance between both control and experiment groups was done using the results of the Levene’s Test for Equality of Variances.  In all cases, the results satisfied the condition of sig. (p) values greater than 0.05.  A sig. value greater than 0.05 indicates that the variability of the scores for both groups are approximately the same, (Bastik & Matalon, 2007).

The findings of this study are consistent with the findings of Sun et al (2015) who found that students who participated in peer assessment performed significantly higher on the corresponding exam items than those who did not (d=.122, t(319) =3.03, p =.001). The researcher also found that exposure to peer assessment yielded better performance on related quizzes in the short term (Cohen’sd=.115,t(298)=2.92,p=.002). Like in this study Sun et al (2015) concluded that the benefits of peer assessment are sustained over a period of time. The findings are also consistent with the work of Hwang et al (2014) who also employed an experimental design. They found that “students who learned with the peer assessment based game development showed learning achievements significantly better than those who learned with the game development”. Finally it seems that peer-assessment can be applied to other contexts in the field of pedagogy to enhance student learning and achievement.

 Recommendations

The most significant implication revealed from this study is that students’ engagement in peer assessment will most likely improve their learning and academic performance. I recommend that teachers create opportunities for students to peer assess both formative and summative tasks to develop metacognitive and other analytical skills.

I suggest that to gain maximum benefit from peer assessment, students should both use the teacher created rubrics/ mark scheme, generate their own rubrics/mark schemes and offer subjective feedback. This will promote evaluative thinking and give learners autonomy over their own learning and performance.

This research highlights the need for further research in the area of peer assessment and also self- assessment and use of rubrics and their impact on earning and performance. The relationship between self-efficacy and peer assessment is also an area for future research evolving from this study.

The results of the experiment provides enough evidence that at the 95% confidence level we can reject the Null Hypothesis (H₀): “There is no significant difference in the performance of students who were engaged in peer-assessment and those who were not” and accept the H₁: Students, who are engaged in peer-assessment, perform significantly better than those who are not.  We therefore conclude that the use of peer assessment increases students’ academic performance

 

 

 

 

Appendix 1:  Screenshots from statistical tests

Figure 1: Random Number Generator in Excel

 

Figure 2: Data entry in SPSS

Figure 3:  Labeling of variables in SPSS

 

 

Figure 4: T-test Output Table 1

Figure 5:  T-test Output Table 2

 

 

 

 

Reference

Bastick, T. Matalon, B., (2007).  Research:  New & Practical Approaches Second edition.

Chalkboard Press, Materials Production Unit, Unversity of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston.

Cohen L., Manon, L., & Morrison, K, (2011) Research Methods in Education.  7^th Edition.

Routledge

Creswell, J. W., (2005).  Educational Research, Planning Conducting, and Evaluating

Quantitative and Qualitative Research

Hwang, G.J., Hung C. M., Shing, N., (2014).   Improving learning achievements, motivations

and problem-solving skills through a peer assessment-based game development approach Chen Education Tech Research Dev. 62:129–145 DOI 10.1007/s11423-013-9320-7

Macmillan, J,  Schumacher, S. (2010). Research in Education: evidence based inquiry 7^th

Edition, Pearson

Sun, D.L., Harris, N., Walther, G., Baiocchi, M., (2015). Peer Assessment Enhances Student

Learning: The Results of a Matched Randomized Crossover Experiment in a College Statistics Class. PLoSONE10 (12):e0143177.doi:10.1371/journal. pone.0143177

Wiersma, W., Jurs, S.G. (2005).  Research Methods in Education: An Introduction. Pearson

 

Diversity in Higher Education: Article Review Keisha Waller

Articles Review

Antunes, A., Almeicha, L., Rodrigues, S., Faria, C. & Abreu, M. (2012). Diversity in portuguese higher education: perception of the inclusion of disabled students. The International Journal of Diversity in Education Vol. 14

Zhang, Xia, Fan and Zhu ( 2016), Managing Student Diversity in Business Education: Incorporating Campus Diversity into the Curriculum to Foster Inclusion and Academic Success of International Students

Summary

This first article reviewed is entitled ‘Diversity in Portuguese higher education: perception of the inclusion of disabled students’. This peer reviewed journal summarizes two qualitative studies about the perceptions and experiences of faculty and students with disabilities at a Portuguese university. Semi- structured interviews were the main data source. The researchers reported inconsistencies in faculty’s response to learners with special needs. Some faculty members made special accommodations for students with exceptionalities such as longer time for assessment and individual attention. Others did not even realize that students with special needs were in their classroom. The researchers conclude that educational ideology, ignorance and lack of resources were the main reasons cited for the negative responses from faculty. Students were also found ignorant of university policies and provisions for them. Some students did not disclose their disabilities because of fear of discrimination.

The second article is the collaborative effort of Zhang, Xia, Fan and Zhu (2016). The authors postulate that although more students are opting to study abroad, little is being done by the hosting universities to meet their needs. They suggest that international students provide significant revenue and prestige to universities. Diverse skills and experiences are added to the learning community with the presence of international students while they face unique challenges. (Zhang et al, 2016).  If educators had a deeper understanding of diversity then they would rethink curriculum, pedagogical strategies and social programmes to better facilitate culturally and linguistically diverse international (CLDI) students. Failure to recognize and plan for this new diversity will continue the trend of students leaving the foreign institutions without even being functional in the native language according to the authors.

What is the position of the authors?

The authors postulate that for quality education to be achieved there needs to be a culture of acceptance of diversities including acceptance of students with special needs. This acceptance includes a way of thinking and practices that are inclusive.

Why is diversity thinking critical in the education context both globally, regionally and locally?

The issues of diversity need attention globally because approximately 15% of persons with disabilities worldwide are denied equitable access to basic resources including education (Antunes et al, 2015).  With new policies, legal frameworks and technology more students can access higher education, hence universities worldwide must rethink inclusion. Teachers too need to rethink their practices to ensure that all learners’ needs are met.

 

An Evaluation of Basquait, J. (2016). A view from the inside: How critical Ethnography changed my mind about Polygamy

The work of Basquiat (2016) falls under the transformative paradigm. The work examined demonstrates some of the features of this paradigm as put forward by Creswell (2014). For example, according to Creswell the transformative paradigm addresses issues related to social injustice and give a voice to marginalized groups. The social issue explored by Basquiat was polygamy. Put forward an insider’s perspective of polygamy which challenges the popular negative views. The ideas shared show positive aspects of plural marriages for women such as shared house work and parenting and women willingly entering this lifestyle. This account directly opposes the perception that women are forced into polygamous relationships and are abused.  Recommendations are made to conduct further research on alternative religions and non traditional families in order to understand the world we live in. Clearly this research is more than an alternative perspective; it is a call for reform. These qualities qualify this work to be transformative in philosophical view.

Wolcott (1994) as cited in Creswell (2013) provides three criteria for evaluating the merit of an ethnographic study. These are areas are description, analysis and interpretation. This view is supported by Creswell (2005) who asserts that the description provided by the ethnographer should create a real identity of the culture sharing group. Basquiat (2016) uses the first few paragraphs to describe a specific community and even where she met his participants.  She starts with a backdrop of polygamy as the cultural theme and infuses some literature to justify the exploration of the issue. Keen attention was given to key actors and related events. In this sense I would acknowledge the description of this article as strong.

The second aspect to consider is how the data was analyzed for themes. Basquiat includes in the narrative, direct quotes from the participants as evidence of thematic analysis. Emic data was evident and two themes are clearly identified. The researcher appears to be reflexive identifying her own preconceived ideas which were fueled by media. Even aspects of the community that she found appealing were discussed.

The presentation ends with the ethnographer making sense of her journey and findings by describing the culture sharing group and calling for the audience to take action, if even to expand the perspective of plural marriages and the role of women in these communities. The active voice invites researchers to give the issue more attention.

One ethical consideration evident was self reflexivity. The researcher shared her own values and how the research was impacting her. For example she stated that she found the convenience of having a sister wife “appealing”. One concern noted is that the article did not mention anything about consent.

References

Basquait, J. (2016).  A view from thte inside:  How critical Ethnography changed my mind        about Polygamy:  A Journal of Mormon Thought, Fall 2016, Vol.49 (3), pp.61-74,221

Creswell, J,W., Poth, C. N., (2014).  Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design:  Choosing      among Five Approaches, Fourth Edition. (Kindle Version). Sage Publications Ltd.

Creswell, J. W. (2005).  Educational Research – Planning, Conducting, and     EvaluatingQuantitative and Qualitative Research.  Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall

 

Promoting an Inclusive Education

Promoting an Inclusive Education

This entry offers to educational leaders some simple and practical tips that can be used to enhance the curriculum to reflect more inclusive practices and philosophy.

Environmental Scan

To establish a more inclusive educational programme the first step is to conduct an environmental scan (Mariga, 2014). As educational leaders we must ensure that our decisions are data driven as not all popular initiatives may be relevant or feasible in our context. This environmental scan will determine the current practices,policies, philosophies that exist and then determine what should be maintained, increased, improved or rejected. This scan may include formal analysis using SWOT for example as well as informal talks with various stakeholders to understand their experiences and perceptions. The information collected at this stage will also be used to monitor and evaluate the success of our inclusion initiatives (LaSPDG, n.d.). Additionally the scan will help us ensure that decisions and actions align with developmental/strategic plan (Herazo, et al, 2012). This is important because the support of the school board and other stakeholders will be needed if any changes are to be realized.

Inclusive Practice Committee

An initiative of this nature cannot be conceptualized or implemented by any one person (LaSPDG, n.d.). Instead a multidisciplinary approach will be used so that all stakeholders including parents, learners, teachers and community members will know and carry out their roles. A small multidisciplinary  team will lead this inclusive education action plan.  While LaSPDG,( n.d.) postulates that this team should comprise of leaders we suggest that the interdependent nature of school requires that parents and others be a part of the leadership team so that all efforts can be galvanized. If the environment scan revealed any informal leaders we think they too should be involved and their views considered when making critical decisions. The team will also be responsible for articulating the rationale and objectives of the plan and be committed to open communication of accurate information from the general staff and to the general staff.

Through collaboration the team will decide on the principles and variables that will situate the inclusive education programme (Qualters, 2016). I am proposing the following principles to be explored:

Principles:

1. Every child can learn even if they learn differently
2. Education is everybody’s business ( parents, guardians, sponsors, academic staff, ancillary staff, administrative staff, security, community members etc. ).
3. Children have the right to education

Planning

To actualize this vision the inclusive committee should collaborate to develop an action plan that concentrates on the goals including other activities that must be addressed within a certain time frame.  Kilgore 2011 posits that such a plan should identify possible challenges and how those challenges will be addressed. To ensure the plan is easily and effectively implemented each goal should be dealt with through one of the identified variables.

On completion of the plan it will be presented and explained to the staff so they can have an input and make changes if possible. This will ensure staff understand their role in the process and increase their commitment.

• Curriculum and Curriculum development- Curriculum development is concerned with deciding what is to be taught and learnt and how to equip present and future workforce with the needed skills (Null, 2011). Therefore it is a reasonable conclusion that if a school community or general society wants to be inclusive, then needed knowledge, skills and attitudes must be taught and reinforced in the formal curriculum. The following illustrates a part of the action plan that will reflect this.

 

Grade Level	Desired Skill	Subject for infusion	Summary of Content	Suggested Strategy an assessment	Evidence of Success
3	Collaboration	Health and Family Life Education	We all have strengths and talents. We also have areas that need development.  When we have a task to complete or a problem to solve, we should work with our friends to get it done. We should help others with our strengths and allow others to help us with their strengths and talents.	Problem solving approach   Group tasks with mixed groups	Students voluntarily join groups and offer their talents

4.Implementation

Effective implementation depends on raising awareness, and training.  Identifying indicators of effective practices will provide staff with an explicit model of excellence and also serve as a monitoring tool to gauge success of implementation. The Implementation Matrix (IM) or Identifiers of Practice will help ensure that all staff members ands clearly  what effective practices look like and provide staff with a way to measure implementation progress (kilgore, 2011).

5. Training and support

Staff members will receive professional development on inclusive practices and how to implement them. The development sessions will enable staff to implement inclusive practices in reasonable and appropriate ways. Ongoing monitoring of implementation is important because it identifies additional need areas. A key to effective professional learning opportunities is to build in follow-up activities. Teachers can develop self awareness such as their perspectives about the issues of diversity and develop positive habits and attitudes that are consistent with inclusive education. Strategies of Universal Design, Differential Instruction and various accommodations for example should be included in the training programme. The following illustrates how  this be infused:

Policy Change	Infrastructure	Informal Curriculum	Programme of Study
Maintain a minimum of 5% international students		Hosting of Modern Languages Club Hosting of Bi-Annual  International Appreciation Day Hosting of annual Culture Expose/Concert	Cultural Proficiency and Professionalism
Maintain a minimum of exceptional students at mild to moderate level ( must be officially diagnosed)	Build Ramps Activate Special Education Unit of the Ministry of Education Employ school Psychologist	Have Peer Buddy System	Teaching Students with Exceptionalities in the General Education Classroom Understanding the Diverse Learner

Evaluation

The Inclusive Practices Leadership Group will review the variables to determine if progress has been adequate or additional amendments are needed. Other types of monitoring may be conducted more or less frequently depending on what is being monitored. For example, if implementation effectiveness relative to student performance outcomes is being monitored, then it will be done through testing. Students may also be surveyed to determine the impact and effectiveness of the plan and use that data to make decisions.

References

 

Herazo, B., Lizzarralde, G. & Paquin, R. (2012). Sustainable development in the building sector: a canadian case study on the alignment of strategic and tactical management. Project Management Journal, 43(2), 84-100, doi: 10.1002/pmj.21258

Kilgore, K. (2011). 10 steps to implementing effective inclusive practices: A guide for school site leaders: Retrieved from: http://laspdg.org/files/10%20Steps%20Final%20Guid

Mariga, L. (2014). Inclusive education in low- income countries: a resource book for teacher educators, parents trainers and community development. Oslo, Norway: Disability Innovations Africa.

Null, W. (2011). Curriculum : From Theory to Practice. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield

Smith, K. (2016). Teaching and learning respect and acceptance in the classroom: Diversity and inclusion in the classroom. Faculty Focus Special Report.

Qualters, D.M. (2016). Inclusive assessment: Equal or equitable? Diversity and inclusion in the classroom. Faculty Focus Special Report.

 

 

 

Educational leaders, Are you thinking about Web 2.0 ?

What if educational leaders were thinking about using Web 2.0?

What are Web 2.0 Tools?

The free to use second generation of tools that facilitate communication and collaboration via the World Wide Web are generally called Web 2.0 (Solomon & Schrum, 2010). Educators usually integrate the use of these tools in instruction as a way of appealing to the modern learners. Web 2.0 have even enabled new learning modalities such as distance learning through synchronous and asynchronous distance communication (Yaoyuneyong, Thornton & Lieu (2013). Blogs, Vlogs, podcasts, wikis and moviemakers are examples of Web 2.0 tools. Clearly Web 2.0 allows both the learner and the facilitator to consume and create content independently and collaboratively. This presentation will briefly examine how educational leaders, facilitators and learners can employ various Web 2.0 tools.

Watch this video to learn some advantages and limitations of Web 2.0 in education:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq43tWzLGms

What if you are thinking about time and money management?

You can use Web 2.0 to save money and time. Instead of having all stakeholders travel in from the various locations and then honour their travelling claims, educational leaders may use collaborative tools such as Skype and Google Hangouts. Skype can facilitate group video call for free (Skype, 2017). This tool also allows instant messaging and attaching files. Participants can easily view the agenda or provide feedback on documents to be discussed and reviewed without leaving their offices or share the presentation on your screen. Additionally shared messages and files can be retrieved at a later date.

Another way Skype can help to save money and improve accountability is by using the Skype Manager feature. This allows the leader to create other accounts and add credit to those accounts. A record of transactions such as call logs will be kept and can be reviewed to inform decision making.

What if you are thinking about talent management?

Educational leaders and Human Resource practitioners can agree that recruiting and managing talent is time consuming. To reduce the time spent on securing a board room, beverage for the panel and any other task we can perform more efficiently by using Group call features. Skype is an excellent venue for first interviews (Skype Team, 2016). Then applicants who satisfy the criteria maybe invited in for further discourse online or through traditional mode. Plus in this technological era a leader needs to ensure that staff is digitally literate and can find, manipulate and create needed tools or resources. Engaging in Skype interviews, using the screen and document sharing features will help you assess the technological skills along with the other competences the vacancy requires.

What if you are thinking about performance management?

Performance management is a key feature of an educational leader. As we move away from an appraisal culture to performance management culture it is important to collect the views of the students and staff who have direct experiences with the faculty being evaluated. We can do away with printing piles of appraisal forms and distributing them in classes. This is expensive and may be compromised as students may be influenced by peers or the presence of the appraisee.

Survey Monkey offers an easy to use alternative. School leaders can either use a template that is provided or create one and send it to all students with the click of a button. Within minutes the teacher evaluations from the students’ perspective is done. Both administrators and teachers can use this reflective tool to inform decisions about deployment, promotion, training, pedagogy or andragogy. The best feature in my opinion is the provision of analysis. In real time the data is processed and the user can make sense of it all. In the previous example actual students and staff were considered but this resource can be used even with prospective. In that an institution can determine market needs or make comparisons with competitors or established benchmarks (Survey Monkey, 2017).

What if you are planning curriculum?

Educators may need to be engaged in curriculum development. Curriculum development in this context is “the process of planning, constructing, implementing and evaluating learning opportunities intended to produce desired changes in learners” (Prit, 1993 as cited in Hurrlimann, 2015). Usually a multidiscipline team is engaged in the review and they need to work together. Using Dropbox is an easy way to store pictures, documents even audio files. They can be retrieved at anytime from any device even offline (Dropbox, n.d.). With dropbox team members can work on the same presentation at the same time from different devices and get progress updates. This eliminates the need to be sending updated versions through email as all participants will be updated and have access. For example, if reviewing a course, smaller teams can focus on specific units or assessments and create a shared folder. The team leader will have access to all files and even track the work done by each member.

Please watch this video to learn more about using Dropbox:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEJCRS2z8Wo

 

What if you are thinking about teaching and learning?

Many teachers are rethinking authentic teaching and learning experiences such as field trips because of budgetary concerns (Manzo, 2009). Some teachers are even fearful about off campus incidents including injury (News.com.au, 2014). Our students are already considered as digital natives (Prensky, 2007 as cited in An et al, 2009) so it is plausible to infuse Web 2.0 tools such as You tube channels for students’ engagement in virtual trips. National Geographic Expeditions online and NASA Jet Propulsion Lab, for example offer field trips through their websites and You Tube channels. Teachers may not be able to provide the level of authenticity they desire but researchers have found that students retain more from virtual field trips than actual trips ((Manzo, 2009). Plus time is spent on additional reading and exploration rather than bus rides.

Let’s take a trip to the Amazon:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEsV5rqbVNQ

 

From this blog we learnt that Web 2.0 is very useful and educational leaders can get in on the action. Engaging in Skype interviews, sharing screens and files, going on virtual field trips and conducting online surveys are only some of what we have available. They key is not to use several tool but rather to know which tools to use to meet our needs and to use the tools effectively.

References

An, Y., J., Aworuwa, B., Ballard, G., & Williams, K., (2009).  Teaching with Web 2.0Technologies: Benefits Barriers and Practices.  College of Liberal Arts Education Texas A & M University-Texarkana.  Retrieved form http://www.aect.org/pdf/proceedings09/2009/09_1.pdf

 

Dropbox (2016).  Secure Collaboration with team folders.  [Youtube Video] Retrieved from

 

Hisham, S.,A.,S (Dec 19, 2014).  Web 2.0 in Education. [Youtube Video], Retrieved from

 

Hurlimann, A., March, A., & Robins, J. (2013). University curriculum development – stuck in a process and how to break free. Journal Of Higher Education Policy & Management, 35(6), 639-651. doi:10.1080/1360080X.2013.844665

 

Manzo, K., K. (2009).  Virtual Field Trips Opens Doors for Multimedia Lessons.  Journal of EducationWeek Vol. 28, No. 21, F 11 2009.

 

Skype Team (2016). Your Stories.  Retrieved from,https://blogs.skype.com/stories/2016/08/04/skype-meets-a-virtual-recruitment-company/

 

Solomon, G. & Schrum, L. (2010). An assortment of Web 2.0 tools. In Web 2.0 How- to forEducators (pp. 237-264). Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.library.open.uwi.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=475950&site=ehost-live&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_viii

 

VirtualFieldTripsnet, (Nov. 1, 2014).  Virtual Field Trip – Amazon Rainforest. [Youtube Video]Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEsV5rqbVNQ

 

Yaoyuneyong, G. g,. Thornton, A., & Lieu, J. (2013).  Innovation and Web 2.0 in Business Education: Student Usage, Experiences with, and Interest in Adopting Web 2.0 Tools.  International Journal Of Technology & Learnin, 9(1), 37-63

 

 

Top 3 reasons Open Educational Resources (OER) is the future of learning

Top 3 reasons Open Educational Resources (OER) is the future of learning

by Keisha Waller

        This blog entry comprises two main sections. The first will help the reader define Open Educational Resources (OER) and clarify a common misconception about OERs. The second section illuminates three benefits teachers, students or other relevant stakeholders can derive from harnessing its potential.

What is OER?

OERs are freely accessible digital and usually printable educational resources which can be consulted, adapted and used by educators, students, parents, ministries of education, governments or any interested organization for the purpose of teaching and learning. It encompasses many forms of facilitation including: curricula, assessments, textbooks, videos and notes (UNESCO, 2015).

Watch video: An Introduction to OERs 

Are OER, Distant Education and Open Education the same?

The concept of OER has gained worldwide recognition but is often confused with distant and open education (Butcher, 2015). Both distant and open education may harness some characteristics of OERs but they are not the same. The obvious difference is that distant and open education are concerned with formal assessments and accreditation systems usually aligned to a country or Ministry of Education.  Similarly much attention is given to student support systems including technology support as in the case of University of the West Indies Open Campus. Students are screened before entry into any open or distant education programme usually to determine prior knowledge and readiness. These considerations must be taken by a distant or open education provider because they are observing a specific curriculum and programme schedule (Butcher, 2015). This is not necessarily the case with OERs as the primary focus is to release and share material to promote universal access to education (Willems & Bossu, 2014).  Hence the restrictions are minimal.

Reason # 1-  OERs save money

OERs have the potential to save students, parents, sponsors, schools and governments money in auxiliary fees, salaries and text books. Even if a student or institution is not fully immersed in an OER course but decides to use an open textbook they still save. Text book prices continue to escalate and more university students are finding it challenging to buy these prescribed books (Presad & Tsuyoshi, 2014). Consider the fact that the price of text books has increased by over 812% between 1978 and 2012 (Perry, 2012 as cited by Willems & Bossu, 2014) coupled with the reality that most facilitators require several text books and other readings to adequately address the depth and scope of their course. As a lecturer I also find it unfavourable when my students do not have the prescribed books. It slows down the pace of instruction as I usually have to find substitutes and make time to scaffold the learners so that we can have meaningful interactions. The students suffer the most from this dilemma. In 2011, 1905 undergraduate students were surveyed and revealed that they did not buy textbooks because they could not afford to even though they thought that they would be placed at a disadvantage without the texts (Allen, 2011 as cited in Willems & Bossu, 2014). This implies that the high cost of prescribed texts adversely affects the learning and teaching process. Open textbooks is one aspect of OERs that offers a solution. Open textbooks resemble the traditional textbooks except that they are available in digital forms and are free. Student or faculty who wish to have hard copies can simply print as needed. An even more attractive feature of OERs in general and open texts specifically is that teachers can simply repurpose the material to suit their course needs. They also have the freedom to develop their own. What is critical is for institutions to put in place policy and quality assurance frameworks to ensure high quality material.

Reason #2- OERs promote universal access 

Not everyone can afford to access tertiary level education even though “universal access to high quality education is key to the building of peace, sustainable social and economic development and intercultural dialogue” (UNESCO, 2015 as cited in Willems & Bossu, 2014, p.187).  OERs have the potential to give more persons access to higher education and access to their fields of discipline or interests. With OERs restrictions such as programme offering in locale are removed and persons can join a global virtual learning community that will prepare them for the global market. Learners who access OER courses outdo time, space and geographies to achieve international training and recognition. This has implications for educational leaders too. If educators are willing to develop or remix OERs the wider markets can be reached. This could improve the quality of education offered and reduce costs. One possible barrier is the digital divide especially in poorer countries where some people still are without access to relevant hardware, software or internet (Prasad & Tsuyoshi, 2014).

Watch video:  Why Open Education Matters

Reason # 3- Develops critical thinking skills 

OERs are not just concerned with sharing information but developing of competences (Ehlers, 2013). Since this nontraditional learning requires students to interrogate various material, employ case based learning, reflective pieces, discussion threads and forums and enables learners to create and recreate learning tools one can safely say that OER promotes critical thinking skills. Conole (2012),  states that the constructivists and situated pedagogies used in OERs encourage self directed learning and greater inclusion of diversities. Critical to note is that because students will be interacting with learners and facilitators across the globe they have a heightened sense of tolerance and respect for diverse perspectives.

References

Blink Tower (2012).  An Introduction to OER (Open Educational Resource).  Retrieved from,http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFeyCc6we-sBukola, O. (2012).  Why Open Education matters.  Retrieved from:http://www.youtube.com/watch?   v=cHQp33rbg5k

Butcher, N. (2015).  A basic guide toOpen Educational Resources (OER).  UNESCO and Commonwealth of learning

Conole, G, (2012).  Fostering Social Inclusion through Open Educational Resources (OER). Journal of Distance Education, Vol33, Issue 2

Ehlers, U. (2013)  Open Learning Culture:  A guide to Quality Education and Assessment for future learning. E-Learning 1.0 to E-Learning 2.0

Prasad, D.,Usagawa, T. (2014).  Towards Development of OER Derived customs-built Open Textbooks:  A baseline Survey of University teachers at the University of South Pacific

Ricter (2012). Open Educational Resources:  Education for the world? Journal of Distance education, Vol 33,   Iss. 2.

Tavanna (2012). Why Open Educaton Matters? Retrieved from, https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=_ntvrTXG7G8&list=PL741678F352148469&index=7 E learning Institute, Institute for Iranian civil society

Willerns, J., & Bossui, C., (2012). Equity concerns for open educational resources in the  globalization of education.  Journal of Distance Education, Vol 33, Issue 2

UNESCO (2016)., Why Should I care about OUR Retrieved from,http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/access-to-knowledge/open- educational-resources/why-should-i-care-about-oers/

Untitled image from self directed quotes. Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.com/adult0335/self-directed-learning-malcolm-knowles/

Managing your Digital Footprint

Managing your Digital Footprint by Keisha Waller

What are digital footprints?

Those bits of information that are created or left behind from use of the internet including social media make up digital footprints (Osborne & Connelly, 2015). These data can be searched for and found to provide information about a person including location, images, cookies and analytics.  Because digital footprints are uniquely reflective of one’s online activities it is a form of identity. Digital footprints are presentations of self (Osborne & Connelly, 2015).

Please watch video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P_gj3oRn8s

Offline yet Online

Kuehn (2012) purports that even if a person is not actively engaged in online activities such as social media they may still have a digital footprint because persons may share images, audios or other information about them. This kind of footprint is created passively not actively and may be difficult to control. Consider the case of a school principal while on route to conduct school business is photographed unintentionally. The photograph is later uploaded to Facebook. The principal may not even be aware that her image was taken or uploaded hence she would have had very little control over who sees it or with whom it is shared.

Why Digital Footprints Matter

• Employers and prospective employers monitor and or screen employees using social media (Parish, 2012). Background checks and screening are parts of the employment process and is usually done before interviews. Some Human Resource practitioners do the online search but mining for digital footprints can be outsourced from companies such as Pinnacle Investigations.  The viral image below is assumed to have been taken by a male student during a class session in a Jamaican school.

Please read: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/20150312/thwaites-urges-teachers-dress-appropriately

• Things may not truly be deleted. Simply clicking the delete button may remove the content from one place to another. The information may be recovered later from a hard drive (Smith, 2003). Imagine that you empty all the data from a phone which you plan on selling second hand but the new owners recover the data from the hard drive and publish it. Even if you wipe the hard drive clean, social media for example is instant and within seconds the content could have been downloaded and circulated.

• Digital footprints can threaten or promote your professional status. As educators we are expected by many to model ethical and moral standards even online (Hengstler, 2017). Recently parents removed their children from a Canadian school because of an image of the principal participating in a false fellatio (Daily Mail Reporter). Parents deemed it inappropriate coming from an educator.

Please watch video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ro_LlRg8rGg

How to Manage your Digital Footprint

Get in the Know

Audit your online activities first.  It is important to know what is already out in the public domain about you. We can reflect using our social media accounts and delete what we do not want to continue to be shared. We may not have much control over the fact that it has already been published but at least we can limit the chances of seeing it on our profiles. One can simply Google our names and see what emerges and take necessary actions. Action may even be a law suit for defamation but we may never know if we do not pause to know. Kuehn (2012) suggests that educators can use pipl.com and ratemyteacher.com to search.

Posts and Policies

Most if not all formal educational institutions have codes of conduct and policies that are designed to maintain professionalism. We should try to align our online activities and reputation to those in real life so that we portray that desired level of professionalism. While one may argue that educators and principals have a right to private lives we must be aware that once it is placed in the public domain, it is not very private anymore. Hengstler (2017) suggests that we have separate accounts for personal life and professional persona.

Think First; Post ? Maybe

We may contribute to the discussions on sensitive or current issues however, we must carefully think it through and decide if we should post it or not.  Topics such as politics and religion are usually sensitive topics that should be approached with caution. We need to analyze the risks and implications not just for us but for those we are networking with and the institutions we represent. Sometimes a personal diary or private talk will help.

Read

Read the terms, conditions and license information of any app or software you are using. Once you understand what you are getting into such as how data is stored, then you can decide whether or not you are willing to engage in that action or agreement. One key aspect to pay attention to is the participation of third party access to your data.

References

Hengstler, J. (2017).  Digital Footprints & Professionalism For Today’s Educator.  VUI Faculty

of Education, Centre for Education & CyberHumanity. Retrieved from http://wordpress.viu.ca/cyberhumanity/files/2015/04/WestCAST_Final.pdf

Internet Society (Jan. 12, 2016).  Four Reaons to Care About Your Digital Footprint. [VideoFile].  Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ro_LlRg8rGg

Johnson, J. (2015). Thwaites Urges Teachers To Dress Appropriately.  Retrieved fromhttp://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/20150312/thwaites-urges-teachers-dress-appropriately

Kuehn. L. (2012).  Manage Your Digital Footprint.  Our Schools/Our Selves Volume 21 Issue 2, 67-69

Mail Online, (2014).  Canadian teacher posted lewd photo alongside Washington monument. Retrieved from:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2673433/Canadian-teacher-posted-lewd-photo-posing-alongside-Washington-monument.html#comments

Osborne, N., Connelly, L. (2015).  Managing Your Digital Footprint: Possible Implications for

Teaching and Learning.  Proceedings Of The European Conference On E-Learning, 354-361

Parish, L. (2012).  Background checks hit social media.  The Journal of Business (10756124) 26Volume 26, Issue 6, 2012

Smith, K. C. (2003). Wipe that hard disc clean. Dermatology Times, 24(4), 74. Retrieved fromhttps://search.proquest.com/docview/231106831?accountid=42537

Work Study

Have you ever considered the effectiveness of teachers who work full time and study? I have an insiders view. It is stressful! It is like trying to trilplicate yourself- student, teacher and other. Plus if your work space is anything like mine results are to be reflected.

It is also a wonderful opportunity to improve your skills without taking a break. One of my favourites is that you can try out new strategies and prove their effectiveness in your immediate context. I agree it is challenging to adjust ones lifestyle but it is worth it!

The Role of a Leader

The Role of a Leader

 I noticed that most of us are depending on our leaders to empower people. That is an awesome responsibility.  Resultantly, terms such as ‘ coach’ and ‘inspiration’ are popular among our discussions at lunch, workshops or where ever educators meet.

The words chosen have forced me to reflect on the leader I want to be, the leader I am and the skills I need to fill that gap.  Berry ( 2011) presents a challenge by stating that ” leadership is not a venue for the many but only for the few and requires more than management expertise”. I am still interrogating myself. I am seeking answers to questions such as :

• How can I shift my focus from doing things right, to doing the right things ( Berry, 2011)
• Is coaching and delegating, enough to empower my teachers?
• Am I willing to be lead?

The words I have chosen  represent my fundamental beliefs about leadership.  I think that the best leaders strike a balance between personal wisdom and leader to member exchange quality ( Zaker, Pearce, Rooney and McKenna, 2013). For one to lead, he/she must collaborate in meeting strategic objectives but still foster a culture of growth for all. A good leader develops other leaders.

If I were considering the role of a manager, my wordle would reflect more administrative duties and honouring of policy. Reporting, planning, procurement would perhaps be some of the concepts shared. Interestingly, concepts such as leading and analyzing would still be included. This view is supported by Burcar ( 2014) . He argues that while leadership and management are different, they are also interrelated.

Reference

Berry, P., ( 2011). Teaching Leadership in the EMBA:  American Journal of Business Education, April 2011; 4,

4;  Pro Quest Control.

Burcar, Z., (2014).  The role of the principal in Croatian Education;  Manager, Leader or Administrator.

European Journal of Mental Health 9. p 87-96.

Zacher, H., Pearce, L., Rooney, D., McKenna, B., (2013).  Leaders’ Personal Wisdom and Leader – Member

Exchange Quality:  The Role of Individualized Consideration.  Springer Science & Business Media