Henry Hermans

Modeling assessment for re-use of traditional and new types of assessment

In the new learning approach assessment is integrated in learning and instruction and addresses complex traits (the abilities, the characteristics in a specific domain) of students. To match this new approach, new types of assessment are developed, like peer assessment or competence assessment. The development of these new assessments is an expensive and intensive activity. Exchange initiatives promise to reduce those efforts by the re-use of materials. But they also raise questions: is it a complete assessment or are there specific parts of an assessment that can be re-used? And is re-use limited to particular item formats? In order to support the re-use of both new and traditional assessment types an educational model for assessment is developed. In this article we present this model. The model is validated against [Stiggins, R. J. (1992). Het ontwerpen en ontwikkelen van performance-assessment toetsen [Design and development of performance assessments]. In J. W. M. Kessels, & C. A. Smit (Eds.). Opleiders in organisaties/Capita Selecta (pp. 75-91). Deventer: Kluwer (afl. 10)] guidelines for the development of performance assessments, the four-process framework of [Almond, R. G., Steinberg, L., & Mislevy, R. J. (2001). A sample assessment using the four-process framework. CSE Report 543. Center for study of evaluation, University of California, Los Angeles. Retrieved November 15, 2005 from http://www.cse.ucla.edu/cresst/reports/tech543.pdf; Almond, R. G., Steinberg, L., & Mislevy, R. J. (2003). A four-process architecture for assessment delivery, with connections to assessment design. CSE Report 616. Center for study of evaluation. University of California, Los Angeles], a specification for the exchange and interoperability of assessments and performance assessment as a new type of assessment. The educational model for assessment gives new input to the alignment of the teaching, learning and assessment.

Agreement between student expectations, experiences and actual objectives of practicals in the natural sciences at the Open university of The Netherlands

The research reported on here is concerned with the (mis)conceptions of students with respect to the objectives which can be achieved by different types of practicals. Students taking part in four different Natural Science practicals were questioned prior to the practical as to the objectives they anticipated encountering. Three of the practicals were traditional laboratory practicals, one was an interactive videodisc practical. These same students were questioned subsequent to the completion of the practicals as to the objectives they felt they encountered. The expectations and experiences of the students were compared with the objectives that experts said were actually present in the practicals. The most important conclusion which can be drawn from this research is that expectations of students with respect to the objectives of what they are about to study unequivocally influence what they encounter, independent of what actually is present. Specifically the findings are: what is anticipated significantl...

The Edubox Learning Design Player

Over the last few years, OUNL has accumulated considerable experience in educational modelling, both from a theoretical perspective and in educational delivery practice. Thousands of students today use a player in the course of their education and there is worldwide interest in the specifications and software products developed by and with OUNL, together with the lessons the university has learned in putting educational modelling technology into practice.

Internet Based Formative Prior Knowledge Assessment

Introduction Instruments Prior knowledge tests Research intruments Subjects Results Discussion and conclusion References Abstract Many investigations have shown that prior knowledge state is one of the most determining factors and an important predictor of subsequent study outcomes. This research focuses on the evaluation of a set of electronic instruments to make potential students more aware of their prior knowledge. This might lead to better-underpinned decisions about study plans at the OUNL.Many investigations have shown that prior knowledge state is one of the most determining factors and an important predictor of subsequent study outcomes. This research focuses on the evaluation of a set of electronic instruments to make potential students more aware of their prior knowledge. This might lead to better-underpinned decisions about study plans at the OUNL. The electronic intake instruments considered in this study are related to: acquaintance with the level of content and the way of studying (excursions within content domains) prior knowledge state on mathematics prior knowledge state on mastery Dutch prior knowledge state on mastery English For a period a five month possible students who visited the public Internet site of the Open University of the Netherlands (www.ou.nl/info-alg-index/index.htm) were by means of an electronic form given the possibility to express their opinion about the intake instruments provided. We received 151 valid responses. In this research we mainly focussed on student use and -appreciation. The respondents’ profiles did not differ from regular subscribers at the OUNL. It appeared to be relatively highly educated target group, the traditional bias of Internet users (e.g. young and male) has disappeared. Both can be considered remarkably high. When compared to other ways of getting information about studying at the OUNL the use was high. The appreciation was positive. Ninety percent of the responders consider the instrument to be useful.

Flexible authoring and delivery of online courses using IMS Learning Design

Since the publication of the IMS Learning Design (IMS LD) specification in 2003, many initiatives have been undertaken to build authoring tools that are simple enough to be used by non-technical instructors and teachers. IMS LDs technical complexity is believed to be a major burden for the adoption of the specification. We have developed a new approach for course authoring and delivery that hides most of the complexities and is powerful enough to create highly flexible online courses. Key aspects in this approach are (1) integration of IMS LD authoring and delivery tools in order to enable teachers to adapt courses in runtime and (2) the use of templates to standardize aspects of the LD. This article reports on the research and development of this approach, as well as a first implementation by the Open University of the Netherlands as part of an integrated e-learning system.

How to Integrate Learning Design into Existing Practice

This chapter is provided as full text at Springer online (also available here). Janssen, J. & Hermans, H. (2005). How to Integrate Learning Design into Existing Practice. In: Koper, R. & Tattersall, C., Learning Design: A Handbook on Modelling and Delivering Networked Education and Training (pp. 253-266). Berlin-Heidelberg: Springer Verlag.

Welke technologie is behulpzaam voor een leernetwerk

Zoals in hoofdstuk 1 al is betoogd, wordt een leernetwerk ontworpen. Dat betekent dat een leernetwerk het resultaat is van een ontwerpproces waarin stapsgewijs doelen, eisen en wensen worden uitgewerkt en geimplementeerd in een online sociaal netwerk. Hoofdstuk 4 is uitgebreid op het ontwerpproces ingegaan, in het bijzonder op de vraag hoe men ontwerpeisen boven water kan krijgen. Hier gaan we in op het proces dat daar logisch op volgt, het vertalen (implementeren) van de eisen in functionaliteiten .

A Process-Oriented Approach to Support Multi-Role Multi-Stage E-Assessment: A Case Study

This chapter presents a process-oriented approach to support assessment in learning networks. Assessment in its broadest sense can be conceived as the ‘systematic gathering of information and evidence about a person’s properties (qualifications), based on a process, a product or the progress of a person, for the purposes of certification, placement or diagnoses in formative and summative contexts’ (Joosten-ten Brinke et al. 2007). This definition includes classical assessment and complex assessment. Open image in new window .