Jeremy B. Williams

Assertion‐reason multiple‐choice testing as a tool for deep learning: a qualitative analysis

This paper reflects on the ongoing debate surrounding the usefulness (or otherwise) of multiple‐choice questions (MCQ) as an assessment instrument. The context is a graduate school of business in Australia where an experiment was conducted to investigate the use of assertion‐reason questions (ARQ), a sophisticated form of MCQ that aims to encourage higher‐order thinking on the part of the student. It builds on the work of Connelly (2004) which produced a quantitative analysis of the use of ARQ testing in two economics course units in a flexibly‐delivered Master of Business Administration (MBA) program. Connellys main findings were that ARQ tests were good substitutes for the more conventional type of multiple‐choice/short‐answer type questions and, perhaps more significantly, ARQ test performance was a good predictor of student performance in essays—the assessment instrument most widely favoured as an indicator of deeper learning. The main focus of this paper is the validity of the second of these findings, analysis of questionnaire data casting some doubt over whether student performance in ARQ tests can, indeed, be looked upon as a sound indicator of deeper learning—student reactions and opinions suggesting instead that performance might have more to do with ones proficiency in the English language.

The efficacy of final examinations: A comparative study of closed-book, invigilated exams and open-book, open-web exams.

Educators have long debated the usefulness (or otherwise) of final examinations; a debate that has typically revolved around the relative merits of closed-book exams, open-book exams, take-home exams or their substitution by some other assessment format (eg, project work). This paper adds a new dimension to the debate by considering how the final examination assessment instrument might be enhanced through harnessing the power of technology, more specifically, how the learner experience of the final examination might be made more authentic and, in the process, more constructively aligned with stated learning outcomes. The authors report on the latest findings of an ongoing research project evaluating the effectiveness of ‘open-book, open-web’ (OBOW) examinations delivered by an online university, vis-a-vis a closed-book, invigilated alternative. Earlier research had indicated that the OBOW model receives the strong endorsement of students in a number of respects, most particularly the quality of the learning outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Employment Effects of Sustainable Development Policies

As ecological economists we research passionately those issues that will give us a clearer understanding of the complex interaction between the economy and the environment. We believe this to be vital for implementing environmental policies that will have fewer unanticipated or irreversible side effects. However, this paper will argue that whilst we are absorbed in this task, we are tending to ignore some of the simpler political realities associated with attempts to implement sustainable development. When governments reduce access to a threatened natural resource such as groundwater or forests, those who do not share the ecological economist’s views, or those who simply have not stopped to think about it, see only the immediate impacts of the loss of jobs and reduced income multiplier effects in regions. Media reporting of only the most explosive aspects of issues exacerbates a loss of popular support for conservation measures. The debate surrounding the Tasmanian timber industry in the 2004 federal election in Australia provides a graphic example.

Poverty Alleviation Through Access to Education: Can E-Learning Deliver?

Access to education has long been considered an important vehicle for poverty alleviation and tremendous efforts (national as well as international) have been made to broaden such access in LDCs. The ICT revolution in the past decade has greatly facilitated such efforts as education can now be provided to millions living in inaccessible (rural, mountainous, or landlocked) areas at the click of a mouse and at a relatively low cost without compromising quality. The webbased mode of education, popularly known as “e-learning”, has the capacity to make the acquisition of human capital cheaper and easier in poverty-ridden LDCs. Also, e-learning eliminates the human capital ‘bootstrapping problem’ by guaranteeing ‘just-in-time’ training of a superior quality at employees’ fingertips (literally and metaphorically!) It also has the potential to help reduce poverty by empowerment of the socially disadvantaged and less privileged in society including lower-income groups, the handicapped, sick and disabled (particularly those with writing, speaking and hearing impairments), members of ethnic minority groups, and women affected by cultural and religious prejudice. This is possible largely because, as this paper argues, physical location or ability is not critical for successful e-learning. The authors canvass all of these issues before proposing a new model for the optimal level of education in developing countries.

The Impact of Digital Storytelling on Social Agency: Early Experience at an Online University

‘Digital Storytelling’ is a term often used to refer to a number of different types of digital narrative including web-based stories, hypertexts, videoblogs and computer games. This emergent form of creative work has found an outlet in a wide variety of different domains ranging from community social history, to cookbooks, to the classroom. It is the latter domain that provides the focus for this paper, specifically the online classroom at the tertiary level...Early feedback from students suggests that listening to and telling ‘true stories’ was a compelling and emotionally-engaging experience, providing an opportunity for ‘transformative reflection’ (Lambert 2000). By including multimedia, learners were able to build upon the fundamentals, presenting content in an easy-to-absorb and compelling way. In terms of team assignments students learned to become more effective actors in collaborative work environments.

Foiling the Free Riders: Early Experience with Compulsory Peer Assessment at an Online Business School

Getting students to work in teams is a tried and tested mechanism for promoting active learning (Kadel & Keehner 1994). Team work, and the ability to work in teams, is also becoming increasingly valued in the world of business and commerce (Senge 1990). The question is: to what extent should assessment be tied to the collaborative efforts of teams? Generally speaking, opinion seems to be divided among those students who hate it and those who think it is extremely valuable. Those who find it a chore invariably complain about difficult personalities and those who ‘free ride’ off the efforts of others. This, of course, is no different to life in the real world and one might argue, therefore, that it is an authentic learning experience! A counter-argument is that, in the real world, there is also likely to be a reporting system within an organisation whereby the difficult and the lazy people are prevented from prospering beyond the short term. This paper reports on the first 12 months’ experience of a compulsory peer assessment system that represents a modest attempt to install such a reporting system, with the goal of calling the free-riders to account. It details the implementation process, teething problems, successes to date, and future research plans.

Rapid economic development in Singapore and the future of the PAP

Abstract The economic development of Singapore has been such that it is frequently cited as a model for capitalist development. One of the most striking features of the Singapore development process has been its distributional consequences. Rapid economic growth has produced remarkably equitable outcomes and the average Singaporean has had little cause for complaint — or at least until recently. This article examines the latest trends with respect to inequality in Singapore, and attempts some assessment of the policy responses and the potential for social instability.

The Current Crisis In Neoclassical Economics and the Case for an Economic Analysis Based on Sustainable Development

This paper reflects on the current crisis that confronts neo-classical economics in the wake of declining enrolments in academic economics programmes around the world, the emergence of a popular ‘post-autistic’ economics network following the revolt of economics students at a number of leading universities and, most importantly, the apparent inability of the neoclassical paradigm to bridge the gap between theory and reality. There is a saying that ‘the more things change, the more they stay the same’, but in this paper, the authors contend that the economics profession is now on the brink of a scientific revolution, or what Thomas Kuhn referred to as a ‘paradigm shift’. As Herman Daly has observed, if the theory is not good enough, the real world does not stop to wait. Governments everywhere (and international organisations such as the OECD) are engaged in a big effort to develop indicators that focus on the sustainability of industrial activities. Meanwhile, businesses are waking up to the fact that without careful attention to sustainability issues, they face considerable insurance risks. The paper employs the concepts developed by Thomas Kuhn to assist in the analysis of the current crisis. In the process, it assesses the readiness of national and international political economies to embrace sustainable development and reject neoclassical economics. The paper critically examines, and roundly rejects, key postulates of the theory offered by neoclassical economists to support their arguments that production and consumption can be sustained forever and that the natural environment is not an important constraint on growth. The authors conclude that the theoretical work of ecological economics and its counterpart in the business world, ‘natural capitalism’ is a far more sensible paradigm for business.

Real Problems with Virtual Teams: An Analysis of the Factors Leading to Dysfunctional Online Collaboration

In online education, virtual teams play an important role in collaborative and peer learning. Unlike traditional face-to-face teams, the students in a virtual team may be geographically distributed, work in different time zones, and may never physically meet face-to-face. Universitas 21 Global, one of the new breed of online universities, has incorporated the use of virtual teams in its pedagogy since the inception of its MBA programme in August 2003. In their capacity as lead instructors, whose role it is to oversee the smooth running of individual class sections, the researchers report on some of the problems that have been observed with virtual teams.

The Five Key Benefits of On-line Final Examinations (with Three Free Bonus Benefits)

The increasing market orientation of higher education has brought sweeping changes within universities throughout Australia and elsewhere in the world. Among other things, changes to government funding have forced universities to become more innovative in their resourcing arrangements. Partnerships with professional bodies and the private sector are becoming more widespread, universities have expanded geographically to tap into nontraditional markets. For course developments to proceed, tangible evidence of student demand and cost efficiency is of the utmost importance. The product of these changes, and others, is that universities have developed a much stronger “customer focus”. In short, the hard reality of life in the higher education sector, as we move into the new millennium, is that failure to recognize students as “clients” is to run the risk of anonymity in the marketplace or, worse still, notoriety, which can only lead to reduced funding, cuts to courses and staffing levels and even closure.