06. Pan-Commonwealth Forum 6 (PCF6), 2010
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Browsing 06. Pan-Commonwealth Forum 6 (PCF6), 2010 by Subject "Assessment"
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PublicationAssessing the Needs of Literacy personnel in Non Formal Basic Education( 2010-11)Due to population explosion and swiftly increasing demand for education even developed countries are unable to overcome the prevailing challenges through formal system of education. Most of the developing countries are in miserable situation regarding level of education and literacy. Attacking poverty has become an international concern for placing in the paradigm of ‘education and learning for sustainable development’ in consideration of the reality that almost half of the world’s population live in poverty. Unfortunately, more than half of the population is living below the poverty line in Pakistan. (World Bank, 2000) Due to scarce resources and financial constraints developing countries are unable to cope with the drastic demand for education and consequently non formal education (NFE) seems blessing to meet this challenge of poverty alleviation. -
PublicationAssessment in Open and Distance Learning Institutions: Issues and Challenges( 2010-11)This paper investigates why the ODL institutions for teacher training are still using the traditional pencil and paper testing instead of employing alternative methods of assessment where students are involved in the their own assessment. The next section discusses assessment in teacher training and the importance of integrating performance based assessment order to improve teaching and learning.
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PublicationDemonstrating the Quality of Learner’s Experience and Engagement: Issues in Constructing Effective Evaluation Approaches on the English in Action Project, Bangladesh( 2010-11)The purpose of the DfID English in Action Project (EIA) currently running in Bangladesh is to ‘increase significantly the number of people able to communicate in English, to levels that enable them to participate fully in economic and social activities and opportunities’ (EIA, 2008). Supported open learning initiatives will employ media and technologies to supplement and enhance the learning and teaching of communicative English among school students, teachers and adults throughout Bangladesh. The comprehensive programme of research, monitoring and evaluation activities that accompany the project will demonstrate evidence of success and lessons learned from initiatives over the lifetime of the project, scheduled to complete in 2017. // This paper focuses on detailing distinctive ways in which ‘success’ should be articulated, arguing that both qualitative and quantitative approaches are required in order to fully understand the outcomes of the Project. It highlights the need for a wide range of stakeholders to engage with, examine and fully comprehend the extent to which quality outcomes from the project initiatives have potentially touched and impacted upon individual lives. // Discussion of evidence of ‘success’ will also reveal how the appropriate requirements for a set of purposive project-wide Baseline Studies were completed before any major project initiatives were launched. They demonstrate the pre-project situation relating to (a) the teaching and learning of communicative English ‘on the ground’ and (b) the contexts for communicative use of English within Bangladesh at that time. As a crucial element of the EIA research agenda, these studies will be repeated and extended on a three yearly cycle. Over time they will enable post-initiative comparisons to be made to determine what improvements have occurred and how, if at all, EIA has contributed to enhanced use of spoken English and in which particular contexts.
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PublicationAn Investigation of the academic performance of distant and conventional students studying Commerce at the University of Swaziland( 2010-11)An approach to the early diagnosis of academic problems on courses for Distance Education (DE) students at the University Of Swaziland (UNISWA) is proposed. The first stage involved the analysis of the academic performance of three cohorts of Diploma of Commerce students to identify problem courses. This was followed up by brief interviews with staff exploring potential explanations based on Mayes’ (1995) conceptual framework. Finally recommendations to improve the courses can be made. // The findings showed that in general the DE students’ academic performance was significantly below that of their FT equivalents. From the data and the interviews it would appear that for the worse cases this poor performance could be explained by a combination of factors. First, many of the printed modules were out of date, and consequently face-to-face time was being used nearly entirely to provide additional lectures at the expense of tutorials. Second, the DE students did not receive any practicals for a number of key courses. And third, the students themselves neither wanted nor were fully prepared to undertake DE courses. This latter effect diminished over the years. // The continually reviewing and updating of printed modules is a slow and expensive business, but clearly if not undertaken creates very significant disadvantages for the DE student. One solution is to move more material online where it is easier to update, but access technology in Swaziland is still poor so web-based solutions are still some way off. In the meantime, lecturers are being encouraged to create supplementary handouts for students, and being positively encouraged not to use too much of their face-to-face time for ‘catch-up’ and updating lectures. // The overall approach seemed successful and there are plans to continue to use it to identify and rectify problems. One future development is to use the University’s computerised marking system to assist the analysis. This should make the task easier and less time consuming.
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PublicationPerception of Learners on Electronic Examination in Open and Distance Learning Institutions: A Case Study of National Open University of Nigeria( 2010-11)This study is aimed at evaluating the perception of the students of NOUN on the e-examination. It is believed that at the end of this paper, the students’ view of e-examination would be made known and it would be a good reference point for other open and distance institutions especially in the developing countries where the use of the computer may not be comprehensive among all the students population. Also, the findings would be found useful to planners and managers of Open and Distance Learning (ODL), especially towards a plan of a new ODL institution.
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PublicationA Telescopic Assessment of Dual Mode Educational Delivery System in a Single Mode Institution: an African Perspective( 2010-11)Despite the myopic view and the temerity with which ODL institutions are treated, many African traditional higher institutions of learning are rapidly adopting dual delivery mode in all their programmes. Adopting the dual or the multiple delivery sub-systems of education is fast becoming the vogue in majority of higher institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa. Considering however, that not all the conventional institutions have the wherewithal to successfully deliver ODL programmes due to lack of competently trained human resources, adequate infrastructural facilities, professional expertise and managerial acumen in ODL, it raises issues of some ethical and social justice questions (Braimoh, 2010; Lockwood & Latchen, 2004). The questions which therefore agitate the thinking of policy makers, educational managers and researchers are: Is dual delivery of education widening access for success or failure? Is it commercialising or democratising education? Does it sustain the notion of ill-equipped programmes offered for mass production but with doubtful skills acquisition? Otherwise, does it positively raise the hopes of desperate learners only for their aspirations and expectations to remain unfulfilled?
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PublicationUse of alternative assessments in institutions of higher education in Lesotho( 2010-11)This paper reports the findings from a broad Ph.D. study (Khaahloe 2008) that investigated the quality of assessment practices and the extent to which alternative assessments are used in institutions of higher education in Lesotho. The specific topic of this study is “Alternative quality assessment practices in institutions of higher education in Lesotho. The paper focused on the extent to which alternative assessments was utilised in higher education in Lesotho. Despite the fact that quality is a re-emerging global issue (Ecclestone 1996); quality improvement in education is at the top of most of the agendas worldwide (Sallis1993:35). Lewis & Smith (1994: Preface) highlights that the renewed focus on quality of higher education stems from several forces which impact on the quality of higher education. Students as valued citizens should be better prepared to meet future academic and business challenges hence assessment should provide valid evidence of students’ capabilities to the stakeholders. // The definitions of quality are highly contextual and multidimensional because the problems of individual institutions are also contextual (Arcaro 1995:12). The operational definition of quality in this paper is fitness of purpose.
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PublicationUsing Portfolios for Guidance and Assessment purposes( 2010-11)Portfolio assessment is the systematic, longitudinal collection of student work created in response to specific, known instructional objectives and evaluated in relation to the same criteria. In many educational programmes, portfolio is used for evaluating student performance. Even in primary classrooms and in university degree courses it is effectively used for many purposes. Especially it can be used for instructional purposes, assessment purposes, administrative purposes and certification purposes. It can also be used for tracking growth of student achievement overtime. // Portfolios are very useful but they’re not quick and easy to evaluate, plus they’re hard to rank using a grade or score. Because portfolios are qualitative, many employers find them difficult to use as a determinant of candidates’ abilities. Employers would rather see a quantitative demonstration of a student’s best skills and work. There is no single way of preparing portfolios. Some create portfolios that serve as a representative sample of a student’s work, showing the range of performance and experience. // The Department of Early Childhood development and Primary Education of the National Institute of Education is conducting an Early Childhood Development Diploma course on an experiment level. It is expected to introduce new innovations to the field of teacher education in ECCD through this course. Therefore, it was decided to examine the effective ways of using portfolios for evaluating student performance and providing necessary guidance and advice continuously for them in the ECCD course.