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As schools increasingly adopt multidimensional, phenomenon-based, digital-technology-enhanced science instruction, a concurrent shift is occurring in student performance assessment. Assessment instruments capable of measuring multiple dimensions must incorporate constructed responses to probe students’ ability to explain scientific phenomena and solve problems. Such assessments, unlike traditional multiple-choice tests, are time-consuming and labor-intensive for teachers to score. This study investigates the potential of an artificial intelligence machine learning system (AI-MLS) to address two critical questions: (1) How accurately can the AI-MLS replicate human scoring of multidimensional science assessments? and (2) How can the implementation of AI-MLS promote educational equity and reduce teacher workload? The present paper describes the development of the AI-MLS to rapidly and accurately score third- to fifth-grade students’ constructed responses on multidimensional science assessments. It summarizes key findings from the study, discusses findings in the broader context of fostering agency through digital technology, and offers insights into how artificial intelligence technology can be harnessed to support independent action and decision-making by teachers and students.

Data on surgical robots are not openly accessible, limiting further study of the operation trajectory of surgeons' hands. Therefore, a trajectory monitoring system should be developed to examine objective indicators reflecting the characteristic parameters of operations. 20 robotic experts and 20 first-year residents without robotic experience were included in this study. A dry-lab suture task was used to acquire relevant hand performance data. Novices completed training on the simulator and then performed the task, while the expert team completed the task after warm-up. Stitching errors were measured using a visual recognition method. Videos of operations were obtained using the camera array mounted on the robot, and the hand trajectory of the surgeons was reconstructed. The stitching accuracy, robotic control parameters, balance and dexterity parameters, and operation efficiency parameters were compared. Experts had smaller center distance (p < 0.001) and larger proximal distance between the hands (p < 0.001) compared with novices. The path and volume ratios between the left and right hands of novices were larger than those of experts (both p < 0.001) and the total volume of the operation range of experts was smaller (p < 0.001). The surgeon trajectory optical monitoring system is an effective and non-subjective method to distinguish skill differences. This demonstrates the potential of pan-platform use to evaluate task completion and help surgeons improve their robotic learning curve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to produce research products in the form of recommendations for 21st-century competency performance assessment instruments in inquiry lesson skills on 21st-century biological problems. Based on indicators of inquiry lesson Wenning (2012). The study used a mixed method with ten students in class XII as the subject of a high school in Serang. The instrument was analyzed by testing its validity and reliability with Aiken's formula. The result of the validity test with Aiken's formulation was 0.66, which showed that the instrument could be said to be valid. For reliability based on the ICC test, the result was 0.897, and it can be interpreted that the inquiry lesson performance instrument has high reliability. With these findings, teachers can use the inquiry assessment instrument to assess students' inquiry lesson skills.

This study aims to develop performance assessment instruments in the MI (Multiple Intelligences) based basketball game by: (1) proving the validity of the content of the instrument, (2) proving the validity of the instrument construct, (3) conducting a model fit analysis and item fit with IRT (Item Response Theory), and (4) analyzing the effectiveness of the developed instrument product. Methods in developing assessment models using IDDIE (analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation). The research subjects used were 1053 students in five schools in five districts in Yogyakarta Province. The development of a scoring model resulted in (1) the validity of the contents of the five raters using the V-Aiken method yielding a value of 0.92; (2) the validity of the performance instrument construct shows 28 aspects of the warning with a loading factor of 0.3; (3) the fit model for this instrument matches the ability of the learner between -4.817 to 2.24; (4) the effectiveness of the product showed a high value, i.e., 38% of users felt "very satisfied," 56% of users felt "satisfied," and 6% of users felt "dissatisfied."

This study aims to develop an inquiry laboratory skill assessment on 21st Century Biological Problems. The assessment tool developed is a non-test assessment in the form of tasks and rubrics. The research and development method (R&D) was used in this study. The subjects of this research were 30 students from one of the public high schools in Banten Province. This research instrument used performance assessment tools in tasks and rubrics, while the data analysis technique used descriptive statistics and data collection purposive sampling. The study showed that the validity of Aiken's V is 0.53. It can be said that the performance assessment tool is declared valid. The reliability value had an average measure value of 0.778. Moreover, the ICC (Interclass Correlation Coefficient) value assessed by three raters was categorized as moderate or moderate reliability. Based on the results of data analysis, the resulting instrument is ready to be used directly in measuring learning outcomes or as an assessment prototype for further development, especially in measuring students' laboratory inquiry abilities.

This study aimed to investigate the classroom assessment practices of teachers in Myitkyina Township, Myanmar. A total of 237 teachers from Basic Education High Schools in Myitkyina Township participated in this study. Descriptive research design and survey method were used. An instrument: Teachers’ Classroom Assessment Practices Questionnaire was used to collect the required data. The internal consistency was =0.87. According to the results, the sample mean (193.22) is larger than the theoretical mean (141). Then, it was found that there were significant differences in teachers’ using performance assessment and non-achievement-based grading by gender. Similarly, in the comparison of teachers’ assessment practices by subject, mean score of science teachers was highest and that of art teachers was lowest. Moreover, in the comparison of teachers’ assessment practices by position, mean score of senior teachers was highest and that of primary teachers was lowest in assessment practices. Similarly, in the comparison of teachers’ assessment practices by service, mean score of teachers who have above 30-year service was highest. Finally, this study hopes that the school administrators can get the ideas to recover and promote the teachers’ classroom assessment practices with the cooperation of the experts.

Keterampilan proses berpikir matematis mahasiswa masih rendah dikarenakan siswa kurang memahami persoalan secara kontekstual. Salah satu jenis asesmen yang digunakan untuk mengukur keterampilan proses berpikir matematis dalam pembelajaran matematika yaitu asesmen kinerja. Asesmen ini kemudian diintegrasikan dengan pada pembelajaran PjBL berbasis etnomatematika. Tujuan penelitian ini yaitu untuk membuktikan kelayakan model asesmen kinerja pada pembelajaran etnomatematika berbasis proyek untuk mengukur keterampilan proses berpikir matematis mahasiswa. Jenis penelitian yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah penelitian pengembangan. Subjek penelitian ini yaitu tiga orang validator yang ahli dalam bidang evaluasi pendidikan matematika, pembelajaran matematika, dan etnomatematika. Teknik pengumpulan data dalam penelitian ini yaitu angket validasi. Instrumen dalam penelitian ini yaitu lembar validasi ahli untuk menilai prosedur, panduan, dan instrument asesmen kinerja pada pembelajaran PjBL berbasis etnomatematika. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan validitas isi yang diperoleh dari ahli mendapatkan nilai sebesar 3,67 pada prosedur asesmen, panduan asesmen sebesar 3,85, dan instrumen asesmen sebesar 3,85. Perangkat dan instrumen tes termasuk pada kriteria sangat layak. Teknik analisis data dilakukan secara kualitatif yaitu dengan cara menentukan rata-rata skor penilaian kemudian mendeskripsikan penilaian perangkat dan instrumen pembelajaran dari validator. Dengan demikian disimpulkan bahwa model asesmen kinerja pada pembelajaran etnomatematika berbasis proyek layak digunakan untuk mengukur keterampilan proses berpikir matematis mahasiswa. Students' mathematical thinking process skills are still low because students do not understand the problem contextually. One type of assessment used to measure mathematical thinking process skills in mathematics learning is a performance assessment. This assessment is then integrated with ethnomathematics-based PjBL learning. The purpose of this study was to test the performance appraisal model in project-based ethnomathematical learning to measure students' thinking process skills. The type of research used in this research is development research. The subjects of this research are three validators who are experts in evaluating mathematics education, learning mathematics, and ethnomathematics. The data collection technique in this study is a validation questionnaire. The instrument in this study is an expert validation sheet to assess procedures, guidelines, and performance assessment instruments in ethnomathematics-based PjBL learning. The results showed that the validity obtained from the expert was 3.67 in the assessment procedure, the assessment guide was 3.85, and the assessment instrument was 3.85. The test kits and instruments include very feasible criteria. The data analysis technique was carried out qualitatively, namely by determining the average score of the assessment and then describing the learning tools and instruments from the validator. Thus, the performance keyword in project-based ethnomathematical learning is appropriate to be used to measure students' thinking skills.

本研究藉由文件分析法探討日本近來在推動能力主義之人事制度下，國立大學法人及相關機構將績效和薪資掛勾相關之改革策略與成效。本研究首先說明國內之人事和彈性薪資制度，其次探討日本國立大學法人，自2004年推動法人化制度後，每6年一期，2013年開始提出 人事薪資改革政策，2022年已進入第四期的人事改革階段。在論述其推動背景及歷程下，分析人事及薪資管理改革之重要內涵，包含整體「改革方向和重點」、「年薪制」、「績效薪資」和「交叉聘用制」之改革具體內容、改革成效和問題等，並和國內制度做比較探討。最後，提出研究結論包含：一、在改革定位上，此薪資制度改革為法人化整體系統化改革下的一環。二、改革乃為協助落實國立大學法人定位轉型而努力。三、績效評鑑與待遇的反應機制激發教師的積極性動機和努力成果。四、外部資金供作薪資和交叉聘用制的推動，確保「年輕教師就業」和「人才的多元性及流動性」。並於分析改革問題後，對國內提出人事及薪酬制度改革應在思考高等教育機構之定位下出發、推動績效主義的薪酬制度應有配套措施，及欲借鑑日本經驗需做進一步評估等相關建議。 Due to globalization, competition and exchanges between countries around the world have increased. The quality of higher education maintained a key role enhancing national competitiveness and accelerating social development. An robust system was an important foundation for governance, and without a strong institutional foundation, developing modern governance capabilities and establishing or supporting world-class universities and first-class disciplines for a long time were challenging. The governance of higher education institutions should a focus for empowering higher education institutions. Therefore, all countries were committed to reforming the governance of higher education institutions to ensure that higher education was of high quality. In Japan, because society has increasingly high expectations of universities, the requirements for universities have increased. To realize the basic mission of higher education institutions, national university corporations and institutions have strengthened education (teaching) and research capacity and implemented substantial governance reforms. Reaching consensus regarding the vision of each institution and the standards required for membership through dialogue was necessary; the importance of maintaining and enhancing the positive attitude of each faculty member should be emphasized. Therefore, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has systematically disclosed its intention to implement reforms in various documents and has continued to promote reforms in personnel and salary management. Regarding the personnel system and salaries in universities, the MEXT proposed “a new personnel system based on competency and performanceism [sic]” in the “Policies for the Structural Reform of Universities (National Universities)” in June 2001. Since then, the MEXT has focused on the personnel system as the main policy area to strengthen the enthusiasm and ability of the teaching staff, especially by implementing an attractive salary system, changing the age structure of teachers, and recruiting more young scholars, among others; these measures could help attract diverse and outstanding talents. The system was focused on improving the overall outcomes of Japanese university education and research. Subsequently, reforms in personnel and salary management in universities were intensely promoted in the “Basic Policy on Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform 2018,” “Future Investment Strategy 2018,” “Integrated Innovation Strategy,” and other decision-making documents released by the Cabinet Secretariat. In February 2019, the MEXT officially issued the “Guidelines for Reform Management of Personnel Affairs and Salaries for National University Corporations” to provide relevant guidelines for compensation management in national university corporations to improve their personnel management systems. Reforms in personnel and salary management include strengthening the evaluation system, reflecting the results of the regular appraisal of salaries, and improving the promotion and bonus systems for performance-based and differentiated treatment. The MEXT recommended that universities adjust the allocation ratio of “fixed salary” (basic salary) and “variable salary” (performance salary) in the salary structure, decrease the fixed salary, and increase the ratio of the variable salary per the new “annual salary system” measures. It made the performance evaluations twice a year were emphasized more strongly than before, and the evaluation results correspond to differences in the salaries of university teachers, thereby leading to a salary system that offers “different pay for different performance.” The MEXT has emphasized continuous reforms in personnel management to enable national university corporations to better satisfy societal expectations and fulfil their responsibilities and functions and to further strengthen their governance systems; the reforms included performance evaluations, the introduction of an annual salary system, cross appointments, a double-track contract system, and lifetime employment. According to a 2021 report by the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics of the Executive Yuan, more than 60% of full-time teachers in higher education institutions in Taiwan were older than 50, and only 8.5% of teachers were younger than 39. The identity of the full-time teachers in Taiwan University was unclear, the rights and interests of the project teachers were different, the evaluation result of the flexible salary system was unclear, and the system of industry-academia cooperation was not sufficiently flexible. These problems how to solve should be addressed. With the increase in global competition, talent recruitment and retention were no longer local issues, and competition for talented individuals from other countries was common in the world. In 2010, the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan announced “The Ministry of Education Recruits and Retains Special Talents from Colleges and Universities to Implement Flexible Salary Plans,” with the aim of improving the academic environment of colleges and universities and increasing the incentives for retaining and recruiting talents. In 2013, the Department of Higher Education attempted to relax the requirements of personnel management for higher education institutions through “Measures for Unwinding the Higher Education System,” including “releasing the teacher promotion system,” “relaxing the employment of university supervisors,” “relaxing the school affairs fund,” and “recruitment flexibility.” In the following year, the Department of Higher Education proposed the Taiwan Talent Promotion Program to emphasize the goals of “attracting international outstanding talents,” “building an international talent cooperation network,” and “strengthening international academic influence and visibility.” These reforms were different from the reform policies in Japan. This study explored the literature and documents on the strategies and effects of innovations aimed at promoting a meritocratic personnel and merit pay system in national university corporations in Japan. First, in this paper, the current personnel and merit pay system in Taiwan and the problems associated with it were described. The study analyzed the background and procedure of innovation in the personnel and pay system of national university corporations in Japan. The system of national university corporation has been implemented since 2004, with every six years considered a period. When entering the fourth period, a performance-linked pay system was emphasized. Next, in this paper, the goals and key points, situation, problems and resolutions, strategies, and effects of the innovations in the personnel system were discussed. The recent reforms in the personnel and pay systems were compared between Taiwan and Japan. The findings of this study could be summarized as follows: 1. Innovations in the personnel and merit pay system of national university corporations in Japan constituted a part of the reforms in the national university corporation. 2. Innovations in the personnel and merit pay system of the national university corporations have enabled them to transform their new positions and optimize their organizational structures. 3. The linkage between performance assessment and treatment has increased teachers’ dedication and their motivation to work hard. 4. The flow of external funds and the system of cross appointment has ensured the “employment of young teachers” and the “diversity and mobility of talents.” The suggestions of this study were as follows: 1. Innovations in the personnel and pay system in higher education institutions in Taiwan should be implemented based on the position of higher education institutions. 2. Related measures should be adopted after implementing a pay system based on performance. 3. It was needed to be estimated when taking Japan as an example.

Abstract Background Inquiry-based learning is widely applied in science education; however, so far, the outcomes of learning process have been systematically assessed mainly at the secondary school level. For primary school students, there is no valid instrument for assessing the outcomes of their science inquiry. The aim of the current study was to develop a test for assessing science learning outcomes (analytical skills, planning skills, interpretation skills, and science knowledge) related to the five phases of inquiry-based learning (Orientation, Conceptualization, Investigation, Conclusion, and Discussion) at primary education level (ISCED 1). Results A set of contextualized science tasks was created to assess each of the learning outcomes at three levels. The Science Inquiry Test for Primary Education (SIT-PE test) was developed through several phases, including pilot studies with large groups of fourth-grade students (10 to 11 years of age). The 1 PL Item Response Theory model was used to analyze the quality of the test and items based on the test’s reliability score, item difficulty measure, infit and outfit indices, estimation of item discrimination, item-scale correlation, and the quality of the scoring key. The final test, consisting of 24 items, was used with a sample of 1868 students. The analysis showed the SIT-PE test to be of good quality on test level and item level and to also have good predictive validity. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the correlated factors model and second-order factor model of the science learning outcomes both had a good fit to data collected with the SIT-PE test. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the multidimensionality of science learning outcomes and validated four dimensions of the model: analytical skills, planning skills, interpretation skills, and science knowledge. Conclusions In conclusion, the SIT-PE test could be further used for assessing students’ inquiry competence in primary education. However, it could be even further improved in several ways and this study provides guidelines on how to do that. In addition, the SIT-PE provides test developers with information on how to design derivations of the SIT-PE test for assessing particular science inquiry outcomes or the same outcomes in older age groups as well.

This qualitative study explores the experiences of a cohort of pre-service teachers completing a high-stakes teacher performance assessment (HSTPA), the Kansas Performance Teaching Portfolio (KPTP), during their final year of teacher preparation. The inquiry asks whether the act of completing the assessment modified candidate conceptualizations of good teaching, and, if so, in what ways. Data were gathered via in-depth interviews and content analysis, and data were analyzed via constant comparison. The study found that completing the KPTP was having some impact upon participant conceptions of good teaching, prodding them to broaden their understanding of the work of teachers to include not just dispositional and relational aspects of teaching, but elements of technical teaching practice. The article concludes with recommendations for policy, research, and practice.

This paper addresses how to combine the course- and program-level assessments and presents a new method illustrated by a case of dental education program in Japan. Performance assessments are considered effective for evaluating knowledge integration and higher-order skills, while placing a burden on faculty, hence their feasibility as the program-level assessment is regarded lower than standardized tests or questionnaire surveys. We have developed several performance assessments at the course level, such as Modified Triple Jump for the PBL course. Based on this experience, we propose Pivotal Embedded Performance Assessment (PEPA) as a method for combining assessment at the course and program levels. The method limits the range of performance assessment to key courses directly linked to program goals and placed at the critical juncture points of curriculum, while entrusting the assessment of other courses to expert judgment of individual teachers. PEPA consists of the following procedures: systematization of curriculum and selection of key courses; design and implementation of performance assessments by a faculty team; setting passing criteria with incorporating the function of formative assessment; certifying the completion of the degree program. PEPA thus enables maintaining assessment feasibility and compatibility with a credit system, while ensuring assessment validity and reliability.Received: 27 September 2018Accepted: 13 November 2018Published online: 29 November 2018

Abstract Background Valid assessment of the understanding of Newton’s mechanics is highly relevant to both physics classrooms and research. Several tests have been developed. What remains missing, however, is an efficient and fair test of conceptual understanding that is adapted to the content taught to secondary school students and that can be validly applied as a pre- and posttest to reflect change. In this paper, we describe the development and evaluation of the test of basic Mechanics Conceptual Understanding (bMCU), which was designed to meet these requirements. Results In the context of test development, qualitative and quantitative methods, including Rasch analyses, were applied to more than 300 Swiss secondary school students. The final test’s conformity to the Rasch model was confirmed with a sample of N = 141 students. We further ascertained the bMCU test’s applicability as a change measure. Additionally, the criterion validity of the bMCU test was investigated in a sample of secondary school students (N = 66) and a sample of mechanical engineering students (N = 21). In both samples, the bMCU test was a useful predictor of actual student performance. Conclusions The bMCU test proved to enable fair, efficient, and simultaneously rigorous measurement of secondary school students’ conceptual understanding of Newton’s mechanics. This new instrument might fruitfully be used in both physics classrooms and educational research.

Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui peningkatan kemampuan berpkir kritis siswa kelas V SD di sekitar perkebunan kopi Garahan Jember melalui penerapan model pembelajaran math-science berbasis performance assessment. Kemampuan berpikir kritis dalam penelitian ini adalah kemampuan pembuktian, kemampuan generalisasi, dan kemampuan pemecahan masalah. Data dianalisis dengan pendekatan kuantitatif dan kualitatif. Uji coba penelitian ini diterapkan pada dua SD di sekitar perkebunan kopi yaitu MI Al –Amin Garahan dan SD Negeri Sidomulyo 03 Jember dengan subyek penelitian sebanyak 80 siswa. Data diperoleh dari hasil kinerja siswa selama mengerjakan post test pada materi math-science dan wawancara. Pada siklus pertama terdapat 8 siswa (10%) yang memenuhi semua indikator kemampuan generalisasi dan pembuktian, sedangkan kemampuan pemecahan masalah belum berkembang dengan maksimal. Pada siklus kedua terdapat peningkatan, yaitu terdapat 22 siswa (27.5%) yang mampu memiliki kemampuan pembuktian dan kemampuan generalisasi. Pada siklus ketiga terdapat 32 siswa (40%) yang mampu memiliki semua kemampuan berpikir kritis. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian, dapat disimpulkan bahwa terdapat peningkatan kemampuan berpikir kritis siswa.Kata kunci: math-science, performance assessment, kemampuan berpikir kritis THE IMPLEMENTATION OF MATH-SCIENCE LEARNING MODEL BASED ON PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ CRITICAL THINKING SKILL IN JEMBER COFFEE PLANTATION AREA Abstract The research is aimed t knowing the improvement of the critical thinking skills of the fifth grade students in Garahan Coffee plantation area through the implementation math-science learning model based on performance assessment. In this research, the critical thinking skills include proof skill, generalization skill, and problem solving skill. Data were analized by quantitative and qualitative approach. This research was implemented to two elementary schools in Garahan coffee plantation area, namely MI Al-Amin Garahan and SD Negeri Sidomulyo 03 Jember, with 80 students as the subject. Data were obtained from the result of students’ post test on math-science and interview. In the first trial, there are 8 students (10%) who comply with all indicators of generalization and proof skills, while the problem solving skill has not optimally been developed. The result of the second trial has increased to 22 students (27.5%) who have proof and generalization skills. The third trial shows that 32 students (40%) comply with all indicators of critical thinking skills, namely proof, generalization, and problem solving skills. Based on the research findings, it can be concluded that there is improvement on students’ critical thinking skill. Keywords: math-science, performance assessment, critical thinking skill

We explore how two “happenings” representing different political, social, historical and economic influences converge to shape the narratives of preservice teachers and teacher educators in West Virginia. These happenings are the 2017-2018 edTPA roll out and the teacher strike of February 2018. We use the framework of sensemaking to explore preservice teacher and teacher educator identity/agency using a phenomenological analysis of narratives accessed through narrative portfolios, artifacts, and interviews with pre-service teachers, mentors (supervising teachers), and teacher educators. We found that the confluence of these political moments reinforced a neoliberal orientation for both preservice teachers and teacher educators, positioning preservice teachers to expect teacher educators to intensively support the edTPA and ensure their success while silencing the collective history and moral imperative of protest. Preservice teachers and some mentors reframed the edTPA as a pathway to increased teacher pay/meritocracy by linking it with the National Boards, yet there were pockets of resistance within this among both preservice teachers and teacher educators. These findings are important for informing educational policy and practice around both corporate involvement in assessment/accountability policy and preservice teachers’ and teacher educators’ roles in protest at this moment when both are expanding simultaneously.

In our pursuit to broaden and deepen understandings of what it means to engage in an assessment activity, we explored the designing and implementing of a geometry performance task as an instantiation of authentic assessment to assess elementary school students’ mathematics learning. Using participatory action research, we incorporated a performance task as an end-of-unit assessment with grade 4/5 students. We found that the authenticity within what we are calling a generative unit assessment, is understood as a process that is dynamic in contrast to conventional unit tests. We established an innovative assessment practice that emerged from the student and teacher data and is illustrated through four features applicable to any content area. Through collaborative discussions and the ensuing creation of a generative unit assessment, we found spaces to authentically understand ontological growth and continual learning through assessment.

This paper introduces the new Massachusetts Performance Assessment for Leaders (PAL) and uses critical policy analysis to re-examine the validity evidence (using the 2014 Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing and a theory of multicultural validity) for the use and interpretation of the PAL in regards to emerging school leadership. Data sources include two years of PAL test documentation plus candidate surveys and interviews with program directors. The author’s role as a test user, faculty instructor, and certified test scorer afforded access to student work, student communications, scorer network training, and state department of education communications and meetings. The paper challenges the content validity, raises questions in regards to evidence based on response processes, internal structure, relation to other variables, consequences, and multicultural validity particularly when the PAL is used as a stand-alone, high-stakes licensure test and offers suggestions to improve the test as a formative assessment.

Introduction Medical students often do not value attending in-person large group sessions. It is also not clear from prior research whether attendance at large group sessions impact on performance in medical school. The goal of this study was to assess the relationship between voluntary attendance in large group sessions organized as a “flipped classroom” in a new innovative curriculum and students’ mastery of clinical applications of basic science knowledge. Methodology Our students’ ability to apply basic science knowledge to clinical problems is assessed via progress testing using three methodologies: a locally developed multiple-choice examination, written examination developed through the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) Customized Assessment Services Program and post encounter questions included in a clinical skills examination. We analyzed the relationship between voluntary attendance at weekly large group “flipped classroom” sessions and the students’ performance on examinations given at four intervals over the initial 24-week module of the medical school curriculum. Results Complete data were available for 167 students. A total of 82 students (49.1%) attended all large group sessions, 65 students (38.9%) missed one or two sessions and 20 students (12.0%) missed three or more sessions. There were no difference between the students in the groups on their medical admission (MCAT) examination scores. The growth in performance from each time point until the next was statistically significant. There was no statistically significant difference in growth between the students who had no absences and those who had one or two absences. Students who missed three or more sessions performed significantly lower than their peers over the 24 week module and were more likely to score one or more standard deviations below the class mean on the assessments. Conclusions We found no relationship between attendance and MCAT scores suggesting the differences in performance on the progress tests was not due to initial differences in knowledge or reasoning skills. While the study was not experimental, it suggests large group sessions using a “flipped classroom” approach to provide reinforcement, feedback and practice may be effective for increasing learning and retention in the application of basic science knowledge among first year medical students.

Introduction. Medical students often do not value attending in-person large group sessions. It is also not clear from prior research whether attendance at large group sessions impact on performance in medical school. The goal of this study was to assess the relationship between voluntary attendance in large group sessions organized as a ''flipped classroom'' in a new innovative curriculum and students' mastery of clinical applications of basic science knowledge. Methodology. Our students' ability to apply basic science knowledge to clinical problems is assessed via progress testing using three methodologies: a locally developed multiple-choice examination, written examination developed through the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) Customized Assessment Services Program and post encounter questions included in a clinical skills examination. We analyzed the relationship between voluntary attendance at weekly large group ''flipped classroom'' sessions and the students' performance on examinations given at four intervals over the initial 24-week module of the medical school curriculum. Results. Complete data were available for 167 students. A total of 82 students (49.1%) attended all large group sessions, 65 students (38.9%) missed one or two sessions and 20 students (12.0%) missed three or more sessions. There were no difference between the students in the groups on their medical admission (MCAT) examination scores. The growth in performance from each time point until the next was statistically significant. There was no statistically significant difference in growth between the students who had no absences and those who had one or two absences. Students who missed three or more sessions performed significantly lower than their peers over the 24 week module and were more likely to score one or more standard deviations below the class mean on the assessments. Conclusions. We found no relationship between attendance and MCAT scores suggesting the differences in performance on the progress tests was not due to initial differences in knowledge or reasoning skills. While the study was not experimental, it suggests large group sessions using a ''flipped classroom'' approach to provide reinforcement, feedback and practice may be effective for increasing learning and retention in the application of basic science knowledge among first year medical students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poised at a bifurcation, the educator preparation community in Vermont faced either the adoption of a generic product for the assessment of initial educator licensure candidates or the comprehensive revision of a longstanding state-based assessment portfolio. Using a case study approach and narrative methods, specifically the Narrative Policy Framework (McBeth, Jones, Shanahan, 2014), the authors analyze a project in which teacher educators intervened to shape the direction of educator preparation policymaking by designing an innovative assessment portfolio and a collaborative calibration system. The analysis reveals insights about the policymaking arena and demonstrates the value of education-related policymaking that includes teacher educators as active agents in collaboration with state personnel and policymakers. The case contributes to the notion of policymaking as a narrative process. In this case, a narrative of hope emerged as a guiding storyline.

This special issue advances the discussion of redesigning assessment and accountability that began in the August 2014 Education Policy Analysis Archives article, “Accountability for college and career readiness: Developing a new paradigm” by Linda Darling-Hammond, Gene Wilhoit and Linda Pittenger. This issue focuses on the potential for multiple measures approaches to accountability and performance assessment to support more meaningful learning as part of a redesigned system of support and accountability. We bring together two reviews of state policy with commentaries that describe district, network, state, and university efforts to integrate multiple measures and performance assessment in systems of accountability. This issue helps to illustrate how educators at all levels of the system—schools, districts, networks, and state education agencies—are taking action to reimagine a more supportive and equitable educational system.

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This study examines the issues pertaining to South Korea's elementary physical education (PE) performance assessment, using an assessment literacy (Hay & Penney, 2013) perspective to propose future directions. Eight elementary teachers currently teaching PE were selected as participants. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews and on-site data analysis, and analyzed based on an inductive categorical analysis, the results of which were elicited from the four concept factors of assessment literacy. Four themes presented themselves during the research: first, teachers were unclear about the concept of assessment, making it difficult for them to carry out assessments effectively; second, assessments were conducted in a labor exchange and recycling manner, reducing their effectiveness; third, there was a lack of feedback; and fourth, there were teachers' critical thinking without pedagogy. These are the main problems in assessing PE in elementary schools. As for future directions, this study proposes the need for diversifying current teachers' education geared towards enhancing their assessment literacy capability, for providing on-site guidance to build students' assessment literacy, and for evaluating the assessment procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Assessment of clinical competencies is one of the complicated and hard tasks in medical education Nowadays assessment of clinical performance is significantly patient centered and student centered Traditional methods consisted of faculties observations oral examinations and multiplechoice tests Increased faculties workload discontent with traditional methods of clinical skill assessment and developments in the fields of psychology and education have led to the formation of new modalities in performance assessment methods with special definition Clinical competency is defined as the ability to gather information from the patient by history taking and physical examination integrating this information in order to make a diagnosis selecting appropriate laboratory tests to confirm the diagnosis and efficient disease management At the present time several fields for future direction of performance assessment in medical education are suggested including: a) Evidencebased locally developed assessments b) Understanding educational outcomes and noncognitive assessment factors c) Increase in studentdriven aspect of assessments Attempting to introduce new and advanced medical students clinical performance assessment methods according to the world accredited centers this article analyzed three mentioned directions in field of clinical performance assessment Conclusion : Improvement of performance assessment in local or national level is a complex issue which needs time cooperation recourses and fundamental attempts However this is the price to pay if we believe that clinical competency can improve quality of patient care

Early identification and support of strugglers in medical education is generally recommended in the research literature, though very little evidence of the diagnostic qualities of early teacher judgments in medical education currently exists. The aim of this study was to examine the validity of early diagnosis of struggling in medical school based on informal teacher judgements of in-class behavior. The study design was a prospective cohort study and the outcomes/truth criteria were anatomy failure and medical school drop out. Six weeks into an anatomy course, student tutors attempted to identify medical students, who they reckoned would fail the anatomy course or drop out, based on their everyday experiences with students in a large group educational setting. In addition, they were asked to describe the indicators of struggling they observed. Sixteen student tutors evaluated 429 medical students for signs of struggling. By week six, the student tutors were able to detect approximately 1/4-1/3 of the students who eventually failed or dropped out, and for ¾ of the strugglers they identified, they were correct in their judgments. Informal student tutor's judgements showed incremental validity for both outcomes when controlling for grades obtained in preceeding exams. Lack of participation, lack of commitment, poor academic performance, poor social interactions and general signs of distress were the main indicators of struggling identified. Teachers' informal judgements of in-class behavior may be an untapped source of information in the early identification of struggling medical students with added value above and beyond formal testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]