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INTRODUCTION: We evaluated preliminary feasibility of a digital, culturally-informed approach to recruit and screen participants for the Alzheimers Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI4). METHODS: Participants were recruited using digital advertising and completed digital surveys (e.g., demographics, medical exclusion criteria, 12-item Everyday Cognition Scale [ECog-12]), Novoic Storyteller speech-based cognitive test). Completion rates and assessment performance were compared between underrepresented populations (URPs: individuals from ethnoculturally minoritized or low education backgrounds) and non-URPs. RESULTS: Of 3099 participants who provided contact information, 654 enrolled in the cohort, and 595 completed at least one assessment. Two hundred forty-seven participants were from URPs. Of those enrolled, 465 met ADNI4 inclusion criteria and 237 evidenced possible cognitive impairment from ECog-12 or Storyteller performance. URPs had lower ECog and Storyteller completion rates. Scores varied by ethnocultural group and educational level. DISCUSSION: Preliminary results demonstrate digital recruitment and screening assessment of an older diverse cohort, including those with possible cognitive impairment, are feasible. Improving engagement and achieving educational diversity are key challenges. HIGHLIGHTS: A total of 654 participants enrolled in a digital cohort to facilitate ADNI4 recruitment. Culturally-informed digital ads aided enrollment of underrepresented populations. From those enrolled, 42% were from underrepresented ethnocultural and educational groups. Digital screening tools indicate > 50% of participants likely cognitively impaired. Completion rates and assessment performance vary by ethnocultural group and education.

Prior research has revealed distinctive patterns of impaired language abilities across the three variants of Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA): nonfluent/agrammatic (nfvPPA), logopenic (lvPPA) and semantic (svPPA). However, little is known about whether, and to what extent, non-verbal cognitive abilities, such as processing speed, are impacted in PPA patients. This is because neuropsychological tests typically contain linguistic stimuli and require spoken output, being therefore sensitive to verbal deficits in aphasic patients. The aim of this study is to investigate potential differences in processing speed between PPA patients and healthy controls, and among the three PPA variants, using a brief non-verbal tablet-based task (Match) modeled after the WAIS-III digit symbol coding test, and to determine its neural correlates. Here, we compared performance on the Match task between PPA patients (n = 61) and healthy controls (n = 59) and across the three PPA variants. We correlated performance on Match with voxelwise gray and white matter volumes. We found that lvPPA and nfvPPA patients performed significantly worse on Match than healthy controls and svPPA patients. Worse performance on Match across PPA patients was associated with reduced gray matter volume in specific parts of the left middle frontal gyrus, superior parietal lobule, and precuneus, and reduced white matter volume in the left parietal lobe. To conclude, our behavioral findings reveal that processing speed is differentially impacted across the three PPA variants and provide support for the potential clinical utility of a tabled-based task (Match) to assess non-verbal cognition. In addition, our neuroimaging findings confirm the importance of a set of fronto-parietal regions that previous research has associated with processing speed and executive control. Finally, our behavioral and neuroimaging findings combined indicate that differences in processing speed are largely explained by the unequal distribution of atrophy in these fronto-parietal regions across the three PPA variants.

ObjectiveIdentify infants with abnormal suckling behavior from simple non-nutritive suckling devices.BackgroundWhile it is well known breastfeeding is beneficial to the health of both mothers and infants, breastfeeding ceases in 75 percent of mother-child dyads by 6 months. The current standard of care lacks objective measurements to screen infant suckling abnormalities within the first few days of life, a critical time to establish milk supply and successful breastfeeding practices.Materials and methodsA non-nutritive suckling vacuum measurement system, previously developed by the authors, is used to gather data from 91 healthy full-term infants under thirty days old. Non-nutritive suckling was recorded for a duration of sixty seconds. We establish normative data for the mean suck vacuum, maximum suck vacuum, suckling frequency, burst duration, sucks per burst, and vacuum signal shape. We then apply computational methods (Mahalanobis distance, KNN) to detect anomalies in the data to identify infants with abnormal suckling. We finally provide case studies of healthy newborn infants and infants diagnosed with ankyloglossia.ResultsIn a series of case evaluations, we demonstrate the ability to detect abnormal suckling behavior using statistical analysis and machine learning. We evaluate cases of ankyloglossia to determine how oral dysfunction and surgical interventions affect non-nutritive suckling measurements.ConclusionsStatistical analysis (Mahalanobis Distance) and machine learning [K nearest neighbor (KNN)] can be viable approaches to rapidly interpret infant suckling measurements. Particularly in practices using the digital suck assessment with a gloved finger, it can provide a more objective, early stage screening method to identify abnormal infant suckling vacuum. This approach for identifying those at risk for breastfeeding complications is crucial to complement complex emerging clinical evaluation technology.Clinical impactBy analyzing non-nutritive suckling using computational methods, we demonstrate the ability to detect abnormal and normal behavior in infant suckling that can inform breastfeeding intervention pathways in clinic.Clinical and Translational Impact Statement: The work serves to shed light on the lack of consensus for determining appropriate intervention pathways for infant oral dysfunction. We demonstrate using statistical analysis and machine learning that normal and abnormal infant suckling can be identified and used in determining if surgical intervention is a necessary solution to resolve infant feeding difficulties.

In the years following the COVID‐19 pandemic, online assessment has emerged as an increasingly popular method for testing children. This review aims to review key advantages and disadvantages of online assessment in young children, specifically in the area of literacy and mathematics assessment. We first consider the recent history of online assessment and give evidence from our own experiences with online assessments in both Cebu, Philippines and Hong Kong. We then discuss the benefits of conducting assessments online. One of the key strengths of online assessments is the efficient use of resources, such as ease of staff training, increased participation and decreased costs for both participants and researchers. Difficulties related to testing environment, parental interference and exclusion of certain populations are also highlighted as focal challenges that must be considered when designing and implementing online assessment. The reliability and validity of online assessments are then specifically discussed in relation to the question of how to best ensure that online measures function as intended, stressing the importance of establishing separate norms for the various administration modes. Notably, online assessments delivered via phone screen must have separate norms than those delivered on a computer screen, as device differences may account for differences in performance. Finally, we present broader considerations for designing online assessments with young children. This includes practical tips for pilot testing, user interface design, data confidentiality and automatic scoring, both to enhance the efficiency of future online assessments and increase participation. Specifically, online assessments for children must account for their developing attentional abilities, meaning assessments should be brief, engaging and contain clear task instructions. The implementation of these considerations will support the development of more reliable, valid and inclusive assessments which will allow researchers and practitioners to support equitable and feasible online testing moving forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digital age has brought great changes in many areas of life, including education. The main change is the use of mobile device systems such as smartphones or tablets that are practical to change the way assessments affect learning efficiency. This paper examines how mobile-based digital assessment systems can improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the assessment process in learning. This paper aims to provide educators with practical guidance for integrating technology into their assessment systems by utilizing available mobile smartphones or tablets and conducting an analysis of the benefits and challenges faced. This study also explores how to maximize the use of smartphones or tablets as a support tool in conducting assessments and can enrich the learning experience of students through faster and personalized feedback. Assist educators in managing assessments in a more structured and measurable way. In addition, recommendations for the effectiveness of smartphone use in supporting the assessment system are also included so that educators can achieve optimal results in the learning process. This study contributes to the educational literature by providing new perspectives on the application of technology and the use of mobile devices to assessment by presenting empirical evidence that supports the effectiveness of assessment application in improving the quality of education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractPurposeMethodsResultsConclusionsDigital assessments have rapidly permeated higher education, offering both advantages and challenges for learners and educators. However, prior research has made limited attempts to holistically summarize existing knowledge on the application of digital assessments in medical education through literature reviews. This paper presents a scoping review of previous studies on the application of digital assessments in medical education.The following databases were searched: PubMed, Embase (Ovid), Scopus, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Web of Science, in February of 2024. The inclusion criteria for the review were: (1) articles that investigated digital assessments in medical education, (2) presented original research, (3) were in English, and (4) were published from the year 2012 forward.Of the 1553 articles identified, we analyzed 89 articles from recognized digital databases. The review results provide a comprehensive understanding of prior research related to the use of digital assessments in medical education, including information on existing studies, attitudes, benefits, and challenges, as well as recommendations for the implementation of digital assessments in the field of medical education.This review reports the current literature surrounding digital assessment applications in medical education, highlighting predominantly positive perceptions and significant advantages. While challenges persist, the proposed recommendations offer guidance in how to navigate these issues towards future initiatives that facilitate its appropriate research and adoption and harness its capabilities to enrich the learning and assessment processes in medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital technologies are increasingly used in assessment. On the one hand, this use offers opportunities for teachers to practice assessment more effectively, and on the other hand, it brings challenges to the design of pedagogically sound and responsible digital assessment. There is a lack of validated instruments and models that explain, assess and support teachers' critical pedagogical practice of digital assessment. This explorative work first develops and validates a survey instrument to examine teachers' digital assessment practices. Secondly, we build a model to investigate to what extent teachers' pedagogical digital assessment knowledge is a foundation for the future of digital assessment (ie, authentic, accessible, automated, continuous and responsible). A total of 219 university teachers at a large European university participated in the survey study. Factor exploratory analysis and structural equation modelling were used to validate the reliability and validity of items and internal causal relations of factors. The results show the survey is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing teachers' digital assessment practice in higher education. Teachers' pedagogical knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge of digital assessment is critical, while teachers' technological pedagogical knowledge seems to have a more limited impact on the future of digital assessment.Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topicDigital technologies are increasingly used in assessment in higher education.Teachers are the key stakeholders in the assessment for learning.There is a limited transformative nature of digital assessment practices.What this paper addsA validated instrument to assess teachers' pedagogical practice of digital assessment in higher education.Teachers' pedagogical and pedagogical content knowledge of digital assessment is critical to the future of digital assessment.Teachers' technological pedagogical knowledge of digital assessment has a more limited impact on the future of digital assessment.Implications for practice and policyTeachers need to be supported in developing pedagogical digital assessment practices in higher education.Based on this study's outcomes, educators, institutions and policymakers can inform the design and implementation of effective and responsible digital assessment practices.The design and implementation of responsible digital assessments will enhance the quality of higher education in the digital age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digitalization has been a widely discussed topic in recent years, and it has entered various areas, including education. The issue of identifying and applying pedagogical aspects in digitalization has not been sufficiently discussed in the literature. This deficiency is particularly obvious in terms of assessment, an integral part of the education. Assessment is one of the most important aspects in managing education environments. The research data were obtained by combining two methods: ten pedagogical practices were examined that utilized various technologies in assessment already in use before the pandemic; data from the previous focus group discussions were reviewed regarding to pedagogical principles. A concept map was used in formulating the principles. Finally, the Delphi method with five experts from four counties was applied to obtain an expert view. As a result, five pedagogical principles of digital assessment were developed: (1) the clear purpose of the assessment and explicit criteria; (2) choice of adequate technology; (3) sufficient digital competence and technological equipment; (4) use of technological opportunities; (5) consistent analysis and use of assessment data. This is especially important given the need to demonstrate the appropriate and full use of technology. Those pedagogical principles contribute to a shared understanding between stakeholders in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Research indicates that people with Parkinson's disease (PwPs) may experience challenges in both peripheral and central auditory processing, although findings are inconsistent across studies. Due to the diversity of auditory measures used, there is a need for standardized, replicable hearing assessments to clarify which aspects of audition are impacted in PWPs and whether they are linked to motor and non-motor symptoms. Objective: To characterize auditory processes and their possible alteration in PwPs. To address this, we collected a comprehensive set of standardized measures of audition using PART, a digital testing platform designed to facilitate replication. Additionally, we examined the relationship between auditory, cognitive, and clinical variables in PwPs. Methods: We included 44 PwPs and 54 age and education matched healthy controls. Assessments included detection of diotic and dichotic frequency modulation, temporal gaps, spectro-temporal broad-band modulation, and speech-on-speech masking. Results: We found no statistically significant differences in auditory processing measures between PwPs and the comparison group (ps > 0.07). In PwPs, an auditory processing composite score showed significant medium size correlations with cognitive measures (0.39 < r<0.41, ps < 0.02) and clinical variables of motor symptom severity, quality of life, depression, and caretaker burden (0.33 < r<0.52, ps < 0.03). Conclusions: While larger datasets are needed to clarify whether PwPs experience more auditory difficulties than healthy controls, our results underscore the importance of considering auditory processing on the symptomatic spectrum of Parkinson's disease using standardized replicable methodologies. Plain Language Summary: It is unknown whether there exists a relationship between Parkinson's disease (PD) and hearing ability. While some studies have found hearing difficulties to be associated with PD, other studies failed to replicate these effects. We suggest that a possible reason for these differing findings are differences in how hearing is measured. To clarify the literature, we tested a group of people with Parkinson's (PwPs) on several aspects of hearing using a freely available tablet-based app. We compared PwPs hearing tests to those of an age and education matched group of people without PD. While we found no clear differences among the groups, we did find better hearing abilities were related to less motor symptom severity and depression, better reported quality of life, and less reported burden of the disease experienced by the caretaker. We conclude that while there is no solid evidence showing the hearing is necessarily impaired in PD, that measuring hearing in PwPs can provide valuable clinical information. This can inform new approaches to treatment for people living with PD such as those related with improving hearing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A challenge associated with driving vehicles can be navigating to destinations. While driving experience would seem beneficial for improving navigation skill, it remains unclear how driving experience relates to wayfinding ability. Using the mobile video game-based wayfinding task Sea Hero Quest, which is predictive of real-world navigation, we measured wayfinding ability in US-based participants (n = 694, mean age = 26.8 years). We also asked travel-related self-report questions, including those relating to driving experience. A multiple linear regression model found that those who started driving solo below aged 18 had significantly better wayfinding ability than those starting to drive solo aged 18 and above. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An assessment for learning approach is foundational for student learning. The necessity to shift teaching and learning online as a response to COVID-19 has propelled digital assessment into the mainstream within higher education institutions. User experience is a common indicator of effectiveness of technologically enhanced initiatives; however, measuring the pedagogical impact of digital assessment initiatives has not been straightforward. This paper presents a pedagogical evaluation, incorporating staff and student perspectives, of a digital assessment platform (DAP) at a large Australian metropolitan university. Data were collected using surveys, interviews, focus groups and case studies and incorporated findings from student evaluations of courses and a studentstaff partnership project. Results highlight strong pedagogical reasons for continuing the digital assessment initiative, while also identifying constraints and opportunities for improvement. The insights generated through this evaluation emphasise the importance of considering technical, pedagogical and contextual factors and the interplay between these factors. In a quality assurance climate, where the demand for this type of institution-wide evaluation is increasing, this study contributes an approach that addresses some of the complexities and challenges of evaluating digital assessment initiatives in higher education. Future research is needed to understand more fully the relationships between pedagogical and contextual factors when undertaking an evaluation. Implications for practice or policy: • The DAP enabled the (re)design of authentic, inclusive, engaging and secure assessment tasks. • Educator support is critical in learning the system and creating assessments with high pedagogical merit. • Student familiarisation opportunities with using the DAP are beneficial. • The DAP's longevity within the institution is crucial considering the significant effort required of educators and students. • Contextual influences blur understanding of pedagogical factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionExecutive functions (EFs) are linked to positive outcomes across the lifespan. Yet, methodological challenges have prevented precise understanding of the developmental trajectory of their organization.MethodsWe introduce novel methods to address challenges for both measuring and modeling EFs using an accelerated longitudinal design with a large, diverse sample of students in middle childhood (N = 1,286; ages 8 to 14). We used eight adaptive assessments hypothesized to measure three EFs, working memory, context monitoring, and interference resolution. We deployed adaptive assessments to equate EF challenge across ages and a data-driven, network analytic approach to reveal the evolving diversity of EFs while simultaneously accounting for their unity.Results and discussionUsing this methodological paradigm shift brought new precision and clarity to the development of these EFs, showing these eight tasks are organized into three stable components by age 10, but refinement of composition of these components continues through at least age 14.

Background: Huntington's disease (HD) is a rare progressive neurological disorder, and telemedicine has the potential to improve the quality of care for patients with HD. Deutetrabenazine (DTBZ) can reduce chorea symptoms in HD; however, there is limited experience with this medication in Asian countries. Methods: Retrospective and prospective studies were employed to explore the feasibility and reliability of a video-based telemedicine system for HD patient care. Reliability was demonstrated through consistency between selected-item scores (SIS) and total motor scores (TMS) and the agreement of scores obtained from hospital and home videos. Finally, a single-centre real-world DTBZ management study was conducted based on the telemedicine system to explore the efficacy of DTBZ in patients with HD. Results: There were 77 patients included in the retrospective study, and a strong correlation was found between SIS and TMS (r = 0.911, P < 0.0001), indicating good representativeness. There were 32 patients enrolled in the prospective study. The reliability was further confirmed, indicated by correlations between SIS and TMS (r = 0.964, P < 0.0001) and consistency of SIS derived from the in-person and virtual visits (r = 0.969, P < 0.0001). There were 17 patients included in the DTBZ study with a mean 1.41 (95% confidence interval, 0.37–2.46) improvement in chorea score and reported treatment success. Conclusions: A video-based telemedicine system is a feasible and reliable option for HD patient care. It may also be used for drug management as a supplementary tool for clinical visits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of computerized devices for neuropsychological assessment (CNADs) as an effective alternative to the traditional pencil-and-paper modality has recently increased exponentially, both in clinical practice and research, especially due to the pandemic. However, several authors underline that the computerized modality requires the same psychometric validity as "in-presence" tests. The current study aimed at building and validating a computerized version of the verbal and non-verbal recognition memory test (RMT) for words, unknown faces and buildings. Methods: Seventy-two healthy Italian participants, with medium–high education and ability to proficiently use computerized systems, were enrolled. The sample was subdivided into six groups, one for each age decade. Twelve neurological patients with mixed aetiology, age and educational level were also recruited. Both the computerized and the paper-and-pencil versions of the RMT were administered in two separate sessions. Results: In healthy participants, the computerized and the paper-and-pencil versions of the RMT showed statistical equivalence for words, unknown faces and buildings. In the neurological patients, no statistical difference was found between the performance at the two versions of the RMT. A moderate-to-good inter-rater reliability between the two versions was also found in both samples. Finally, the computerized version of the RMT was perceived as acceptable by both healthy participants and neurological patients at System Usability Scale (SUS). Conclusion: The computerized version of the RMT can be used as a reliable alternative to the traditional version. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covid-19 significantly contributed to increasing use of online assessment in education, including physical education. Teachers still need online assessments in face-to-face learning because they help them improve a practical, objective, and credible assessment process for students' learning performance. This research aimed at tracking the publication trends of OA in PE in four years, 2019-2023, from the Scopus database. The investigation began on October 11, 2023, using the title, abstract, and keywords of "online AND assessment AND in AND physical AND education," and the researchers succeeded in collecting 985 documents (articles = 82.74%, conference papers = 8.83%, reviews = 6.19%, book chapters = 1.32%, and conference reviews = 0.91%). The publication trend metrics were highest in 2021 with 277 articles (28.12%) and began to decline by 0.10% in 2022 (to 28.02%) and 9.04% in 2023 (to 18.98). Over the four years 2019-2023, there were 2698 citations from 277 documents (average citations per document = 9.74). VOSviewer analysis proves that the title words "online assessment" and "physical education" have a small item load, so the visualisation was not visible in the VOS viewer output. Apart from that, the two title words also did not have a connection. This means that this study proved the results of online assessment investigation in physical education still has potential for future research. Future research can explore and project the various needs for developing OA in PE to help teachers organise effective, efficient and credible assessment activities.

This study examines how authentic assessment could nurture students’ epistemic agency: their sense of agency in using, evaluating and producing knowledge. Authentic assessment commonly emphasises ‘realism’ and ‘employability skills’. As important as these ideas are, this approach to authentic assessment neglects the key academic value of knowledge, a gap we address by adding epistemology into the conversation. Our qualitative case study explores an archaeology course whose authentic assessment design relied heavily on digital technologies. We empirically analyse students’ sense of epistemic agency after articulating the affordances of the course’s authentic assessment design. Our findings show that digitally-mediated authentic assessment promoted students’ relationship with knowledge in three ways. Students understood themselves as (i) active learners, (ii) active users of knowledge and (iii) epistemic agents who contributed to public archaeological knowledge. We reframe authentic assessment as a catalyst for students’ epistemic agency, enabling students to contribute to social good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic, and the subsequent lockdown, had a significant and disproportionate impact on subjects that required the development of clinical technical skills due to the lack of access to simulation classrooms and patients. To directly address this impact, we developed a conceptual framework for the design and implementation of a progressive simulation approach from the perspective of a teacher. This conceptual framework integrates and draws from key theories of simulation design, curriculum integration, learner motivation, and considerations of the facets of good assessment, including modern approach validity. We used the conceptual framework to inform and develop a progressive simulation design to support the development of essential intra-oral suturing skills outside of the classroom, at home, while still being able to provide external feedback as if learners were in the classroom or clinic. Moreover, the approach described significantly extended the available opportunities for deliberate practice, assisting with the automation of essential skills and aiming to better support learner development during face-to-face patient opportunities. Although further work is needed, we believe that our conceptual framework could be applied to any situation where progressive simulation is seen as beneficial, especially if there are elements of key skills that could initially be developed using a simple take-home simulator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As we enter a new age of technological innovation and subsequent educational instrumentation change, there is increasing demand for innovative methods that encourage student learning experiences in virtual, online spaces. ePortfolios and e-book projects are designed and owned by students and are centered within the student's learning. They provide a structured, online space for students to learn new technological skills while intentionally integrating it with their learning experience. We have utilized the content creation platform Pressbooks for our student learners to develop and create their "e-Book of One's Own" (eBoOO). A simplified derivation of the "Domain of One's Own" (DoOO) philosophy, our intention with eBoOO was to address the high bar for digital literacy required to get started while staying true to the embodied ideology of Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the European Commission's Digital Education Action Plan (2021–2027) and the DigCompEdu framework, our research focuses on the competence area of teachers' assessment practices and needs. We designed a 24-item online questionnaire for Romanian higher education teachers who are using digital technologies for assessing students' learning, learning outcomes and practical skills. The present paper analyzes how the 60 respondents from Romanian universities evaluate their own digital competence and how they are using digital assessment, but also what training needs they have in these regards. This study, carried out in May–June 2022, therefore attempts to identify the main concerns, challenges and obstacles higher education teachers encounter when designing and using digital assessment. Our findings indicate the importance of empowering teachers through continuous learning, embracing flexible hybrid models and reimagining assessment strategies for digital literacy. The ANOVA analysis reveals variations among three groups categorized by self-reported digital competencies in their utilization of digital tools. Responsible knowledge-sharing, AI literacy and adaptive curriculum design emerged as critical imperatives. Our study advocates for a transformative shift towards AI-based pedagogy, emphasizing personalized learning that aligns with teachers' competencies and specific assessment needs while adhering to fundamental teaching principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eating disorders (EDs) are characterized by multifaceted etiologies, difficulties in accessing care (especially in regional locations), and variable responsiveness to treatments. Digital technologies are viewed as an important innovation in the assessment and treatment of EDs. We discuss current implementation of these innovations as well as important future directions for the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digitalization has been a widely discussed topic in recent years, and it has entered various areas, including education. The issue of identifying and applying pedagogical aspects in digitalization has not been sufficiently discussed in the literature. This deficiency is particularly obvious in terms of assessment, an integral part of the education. Assessment is one of the most important aspects in managing education environments. The research data were obtained by combining two methods: ten pedagogical practices were examined that utilized various technologies in assessment already in use before the pandemic; data from the previous focus group discussions were reviewed regarding to pedagogical principles. A concept map was used in formulating the principles. Finally, the Delphi method with five experts from four counties was applied to obtain an expert view. As a result, five pedagogical principles of digital assessment were developed: (1) the clear purpose of the assessment and explicit criteria; (2) choice of adequate technology; (3) sufficient digital competence and technological equipment; (4) use of technological opportunities; (5) consistent analysis and use of assessment data. This is especially important given the need to demonstrate the appropriate and full use of technology. Those pedagogical principles contribute to a shared understanding between stakeholders in education.

This study aims to test the level of validity of Digital Assessment based Moodle as an assessment instrument to measure scientific literacy skills possessed by SMP/MTs students, especially on environmental pollution material. This method of research was development research with a 4D model consisting of a defining stage (Define), planning level (Design), development stage (Develop), and spread level Disseminate. At the development stage or development validation was carried out Digital Assessment based Moodle by expert validators consisting of 2 Lecturers in Science Education Master’s Degree at the University of Jember and 3 Science Teachers from SMPN 1 Jember, SMPN 2 Jember and SMPN 1 Probolinggo. The data analysis technique used was descriptive analysis and percentage calculation of validation results. The validation results in Digital Assessment-based Moodle obtained an average of 94.1% with a very valid category so that Digital Assessment-based Moodle met the quality and could be applied to students of class VII SMP SMP/MTs to measure students' scientific literacy skills, especially on environmental pollution material.

The concept of digital education has produced an unnoticeable impact on the teaching of Civics courses in colleges and universities. The study starts from the digital transformation of the curriculum ideological and political education in college courses to analyze and explore, based on the Internet of Things (IoT) technology to collect data from students’ campus card data, combined with the improved K-means clustering algorithm and correlation matrix, to establish a digital assessment model of curriculum ideological and political education based on the correlation matrix. The model’s data mining performance is evaluated through simulation tests. Then, students of a higher vocational college are selected as the research object, and the model is used to realize the construction of student portraits and the cluster analysis of student behavior and to mine the association rules between student behavior and the effect of curriculum ideological and political education. The data fluctuation range of this paper’s method is small and stable, within 0.35~0.50, with better data analysis performance. The model categorizes the sample students into 6 types of consumption regularity behaviors, 8 types of life regularity behaviors and 5 types of study effort level behaviors, and obtains 9 association rules between students’ behaviors and the effectiveness of Civic and Political teaching. The digital evaluation of curriculum ideological and political education can be effectively achieved using the campus card data mining model based on matrix association, as evidenced by the empirical analysis.

The current investigation reflects on the insufficient performance of students in virtual exams in the era of transformation of the physical mode of education to digital one due to the passive adaptation to the technical drive of the virtual environment, the tenuous command of platform's technical language, especially in mathematics and physics exams, and the anxiety of coping with superfluous difficulties of a non-traditional exam framework. R programming and data visualization approach have been employed to highlight the seriousness of these problems and their role in causing a plausible decline in students' exam outcome. This study also features some crucial developments that could be undertaken to battle these issues and to enhance the virtual exam performance in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of population aging, the growing problem of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) poses a great challenge to mankind. Although there has been considerable progress in exploring the etiology of AD, i.e., the important role of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the progression of AD has been widely accepted by the scientific community, traditional treatment and monitoring modalities have significant limitations. Therefore novel evaluation and treatment modalities for Alzheimer’s disease are called for emergence. In this research, we sought to review the effectiveness of digital treatment based on monitoring using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and electroencephalography (EEG). This work searched four electronic databases using a keyword approach and focused on journals focusing on AD and geriatric cognition. Finally, 21 articles were included. The progress of digital therapy and outcome monitoring in AD was reviewed, including digital therapy approaches on different platforms and different neuromonitoring techniques. Because biomarkers such as theta coherence, alpha and beta rhythms, and oxyhemoglobin are effective in monitoring the cognitive level of AD patients, and thus the efficacy of digital therapies, this review particularly focuses on the biomarker validation results of digital therapies. The results show that digital treatment based on biomarker monitoring has good effectiveness. And the effectiveness is reflected in the numerical changes of biomarker indicators monitored by EEG and fNIRS before and after digital treatment. Increases or decreases in the values of these indicators collectively point to improvements in cognitive function (mostly moderate to large effect sizes). The study is the first to examine the state of digital therapy in AD from the perspective of multimodal monitoring, which broadens the research perspective on the effectiveness of AD and gives clinical therapists a “reference list” of treatment options. They can select a specific protocol from this “reference list” in order to tailor digital therapy to the needs of individual patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educators across different fields disseminate their knowledge and utilize digital technologies to improve student skills for their careers and sustainability. Students' skills that are improved are verified based on assessment and knowledge application over different circumstances. The article investigates the impact of the effective educator's knowledge assessment and their role in student skill development. The motivation for the research arises from the realization that teachers' knowledge and their capacity for transferring skills and information to students successfully play a significant role in the quality of education. The goal of the study is to develop a GA2M that has been verified and can be used by educators to improve their performance, enhance student's results, and eventually progress educational practices to use Fuzzy methods for reasoning and to include new rules for improving knowledge to bridge the knowledge gap between educators and students' skill growth. It requires a great effect by the educator to enhance their ability over successive performance improvement. This article analyzes the ability for better improvement using the proposed Guided Ability Assessment Model (GA2M). The proposed model discards the negative impact of the ability on students' skill deterioration. Besides, the ratio of skill improvement across various new abilities and exposures is analyzed using Fuzzy inference. This analysis frames the interference using knowledge rules required for different circumstances. These rules are framed using existing skill implications and problem-solving ability. This proposed model proposes new rules for development of various abilities of educators. Based on their current ability, further training process for the educator's skill development is prescribed. Therefore, the inference for fuzzification is performed for the positive impact on students' skill development. If the inference succeeds, the assessment is leveraged between skill guidance and ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Library and Information Science (LIS) education is very different now from how we used to know it. Currently, reassessing student assessment has been at the heart of several experiments to do away with over-emphasis on retention, reproduction, and memorization. This article highlights both sides of the debate--traditional versus e-assessments--and answers critical questions about the controversial topic. The research draws on a viewpoint approach with dependence on the author's opinion and interpretation of the literature review in the pro-con discussion where both sides of a controversial traditional versus digital assessment topic are presented. We should not shy away from confronting uncomfortable truths. Assessment involves humanizing, power negotiation, empowerment, entitlement, persuasion, substitution, and student care. We require a multifaceted effort to seize the moment of COVID-19 to improve assessment by blending traditional and electronic forms. The originality is the enrichment and domestication of LIS education in a more nuanced discussion and evaluation of changes in student assessment brought on by the shift to online education during the pandemic. The conclusion indicates the need to meld traditional and innovative modes of assessment, which should be an ongoing part of any successful educational program modeled on context-specific needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: During COVID-19, a fully digital course was established for teaching and assessing the psychomotor skills of clinical head and neck examination. Influence of different digital teaching formats was investigated. Methods: The students (n = 286) received disposable instruments, a manual, and instructional videos for the examination. 221 students additionally received 45 min of interactive teleteaching. After 5 days of practice, all students were required to submit a video of their examination and report their spent practice time. The assessment was carried out using a checklist which was already established in presence teaching. Results: The average score achieved by digital teaching was 86%. Previously published data show that presence teaching achieved 94%. With a teleteaching unit the total score was significantly better than without (87% vs 83%). Teleteaching leads to a significant positive correlation between practice time and total score. Without teleteaching there is a negative correlation. After the same practice time, presence teaching leads to better total scores than digital teaching. Conclusion: Digital teaching and assessing of a complex psychomotor skill is possible. Interactive teaching methods increase learning success. Nevertheless, presence teaching seems to be better at teaching these skills. The results can provide a basis for developing hybrid teaching models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theoretical foundation of the research problem highlights both a series of choices and priorities of university trainers regarding the adoption of authentic assessing strategies enriched in the virtual environment, as well as certain limits, difficulties and costs entailed by computerized testing, some applications and electronic platforms, testing of new face-to-face assessment tools etc. The aim of the research was to identify those assessing strategies used by university trainers in the virtual environment, which have proven their effectiveness in the online assessment of students and which have been maintained and enriched to be applied in hybrid university training alongside other modern assessment techniques and tools. The research questions that guided the entire study were: What evaluative strategies did university trainers adopt in the virtual environment? What were the most effective assessment strategies adopted according to the specifics of the discipline, assessment objectives and competencies? How were hybrid assessment practices optimized by adopting the new distance assessment strategies? What preferences did students have in hybrid assessment? What advantages and disadvantages are highlighted in adopting such assessment practices? The research methodology brought together qualitative and quantitative research methods, techniques and tools. Main findings describe the particularities of the assessment at the end of the hybrid trainings, the specifics of the design of synchronous and asynchronous student evaluation tasks, the customization of assessment platforms used in electronic evaluation, the adoption of new assessment methods and the improvement of face-to-face assessment techniques and tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the prevalence of artificial intelligence technologies, big data has been utilized to higher extent in many cross-domain fields. This paper concentrates on the digital assessment of vocational education level in some specific areas, and proposes a graph neural network-based assessment model for this purpose. Assume that all vocational colleges inside a specific region are with a social graph, in which each college is a node and the relations among them are the edges. The graph neural network (GNN) model is formulated to capture global structured features of all the nodes together. The GNN is then employed for the sequential modeling pattern, and the evolving characteristics of all the colleges can be captured. Some experiments are also conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed GNN-VEL. It is compared with two typical forecasting methods under evaluation of two metrics. The results show that it performs better than other two methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to reveal the views of special education teachers on digital assessment tools. The researcher collected data from 38 special education teachers through focus group interviews. The opinions were coded under two main themes: challenges and opportunities. Under the main theme of challenges, there are sub-themes of knowledge and skills, curriculum, time, integration, collaboration, management and cost. Under the main theme of opportunities, there are sub-themes of virtual classroom, digital bag, new collaborations, paperless classroom, diversity of approaches, individualized exams, active learning and feedback. The themes are discussed within the scope of instructional technologies, current literature on special education and recommendations are included.

Scientific research on the prospects for the development of education and science in Ukraine in the context of European integration and information transformation is considered at almost every scientific conference and is present in government decisions of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. However, there are still many unsolved questions (and often debatable) about the prospects for recognizing economics specialties in the new system of adaptation to the International Standard for the Classification of Education, which requires detailed revision. Simultaneously, given the positive trends in the development of the digital economy in Ukraine, we believe that it is worth exploring the possibility of developing a methodological approach to the digital assessment of a scientist. The article considers the analysis of economics specialties that were enshrined in the system of higher education in Ukraine before 2015 and further on, taking into account adaptation to international standards. However, blind copying of foreign standards has buried alive the economic science itself, which was based on marketing, accounting and auditing, and finance. Therefore, the publication presents a graphical model of the relationship between economics specialties through the analysis of the fundamental understanding of its individual directions. It is also emphasized that it is necessary to enshrine in the economic science the specialty «Management (by kinds of economic activity)» at the master’s and doctoral levels of higher education. This can be justified by the fact that not all specialists in a particular sector of the economy (educators, employees of health care institutions, etc.), although they are professionals in their field, due to the lack of knowledge in various disciplines of management and economics, can be efficient managers. Management is one of the directions of economic science, the subject of study of which is the search for methods of rational organization of the production system on the basis of marketing, financial and accounting support for the creation and realization of consumer value and obtaining the planned profit. The number of higher education institutions in each region allows creating new and improving traditional educational programs directly for the specific features of regional business. Thus, further research should be aimed at studying individual educational programs of economic specialties in the regions of Ukraine in order to form a national strategy for the development of higher education for subsequent years. Regarding the development of scientific research in the context of the formation of a digital society, we propose to create a web platform for assessing the scientific activities of scientists based on the results of conferences, seminars or forums on the basis of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (MES) in cooperation with other educational and scientific organizations. The algorithm of actions should be as follows: an educational and scientific organization coordinates with the MES the relevant scheduled conference; a scientific platform is created on the website of the MES, where interested conference participants register personal pages and which are open to other registered participants; the latter send materials to the educational and scientific organization holding the conference; the educational and scientific organization forms a scientific manual in electronic format, each article of which is displayed simultaneously on the personal page of the conference participant; in the future, each registered participant may, if desired, express his own scientifically based comment and rate for this material (0–100 points). Therefore, further scientific research should be aimed at determining the classification criteria in establishing points for scientific material in accordance with the assessment «Excellent, can be implemented (90–100 points)» to «Unsatisfactory, requires significant revision (up to 50 points)».

Background: Employment deterioration is common in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Clinicians often learn of job loss after its occurrence, leaving no opportunity for preventive measures. Objectives: Identify which neuropsychological measures discriminate between healthy volunteers (HVs) and employed/disabled PwMS at baseline and predict work deterioration over 2 years. Methods: We examined 198 PwMS with computerized tests such as the Processing Speed Test (PST) and conventional tests such as the Symbol-Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), administered at baseline. Employment was assessed via Buffalo Vocational Monitoring Survey. Univariate and regression analyses identified significant predictors of PwMS categorized as work-stable versus work-deteriorated status. Results: PwMS were impaired on all baseline assessments relative to HVs (p 's < 0.001). Post hoc analyses showed that employed PwMS and HVs performed similarly and better than work-disabled PwMS. At the univariate level, both PST and SDMT discriminated between work-deteriorated and work-stable PwMS (p 's < 0.01). The logistic regression model accounting for all measures retained PST and the computerized Walking Speed Test. PwMS with increased negative work events had lower PST (p < 0.001), SDMT (p < 0.001), and BVMT- R (p < 0.01) scores than stable PwMS. The related regression model retained PST and BVMT- R (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Cognition, as measured by the PST and BVMT-R, are predictive of job deterioration in PwMS and may be a useful screening tool to identify those at high risk of unemployment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]