Monitoring Student Performance Through an Agile Project Based Assessment Strategy for Distance Higher Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 0-0
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Student Assessment ◽  
Public University ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Agile Methodology ◽  
Agile Methodologies ◽  
Agile Approach ◽  
Assessment Procedures ◽  
Education Courses

This article presents an observational qualitative study regarding the use of agile methodologies in implementing project-based student assessment procedures in higher education courses. The study comprised 32 students enrolled in an online Biology class in a public university in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Students underwent two types of activities: first using traditional project-based learning; second using an agile approach based on the EduScum methodology. Results demonstrated that the agile methodology enforced student engagement, especially collaboration aspects. Interactions between students and teachers became more acute and straightforward. Moreover, it became easier for teachers to monitor students' performance throughout the course. This, this study provides highlights to enable schools to improve students' assessment procedures in distance education courses

scholarly journals Análise dos Resultados do Exame Nacional de Desempenho de Estudantes (Enade) para Educação a Distância do ciclo 2015 a 2017

EAD em FOCO ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Eduardo Bielschowsky
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Distance Education ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Performance Test ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Strong Increase ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Supervision Process ◽  
Quality In Education ◽  
Education Courses

Em 2017 completamos um primeiro ciclo de três anos do Exame Nacional de Desempenho de Estudantes (Enade), o que envolve todas as carreiras, com 175.543 alunos participantes de 877 cursos de Educação a Distância (EaD), pertencendo a um total de 144 diferentes instituições de Ensino Superior.Observou-se forte crescimento do número de polos entre 2016 e 2017, tendência que provavelmente irá se sustentar em 2018. Alguns fatos foram especialmente notórios: o baixo crescimento das matrículas nas universidades públicas, quando comparado ao crescimento nas instituições de Ensino Superior (IES) privadas; grande concentração de matrículas (56,2%) em apenas cinco das 257 IES públicas e privadas que oferecem Ensino Superior a distância. Observou-se bom desempenho geral das IES que oferecem (EaD), mas baixo desempenho percentual dos alunos, advindos da concentração de alunos em poucas IES com baixo desempenho no Enade. Ao final deste trabalho, relacionamos os principais problemas identificados pela ausência do processo de supervisão dos cursos de EaD, incluindo a necessidade de uma medida mais adequada para avaliar o seu desempenho, e advogamos outras ações urgentes para sanear as distorções encontradas nesta modalidade.Palavras-chave: Educação superior a distância, Qualidade na educação, Avaliação educacional, Enade, CPC, CGC.  Analysis of the Results of the National Exam for the Performance of Students for Distance Education from the 2015 to 2017 CycleAbstractIn 2017 we completed a first cycle of three years of National Student Performance Test (Enade), which involves all careers, with 175,543 participating students in 877 Distance Education courses, belonging to a total of 144 different institutions of Higher Education . There was a strong increase in the number of poles between 2016 and 2017, a trend that is likely to be sustained in 2018. Some facts were especially noteworthy: low enrollment growth in public universities,when compared to growth in higher education institutions (HEI) private partnerships; (56.2%) in only five of the 257 public and private HEIs offering Distance Higher Education. A good general performance of HEIs offered (EaD) was observed, but low percentage performance of students, due to the concentration of students in a few HEIs with poor performance in Enade.At the end of this paper, we relate the main problems identified by the absence of the supervision process of the EAD courses, including the need for a more adequate measure to evaluate their performance, and advocate other urgent actions to remedy the distortions found in this modality. Keywords: Higher distance Education, Quality in education,Educational evaluation, Enade, CPC, CGC.

Student-Centered Assessment Practices

2021 ◽  
pp. 213-243
Author(s):  
Sandra Fernandes ◽  
Anabela Carvalho Alves ◽  
André Uebe-Mansur
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Assessment Practices ◽  
Learning Approach ◽  
Process Assessment ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
Assessment Procedures

This chapter aims to describe the assessment practices used in a PBL (project-based learning) approach, adopting an integrated view, where teaching, learning, and assessment are student-centered. It explores the assessment methods, moments and participants in the teaching and learning process. Assessment procedures, criteria, and tasks will be carefully presented, as well as the benefits and constraints which they entail. Based on the significant and consolidated experience acquired with the implementation of PBL, since the year 2005, in this context, along with the scientific research produced to continuously evaluate and improve this learning approach, authors will present guidelines for the successful implementation of student-centered assessment practices in the context of PBL approaches in higher education.

scholarly journals Library data labs: using an agile approach to develop library analytics in UK higher education

2018 ◽  
Vol 119 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 5-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siobhán Burke ◽  
Ross MacIntyre ◽  
Graham Stone
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
Student Survey ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Agile Methodology ◽  
Education Statistics ◽  
Agile Approach ◽  
Uk Higher Education

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of the Jisc and Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Library Data Labs project and its outputs. This collaboration involved bringing together cross-institutional library teams to produce proof of concept data-visualised dashboards using library analytics data that could be made available to others via the Heidi Plus service. Design/methodology/approach The teams used an agile approach, which adapted the agile methodology for non-technical and disparate team members. The key agile elements were followed, including the Scrum approach, whereby teams had a product owner, several development team members, a data wrangler and a scrum master. Many of the dashboards took inspiration from some of the earlier Jisc work on library analytics. Findings A wide variety of proof of concept dashboards were created addressing a range of library issues. These fell into two main categories for the cross-institutional teams, namely, comparing the Society of College, National and University Libraries (SCONUL) annual statistics results against the National Student Survey (NSS) data and collection management and analysis. Research limitations/implications Some of the HESA data were potentially sensitive. In effect, this created a walled garden as some of the data were not designed for sharing. Furthermore, the data that the Jisc team used were restricted by publisher agreements, meaning that specific institutions’ usage could not be identified to others. Originality/value The paper provides insight into the Library Data Labs project and discusses a number of implications from the outcomes of the project. These are now being investigated by HESA, Jisc and individual institutions.

scholarly journals Rapid Digital Transformation Using Agile Methodologies for Software Development Projects

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 54-64
Author(s):  
Kausar Parveen
Keyword(s):  
Software Development ◽  
Critical Issue ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Application Development ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Agile Methodology ◽  
Agile Methodologies ◽  
Agile Approach

Now a day’s all organizations are moving towards digitalization. These consequences of the use of digital technologies made organizations seek for best and fast digital solutions. All software developer companies are also trying to draw consumer's attention by offering prompt services. In this regard, the critical issue in information technology and other areas of computation is how software can be created easily and rapidly for complex businesses. In this context, the main aim of the research is to show the agile methodology role in the rapid digital transformation. In this paper, we have surveyed different agile methodologies and tools for rapid software development and introduced an agile management tool having a backlog. We identified the key practices of agile methods and after a survey, it is suggested that the agile approach can help to achieve a balance between the applications generated by developers on customer demand. This paper illuminates and translates agile methodologies into agile project management tools for simple and rapid application development. Empirical research based on a case study is provided for better understanding and showing the importance of agility in software development

scholarly journals Improving the Performance of Student Teams in Project-Based Learning with Scrum

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 444
Author(s):  
Sandra Fernandes ◽  
José Dinis-Carvalho ◽  
Ana Teresa Ferreira-Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Performance Monitoring ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Task Assignment ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Student Teams ◽  
The University ◽  
Different Characteristics

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effectiveness of Scrum for project and team management in PBL teams in higher education. To attain this goal, a study was carried out to analyze students’ perceptions about Scrum as an effective method for PBL teams. Based on two different editions of PBL that used the Scrum method with different characteristics in each approach, this paper aims to identify the best practices for effective team and project management and draw recommendations for successful use of scrum in PBL approaches. The authors used an exploratory case study carried out within an engineering program at the University of Minho, Portugal. The research design was based on an explorative quantitative and qualitative approach. Implementing Scrum in PBL teams helps students to keep the project running smoothly and draws greater awareness on how to manage the project and teams in a more effective way. Findings show that task assignment, performance monitoring, visual management and regular feedback were considered the main advantages of using Scrum in PBL teams, which had a positive impact on student performance. However, for the success of Scrum, students recognize the role of the Scrum Master and Project Owner as vital to guide the teams in a sustainable way. Research on the application of Scrum in Education is scarce and mostly exploratory. This paper is among the very few empirical studies consolidating knowledge on the implementation of Scrum approaches to improve learning in higher education. More specifically, it brings a valuable contribution on how to improve specifically team performance in PBL teams with the use of agile approaches such as Scrum.

Social-Scientific Research Competency

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 737-750 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Gess ◽  
Christoph Geiger ◽  
Matthias Ziegler
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Research Performance ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Research Education ◽  
Crystallized Intelligence ◽  
Research Competency ◽  
Social Scientific Research ◽  
Social Scientific ◽  
Education Courses

Abstract. Although the development of research competency is an important goal of higher education in social sciences, instruments to measure this outcome often depend on the students’ self-ratings. To provide empirical evidence for the utility of a newly developed instrument for the objective measurement of social-scientific research competency, two validation studies across two independent samples were conducted. Study 1 ( n = 675) provided evidence for unidimensionality, expected differences in test scores between differently advanced groups of students as well as incremental validities over and above self-perceived research self-efficacy. In Study 2 ( n = 82) it was demonstrated that the competency measured indeed is social-scientific and relations to facets of fluid and crystallized intelligence were analyzed. Overall, the results indicate that the test scores reflected a trainable, social-scientific, knowledge-related construct relevant to research performance. These are promising results for the application of the instrument in the evaluation of research education courses in higher education.

How (Not) to Lead Academia

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Abambres
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Student Assessment ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Academic Leadership ◽  
Academic Department ◽  
Higher Education Institution ◽  
Role Assignment ◽  
Professional Career

This work reports several issues found by the author throughout his professional career, concerning academic leadership. Topics like (i) out-of-field teaching/researching, and (ii) time management in faculty hiring or new role assignment, are addressed. Besides, the author describes which fundamental decisions he´d take if he could manage a higher education institution or academic department. The topics covered are crucial for the success of any higher education institution, such as (a) hiring, (b) social engagement, (c) student assessment, (d) open mindedness, (e) prompt communication, (f) passion in work, and (g) freedom / trust.

The Influence of the Established Links between University Courses on the Quality of Teaching

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 35-48
Author(s):  
Jiří Rybička ◽  
Petra Čačková
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Empirical Study ◽  
The Other ◽  
Coherent System ◽  
University Courses ◽  
Quality Of Teaching ◽  
Education Courses ◽  
Initial Knowledge

One of the tools to determine the recommended order of the courses to be taught is to set the prerequisites, that is, the conditions that have to be fulfilled before commencing the study of the course. The recommended sequence of courses is to follow logical links between their logical units, as the basic aim is to provide students with a coherent system according to the Comenius' principle of continuity. Declared continuity may, on the other hand, create organizational complications when passing through the study, as failure to complete one course may result in a whole sequence of forced deviations from the recommended curriculum and ultimately in the extension of the study period. This empirical study deals with the quantitative evaluation of the influence of the level of initial knowledge given by the previous study on the overall results in a certain follow-up course. In this evaluation, data were obtained that may slightly change the approach to determining prerequisites for higher education courses.

scholarly journals Multi-Class Assessment Based on Random Forests

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 92
Author(s):  
Mehdi Berriri ◽  
Sofiane Djema ◽  
Gaëtan Rey ◽  
Christel Dartigues-Pallez
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Machine Learning ◽  
Random Forests ◽  
Learning Algorithm ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Machine Learning Algorithm ◽  
Process Data ◽  
Training Courses ◽  
Education Courses

Today, many students are moving towards higher education courses that do not suit them and end up failing. The purpose of this study is to help provide counselors with better knowledge so that they can offer future students courses corresponding to their profile. The second objective is to allow the teaching staff to propose training courses adapted to students by anticipating their possible difficulties. This is possible thanks to a machine learning algorithm called Random Forest, allowing for the classification of the students depending on their results. We had to process data, generate models using our algorithm, and cross the results obtained to have a better final prediction. We tested our method on different use cases, from two classes to five classes. These sets of classes represent the different intervals with an average ranging from 0 to 20. Thus, an accuracy of 75% was achieved with a set of five classes and up to 85% for sets of two and three classes.

scholarly journals Effects of Socio-Academic Intervention on Student Performance in Vulnerable Groups

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 7673
Author(s):  
Tarquino Sánchez-Almeida ◽  
David Naranjo ◽  
Raquel Gilar-Corbi ◽  
Jessica Reina
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Academic Intervention ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
University System ◽  
Higher Education System ◽  
Economic Support ◽  
Support Mechanisms ◽  
The University

In Ecuador, affirmative action policies enable students from vulnerable groups to preferentially enter universities. However, these policies are limited to admission and do not include academic or socio-economic support mechanisms that, according to the literature, promote student insertion in the higher education system. In this study, the effects of socio-academic intervention on the academic performance of vulnerable students are presented. For this, 41 students were selected among 164 vulnerable students entering the Escuela Politécnica Nacional in the second term of 2019. The 41 students attended a socio-academic intervention course for one term, while the remaining 123 attended the Escuela Politécnica Nacional levelling course directly. Once both groups of students finished the levelling course, their performance in each of the course subjects was compared. The results showed that the academic performance of the students in the intervention was significantly higher in mathematics and geometry compared to the students who had no intervention. These results show that the socio-academic intervention promotes the real insertion of vulnerable students in the university system.

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