The Future of Transversal Competencies in Higher Education Assessment

This chapter evaluates the rising significance of transversal competencies and the implications for higher education assessment practices. Transversal competencies are expected to play a definitive role in future of work scenarios. This chapter evaluates the decisions and impacts surrounding the integration of transversal competencies into higher education assessments. In particular, the chapter explores the commitments and adjustments that higher education leaders must make to build the competence assessment infrastructure and supports required. The guiding role ‘student-centred learning' pedagogies can play is discussed. Relatedly, early-stage competence frameworks are offered as insight into how student-centred learning can deliver novel, active, reflective assessments that embrace competence diversity and target meaningful development. Finally, a roadmap is offered for higher education leaders to guide them in this challenging but pertinent transformation of university teaching and learning.

Redesigning Deficit-Laden Assessments for Neurodivergent Students

In this chapter, the authors deconstruct the deficit views inherent in special education assessment wherein marginalized, neurodivergent students receive stigmatizing labels and are often deprived of opportunities for quality instruction. The authors examine how eligibility criteria based on deficit views of disability are culturally biased and scientifically invalid. Then, the deficit perspective of Individualized Education Programs are analyzed to demonstrate how neurodivergent students and their families are isolated and objectified through this legal process. Lastly, as an alternative to the current assessment system, universally designed assessment is recommended to provide more accessible and flexible platforms for demonstrating students' knowledge and skills and to restore the lost connection between assessments and daily instruction.

Course Model Redesign for Continuity of Instruction

The purpose of the chapter is to illustrate instructional models that were implemented by Samford University McWhorter School of Pharmacy to comply with COVID-19 social distancing restrictions. While the second half of Spring 2020 was completely online (statewide shutdown), the university remained open in a hybrid manner for the 2020-21 academic year. There are three sections in the chapter: didactic, interprofessional, and advanced pharmacy practice experiences. The didactic section discusses course delivery methods and active learning, office hours, remote testing, student feedback, and contingency planning. The interprofessional section illustrates some of the school's synchronous and asynchronous interprofessional learning activities before and during the COVID-pandemic, as well as interprofessional education assessment methods. The last section of the chapter discusses how advanced pharmacy practice experience “direct patient care” was redefined, examples of the experiences, and contingency plans that were put into place to ensure on-time graduation for the classes of 2020 and 2021 pharmacy students.

KONSTRUKCE TESTŮ A EMPIRICKÉ VÝSLEDKY TESTOVÁNÍ

In comparison to other domains of education, assessment in that of foreign language teaching has some specific features. Testing language skills is unique because language is not only the content but also the tool of measurement. The research team created a bank of items used for testing. This item bank comprises files of items which make it possible to create a great number of subtests. These include terms and professional vocabulary corresponding to real requirements put on employees in practice. Using the item bank, achievement and check tests were created. Thus, from the functional point of view, the diagnostic function prevails. Achievement tests are not only aimed at measuring the success of individual students but also at the success of the teacher. From the point of view of the interpretation of the results, achievement test are predominantly dealt with. These enable cooperation with a real number of items and tested students.

Hand Motion Analysis Illustrates Differences When Drilling Cadaveric and Printed Temporal Bone

Objective: Temporal bone simulation is now commonly used to augment cadaveric education. Assessment of these tools is ongoing, with haptic modeling illustrating dissimilar motion patterns compared to cadaveric opportunities. This has the potential to result in maladaptive skill development. It is hypothesized that trainee drill motion patterns during printed model dissection may likewise demonstrate dissimilar hand motion patterns. Methods: Resident surgeons dissected 3D-printed temporal bones generated from microCT data and cadaveric simulations. A magnetic position tracking system (TrakSTAR Ascension, Yarraville, Australia) captured drill position and orientation. Skill assessment included cortical mastoidectomy, thinning procedures (sigmoid sinus, dural plate, posterior canal wall) and facial recess development. Dissection was performed by 8 trainees (n = 5 < PGY3 > n = 3) using k-cos metrics to analyze drill strokes within position recordings. K-cos metrics define strokes by change in direction, providing metrics for stroke duration, curvature, and length. Results: T-tests between models showed no significant difference in drill stroke frequency (cadaveric = 1.36/s, printed = 1.50/s, P < .40) but demonstrate significantly shorter duration (cadaveric = 0.37 s, printed = 0.16 s, P < .01) and a higher percentage of curved strokes (cadaveric = 31, printed = 67, P < .01) employed in printed bone dissection. Junior staff used a higher number of short strokes (junior = 0.54, senior = 0.38, P < .01) and higher percentage of curved strokes (junior = 35%, senior = 21%, P < .01). Conclusions: Significant differences in hand motions were present between simulations, however the significance is unclear. This may indicate that printed bone is not best positioned to be the principal training schema.

An Integrated Approach to Assessment as a Co-ordinating Framework

This is an invited chapter in review. It will appear as a chapter in the forthcoming . Research Handbook on Innovations in Assessment and Feedback in Higher Education from Elgar Publishing and edited by Carol Evans and Mike Waring. All assessments are events within a process that has the goal of making decisions about instruction, learning, curriculum, students, institutions, and consequences. Three underlying disciplines (i.e., psychometrics, psychology, and sociology) inform the evaluation of assessments. Error is ubiquitous in the selection of tasks that constitute an assessment, the administration, marking, reporting, and decisions contain a non-ignorable component of error that has to be mitigated. Psychological ego factors in the marker and the assessee can be maladaptive in generating responses to assessment demands; awareness of this validity threat is needed to support participants into adaptive effort. Environments, from cultural norms to government policies, create contexts that can contribute greater error and psychological ego into the system, especially when high-stakes accountability pressures, as opposed to low-consequence formative support, are implemented. I conclude with suggestions of how integration of these underlying disciplines can improve the credibility and quality of higher education assessment.

Going virtual with practical chemistry amidst the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown: significance, constraints and implications for future

PurposeAlthough technology is a defining characteristic of distance education, assessment of the applicability of such resources in knowledge dissemination is greatly warranted to ensure effectivity. Hence, the purpose of this study was to assess the viability of a novel tool in teaching practical chemistry online.Design/methodology/approachHere, a resource named “virtual chemistry lab space” (VCLS), which allowed the learners to virtually engage in practical activities, was administered among learners enrolled in a practical chemistry course at the Open University of Sri Lanka and feedback was collected to ascertain the learner perception on the resource.FindingsIn total, 76% of respondents indicated familiarity with the VCLS, while 59% indicated that they were interested in engaging in activities provided through this resource during the pandemic lockdown. Also, 70% indicated that the VCLS was helpful to understand the course content during the pandemic period, while 82% indicated that they are likely to use it in the future.Research limitations/implicationsThe prevalent problems related to using the VCLS were lack of Internet access, physical interactions and time. However, the overall opinion on the VCLS was notably positive, while a majority indicated that flexibility to the learners, access to learning resources and use of technology in education will improve due to the use of this novel tool.Originality/valueOnline course delivery has been greatly restricted to areas of education where distant delivery could be easily adopted while it is seldom found in areas such as practical chemistry. Hence, the study indicates novelty and notable originality within the ODL system.