Education technology - Evaluation and testing
M. Bagheri; F. Sahraeei; M. Khanmohammadi
Abstract
Background and Objectives: The changes in the new world, due to social, cultural, and the development of information and communication technologies (ICTs), have led to a modification in the objectives and educational approaches to align with the changes occurring in the learners' environment. One of ...
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Background and Objectives: The changes in the new world, due to social, cultural, and the development of information and communication technologies (ICTs), have led to a modification in the objectives and educational approaches to align with the changes occurring in the learners' environment. One of the new approaches that has received attention in teaching and learning to acquire 21st-century skills is peer assessment. This study examined the impact of web-based peer assessment on the self-directed learning skills of educational sciences students at Arak University.Materials and Methods: Researchers employed a quasi-experimental research method with a pre-test-post-test design and included a control group in the study. The target population consisted of all educational sciences students in the academic year 2022-2023 at Arak University (178 students), from which 32 participants were selected through the convenience sampling method and assigned randomly into two groups: experimental and control. To gather data for the study, the researchers utilized the Self-directed Learning Readiness Questionnaire, which comprised 40 items and three subscales: self-management, desire for learning, and self-control. The questionnaire was administered before and after the course. During the 10 sessions, web-based peer assessment was integrated into the training process in the experimental group. In this way, courses, students, and the instructor were defined in the Learning Management System (LMS) of Arak University. After each teaching session, the teacher added an activity (peer assessment) in the system, in such a way that the students did homework related to the subject of the lesson. The teaching approach in both the experimental and control groups involved the teacher following a lesson plan and allowing the learners to ask questions during the teaching process. However, there was a difference in how the two groups were assessed. In the experimental group, peer assessment was utilized, where students reviewed and assessed their classmates' assignments. On the other hand, the control group followed a conventional evaluation method. In the classroom, the teacher delivered lessons and assigned homework to the students. The students needed to complete the assignments and submit them to the teacher for assessment. The teacher reviewed the student’s homework in each session and provided feedback. Statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics (i.e., mean and standard deviation), as well as inferential statistics (i.e., Analysis of Covariance), were employed to analyze the data.Findings: The findings indicated that peer assessment training had a notable impact on self-directed learning skills and their sub-scales, including self-management, desire for learning, and self-control (p<0.5).Conclusions: Based on the findings of this research, utilizing peer assessment can serve as an effective approach to enhance students' self-directed learning abilities, a crucial skill for learners in the 21st century. However, the successful implementation of peer assessment requires certain conditions that teachers should consider. These include having an appropriate e-learning platform, the instructor's formulation of assessment criteria, and providing proper guidance to learners acting as evaluators. It is important to note that the implementation of peer assessment comes with its own set of challenges, which should be thoroughly explored in studies examining its different aspects.
Game-based Education
M. Nazari Dust; M. Bagheri
Abstract
Background and Objectives: The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of gamification-based test on exam anxiety, interest and learning of mathematics lesson of the sixth grade of elementary school students.Methods: The method used in the current research was quasi-experimental with a ...
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Background and Objectives: The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of gamification-based test on exam anxiety, interest and learning of mathematics lesson of the sixth grade of elementary school students.Methods: The method used in the current research was quasi-experimental with a pre-test and post-test design with a control group, and was applied in term of puropos. The statistical population in the present study included all the male students of the sixth grade of elementary school in Asadabad in the academic year of 2021-2022. Among these, two classes of 17 students were selected through convinience sampling method and were randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. During eight training sessions, after the end of each session and the teacher's training in the virtual classroom, the test was conducted normally for the control group, but for the experimental group, the test was conducted as gamification. In this way, questions were designed based on the content and topics that were taught in each session and uploaded to the Kahoot platform. After the end of each session, the teacher provided the link to the students, the students entered Kahoot and answered the questions. While answering the questions, they could see their status compared to other students. Students chose avatars and competed with others in an attractive and multimedia environment. Also, the teacher shared the leader board after the exam in the Shad software and the names of the best ones were recorded. In order to collect data, Abolghasmi et al.'s exam anxiety questionnaire, Nemati's math interest questionnaire and a researcher-made learning test were applied. In order to determine the validity of the form and content of the test, the opinions of 12 subject expert teachers were used. For content validity, CVR indices were used, and these values were checked in each question and they were greater than 0.7; so, the content validity of the test was also confirmed. The reliability of the math learning test in the study was obtained using the Kuder-Richardson method, 0.81, which indicated the appropriate reliability of this test. In order to collect data, Abolghasemi et al.'s test anxiety questionnaire, Nemati's math interest questionnaire, and the researcher's learning test were used. Data were analyzed using analysis of covarianceResults: The results of covariance analysis showed that the experimental intervention could not significantly reduce the exam anxiety, or increase interest in mathematics and the learning rate of experimental group students (P<0.05).Conclusion: According to the results, it can be argued that there is stress and anxiety in the nature of tests and these variables are influenced by various cultural, family and environmental factors, and changing the test process using gamification had no significant effect on the variables of test anxiety, interest in mathematics and learn math. On the other hand, due to lack of internal systems related to gamification, the well-known international system of Kahoot was used, which may be one of the reasons for its lack of effectiveness due to its incompatibility with some cultural components. According to the results of the research, applying the principles of gamification in tests at the elementary level needs to examine different aspects and dimensions that future researches can pay attention to.
