Other Students (other + student)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Teaching Techniques in the Clinical Setting: the Emergency Medicine Perspective

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 10 2004
David A. Wald DO
Abstract The emergency department (ED) provides a unique educational experience that is distinct from both inpatient and ambulatory care settings. Because of the high acuity, interesting pathology, and rapid patient turnover, the ED is an ideal location to train medical students. Numerous teaching opportunities exist within the domain of the ED. In the preclinical years, the ED setting provides medical students with an introduction to clinical medicine and may serve as a venue for teaching basic history and physical examination skills. In the clinical years, medical students are exposed to a wide range of undifferentiated patients. Besides common medical and surgical complaints, many medical students will encounter clinical scenarios that they otherwise would have little direct contact with. Encounters such as the acutely poisoned or intoxicated patient, environmental emergencies, interaction with out-of-hospital providers, and patients requiring emergency procedures are just a few situations that make emergency medicine a distinct clinical specialty. These and other student,patient encounters can provide the teaching physician an opportunity to focus case-based teaching on a number of elements including complaint-directed medical interviewing and physical examination skills, development of case-specific differential diagnosis, diagnostic evaluation, implementation of patient management plans, and patient disposition. In this review article, the authors discuss various ways to approach and improve clinical teaching of medical students, including: opportunities for teaching in the ED, teaching procedural skills, student case presentations, clinical teaching styles, qualities of an effective clinical teacher, and barriers to effective clinical teaching. [source]


Absent and Accounted For: Absenteeism and Cooperative Learning,

DECISION SCIENCES JOURNAL OF INNOVATIVE EDUCATION, Issue 1 2006
G. D. Koppenhaver
ABSTRACT In a small section collaborative learning environment where student work teams promote mutual learning about investments, students limit the opportunity to learn from other students if they are absent from class. Absenteeism not only denies the student the opportunity to learn from others but also denies other members of the student's work team the opportunity to learn from the absent student. Other team members' absenteeism should be costly for individual performance if collaborative learning fosters learning and retention. The research finds that while absenteeism is detrimental to the student's own performance, absenteeism of other team members from team activities has a significant negative effect on both individual exam and homework scores. The conclusions validate the benefits of active learning and of encouraging attendance in collaborative learning environments in all disciplines. [source]


Does smoking in adolescence affect body mass index, waist or height?

ADDICTION, Issue 9 2007
Findings from a longitudinal study
ABSTRACT Aim To assess the effect of smoking uptake on body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and height during adolescence. Design Five-year longitudinal study. Setting Thirty-six schools in South London, England, selected by a stratified random sampling procedure designed to ensure ethnic and socio-economic diversity. Participants A total of 5863 students took part in the HABITS (Health and Behaviour in Teenagers) Study between 1999 and 2003. Measurements Self-reported smoking behaviour, saliva cotinine concentrations and measured weight, waist circumference and height were obtained, along with information on gender, ethnicity, socio-economic deprivation, pubertal status, self-reported exercise and dieting. Students were examined annually from school year 7 (ages 11,12) to year 11 (ages 15,16), with response rates ranging from 74 to 84%. A total of 2665 never smokers at year 7 with complete data for years 7 and 11 were included in the analyses. Findings Adjusting for year 7 BMI and other potential confounders, regular smokers (more than six cigarettes a week) at year 11 had significantly lower BMI (P = 0.002) than other students. Smokers defined by a cotinine above 15 ng/ml also had lower BMI (P < 0.0001). Waist circumferences were lower in regular smokers (P = 0.014) and cotinine-defined smokers (P < 0.011). No consistent association was found between smoking and height. The adjusted difference in weight between regular smokers and other students amounted to 1.8 kg (95% CI, 0.52,3.17) for an average-height student. Conclusion Taking up regular smoking during adolescence may result in a lower BMI, but the effect is small and of uncertain significance. [source]


Attitudes of Japanese students toward people with intellectual disability

JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH, Issue 5 2002
W. Horner-Johnson
Abstract Background The purpose of the present study was to gain insight into the structure and organization of the attitudes of Japanese students toward people with intellectual disability (ID). The study also examined how these attitudes are related to individual characteristics, such as experience with people with ID, major field of study and career interests. Methods The participants completed a series of measures developed in the USA: three measures of attitudes toward people with ID, a demographic questionnaire and a social desirability scale. Students completed the measures anonymously. Results The factor structures of all three attitude scales replicated the structures found in the USA. Attitudes toward the community inclusion of people with ID were negatively correlated with an endorsement of eugenics. Students in social work and psychology had more positive attitudes than other students. Participants who expressed an interest in a career working with people with ID had more positive attitudes than students with no interest in such a career. Conclusions Attitude measures developed in the USA can be used in Japan, and can provide useful information as well as an opportunity for cross-cultural comparisons. For a more complete understanding of the attitudes of Japanese people toward people with ID, these attitudes should also be studied using measures based in Japanese culture which have specifically developed to measure attitudes in Japan. [source]


Explaining race, poverty, and gender disparities in advanced course-taking

JOURNAL OF POLICY ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2009
Dylan Conger
We use panel data on Florida high school students to examine race, poverty, and gender disparities in advanced course-taking. While white students are more likely to take advanced courses than black and Hispanic students, these disparities are eliminated when we condition on observable pre,high school characteristics. In fact, black and Hispanic students are more likely than observably similar white students to take advanced courses. Controlling for students' pre,high school characteristics substantially reduces poverty gaps, modestly reduces Asian,white gaps, and makes little dent in female,male gaps. Black and Hispanic students attend high schools that increase their likelihood of taking advanced courses relative to observably similar white students; this advantage is largely driven by minorities disproportionately attending magnet schools. Finally, recent federal and state efforts aimed at increasing access to advanced courses to poor and minority students appear to have succeeded in raising the share of students who take advanced courses from 2003 to 2006. However, secular trends (or spillovers of the policies to non-poor, non-minority students) have spurred faster growth for other students, contributing to widening demographic gaps in these years. © 2009 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. [source]


Students' Perceptions of Prosthodontics in a PBL Hybrid Curriculum

JOURNAL OF PROSTHODONTICS, Issue 6 2008
Cortino Sukotjo DDS
Abstract Purpose: A survey was distributed to the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) predoctoral student classes of 2005 and 2006 to assess their perceptions regarding preclinical prosthodontics laboratory exercises. Prosthodontics curriculum clock hours, prosthodontics teaching participation, and plans for specialization were also analyzed. We hypothesized that reduced hours and perceived stress in the prosthodontics curriculum might impact students' choice of specialty at HSDM Materials and Methods: HSDM preclinical prosthodontics clock hours were compared with national means from published data. A survey was distributed to the HSDM classes of 2005 and 2006 (n = 70) at the end of their preclinical prosthodontics laboratory exercises, prior to students seeing their first patient in the clinics. Results: A 100% response rate was achieved. Results from this study show that HSDM preclinical prosthodontics clock hours are on average shorter than other schools. The majority of the students felt stressed during the laboratory exercises, and they felt they did not gain adequate knowledge from the lectures, resulting in low self-esteem (confidence) in treating patients in the clinic. Despite this perception, HSDM students do just as well, if not better, than other students, as judged by external and internal outcome measures. Graduate prosthodontics specialization is still a specialty of choice among the graduates when compared to national data. Conclusions: The shortened preclinical didactic and laboratory exercises in prosthodontics at HSDM affect student anxiety, but not their didactic and clinical performances or their decisions in choosing their graduate program. Problem-based learning (PBL) tutorials help the students to integrate preclinical and clinical knowledge and skills in prosthodontics. [source]


Exploring the use of multiple analogical models when teaching and learning chemical equilibrium

JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 10 2005
Allan G. Harrison
This study describes the multiple analogical models used to introduce and teach Grade 12 chemical equilibrium. We examine the teacher's reasons for using models, explain each model's development during the lessons, and analyze the understandings students derived from the models. A case study approach was used and the data were drawn from the observation of three consecutive Grade 12 lessons on chemical equilibrium, pre- and post-lesson interviews, and delayed student interviews. The key analogical models used in teaching were: the "school dance"; the "sugar in a teacup"; the "pot of curry"; and the "busy highway." The lesson and interview data were subject to multiple, independent analyses and yielded the following outcomes: The teacher planned to use the students' prior knowledge wherever possible and he responded to student questions with stories and extended and enriched analogies. He planned to discuss where each analogy broke down but did not. The students enjoyed the teaching but built variable mental models of equilibrium and some of their analogical mappings were unreliable. A female student disliked masculine analogies, other students tended to see elements of the multiple models in isolation, and some did not recognize all the analogical mappings embedded in the teaching plan. Most students learned that equilibrium reactions are dynamic, occur in closed systems, and the forward and reverse reactions are balanced. We recommend the use of multiple analogies like these and insist that teachers always show where the analogy breaks down and carefully negotiate the conceptual outcomes. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 42: 1135,1159, 2005 [source]


Reasoning from data: How students collect and interpret data in science investigations

JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 7 2004
Zoe Kanari
This study explored the understandings of data and measurement that school students draw upon, and the ways that they reason from data, when carrying out a practical science inquiry task. The two practical tasks used in the study each involved investigations of the relationships between two independent variables (IVs) and a dependent variable (DV); in both tasks, one IV covaried with the DV, whereas the other did not. Each was undertaken by 10 students, aged 10, 12, and 14 years (total n,=,60 students), working individually. Their actions were video-recorded for analysis. In a subsequent interview, each student was asked to discuss and interpret data collected by two other students, undertaking a similar (but different) practical task, shown on a video-recording. An analysis of the sample students' performance on the practical tasks and their interview responses showed few differences across task contexts, or with age, in students' reasoning, but significant differences in performance when investigating situations of covariation and non-covariation. Few students in the sample displayed sufficient understanding of measurement error to deal effectively with the latter. Investigations of non-covariation cases revealed, much more clearly than investigations of covariation cases, the students' ideas about data and measurement, and their ways of reasoning from data. Such investigations therefore provide particularly valuable contexts for teaching and research. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 41: 748,769, 2004 [source]


Early identification of ,at-risk' students by the parents of paediatric patients

MEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 9 2005
Maree O'Keefe
Introduction, Assessment of medical student clinical skills is best carried out using multiple assessment methods. A programme was developed to obtain parent evaluations of medical student paediatric interview skills for feedback and to identify students at risk of poor performance in summative assessments. Method, A total of 130 parent evaluations were obtained for 67 students (parent participation 72%, student participation 58%). Parents completed a 13-item questionnaire [Interpersonal Skills Rating Scale (IPS) maximum score 91, higher scores = higher student skill level]. Students received their individual parent scores and de-identified class mean scores as feedback, and participants were surveyed regarding the programme. Parent evaluation scores were compared with student performance in formative and summative faculty assessments of clinical interview skills. Results, Parents supported the programme and participating students valued parent feedback. Students with a parent score that was less than 1 standard deviation (SD) below the class mean (low IPS score students) obtained lower faculty summative assessment scores than did other students (mean ± SD, 59% ± 5 versus 64% ± 7; P < 0.05). Obtaining 1 low IPS score was associated with a subsequent faculty summative assessment score below the class mean (sensitivity 0.38, specificity 0.88). Parent evaluations combined with faculty formative assessments identified 50% of students who subsequently performed below the class mean in summative assessments. Conclusions, Parent evaluations provided useful feedback to students and identified 1 group of students at increased risk of weaker performance in summative assessments. They could be combined with other methods of formative assessment to enhance screening procedures for clinically weak students. [source]


Approaches to learning and studying in medical students: validation of a revised inventory and its relation to student characteristics and performance

MEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 5 2004
Karen Mattick
Introduction, Inventories to quantify approaches to studying try to determine how students approach academic tasks. Medical curricula usually aim to promote a deep approach to studying, which is associated with academic success and which may predict desirable traits postqualification. Aims, This study aimed to validate a revised Approaches to Learning and Studying Inventory (ALSI) in medical students and to explore its relation to student characteristics and performance. Methods, Confirmatory factor analysis was used to validate the reported constructs in a sample of 128 Year 1 medical students. Models were developed to investigate the effect of age, graduate status and gender, and the relationships between approaches to studying and assessment outcomes. Results, The ALSI performed as anticipated in this population, thus validating its use in our sample, but a 4-factor solution had a better fit than the reported 5-factor one. Medical students scored highly on deep approach compared with other students in higher education. Graduate status and gender had significant effects on approach to studying and a deep approach was associated with higher academic scores. Conclusions, The ALSI is valid for use in medical students and can uncover interesting relationships between approaches to studying and student characteristics. In addition, the ALSI has potential as a tool to predict student success, both academically and beyond qualification. [source]


Medical students' personality characteristics and academic performance: a five-factor model perspective

MEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 11 2002
Filip Lievens
Objectives, This study investigates: (1) which personality traits are typical of medical students as compared to other students, and (2) which personality traits predict medical student performance in pre-clinical years. Design, This paper reports a cross-sectional inventory study of students in nine academic majors and a prospective longitudinal study of one cohort of medical students assessed by inventory during their first preclinical year and by university examination at the end of each pre-clinical year. Subjects and methods In 1997, a combined total of 785 students entered medical studies courses in five Flemish universities. Of these, 631 (80·4%) completed the NEO-PI-R (i.e. a measure of the Five-Factor Model of Personality). This was also completed by 914 Year 1 students of seven other academic majors at Ghent University. Year end scores for medical students were obtained for 607 students in Year 1, for 413 in Year 2, and for 341 in Year 3. Results, Medical studies falls into the group of majors where students score highest on extraversion and agreeableness. Conscientiousness (i.e. self-achievement and self-discipline) significantly predicts final scores in each pre-clinical year. Medical students who score low on conscientiousness and high on gregariousness and excitement-seeking are significantly less likely to sit examinations successfully. Conclusions, The higher scores for extraversion and agreeableness, two dimensions defining the interpersonal dynamic, may be beneficial for doctors' collaboration and communication skills in future professional practice. Because conscientiousness affects examination results and can be reliably assessed at the start of a medical study career, personality assessment may be a useful tool in student counselling and guidance. [source]


The influence of admissions variables on first year medical school performance: a study from Newcastle University, Australia

MEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 2 2002
Frances Kay-Lambkin
Aims This study examined the relationship between the performance of first year medical students at the University of Newcastle, Australia, and admission variables: previous educational experience, and entry classification (standard , academic or composite, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, or overseas), age and gender. Methods Admission and demographic information was obtained for students who entered first year medicine at Newcastle between the years 1994 and 1997 inclusive. Academic performance was measured according to results of first assessment (`satisfactory' vs. `not satisfactory') and the final assessment of the first year (`satisfactory' vs. `not satisfactory'). Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between predictor variables and outcomes. Results Assessment and admissions information was obtained for 278 students, 98% of all students who entered the medical course between 1994 and 1997. Regression analysis of first assessment indicated that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and overseas students were significantly more likely to be `not satisfactory' than all other students (RR=3·1,95% CI: 1·4. , 6 7 and RR=1·5, 95% CI: 1·2,1·8, respectively). Analysis of final assessment indicated these two student groups were also significantly more likely to be `not satisfactory' than all other students (RR=4·5, 95% CI: 1·4,13·5 and RR=3·5, 95% CI: 1·2,10·8, respectively). At first assessment, students entering via the standard academic pathway and older students were less likely to be `not satisfactory' (RR=0·6, 95% CI: 0·5,0·7 and RR=0·8, 95% CI: 0·7,0·9, respectively). However both these differences were not evident at final assessment. There were no significant relationships between performance in first year and the remaining variables. Conclusions Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and overseas medical students had academic difficulties in the first year of the course, suggesting the need for extra course support. The result may reflect the educational and other obstacles these students must overcome in order to enter and progress through their medical degree. More research is warranted to explore the extent to which these differences persist throughout the medical degree. [source]


A randomized, controlled, single-blind trial of teaching provided by a computer-based multimedia package versus lecture

MEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 9 2001
Christopher Williams
Background Computer-based teaching may allow effective teaching of important psychiatric knowledge and skills. Aims To investigate the effectiveness and acceptability of computer-based teaching. Method A single-blind, randomized, controlled study of 166 undergraduate medical students at the University of Leeds, involving an educational intervention of either a structured lecture or a computer-based teaching package (both of equal duration). Results There was no difference in knowledge between the groups at baseline or immediately after teaching. Both groups made significant gains in knowledge after teaching. Students who attended the lecture rated their subjective knowledge and skills at a statistically significantly higher level than students who had used the computers. Students who had used the computer package scored higher on an objective measure of assessment skills. Students did not perceive the computer package to be as useful as the traditional lecture format, despite finding it easy to use and recommending its use to other students. Conclusions Medical students rate themselves subjectively as learning less from computer-based as compared with lecture-based teaching. Objective measures suggest equivalence in knowledge acquisition and significantly greater skills acquisition for computer-based teaching. [source]


A strategy for supervising occupational therapy students at community sites

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 1 2005
Susan Mulholland Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education
Abstract Within the field of occupational therapy various innovative strategies have been used to provide students with effective clinical education (fieldwork) opportunities. One of the more unusual strategies involves the student participating in a placement at a site where there is no occupational therapist and no well-defined role. The University of Alberta, Canada developed and piloted a new fieldwork supervisory position. Feedback was collected from both the sites and students to explore the impact of this position on the fieldwork experience for stakeholders. As well, sites and students were asked to give their opinions on more general aspects of these placements. Both sites and students positively endorsed the fieldwork educator for independent community placement's role. Most recommendations for improvement revolved around increasing the time dedicated to this position and making it permanent. Caution must be taken in generalizing the results of this study, as there may be various considerations that make this an appropriate supervision strategy in Alberta, Canada but not in other locations. Further research is required to determine whether this supervision strategy could be used with other students or professions in other locations. Copyright © 2005 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source]


Social Support and Mental Health Among College Students

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 4 2009
Jennifer Hefner MPH
This study is the first, to our knowledge, to evaluate the relationship between mental health and social support in a large, random sample of college students. A Web-based survey was administered at a large, public university, with 1, 378 students completing the measures in this analysis (response rate = 57%). The results support our hypothesis that students with characteristics differing from most other students, such as minority race or ethnicity, international status, and low socioeconomic status, are at greater risk of social isolation. In addition, the authors found that students with lower quality social support, as measured by the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, were more likely to experience mental health problems, including a sixfold risk of depressive symptoms relative to students with high quality social support. These results may help administrators and health providers to identify more effectively the population of students at high risk for mental illness and develop effective interventions to address this significant and growing public health issue. [source]


Purchasing of cigarettes by New Zealand secondary students in 2000

AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 5 2002
Rob McGee
Objective: To examine the prevalence of under-age sales of cigarettes to New Zealand secondary school students in 2000 and to identify correlates of buying cigarettes. Method: A randomly selected sample of 53 secondary schools from five geographic regions took part, and 2,896 Year 10 and Year 12 students completed a self-report questionnaire. Results: Some 30.3% reported smoking during the past 30 days and 61.8% of these students usually obtained cigarettes by purchasing from shops, from other students or from someone else buying them on their behalf. Local corner stores and service stations were the most popular source. Buying cigarettes was associated with more frequent smoking, more money to spend, a higher school decile rating and higher proportion of schoolmates also purchasing. Conclusions: Prohibition of cigarette sales to minors needs much greater attention in NZ than it is receiving at present if smoking among young people is to be reduced. [source]


Combining descriptive and functional analyses to assess and treat screaming

BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS, Issue 2 2003
G. Tracey Galiatsatos
This study systematically examined the functional relation between screaming and environmental events in a 13-year-old boy diagnosed with autism and PDD-NOS. A functional analysis of screaming was conducted in study 1, with six conditions (attention, demand, play, alone, tangible,toy, and tangible,edible). Highest rates of screaming were observed during the tangible,toy and tangible,edible conditions. The analog assessment was followed by a descriptive assessment, which revealed the participant was most likely to scream when teacher attention was diverted to other students. Additionally, items found to maintain screaming during the analog assessment were never delivered contingent upon screaming in the participant's natural environment. The results of the descriptive assessment suggested that the analog assessment might have produced a false-positive outcome. A treatment based upon the results of the combined assessments led to a 50% reduction in screaming within four weeks. Two-year follow-up data indicated that screaming occurred at near-zero rates. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Linguistic Capital and Academic Achievement of Canadian- and Foreign-Born University Students

CANADIAN REVIEW OF SOCIOLOGY/REVUE CANADIENNE DE SOCIOLOGIE, Issue 2 2008
J. PAUL GRAYSON
Au Canada, plusieurs universités prennent des mesures pour recruter des immigrants ou leurs enfants et satisfaire leurs besoins,et parmi eux plusieurs ont l'anglais comme langue seconde. Il n'y a pas de recherches au Canada qui comparent la progression potentielle du capital linguistique des étudiants ayant l'anglais comme langue seconde et celui des autres étudiants au fil de leur parcours universitaire, avec les relations entre les progressions du capital linguistique et de l'acquisition des connaissances. L'auteur montre dans cette étude que, contrairement aux étudiants canadiens et ceux nés à l'étranger pour lesquels l'anglais est la première langue, le capital linguistique des étudiants nés à l'étranger dont l'anglais est une langue seconde s'accroît au cours des quatre années d'études universitaires. Cependant, cette augmentation du capital linguistique ne correspond pas à une augmentation de l'acquisition des connaissances. In Canada, many universities are taking steps to recruit and meet the needs of immigrants and/or their sons and daughters, many of whom have English as a second language (ESL). There is, however, no research in Canada comparing potential increases in the linguistic capital of ESL and other students over the course of their university careers and the connection between increases in linguistic capital and academic achievement. In this study, it is shown that in contrast to Canadian- and foreign-born students for whom English is a first language, and Canadian-born ESL students, the linguistic capital of foreign-born ESL students increases over 4 years of university study; however, this increase in linguistic capital is not paralleled by an increase in academic achievement. [source]


How do teenagers manage their food allergies?

CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY, Issue 10 2010
H. Monks
Summary Background The peak incidence of deaths from anaphylaxis associated with nut allergy occurs in teenagers and young adults. During adolescence, the management of food allergy shifts from being the responsibility of parents to that of the young person. This is a group who therefore need special attention in the clinic. Objective This study aimed to understand the practical challenges that teenagers with food allergy experience using a qualitative approach and generate potential interventions for tackling these. Methods Teenagers aged 1118 years with food allergy completed a questionnaire about their food allergy and underwent a focused, semi-structured interview with open questions guided by a priori topic areas. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using a thematic approach. Results The study enrolled 18 teenagers with a median age of 15 years (10 females); the most common food allergens were peanuts and tree nuts. Three key themes emerged: avoidance of allergens, preparation for reactions and the treatment of reactions. The majority of teenagers reported eating foods labelled as ,may contain' an allergen as they perceive that they are actually very unlikely to contain an allergen. Many of the teenagers only carried their self-injectable adrenaline when they thought they are particularly at risk of a reaction. Some do not know how to appropriately treat an allergic reaction. More than half believed that educating other students at school about the seriousness of food allergies would make it easier to live with their food allergy. Conclusions A significant number of teenagers demonstrate risk-taking behaviour in the management of their food allergies. Teenagers also felt it would be helpful for their peers to be educated about food allergy. This novel strategy might help them to avoid trigger foods and enable teenagers to access help more readily if they suffer a reaction. Cite this as: H. Monks, M. H. Gowland, H. MacKenzie, M. Erlewyn-Lajeunesse, R. King, J. S. Lucas and G. Roberts, Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 2010 (40) 1533,1540. [source]


Mutual feedback in e-portfolio assessment: an approach to the netfolio system

BRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, Issue 2 2009
Elena Barbera
This paper presents an alternative application of e-portfolio in a university student assessment context. A concept based on student collaboration (called netfolio) is developed, that differs from the classical e-portfolio concept. The use of a netfolio, a network of student e-portfolios, in a virtual classroom is explained through an exploratory study. A netfolio is more than a group of e-portfolios because it offers students a better understanding of learning objectives and promotes self-revision through participation in assessment of other students' learning, as indicated through their portfolios. Class student e-portfolios are interconnected in a unique netfolio such that each student assesses their peers' work and at the same time is being assessed. This process creates a chain of co-evaluators, facilitating a mutual and progressive improvement process. Results about teachers' and students' mutual feedback are presented and the benefits of the process in terms of academic achievements are analysed. [source]