Abstract

A good test is one that has at least three qualities: reliability, or the precision with which a test measures what it is supposed to measure; validity, i.e., if the test really measures what it is supposed to measure; and practicality, or if the test, no matter how sound theoretically, is practicable in reality. These are the sine qua non for any test including tests of language proficiency. Over the past fifty years, language testing has witnessed three major measurement trends: Classical Test Theory (CTT), Generalizability Theory (G-Theory), and Item Response Theory (IRT). This paper will provide a very brief but valuable overview of these trends. It will then move onto a brief consideration of the most recent notion of Differential Item Functioning (DIF). It will finally conclude that the material discussed here is applicable not only to language tests but also to tests in other fields of science.

Abstract

It is perhaps unfortunate that enabling technologies do not come with an 'ability warning', as they generally require the user to already have acquired a certain level of IT skills, in a similar way that online courses require users to have a certain level of prior IT knowledge. Accessing a computer and making the most of e-learning materials requires support at both the curriculum and technological levels, and some students find it easier to work with computers than others. Dyslexic students are no different, and often have the added cognitive load of having to use enabling technologies to access these materials, examples being text to speech facilities, magnification, changes in desktop settings and various methods to help with the input of text. These added technologies can be liberating, but only if they have been chosen with the specific requirements of that particular student in mind, and the student has gained adequate skills to make the most of the technologies' attributes.

Disabled learners must not be disadvantaged in education and it is important to ensure that learners are not unfairly treated in assessment situations. Colleges have an obligation to anticipate the needs of learners and to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled learners can demonstrate their skills and abilities equally with their non-disabled peers. This obligation extends to online, distance and blended learning. Disabled learners can encounter barriers when undertaking online learning and when using Information Learning Technology. The focus of this paper is how to make learning materials and electronic learning environments easy and made accessible. In many cases, assessments can be undertaken using technology to assist learners. However, the needs of disabled learners also should be considered when the assessment is technology based, for example, multiple choice quizzes in a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). This paper covers the four main areas of accessibility: presentation, content, structure and navigation.

Importance should be stressed on anticipating the needs of disabled learners in any given learning situation. This means that colleges and curriculum managers should not wait until a disabled learner has enrolled on the course before thinking about which adjustments may be necessary in the classroom or the delivery method. An anticipatory duty means that colleges should include consideration of the needs of disabled learners during the period of curriculum design, planning and review. It is important to remember that access to the curriculum cannot be provided solely by means of technology; what is needed is a pedagogical solution, where the learner is included through an equivalent accessible learning experience.

Abstract

Not all children are made the same. Learning disabilities like dyslexia, dysgraphia or dyscalculia are either not understood or ignored in schools. As a result, the schoolchildren suffer for no fault of theirs and they lag behind in their course of learning. They may find it difficult to achieve the basic skills of learning such as reading, writing, reasoning or doing arithmetic calculations.

Dyscalculia, a learning disorder in which a student faces severe difficulties in mathematical computations, includes all types of difficulties in learning mathematics ranging from inability in understanding numbers to inability in applying mathematical principles to solve problems. Since understanding and working with numbers require mental skills, children who have trouble in visualizing concepts struggle with computation. A number of learning styles can be incorporated for the dyscalculic children who face severe problems.

Visual learning is a learning style which involves learning through seeing things. It involves the use of charts, graphs, pictures, diagrams, videos, transparencies, flipcharts, hand-outs etc in the learning process. Activities in practical Mathematics help students immensely in visualization. Innovative use of technology may help dyscalculic learners to overcome their disability to a large extent. Technology can greatly aid the process of mathematical exploration and clever use of such technology can help engage such students with learning disorders. As mathematics learning requires visual patterns to fully grasp the number concepts or computations, it is very essential for the schools to adopt visual learning strategies to meet the needs of dyscalculic learners.

Abstract

The study explored the longitudinal effects of all-day kindergarten program on the academic performance of students from diverse racial backgrounds and social class from kindergarten to the end of first grade. The study examined the used three measures of reading and math scores from a nationally representative database of the USA, the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS). A series of longitudinal multilevel models with various specifications were estimated. The results indicated that all-day kindergarten students began with significantly higher reading scores compared with half-day kindergarten students but there was no significant difference in the growth pattern. Importantly, students from low SES families and Hispanic background displayed enhanced reading achievement in all-day kindergarten.

Abstract

The Main Purpose Of The Study Was To Study The Job Satisfaction Level Of The Teachers Of Bahawalpur, In Order To Achieve The Desire End, 340 Teachers Were Taken As Sample Out Of These Gender Wise Distribution Was Male (195) And Female (145). A 32 Items Questionnaire (Likert Scale) Was Constructed And Divided Into 9 Dimensions Namely (Nature Of Work, Administrative Support, Salary, Atmosphere, Promotion, Decision Making, And Relation With Colleagues, Job Security And Over All Job Satisfaction). Questionnaire Was Pilot Tested And The Reliability Of The Questionnaire Was Found 0.789 (Cronbach’s Alpha). After Getting The Data, The Data Was Tabulated By Using Statistical Package For Social Sciences (SPSS XII). Independent Sample T-Test And ANOVA Were Run In Order To Compare The Different Variables (Gender, Nature Of Job, Designation, Age And Experience). The Study Reveals That Female Teachers Are More Satisfied Than Their Male Counter Parts, Permanent Teachers Are More Satisfied Than Contractual Teachers On Different Dimensions Of The Job Satisfaction Scale As Well As On Over All Job Satisfaction , Designation Wise Secondary School Teachers (Ssts) Are More Positive Than Elementary School Teachers (Ests) On Atmosphere Of The Institutions. Age Wise The Group Having The Age Group Of 41-50 Years Is Significantly Positive Than The Age Group Of 20-30 Years On Relation With Colleagues. Experience Wise The Group Having Experience Of 16-20 Years Is More Positive Than Group Having Experience Of 1-5 Years On Relation With Colleagues. The Findings Of The Study Lead To Several Recommendations.

Abstract

Online Courses Appear To Be The Future If Colleges And Universities Choose To Increase Enrollments With Students Who Need More Flexibility In Scheduling. The Challenge Has Been To Create A Course That Is Rigorous With The Limitations To Physical Presence Of The Instructor And The Parameters Inherent In Technological Delivery. This Article Relates The Planning And Execution Of Such A Graduate Psychology Course In The Area Of Lifespan Development. The Instructor Decided A Hybrid Course, One That Had Elements Of Both Online Delivery And Limited Campus Attendance, Would Be Appropriate For The Initial Transition From Physical Attendance On Campus To Online Delivery And Interpersonal Interaction. Important Teachable Moments For The Instructor Included Creating Community With 36 Online Students, Number And Breadth Of Assignments, And Evaluation. Logistics, Such As Having Students Submit Assignments Online, Correcting Coursework, And Returning Documents To Students With Constructive Comments, Were Some Of The Challenges To Both Instructor And Students. The Delivery Infrastructure Was Blackboard, And The Instructor Had Attended Training On The New Features To Streamline Online Teaching For Both Instructor And Students. The Successes, Challenges, And Summative Decisions For Future Courses Are Shared.

Abstract

A Teacher Is More Near To Students Than Any Other During His School Days. Students Want To Share Each And Every Thing Related To Educational As Well As Personal Matters With Him. It Reflects That A Teacher Has Strong Emotional Bondage With Students.In The Light Of Above Discussion Researcher Decided To Carry Out A Research On Trainee Teachers To Analyze Their Emotional Intelligence In Relation To Their Mode Of Training I.E. Pre-Service Training Programme (B.Ed. Regular) And In-Service Training Programme (B.Ed. Distance Mode).Research Has Been Carried Out On 182 Trainee Teachers (Divided In To Two Age Groups I.E. Pre-Service Training Programme (B.Ed. Regular) And In-Service Training Programme (B.Ed. Distance Mode), Using Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS) By Anukool Hyde, Sanjyot Pathe And Upinder Dhar (2002). Mean, Standard Deviation And T-Test Are Used To Analyze The Data.The Research Has Indicated That Emotional Intelligence Of Trainee Teachers Differs Significantly In Relation To Their Mode Of Training. It Also Has Been Observed That On The Aspects Like Self Awareness, Emotional Stability, Managing Relation, Integrity, Self- Development, Empathy And Value Orientation, Trainee Teachers Of In-Service Course (B.Ed. Distance) Are Much Better, Whereas On The Aspects Like Self-Motivation, Commitment And Altruistic Behavior, The Trainee Teachers Of Pre-Service Course (B.Ed. Regular) Are Significantly Better Than Trainee Teachers In Distance Programme.