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Equitability factors impacting attitudes relating to digital assessment
Get PDFOver the past several years there has been a strong shift away from paper-based tertiary assessment and towards electronic assessment. While this process has been accelerated significantly by the COVID-19 pandemic, this shift was occurring well before then. Pedagogically, digital assessment offers many advantages over traditional paper-based assessment such as the possibility of remote delivery, easily implemented universal design to improve accessibility, and allowing more authentic assessment by incorporating the software already used on a day-to-day basis by students and professionals in the field (JISC, 2020).
However, as with all significant changes, this raises the question of whether the shift to online assessment affects everyone equally, or if certain groups could be advantaged or disadvantaged by this change. This study surveyed students over a period of 4 years to ascertain how particular demographics feel about digital assessment, especially focusing on their confidence and comfort in taking assessments electronically compared to paper-based assessment, their use of computers and pen and paper for other tasks, as well as their feelings towards online assessments. The demographic groups used in this study were international versus domestic students, and gender identity. Here we present findings from this long-term study.
REFERENCE
JISC. (2020) The future of assessment: five principles, five targets for 2025, Retrieved from https://repository.jisc.ac.uk/7733/1/the-future-of-assessment-report.pd
Chemistry in your KITchen: At home chemistry practicals for first year health science students
Get PDFCOVID-19 has permanently changed teaching and learning in higher education. There is an increased need for flexibility in learning activities for students. One innovation that provides flexibility for students is the use of take-home laboratory practicals. Take-home practicals provide a remote learning opportunity in a space where hands-on learning may not normally be possible. There are several examples of one-off take-home practicals (Andrews et al., 2020; Caruana et al., 2020; Orzolek & Kozlowski, 2021; Parel et al., 2021; Santiago et al., 2022) as well as semester-long integration of take-home practicals (Funnell et al., 2022; Burns et al., 2021). Our intervention is one of the first reported large-scale, semester-long trials of take-home practicals aligned with the curriculum. In semester 1 2022, we designed and delivered co-curricular take-home kits for 170 first-year chemistry students. Each kit included everything needed to conduct five experiments, adapted from the five assessed experiments conducted face-to-face in the unit. The kits were supplemented with self-led practical instructions and optional synchronous zoom sessions with support staff to conduct the experiments together. In this presentation, we will discuss student engagement and learning outcomes from this large-scale pilot as well as recommendations for future co-curricular kit development.
REFERENCES
Andrews, J. L., de Los Rios, J. P., Rayaluru, M., Lee, S., Mai, L., Schusser, A., & Mak, C. H. (2020). Experimenting with At-Home General Chemistry Laboratories During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Chemical Education, 97(7), 1887–1894. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00483
Burns, A., Andronicos, N., Henderson, S., & Labeur, L. (2021). Student response to a multi-topic kitchen practical experience in undergraduate core biology [conference presentation]. Proceedings of the Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics Education 2021, Australia.
Caruana, D. J., Salzmann, C. G., & Sella, A. (2020). Practical science at home in a pandemic world. Nature Chemistry, 12(9), 780–783. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-020-0543-z
Funnell, A., Fullwood, J., Lazari, P., & Williams, G. (2022). One kit to rule them all: Designing take home lab kits at programme level. 2022 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON), 1490–1495. https://doi.org/10.1109/EDUCON52537.2022.9766600
Orzolek, B. J., & Kozlowski, M. C. (2021). Separation of Food Colorings via Liquid–Liquid Extraction: An At-Home Organic Chemistry Lab. Journal of Chemical Education, 98(3), 951–957. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c01286
Parel, P., Burnett, L., Geoffroy, M., Parel, J., & Hao, L. (2021). Determining the Acetic Acid Concentration in White Vinegar: An At-Home Undergraduate Chemistry Experiment During the COVID-19 Pandemic. https://doi.org/10.26434/chemrxiv-2021-hxb4r
Santiago, D. E., Pulido Melián, E., & Vaswani Reboso, J. (2022). Lab at home in distance learning: A case study. Education for Chemical Engineers, 40, 37–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ece.2022.05.00
The importance of Mathematics and Statistics in Engineering
Get PDFMathematics is traditionally considered necessary for engineering courses. Over the last three decades the mathematics requirements for entry into engineering programmes has steadily weakened in Australia. Further, the mathematics component of engineering programmes has progressively decreased. This research aims to investigate the following two questions. Firstly, is mathematics a barrier for students to complete an engineering programme? And secondly, is performance in mathematics associated with performance in engineering?
We investigated the significant factors associated with the weighted average mark (WAM) and completion status of engineering studies at both undergraduate and Masters level. Of particular interest was the students’ mathematical background. Furthermore, a survey of students enrolled in engineering at The University of Western Australia was conducted to obtain more in-depth views of student attitudes and perceptions towards how mathematics and statistics has affected their engineering studies. Binary logistic models were fitted to the survey data. Additionally, focus group interviews were conducted to gain student insight into how effectively mathematics was taught in their courses. The results are discussed in relation to the importance of mathematics and statistics for the engineering curriculum
Lepidosperma prospectum (Cyperaceae), a new species from Sydney coastal heath and notes on usage of sword sedges
Get PDFLepidosperma prospectum G.T.Plunkett & R.L.Barrett (Cyperaceae tribe Schoeneae) is here described as a new species in the Sydney region of New South Wales. It is highly restricted in distribution, occurring at Manly (Sydney Harbour National Park), Kamay Botany Bay National Park and Royal National Park in dense coastal shrublands behind coastal cliffs. These locations are within the traditional lands of the Gamaragal, Gweagal and Dharawal people respectively. Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander were the first Europeans to explore the flora of New South Wales in 1770 around Botany Bay but they did not collect this species. Lepidosperma prospectum is superficially similar to L. sieberi Kunth, which occurs in adjacent habitats, but molecular data have shown that it is more closely allied to Western Australian species. A brief review of recorded indigenous and European knowledge and utilisation of the genus Lepidosperma Labill. is presented to highlight the varied uses of the genus
Grevillea manglesii (Proteaceae: Grevilleoideae: Hakeinae) revisited
Get PDFThe correct citation for Grevillea manglesii (Proteaceae) is G. manglesii Pépin (1838). A neotype is here selected from among historic collections, now at Paris (P). Should the minimal description provided by Pépin be successfully challenged as inadequate, the name would not change but the revised authority would be Grevillea manglesii (Graham) A.Baumann and N.Baumann (1843). The origins and complex taxonomic and horticultural history of G. manglesii and its synonyms Manglesia glabrata Lindl., Anadenia manglesii Graham, Grevillea manglesii Hort., Manglesia trilobata Hort. ex Ettingsh., and Manglesia cuneata Endl. are outlined and discussed, together with new insights discerned from James Mangles’ unpublished Letter Books. The important role of Captain James Mangles R.N. to the botany and horticulture of Grevillea manglesii is reviewed and historical errors are corrected. Manglesia glabrata Lindl. is lectotypified. G. ornithopoda Meisn. is reinstated at specific rank and G. dissectifolia (McGill.) Olde is published as a new combination. Both are phenetically diagnosable without intergrades and occur in discrete populations that sometimes overlap the distribution of related species
Syzygium nusatenggaraense (Myrtaceae), a new rainforest tree species with a calyptrate calyx from the Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia
Get PDFA new rainforest tree species of the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), Syzygium nusatenggaraense Sunarti & Y.W.Low is described here based on two collections from the Lesser Sunda Islands. This species is superficially similar to Syzygium arcanum P.S.Ashton, a Bornean endemic tree species, but differs in a suite of morphological characters and geographic distribution. The new species is illustrated, and description is here given.
Satu spesies pohon hutan hujan baru dari suku jambu-jambuan atau Myrtaceae, Syzygium nusatenggaraense Sunarti & Y.W.Low diterbitkan disini berdasarkan kepada dua koleksi dari Kepulauan Nusa Tenggara. Spesies ini mirip dengan satu spesies pohon endemik Borneo Syzygium arcanum P.S.Ashton, tetapi berbeda dalam rangkaian karakter morfologi dan distribusi geografisnya. Spesies baru tersebut diilustrasikan dan deskripsi diberikan di sini
Resolution of a 35-year taxonomic dilemma: Eucalyptus sp. Howes Swamp Creek (Myrtaceae) from eastern Wollemi National Park, New South Wales
Get PDFThe identity of a population of eucalypts from Howes Swamp Creek in the eastern part of Wollemi National Park in New South Wales has remained unresolved for over 35 years. Despite several workers inspecting both the site and the trees growing there over this period, little consensus has been achieved on its taxonomic status. Various suggestions have been made that the entity was a new species with affinities to Eucalyptus dalrympleana, E. viminalis or E. bridgesiana, and at one time the unpublished manuscript name E. ‘wollemiensis’ was used. Because of the perceived small population size and threats posed by wildfire and other factors, the entity phrase name E. sp. Howes Swamp Creek (M.Doherty 26) was listed as an endangered taxon in both Commonwealth and State threatened species legislation. Our investigations over the last few years, involving field, seedling, and herbarium studies, have determined the original reference specimen designated for the phrase name is E. bridgesiana, and that the population from which the specimen was gathered comprises a hybrid swarm of E. bridgesiana × E. viminalis. Both parent species are present at the site, although the former species is seemingly very rare there. We recommend that E. sp. Howes Swamp Creek be removed from threatened species legislation, and that the names E. sp. Howes Swamp Creek (M.Doherty 26) and E. ‘wollemiensis’ ms be considered nomenclatural synonyms of E. bridgesiana
A new species of Calandrinia (Montiaceae) from rocky pavements in eastern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland
Get PDFCalandrinia petrophila J.G.West & Albr. sp. nov. is described and illustrated, with notes on distribution, habitat, conservation status and features distinguishing it from similar species of Calandrinia
