Game-Based Assessment of School Readiness Domains of 3-8-year-old-children: A Scoping Review

Precise assessment of school readiness is critical because it has practical and theoretical implications for children’s school and life success. However, school readiness assessment mainly relies on teacher reports and a few direct evaluations requiring a trained examiner. Studies indicate that 80% of games and apps target preschool children and education, suggesting that apps are familiar and fun for this age group. Previous reviews have focused on these apps’ training capability but not on their assessment of school readiness. This Scoping review examines 31 studies published from 2011-2019. The Evidence Centred Design (ECD) framework was used to evaluate game-based assessment (GBA) suitability to assess school readiness domains. Results show that it is possible to assess school readiness using GBA. Most studies assessed cognitive domains in school settings and adopted an external assessment of the tasks. However, most studies only evaluated one competency, and few intervention strategies targeted the enhancement of school readiness. Besides, few studies followed the ECD framework strictly. Implications include expanding the assessment to other school readiness domains with a real-time inbuilt assessment that conforms to the ECD framework. GBA provides a new approach to assess school readiness outside or inside the school settings in this online era.

PERFORMANCE OF BURSA-WOLF MODEL FOR DEFORMING REGION: CASE STUDY IN MALAYSIA

Bursa-Wolf model is a common mathematical approach for coordinate transformation practice between two reference frames. For the case of deforming region, the existing reference frame has been experiencing a non-linear shifting over the time due to co-seismic and post seismic occurrences. Imprecise coordinate in the reference frame definition could degrading critical positioning, surveying, and navigation activities. This require a new realization of reference frame and the coordinate transformation linkage is suggested to be developed in relating the new and existing reference frame. This study provides performance of Bursa-Wolf model as coordinate transformation approach for a deforming region that is experiencing non-linear shifting due to the co-seismic and post-seismic events. The Bursa-Wolf were generated from 32 dependent Global Positioning System (GPS) Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) in Malaysia meanwhile another 20 independent neighbouring stations were utilized for assessment purposes. Seven parameters (7p) of Bursa-Wolf were estimated with RMS at ±4.5mm, ±9.2mm and ±2.1mm respectively. The independent stations were classified as internal and external assessment station and the root mean square (RMS) were found at less than 10mm. The internal station has depicted a better RMS in each component which are ±5.1mm, ±6.5mm and ±1.5mm respectively. Meanwhile for external stations RMS in each component are ±6.1mm, ±8.7mm and ±3.5mm respectively. The result shows that Bursa-Wolf model is sufficient to be used as coordinate transformation approach for deforming region.

Assessment of teachers' readiness for the implementation of personalized teaching in a general education school

Статья посвящена проблеме выявления состояния готовности педагогов школ к реализации идеи персонификации образования. Выявлена типология персонифицированного обучения как феномена гуманитарной парадигмы. Прояснен феномен готовности педагогов. На основании достигнутых пониманий раскрыта сущность готовности педагогов к реализации персонифицированного обучения. Охарактеризованы типологии такой готовности исходя из возможного наличия или отсутствия каждого из ее компонентов. Разработана комплексная система оценки, которая позволяет осуществлять как внешнюю оценку, например, администрацией школы, так и самооценку педагогом исследуемой готовности. Описаны первые результаты, полученные при применении этой системы. Охарактеризованы модули повышения квалификации учителей, позволяющие корректировать каждый из компонентов готовности педагогов к реализации персонифицированного обучения. The article is devoted to the problem of identifying the state of readiness of school teachers to implement the idea of personification of education. The typology of personified teaching as a phenomenon of the humanitarian paradigm is revealed. The phenomenon of teachers' readiness has been clarified. On the basis of the achieved understandings, the essence of the teachers' readiness for the implementation of personalized training is revealed. The typologies of such readiness are characterized based on the possible presence or absence of each of its components. A comprehensive assessment system has been developed, which allows for both external assessment, for example, by the school administration, and the teacher's self-assessment of the studied readiness. The first results obtained using this system are described. The modules for improving the qualifications of teachers, which make it possible to correct each of the components of the readiness of teachers for the implementation of personalized learning, are characterized.

CRITERIA BASED INTERNAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS OF STUDENTS IN TEACHING ENGLISH

This article presents theoretical and practical aspects of Criteria-Based Assessment of students’ educational achievements and it shows systematic implementation of internal and external assessment at colleges. The content of the article is divided into two sections. The first section presents the theoretical part, principles and connection of criteria-based assessment with the curriculum. The second section shows approaches to criteria-based assessment, improved after the application of the Integrated Model of Criteria-Based Assessment. The article of criteria-based assessment of students’ educational achievements is intended for use at colleges.

A comparison of the 33-item Hypomania Checklist with the 33-item Hypomania Checklist-external assessment for the detection of bipolar disorder in adolescents

Background Adolescents with bipolar disorder (BD) are often misdiagnosed as having major depressive disorder (MDD), which delays appropriate treatment and leads to adverse outcomes. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of the 33-item Hypomania Checklist (HCL-33) with the 33-item Hypomania Checklist- external assessment (HCL-33-EA) in adolescents with BD or MDD. Methods 147 adolescents with BD and 113 adolescents with MDD were consecutively recruited. The HCL-33 and HCL-33-EA were completed by patients and their carers, respectively. The sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV), specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), and area under the curve (AUC) were calculated and compared between the two instruments, using cut-off values based on the Youden’s index. Results The total scores of the HCL-33 and HCL-33-EA were positively and significantly correlated (rs = 0.309, P < 0.001). Compared to the HCL-33, the HCL-33-EA had higher sensitivity and NPV (HCL-33: sensitivity = 0.58, NPV = 0.53; HCL-33-EA: sensitivity = 0.81, NPV = 0.60), while the HCL-33 had higher specificity and PPV (HCL-33: specificity = 0.61, PPV = 0.66; HCL-33-EA: specificity = 0.37, PPV = 0.63). Conclusion Both the HCL-33 and HCL-33-EA seem to be useful for screening depressed adolescents for BD. The HCL-33-EA would be more appropriate for distinguishing BD from MDD in adolescents due to its high sensitivity in Chinese clinical settings.

Comparing the Self- and External Assessment Versions of the HCL-33 as Screening Instruments for Bipolar Disorder in Older Depressed Patients

Objectives: The misdiagnosis of bipolar disorder (BD) as major depressive disorder (MDD) is common in depressed older adults. The self-rated HCL-33 and its external assessment version (HCL-33-EA) have been developed to screen for hypomanic symptoms. This study compared the screening ability of these two instruments to discriminate BD from MDD.Methods: A total of 215 patients (107 with BD and 108 with MDD) and their carers were recruited. Patients and their carers completed the HCL-33 and HCL-33-EA, respectively. The consistency of the total score and the positive response to each item between the two scales was calculated with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Cohen's kappa coefficient separately. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves were drawn for both instruments. The optimal cut-off points were determined according to the maximum Youden's Index. The areas under the ROC curve (AUC) of the HCL-33 and HCL-33-EA were calculated separately and compared. The sensitivity and specificity at the optimal cut-off values were also calculated separately for the HCL-33 and HCL-33-EA.Results: The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) between the total scores of the HCL-33 and HCL-33-EA was 0.823 (95% CI = 0.774–0.862). The positive response rate on all items showed high agreement between the two instruments. ROC curve analysis demonstrated that the total scores of both HCL-33 and HCL-33-EA differentiated well between MDD and BD, while there was no significant difference in the AUCs between the two scales (Z = 0.422, P = 0.673). The optimal cutoff values for the HCL-33 and HCL-33-EA were 14 and 12, respectively. With the optimal cutoff value, the sensitivities of the HCL-33 and HCL-33-EA were 88.8% and 93.5%, and their specificities were 82.4% and 79.6%.Conclusion: Both the HCL-33 and HCL-33-EA had good screening ability for discriminating BD from MDD in depressed older adults.

Self-Assessment of Mobility of People over 65 Years of Age

Background and Objectives: Nowadays, various clinical scoring systems are used in the medical care of the elderly to assess the quality of mobility. However, people often tend to under‑ or overestimate themselves in many aspects. Since this can have serious consequences in their treatment and care, the aim of this study was to identify differences in the self and external assessment of mobility of persons over 65 years of age. Materials and Methods: 222 participants over 65 years of age and one external, closely‑related relative or professional caregiver were interviewed by a unique study assistant using a standardized questionnaire. Participants were divided into people living in nursing homes and independent people living at home, where either the caregivers or the relatives provided the external assessment of mobility, respectively. The questionnaire included demographics, cognitive abilities (Mini Mental Status Test); fall risk (Hendrich 2 Fall Risk Model); as well as the Parker Mobility Score, Barthel Index, and EQ-5D-5L to measure mobility, activities of daily life and quality of life. In each case, the participant and the external person were asked for their assessment to the participants’ mobility situation. Statistical significance of the difference between self and external assessment was calculated with a Wilcoxon rank‑sum test and assumed with a p‑value of ≤ 0.05. Results: Self-assessment indicated a significantly higher value, when compared to an external assessment for the Parker Mobility Score for females in nursing homes (p ≤ 0.01), as well as for the Barthel Index for females (p ≤ 0.01) and males (p ≤ 0.01) in nursing homes. The EQ-5D-5L received a significantly higher self-assessment value for females (p ≤ 0.01) and males (p ≤ 0.01) living at home and females (p ≤ 0.01) and males (p ≤ 0.05) in nursing homes. Conclusions: Persons over 65 years of age tend to overestimate their level of mobility, quality of life and activities of daily life. Especially for people living in nursing homes, these scoring systems should be treated with caution due to the differences between the verbal statements. It is important to properly assess the mobility situation of elderly patients to ensure correct medical treatment and prevention of falls.

Study On The Perceptions Of Teachers In Mathematics Related To Their Pedagogical Knowledge

The article presents a survey among teachers in mathematics with the idea to evaluate their professional and methodological skills as a factor in the results of national external assessment of 15-year-old students in Bulgarian school. The sample is representative – the opinion of teachers in mathematics from all over the country is taken. They are also part of the team trained in the methodology for assessing the exam. The results show that teachers have a high level of professional training, but the methodological expertise is less. The authors conclude that not only what is taught is important, but also how it is presented.