Fifth Day Reflection

This morning topic was about "Improving the LE". This was the continuation of conducting the Assessment. Improving LE is about identifying the gaps after conducting the assessment and designing interventions, approaches and strategies to address the gap. The steps to "Improving LE" are;

1) Analyze the survey for LE problems in either overall or certain deminsion.
2) Conduct interview/discussion
3) Design intervention and track the process
4) After about 3 to 6 months, re-visit the LE enviroment.

There will be times that the the intervention is beyond one capability or the intervention does not produce the desired result that one may need external agenices assistance.

I think that the greatest aspect will be the "Conduct interview/discussion". How and what to ask is the greatest challenge and almost how to extract the information from the interview/discussion. This is the soft-skill of the interviewer. The other aspect will be the forwardness of the interviewees.

We were then introduced to the SPSS software to analyise the consolidated data to calcuate the mean and standard deviation. Each group was tasked to use the SPSS software to calculate 2-3 dimension of their scale and item mean and standard deviation. Our group then consolidated all the result and generate whole survey result table.

Btw is the SPSS a free-ware program? Is there any other program similar to SPSS? I am not sure whether it is better for the organization to have an office to manage and maintain a pool of Assessment expert. They will then assist the other department to carry out the assessment survey.

The group was working together to generate the Module final day assignment report based on day 4 classroom individual assessment survey and day 5 project on SPSS software run on the assessment survey result.

Forth Day Reflection

Today, we were introduced with the topic "Modifying LE Instruments". There are many type of Assessment Instrument available to cater each type of measurement. WIHIC is one of the assessment use for classroom LE. As to whether to modify the Assessment Instruments, the question need to ask is;

1) Why modify?

2) How to modify?

As to "Why Modify", we have to consider the "Why use this assessment instrument?". We also have to consider of avoiding re-inventing the wheel as there are many instrument avaliable to cater to each one assessment needs. The other are is the context and the target group.

"How to Modify". We have to examine the statement that they are suitable. Any change should be done on the context for the target groups.

We then proceed with the Group case study. Our group was given Case Study A of School LE. This school had a principal who believe in working hard and school discipline. However he did improve the school LE with brightly colored table for creative learning and IT infusion. He also provides strong support and leadership to his staff. This resulted in the Value-added school award given to the school.

The non-conducive portion was the distraction from many initiatives he had introduced and insufficient learning space.

My other opinion is regarding the treacher workload and work-life stress level. With so many programs and high expectation (from principal and parents), the teacher can easily "burn-out".

Whether I will send my child to this school will depends whether it match my child need. If my child is on the lower academic region, then I believe my child will benefit from the school program.

The class done the WIHIC this afternoon on this module Learning Environment. After each of the group had completed the survey, I helped Kumar to consolidate the group result. We then gather the rest of the group result and consolidate the whole class survey result. Tomorrow the group will be writing the Survey assessment report of this module LE.

Btw how is my improved blogger look?

Third Day Reflection

Today was about the "How to Assess a LE". This is the time I found that the handout was rather not systematic. The handout slide did not follow with the presentation. I have difficulty finding where the slide was.

Btw, the topics for today begin with the area of assessment and it consists of 3 topics;

1) Relationship

2) Personal development and

3) System maintenance and system change.

In assessment, we need to have a good number of sample. The approach to a good assessment is;

1) Naturalistics inquiry

2) Inventories

3) Ethnography

4) Case studies

Using the Moo's table, Quek presented on the overview scales and levels for each instrument. She also suggested that the scale should be about 5.

In an example use, we were introduced the "Actual" and "Preferred" assessment and was used to bridge the gap of each profile/dimension. The survey was suggested to be positive wording. The assessment used a lot of "I" to register the personnal question and answer. It was also suggest to use "Wording of expression" instead of score as the score will make the surveyee thinking of higher scoring. The other school of thought was to have the two survey (Actual and Preferred) at different times. The Actual will be worded as "I am" and the Preferred as "I would like".

We ended the morning session with the Dimension's items used by Chua & Wong in 2001 to assess the Chinese Language classroom.

In the afternoon we have the case study on the YouTube video of "RJC Angry Teacher". Our group did the prespective of the teacher and student. Our conclusion is that the LE relationship was hostile. We think that the environment is wrong to conduct the "lecturing" as there are other students around. We guess that the teacher might use this case to get the message across the class.

Personally, I feel sorry for the teacher after the outcome of the YouTube. I believe that my generation "schooling" expectation of teacher and student relationship is different from current generation. Yes the teacher might be wrong to attack the student behaviour. However I believe the teacher was so stress and also angry of the student assisgnment. She had the good intention to help the students.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9MZCrHfYGY

Second Day Reflection

The second day was the "Why Work on the LE" and "When is LE a problem". It was a short lession for both topics. The "Why Work" was about the quality of teaching and teacher-student interaction, motivation, achievement and association. The "Why" is LE a Problem" was about Poor person and environment fit.

Our group was tasking to research on Henry Murray contribution to LE. Myself, V Das and KC agreed to reseach on his contribution. Each was to look at the different website. I was given to "Wikipedia" site. I also went to Westminster site. From these sites, I found Murray main contributions were
1) Needs and Press - The concepts of latent needs (not openly displayed) and manifest needs (observed in people's action) and press (external influences on motivation). The Therma is the pattern of needs and press that work together around any interactions.
2) Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) - is based on the assumption that everyone thinking is shaped by subjective process. It was earlier used to assess emotionally disturbed patients. Later it was used to assess the potential of one self.
3) Quantiative Assessment - this assessment is based on analysis of specific criteria by a number of raters across a range of activities. This can be use to assess one people leadership.

The other 2 also come with almost the all pointers. Das also contributed on the Personlogy. This is the integrated study using the exteranl appearance and facical features to analyze and predict one character, traits and behaviour.

However, on the afternoon of the presentation, only three of us, myself, Kumar and Eskay were present to present our group works. I picked to present on Murrey contribution.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Murray

First Day Reflection

What have I learn on the first day on Assessing and Improving Learning Environment module? First introduce the topics of the "Why", "What", "When" and "How" steps of Learning Environment. We started the 1st day with the "What" constitutes a LE. As usual the name of the guru; Walberg, Moos, Lewin and Murray. It is about people relationship of LE and Lewin and Murray contribution of Human behaviour and Press.

Where are LE found? On the perspectives on LE, there are 4 types; Community, Learner-centred, Knownledge-centred and Assessment-cenred. My group was assigned to research the Community LE. The group is to look into the characteristic of community learning and it's existance in Singapore.

The 1st day is the culture shock. Internet to me is just email (yahoo, singnet) and just browsing some websites. Now have to bog. Blur lah trying to follow up the blogger setup. Here am I as a blur blogger with my first simple bog page and learning to blog. Will try to further beautify my bogger page.