The effects of using rubrics on the learning achievement of students in Educational Assessment and Evaluation.

The quantitative study was designed to examine the learning achievement and the opinions of the freshmen students towards rubric usage in Educational Assessment and Evaluation module. The study was an experimental research and used two groups: pre-test-post-test design. The study was carried out in one of the colleges under the Royal University of Bhutan with 120 students from 4 sections of first year. Through cluster random sampling, 2 sections of students for the control group and the experimental group were selected out of 4 sections. Each section had 30 students. The students in the experimental group were taught using rubrics and the students in the control group were taught using a traditional method. Instruments such as achievement test and survey questionnaire were used to collect the data. The quantitative data collected from the achievement test and questionnaire were analyzed and interpreted using inferential statistics t-test with p<0.05 level of significance, mean and standard deviation. The data analysis of test scores revealed that the overall mean for the post-test for the control group was 19.67 and for the experimental group was 25.4,which indicated that the learning achievement of the students who were taught using rubrics was higher than the students who were taught using a traditional method. The overall mean for survey questionnaire was 4.76 out of 5, which showed that students in the experimental group had positive opinions towards rubric usage in Educational Assessment and Evaluation. The findings showed that rubrics enhanced students’ learning achievement and they had positive opinions towards rubrics.

You can view full paper here https://www.sce.edu.bt/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/EIP-College-Journel-Pages2.pdf

The Impact of Educational Technology Tools on the Learning Achievement of B.Ed. Science Students in Ecology Class at Samtse College of Education

This study was conducted by Ran Singh Tamang, Tshering and Sonam Rinchen at Samtse College of Education. It was published in one of international journals at Singapore. Check the link to read the full paper. http://ojs.bonviewpress.com/index.php/CETR/article/view/68/53

Abstract

Infusion of technology in education has tremendous potential to enhance students’ learning and enable them to become competent and prepare for their future career. The study explored the impact of educational technology tools on the learning achievement of B.Ed. science students in Ecology at Samste College of Education, Bhutan. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design and the study was guided by postpositivist worldview. Pretest and posttest were administered before and after the intervention. Purposive sampling was used to select one section of students at Samtse College of Education. The quantitative data were collected by using the survey questionnaire. The qualitative data was collected using semi-structured interviews. The quantitative data were analysed statistically using SPSS and qualitative data were analysed thematically. The findings of the study revealed that students have positive opinion towards various educational technology tools as it made the learning interesting and fun. The mean difference between pretest and posttest was 8.6 indicating that educational technology tools has enhanced students learning achievement in Ecology. Triangulation of three data sources such as survey questionnaire, interview and literature also revealed that educational technology tools enhance students’ learning achievement. There are numerous advantages of using educational technology tools in teaching, learning and assessment. Some of the advantages of educational technology tools are gaining attention, motivating students, encouraging interaction and independent learning. The finding also listed some challenges of using educational technology tools such as time management, understanding new educational technology, adaptability struggle, distraction, technical issues, and limited ICT knowledge. Educational technology tools integrated in the module will be further replicated by student teachers in schools. Therefore tutors were recommended to use variety of educational technology tools in learning, teaching and assessment. However, the finding of the study revealed that lack of knowledge on various educational technology tools was main factor that inhibits tutors from using it.  Therefore professional development trainings on various educational technology tools were recommended.

Discussion

The section discusses some of the main findings of the study with relation to the literature reviewed for the study. The section presents the comparison of the finding of the study with the existing literature. They are discussed under the opinion of students towards educational technology tools, advantages, and challenges of using various kinds of educational technology tools.

The study found that students have a positive opinion towards various educational technology tools used in teaching and learning Ecology. Students shared that learning Ecology with different kinds of educational technology tools was fun and interesting. This was because children born in the 21st century were digital native and were more grounded to learn through different kinds of educational technology tools. Sarkar et al. (2017) found 61 per cent of digital natives favoured in incorporating more educational technology tools into their courses. Brick and Homes (2008) revealed that audio feedback was well received by the students. Student rated video feedback more effective than the written feedback (McLaughlin et al., 2007). However, in the study, Padlet was the most favoured educational technology tool followed by Big Blue Bottom-video conferencing. The majority favoured Padlet, perhaps it motivated student to participate in various class activities, lowered anxiety, and encouraged interaction among students and tutors (Rashid et al., 2019)

                        Triangulation of three data sources of data such as learning achievement test, survey questionnaire and interview revealed that educational technology tools used to teach Ecology enhanced students’ learning achievement.  The finding of the study was consistent with the finding of various studies done on educational technology and student learning outcome (Wheeler. 2001; Harris, 2002; Smeets, 2005). Student learning achievement in Ecology was enhanced because educational technology tools provided various opportunities to construct knowledge (Cabero, 2001; Berge, 1998; Barron, 1998) and improve the communication between them and their tutors (Valasidou & Bousiou, 2005). Educational technology tools also increased their engagement with their learning (Wilkie et al., 2018).

                        The literature and the finding of the study identified a number of advantages for educational technology tools. Some of the common advantages of educational technology tools in literature and the finding of the study were students’ motivation (Balanskat et al., 2006; Kozma, 2005; Kulik, 2003; Webb & Cox, 2004), gaining attention (Comber et al.,2002); EUN, 2004), encouraging interaction (Rashid et al., 2019) and independent learning skill (Kozma, 2005; Kulik, 2003; Webb & Cox, 2004). Besides finding of the study, literature also listed some of the advantages of the educational technology tool. The advantages were easy to access (Meyer et al., 2008), improved pronunciations, commitments, assessed themselves (Meyer et al., 2008), innovated and deepened their learning. 

                        Other reasons for the increase in students’ learning achievement may be because students were more motivated and attentive when teachers used many different kinds of educational technology tools (Comber et al, 2002; EUN, 2004). Tutors could also make their lesson more attractive and lively by using different kinds of educational technology tools. This would indeed have inspired, engaged and motivated students to learn more (Long, 2001; Wood, 2004).

One of the findings of the study revealed that educational technology tools enhanced student independent learning skills. Students assumed greater responsibility for their own learning when tutors incorporated various educational technology tools (ITU, 2004).  Therefore, it would have promoted the paradigm shift from traditional-teacher centered to learner-centered learning (Ramboll, 2006).

The findings showed that students faced several challenges while learning Ecology using various educational technology tools. The challenges were time management, understanding new educational technology, adaptability struggle, distraction, technical issues, and limited ICT knowledge. In addition, literature also listed some challenges such as complexity (Schoepp, 2005), lack of resources (Becta, 2004; Al‐Alwani, 2005), scarcity of educational hardware and software (Toprakci, 2006) and lack of effective training for the tutors (Toprakci, 2006; Ghavifekr & Wan Athirah, 2015). Wilkie et al., (2018) reported that the use of educational technology tools increased student engagement with their learning, and maintained the student retention rate. However, the finding from questionnaire data showed that students rarely agreed educational technology tools prevented them from getting stress. Nevertheless, this happened because they were learning Ecology with technology for the first time as Student 3 have expressed, “Once when we are used to these educational technology tools, we will learn better”.

Martin (2019) strongly believes that educational technology tools cannot substitute teachers but teachers can incorporate them to reinforce interaction between teachers and students. Teachers’ job in the digital age is to guide, monitor, facilitate and scaffold students using different kinds of educational technology tools. Students should be more responsible and take ownership of learning. They should be independent learners and targets for lifelong learning. Educational technology tools should play a key role in enhancing lifelong learning skills for the students.

Conclusion

The study explored the impact of using educational technology tools on the students’ learning achievement in Ecology. The finding of the study revealed that students have positive opinion towards various educational technology tools as it made the learning Ecology fun and interesting. Students like tools such as interactive PowerPoint ‘Camtasia edited video’ and ‘Interactive video lesson’ to learn Ecology. However, the most preferred tools was Padlet. The least preferred tools were whiteboard, VLE quiz and Poll Everywhere.

The mean difference between pretest and posttest was 8.6. This indicated that educational technology tools has enhanced students learning achievement in Ecology. The value of standard deviation was also low indicating students’ posttest scores were clustered and located at the higher-end whereas students’ pretest scores were scattered and located at the lower end. Triangulation of three data sources such as survey questionnaire, interview and literature also revealed that educational technology tools enhance students’ learning achievement. It had also enhanced student interactive and independent learning skills. The students have agreed that they have enjoyed learning Ecology using a different kind of educational technology tools. However, some students expressed that they were stressed because they were learning Ecology with various kinds of technology for the first time in their life. 

Educational technology tools have both advantages and challenges. The advantages of using educational technology tools includes gaining students’ attention, motivating students, encouraging interaction and independent learning skill, easy to access, improving pronunciations, commitments, assess themselves and innovations. Educational technology tools have several limitations or challenges. Some of the challenges of incorporating educational technology tools are its complexity, lack of resources, time management, limited ICT knowledge and technical issues.

Recommendations

The finding revealed that the lack of training for both teachers and students was the main factor that prevented them from using educational technology tools in teaching and learning Ecology. Therefore, training on educational technology for both teachers and students is recommended. Since educational technology tools have arose excitement and curiosity amongst students, they recommended other module tutors to use educational technology tools as well. Educational technology tools integrated in the module will be further replicated by students teacher during teaching practice or as a full fledge teacher. Therefore tutors were recommended to use variety of educational technology tools in learning, teaching and an assessment.

Acknowledgement

The College Research Stimulus Fund (CRSF) funded this study. Authors would like to thank Samtse College of Education for financial support.

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Authors

Ran Sing Tamang is a Biology Lecturer at Samtse College of Education. He did M.Sc Zoology from India. He is very passionate about educational technology and he can be connect through his Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ZxqxH2_mGuVczAITGkj2g

Mr. Tshering is a Lecturer at Samtse College of Education under Royal university of Bhutan. He did his Masters from Bangkok. His research area are educational assessment, rubrics, ICT integration and active learning approach. He can be connect through his blog https://tsheringsce.wordpress.com/

Dr. Sonam Rinchen is a Professor at Samtse College of Education, RUB. Currently he is serving as a Dean of Academic Affairs in the College. He has done numerous research in education. He did his PhD in Education from Australia and masters from Canada. He can be contracted through srinchen.sce@rub.edu.bt

Mobile Phones used so far…

Archived for future reference

1. Nokia Black and White from March 2007 to July 2008

2. Samsung Folding from July 2008 to June 2009

3. Nokia 7610 from June 2009 to July 2011

4. Black Berry from July 2011 to Dec 2012

5. Lava phone from Dec 2012 to Dec 2013

6. Samsung Gallexy S Duos 2 from 2014-Aug 2016

7. Samsung A7(2016) from Aug 2016 to Feb, 2021

8. Samsung Galaxy M31 since March 2021

Food served in 7 days-mandatory quarantine at one of the quarantine facilities in Samtse.

Zero day

Dinner: Rice and roti with egg-plant curry with a cup of dal and small bottle of water

Day 1

Breakfast: Puri with curry. A cup of tea was also served

Lunch: Rice with potato curry with a cup of dal and small container of garlic prickle. A small bottle of water was also

Dinner: rice, and aludum(potato) with gravy chicken curry. Small bottle of water was also served

Day 2

Breakfast: Fried rice with eazy (Bhutanese prickle). A cup of tea was also served. 

Lunch: Rice with fried potato and sag (spinach). A cup of dal was also served.

Dinner: rice with friend fin and boiled egg with a soup.

Day 3

Breakfast: Roti with mixed potato and channa curry. Hot cup of tea was served.

Lunch: Rice with mixed vegetable curry and salad. A cup of dal was also served. 

Dinner: Rice with fried cabbage and chicken curry.

Day 4

Breakfast: Fried rice and a cup of tea.

Lunch: Rice with pumpkin and potato mixed curry. A cup of dal and one piece of fried papper were also served.

Dinner: Rice with potato curry. Salad and dal were also served.

Day 5

Breakfast:Two pieces of locally made sandwich and a cup of tea.

Lunch: Rice and fried sag with a cup of dal.

Dinner: Rice with potato curry and chicken gravy curry.

Day 6

Breakfast: Fried rice with ezay and a cup of tea.

Lunch: Rice with eggplant curry. Small container of ema dasti and a cup of dal were also given.

Dinner: Rice with potato curry and salad made of Japanese leaves. Bean dals were also given.

Day 7

Breakfast: Puri with dal and a cup of tea. 

Some good practices that we should learn from Indian farmers.

All about innovative farmer Sundaram and his wife Devi from a book ‘Grass Roots Innovation: minds on the margin are not marginal minds’ by Anil Gupta (2016)

Sundaram has developed several new varieties of dry-land crops. In 1998, Sundaram visited the village of Khandela, where he noticed a few uncommon plants of guar in a farmer’s field. These plants were taller, bore more number of pods from top to bottom and were free from insect, pest and disease infestations. He selected those plants and harvested the seed separately. The next year he grew the seeds of the selected plant in his farm and observed that some plants had fast-growing habits, including early flowering and fruiting. He adopted such mass-selection methods, that is, pooled the seeds of selected plants and plots every year for six years and harvested better seeds separately. The result were a new variety of crop with uniform height, synchronous maturity and higher yield. He developed Guar SR-23, mothbean SR1 and Kubuli Chana SR1 which was finally released into the market for commercial purposes in 2005.

Sundaram’s wife, Bhagwatic Devi, is no less innovative. She found that termites, a serious problem in the dry lands, used to affect the growth and yield of the crop. She also observed that pieces of soft wood in the soil attracted the termites. To attempt to solve her problem, she planted small pieces of eucalyptus in the wheat field at different interval. She found that all the termites became concentrated under these pieces of eucalyptus. Finally she could remove these pieces and dispose of the termites.

Grass root innovations in Agriculture

From Anil Gupta’s Book ‘Grass roots innovation: Minds on the margin are not marginal mins’.

Lengthening the maturity period of Tomatoes:

This is a very simple process where farmers can hang the uprooted tomato plants upside down, with unripe tomatoes, on a rope in a dark place. Anyone can do an experiment and see how by putting tomatoes upside down, one can slow down their maturity. The mechanism is that ethylene, which induces maturity and brings redness in the skin of tomatoes, is slowed when they are hung upside down. This is a very low cost, frugal, scientific method developed to lengthen the maturity period of tomatoes and thus give the farmers the advantage of higher prices during off season.

Example of water retention in the soil for dry season

In the Rangpur area of north Bangladesh, it was observed that in several homesteads, farmers planted one banana plant after every four areca palms. While Bangladesh receives a lot of rainfall during its monsoons, there is hardly any rain during the winter season. The banana plant, after absorbing a lot of moisture during the monsoon, releases it for the roots of the palms in the winter. This is one of the examples that we can adopted our agriculture practices.

How Buddhist College was established at Simtokha Dzong?

From ‘Brilliant Moon: The Autobiography of Dilgo Khyentse‘. Translated by Ani Jinba Palmo.

Prior to Dilgo Khyentse’s arrival in Bhutan, Her Majesty  Queen Mother of Bhutan Ashi Kesang Chodron Wangchuk’s mother, Mayum Choying Wangmo Dorje, had always told Her Majesty to take a good care of Simtokha Dzong as it was such a beautiful and historical dzong. Due to this advice, Her Majesty suggested to His Majesty King Jigme Dorje Wangchuck to to establish Buddhist College at Simtokha Dzong. His Majesty agreed and told her to ask his mother Ashi Phunsthho Choden who would be a good teacher to appoint. Her Majesty then left for Kalimpong to birth to third daughter Ashi Pem Pem.

While in Kalimpong, Her Majesty Ashi Kezang Choden Wangchuck asked Ashi Phuntsho Choden which lama would be a good teacher for the new Buddhist College in Simtokha Dzong, so Ashi suggested that Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche would be the most suitable one. His Majesty King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck then told his ministers that it was very important to establish a Buddhist College and to start making the necessary arrangements to accomplish it. So the ministers started organizing the college. The necessary books on various disciplines such as grammar, poetry, and spelling were printed and made ready. More than a hundred copies of root texts and commentaries of the way of the Bodhisattva were also printed.

Later, during the first month of the iron-bull year, 1961, several lamas from the central congregation of monks in Thimphu were sent to Kalimpong to invite Dilgo Khyentse to become the Principal of the Monastic College. Rinpoche accepted the post and left Kalimpong for Bhutan on the twenty-fifth of the first month. After arriving in Thimphu, while Simtokha Dzong was still being prepared, Rimpoche first started the college at Wangdutse for over a hundred intelligent young monks and laymen. Later college was moved to Simtokha Dzong.

Khyentse Rimpoche taught at the college until the winter of 1962 when he had to go to India as his brother Sangye Nyenpa had passed away in Rumtek and his younger daughter was serious ill in the hospital in Lucknow.

Calming the mind and looking within

Sit in a comfortable position. Your body remains in an erect but not tensed posture with eyes gently open. For five minutes, breath calmly, noticing the in-and-out of your flow of your breadth. Experience the gradual calming of chaotic thoughts. When thoughts arise, neither attempt or block them nor let them multiply. Simply continue to watch your breadth.

Next, instead of paying attention to outer sights, sounds, and events, turn your gaze inward and look at the mind itself. Looking here means observing your awareness itself, not the content of your thoughts. Let the mind gently come to rest, as a tired traveler finds a pleasant meadow in which to sit for a while.

Then, with a deep feeling of appreciation, think of the value of human existence and of its extraordinary potential for flourishing. Be aware, too, that this precious life will not last forever and that it is essential to make the possible use of it. Sincerely examine what counts most in life for you. What do you need to accomplish or discard in order to achieve authentic well-being and live a meaning existence? When the factors that contribute to true happiness have become clear to you, imagine that they begin to bloom in your mind. Resolve to nurture them day after day.

End your meditation by letting thoughts of pure kindness embrace all living beings.

From Richard, M. (2006). Happiness: A guide to developing life’s most important skill. USA: Little, Brown and Company.

How to begin to mediate

No matter what your outer circumstances might be, there is always, deep within you, a potential for flourishing. This is a potential for loving-kindness, compassion, and inner peace. Try to get in touch with and experience this potential that is always present, like a nugget of gold, in your heart and mind.

This potential needs to be developed and matured in order to achieve a more stable sense of well-being. However, this will not happen by itself. You need to develop it as a skill. For that, begin by becoming more familiar with your own mind. This is the beginning of meditation.

Sit quietly, in a comfortable but balanced posture. Whether you sit cross-legged on a cushion or more conventionally on a chair, try to keep your back straight, yet without being tensed. Rest your hands on your knees or thighs or in your lap, keep your eyes lightly gazing in the space in front of you, and breathe naturally. Watch your mind, the coming and going of thoughts. At first it might seem that instead of diminishing, thought run through your mind like water-fall. Just watch them arising and let them come and go, without trying to stop them but without fueling them either.

Take a moment at the end of the practice to savor the warmth and joy that result from a calmer mind. After a while your thoughts will become like a peace-ful river. If you practice regularly, eventually your mind will easily become serene, like a calm ocean. Whenever new thoughts arise, like waves raised by the winds, do not be bothered by them. They will soon dissolve back into the ocean.

From Richard, M. (2006). Happiness: A guide to developing life’s most important skill. USA: Little, Brown and Company.

The goose and the golden egg

This is a story of a poor farmer who one day discovers in the nest of his pet goose a glittering golden egg. At first, he thinks it must be some kind of trick. But as he starts to throw the egg aside, he has second thoughts and takes it in to be appraised instead. The egg is pure gold! The farmer can’t believe his good fortune. He becomes even more incredulous and the following day when experience is repeated. Day after day, he awakens to rush to the nest and find another golden egg. He becomes fabulously wealthy; it all seems too good to be true.

But with his increasing wealth comes greed and impatience. Unable to wait day after day for the golden eggs, farmer decides he will kill the goose and get them all at once. But when he open the goose, he finds it empty. There are no golden eggs-and now there is no way to get any more. The farmer has destroyed the goose that produced them.  If you adopt a pattern of life that focuses on golden eggs and neglects the goose, you will soon be without the asset that produces golden eggs. On the other hand, if you only take care of goose with no aim towards the golden eggs, you soon won’t have the wherewithal to feed yourself or the goose.

From Covey (2004). The 7 habits of highly effective people. Great Britain: Simon & Schuster UK Ltd.