The work in this dissertation is presented in two parts. The first part (Chapters 3 and 4) details work relating to students' explanations of reaction mechanisms in organic chemistry. The second part (Chapters 5 and 6) details work relating to the evaluating the uptake of research-based instructional practices in introductory chemistry,…

There is a need to continue to amplify the value of occupational therapy for individuals with disabilities who are transitioning from secondary education to adult settings, such as vocational and post-secondary educational environments. Literature evidences a lack of practitioner knowledge of assessments and evaluations within the scope of…

Assessment drives learning and determines success in higher education. In a robust and defensible system, assessment should not exclude based on extraneous student characteristics, particularly as the student body becomes more diverse. This research sought to examine classroom assessment designs that might make assessment inclusive. A critical…

Traditional, standardized instruction and assessment practices are insufficient to promote the development of skills such as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication, which have been deemed necessary for post-secondary success (Darling-Hammond & Adamson, 2013; Milner, 2018; Rickles et al., 2019). They also serve to…

Sex education in the United States is rarely comprehensive and inclusive, and individuals with disabilities are typically left out of sex education programs and conversations. When they do have access to sex education, it tends to focus on abuse prevention while ignoring sexual expression. The dearth of sex education available for disabled young…

There are many challenges associated with Inquiry-Based Practical Work (IBPW), scattered in the school and post-school natural sciences education research literature. The goal of the systematic review presented in this paper, was to gather the contextual teaching challenges in the said literature, and then to create a detailed multi-perspective…

This study explored the impact of gradeless assessment on student holistic development in higher education. By examining its influence on learning, motivation and engagement, the research addressed a gap in the literature and aligned with holistic education principles encompassing intellectual, emotional, social and physical well-being. Data from…

The Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) College Report advocates for use of real data with context and purpose. This work contributes to the growing literature on assessing statistical literacy by investigating the influence of context as it relates to assessment performance among post-secondary introductory…

Learners who learn from OER often cannot have their learning assessed or receive a credential. Open credentials offer a potential solution to this problem, combining badges or micro-credentials with competence frameworks and digital seals. This study identified the current situation of open credentials in post-secondary education in Europe, the…

Now that remote education has become mainstream, how can we best use mobile technology to promote learning? How can we personalise our assessment of learning remotely? This book explores these questions and more, considering strategies for using mobile devices for more personalised teaching. The proliferation of mobile technology provides a unique…

Research-based assessments in postsecondary chemistry education have been widely developed and published, but their use has not enjoyed the same level of focus in the chemistry education research literature as evidence-based instructional practices. Several high-quality assessment strategies have been developed for use in postsecondary chemistry…

Quantitative reasoning is an individual's ability to understand quantitative information in context, represent and model such information in various forms, solve real-world problems using mathematical and statistical knowledge, and communicate ideas using quantitative arguments. Quantitative Reasoning (QR) courses are increasingly popular as…

This translational scoping study investigates how ethics learning is assessed in engineering education worldwide and interprets concepts and practices for relevance to educational planners at the postsecondary level. It provides insights on how engineering education has achieved a level of standardization globally, a calibration process that has…

AI advancements are likely to have a profound impact on all aspects of society and every sector of the economy in the coming years, with changes already well underway. In this context, postsecondary institutions have a dual role: (1) to strategically leverage AI to help catalyze greater access and success into postsecondary education for all…

The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) Study Review Protocol accompanies the "WWC Procedures and Standards Handbook, Version 5.0" and guides reviews of studies by the WWC. The WWC uses this protocol to review all studies, including those cited as evidence for U.S. Department of Education grant competitions, studies that were funded by the…