Enacting Assessment for Learning (AfL) is challenging for teachers and even more for Preservice Teachers (PSTs). The support for those attempting to enact it has been considered insufficient and/or inadequate. This study aims to examine how positioning preservice teachers as practitioner researchers while belonging to a learning community can…

In recent years, virtual teaching and training environments, namely learning management systems (LMSs), have been increasingly used to monitor learning and to provide learning materials to students. This investigation evaluates the accessibility of the LMS platform used in a Portuguese university, using web accessibility validation tools, an…

This study examines the views of assessment of programme directors at a Portuguese public university (n = 60). Data were collected through a questionnaire which included closed and open-ended questions. The participants hold different professional categories and come from medical and health sciences, exact sciences, engineering and technology,…

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to compare graduates' score rates in two multiple mini-interview (MMI) stations designed to assess graduates from several academic areas: confidant vs stress interview and synchronous vs asynchronous. This relates to three transversal competences (TCs) (learning to learn [LL], positive professional attitude…

This study focuses on the effect of the programme variable on the purposes and effects that students associate with assessment, on the assessment methods used and on the perceived use of assessment. Data were collected in five Portuguese Public Universities through a survey (n = 4144) and focus group (n = 250) with students enrolled in different…

Drawing upon a wider piece of research, this paper focuses on students' views of assessment in higher education. It reports on data collected from a total of 5,549 students in five Portuguese public universities. The study aims to investigate the psychometric properties of two scales, one measuring the purposes and effects associated by students…

The aim of this study is to examine whether a preference for specific assessment methods in higher education is associated with personality and character strengths. Two-hundred and seventy Portuguese students completed a survey of character strengths, a Big Five personality test and their preference for each of six higher education assessment…

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this study is to develop an efficient methodology that can assist the evaluators in assessing a variable number of individuals that are working in groups and guarantee that the assessment is dependent on the group members' performance and contribution to the work developed. Background: Collaborative work has been…

In order to assess the accuracy and validity of proficiency diagnostic tests in Second Language (L2), specifically regarding the linguistic (orthographic, semantic, syntactic, lexical) and cognitive (verbal reasoning, lexical decision) components for the immigrant population in Portugal, a study of cut-off points of 6 tests was conducted. This…

This paper examines preservice teachers' perspectives on assessment feedback developed in a teacher education course during the first lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As initially negotiated with students, feedback was learner-centred and involved a formative intervention approach applied iteratively by the teacher educator over the course…

Background: Assessment is crucial for the quality of teaching and learning in physical education (PE). Currently little is known about the students' level of achievement in PE and about the parameters used for calculating the PE grades. Although there is evidence that boys are more active outside school than girls and participate more in organized…

Low performance of nontechnical engineering students in programming courses is a problem that remains unsolved. Over the years, many authors have tried to identify the multiple causes for that failure, but there is unanimity on the fact that motivation is a key factor for the acquisition of knowledge by students. To better understand motivation, a…

Computer Programming Learners usually fail to get approved in introductory courses because solving problems using computers is a complex task. The most important reason for that failure is concerned with motivation; motivation strongly impacts on the learning process. In this paper we discuss how techniques like program animation, and automatic…

After 20 years of the Bologna Declaration, Portuguese universities claim to be implementing student-centred and involved assessment practices. Student conceptions of assessment matter when innovations and reforms in assessment practices are being implemented. This study is part of a larger research project entitled "Assessment in higher…

The doctoral defence is the oral examination of the doctoral thesis. While it is a major milestone for doctoral candidates, this event is often shrouded in mystery. In this article, I explore the doctoral defence from an international perspective. I have studied the format of the defence based on written testimonies as well as the literature on…