Abstracts - Earli

Quebec preservice teachers and their recourse to ICT on entering the profession: foundations andpredictorsFrancois Larose, University of Sherbrooke, CanadaVincent Grenon, University of Sherbrooke, CanadaAims In this communication, we shall state the results of a longitudinal study on the evolution ofthe relation to the pedagogical uses of information and communication technologies (ICT) madeby four successive cohorts of students in the preservice teaching program at the University ofSherbrooke (Quebec, Canada), between 1998 and 2004. Our research is based on the sociallearning theory as taken up again and developed by Bandura and applied to the context of analysisof factors that influence the profiles of professional practices developed by Quebec preserviceteachers. Methodology We conducted a longitudinal survey with successive convenient samplescomposed of all students in the preschool, elementary, and high school teacher education programsat the University of Sherbrooke. The inquiry was conducted in a recurrent manner over a period of6 years with a sample totalling 3970 subjects. Findings Results of this study show that the level ofcomputer literacy increased in a significant manner between 1998 and 2004. We observe,nevertheless, an impact of exposure to ICT courses offered to preservice teachers on their generalattitude toward ICT. In addition, the exposure to ICT use by experienced teachers in the classroomdetermines the probability of computer use as a teaching tool in their teaching profile.Variations in portfolio assessment in Higher Education and the potential of future use oftechnologyOlga Dysthe, University of Bergen, NorwayKnut Steinar Engelsen, University College of Stord/Haugesund, NorwayMarit Allern, University of Tromsoe, NorwayAnne Kristin Sjo, University College of Stord/Haugesund, NorwayConsiderable changes in assessment have taken place in the wake of a major reform of highereducation in Norway from 2002. One of the changes is the use of portfolio assessment, and theempirical basis for this paper is a nationwide survey study of portfolio practices conducted in2006. Our main research question is the following: How do portfolios vary across disciplines andto what extent and in what respect can variations in understandings and practices be attributed todifferences inherent in the disciplines or to difference in perspectives on learning and assessment?Our findings show systematic differences between different types of educational institutions, butalso between disciplines within each institution. This raises questions of what conceptions ofportfolios and what practices are considered useful and under what conditions. The findings alsolead to a discussion of further developments of portfolios in higher education and we ask how thenew web technologies may contribute to changing portfolio practices in different disciplinarytraditions.First state mandated tests in Germany: Teachers’ view on the pedagogical relevance ofperformance feedback informationUwe Maier, University of Education Schwäbisch Gmünd, GermanyThis paper describes the teachers’ view of the new compulsory testing-system in Baden-Wýrttemberg, one of the large states in the south-west of Germany. For the first time in spring2006, public secondary schools were bound by law to administrate state-wide tests("Vergleichsarbeiten") in up to three relevant subjects after grade 6. Beyond educational policy,there is only little empirical evidence on the overall effectiveness of school accountability systems.– 708 –