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Ergo, an Open Access Journal of Philosophy: vol. 6, (dlps) 12405314.0006.003, http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.12405314.0006.003, This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact mpub-help@umich.edu to use this work in a way not covered by the license.

Australian education is undergoing national reform at many levels. The school sector, where preserviceteachers will be employed, are adjusting to the demands of the National Curriculum and improving teacher quality through the National Professional Standards for Teachers. In addition, the university sector, where pre-service teachers are prepared, is undergoing its own education reform through the introduction of a demand-driven system and ensuring quality for tertiary education interns through the Higher Education Standards Framework. In moving to prepare preservice teachers for the school system; universities are grappling with the double-barreled approach to teacher quality; quality within the university course and quality within the student teachers being prepared. Through a collaborative partnership including university lecturers, Department of Education central administration staff, school principals, school coordinators, practicum supervisors, mentor teachers and pre-service teachers; the stakeholders have formed an online community of learners engaging in reflective practice who are committed to improving teacher quality. This online community not only links the key stakeholders within the project, it facilitates the nexus between theory and practice often missing in our pre-service teacher placements. This paper reports preliminary data about an initiative to ensure final year pre-service teachers are aspiring to meet the graduate professional standards through the use of an innovative online community.

This paper reports a case study in which the Blackboard essay test tool was used to evaluate e-student learning. To promote student learning as well as maintain the integrity of test results, constructed-response items were randomly selected from a large pool of study questions and the time available to complete the tests was limited. The e-lecturer maintained a reflective journal and the e-students were invited, via email, to provide feedback on their perception of the value of the testing approach used in their e-class. Overall, students evaluated the use of the online tests positively, although issues of technology difficulties presented challenges for some students. The e-lecturer was particularly positive about the benefits of such as approach to online assessment citing ease of test management including student test submission, provision of feedback and grading. Unsupervised online constructed-response tests have the potential to enhance student learning while providing valid test scores.

This paper reports on a study to evaluate technology-based processes for assessment moderation.The aim was to evaluate standard features found in an institutional Learning Management System,and their compatibility with the values and practices of a large teaching team. The process used anonline discussion board forum for tutors, the paring of more experienced tutors with those new tothe process, and further meetings conducted in both face-to-face and web conferencingenvironments. Online rubrics were used for assessing student work and the provision of feedback.A focus group conducted after marking was concluded and the analysis of the discussion boardforum demonstrated a strong community of practice with a shared understanding of assessmentrequirements.

eBooks have now become commonplace in the community and are used on a range of mobile devicessuch as eBook readers and tablet computers. In recent years, eTextbooks accessible on a range of mobile devices have provided an alternative to heavy and expensive print-based resources. Although some institutions have decided that eTextbooks and related resources are the preferred option for their students, research does not yet indicate that students actually favor eTextbooks. There is also little evidence to support whether the additional features offered in electronic resources increase engagement or improve learning outcomes. The author describes how a review of the literature revealed current issues related to eTextbooks and their accompanying resources. This preliminary exploration will guide research to investigate whether eTextbooks and complementary resources produced by publishing companies can lead to improved learning outcomes and student engagement in a business school context.