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The Fourth Validation Study: A Qualitative Examination of the Attitudes of Liberal Studies (LS) Markers Towards Onscreen Marking in Hong Kong

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Abstract

This chapter describes a qualitative study of the attitudes of Liberal Studies’ markers towards OSM carried out in 2009 – before the subject became a compulsory subject in Hong Kong’s new senior secondary school curriculum and when the candidature was much smaller at 3300. This qualitative validation study describes semi-structured interviews with Liberal Studies markers who provided in-depth opinions on key aspects of the OSM process. Markers were positive about many aspects of the new system, including: the advantages of marking by single question rather than by whole paper; improved reliability using control scripts; and relief from administrative tasks associated with PBM. There were, nonetheless, aspects of the new system that markers were unhappy with, primarily logistical, involving travel to marking centres and marking at fixed times when they were tired. Reading onscreen was also an issue. In summary, 43 % of markers stated that they preferred the status quo of PBM, 35 % stated they felt OSM was better, while 21 % were ambivalent. While OSM in 2009 had not yet been wholeheartedly accepted by markers, its potential advantages were beginning to be appreciated.

This study originally appeared as: Coniam, David (2011). A qualitative examination of the attitudes of Liberal Studies markers towards onscreen marking in Hong Kong. British Journal of Educational Technology, 42(6), 1042–1054. Reprinted with kind permission from John Wiley and Sons.

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Curriculum and Instruction, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, Hong Kong

    David Coniam & Peter Falvey

Authors
  1. David Coniam
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  2. Peter Falvey
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Appendix 1: Participant Profiles

Appendix 1: Participant Profiles

Marker

Module panel

Marker status – new/experienced

Sex

Age (years)

Teaching experience (years)

Head of dept.

Marking for HKEAA (years)

Marking AS LS (years)

Preference for mode of marking

M1-ES

ES

N

M

31–40

3–5

N

<2

0

OSM

M2-ES

ES

E

F

26–30

6–10

Y

2–5

2–5

PBM

M3-ES

ES

E

F

26–30

6–10

N

2–5

2–5

OSM

M4-HK

HK

E

M

41–50

11–20

Y

6–10

2–5

OSM

M5-HK

HK

E

F

31–40

11–20

Y

>10

3–5

Ambivalent

M6-HK

HK

N

F

31–40

11–20

Y

<2

0

PBM

M7-HK

HK

N

M

41–50

11–20

Y

6–10

0

Ambivalent

M8-HK

HK

E

M

31–40

11–20

Y

6–10

2–5

PBM

M9-HR

HR

N

M

<26

3–5

N

<2

0

OSM

M10-HR

HR

N

F

31–40

11–20

N

<2

0

OSM

M11-HR

HR

N

M

41–50

3–5

Y

<2

0

PBM

M12-HR

HR

E

M

31–40

6–10

Y

2–5

2–5

Ambivalent

M13-HR

HR

E

M

31–40

11–20

N

2–5

2–5

PBM

M14-ST

ST

E

M

41–50

11–20

N

2–5

2–5

PBM

  1. Key: ES Environmental Studies, HK Hong Kong Studies, HR Human Relationships, ST Science, Technology & Society

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© 2016 Springer Science+Business Media Singapore

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Coniam, D., Falvey, P. (2016). The Fourth Validation Study: A Qualitative Examination of the Attitudes of Liberal Studies (LS) Markers Towards Onscreen Marking in Hong Kong. In: Validating Technological Innovation. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0434-6_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0434-6_8

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-10-0432-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-10-0434-6

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

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