Assessment Research and

Tools:when, why, how?

Diane Ebert-May

Department of Plant Biology Michigan State University

ebertmay@msu.eduhttp://first2.org

The trouble with our times is that the future is not what it

used to be. -Paul Valery, The Art of Poetry

Q2. What is assessment?

Q1. What is scientific teaching ?

Please write responses on card

Active

is participation to learn (accomplish goals)

Assessment

is evidence

Diversity

is science for all...

Q1. What is scientific teaching?

Q2. What is assessment?

Data collection with the purpose of answering questions about…

students’ understanding

students’ attitudes

students’ skills

instructional design and implementation

curricular reform (at multiple grainsizes)

Q3. Why do assessment?

Improve student learning and development.

Provide students and facultysubstantive feedback about student understanding.

Challenge to use disciplinary research strategies to assess learning.

So what are the issues? Claim: Faculty need to change their teaching.Why: Data indicate students are not learning science/math.

Therefore: ... if faculty implement effective scientific teaching, ...data will show learning gains by all.

Faculty change?

Engage

True or False?

Assessing student learning in science parallels what scientists/do as researchers.

1.Description:

-What is happening?

2.Cause:

-Does ‘x’ (teaching strategy) affect ‘y’ (understanding)?

3.Process or mechanism:

-Why or how does ‘x’ cause ‘y’?

Parallel: ask questions

We collect data to find out what our students know.

Data helps us understand student thinking about concepts and content.

We use data to guide decisions about course/curriculum/innovative instruction

Parallel: collect data

Quantitative data - statistical analysis

Qualitative data

break into manageable units and define coding categories

search for patterns, quantify

interpret and synthesize

Valid and repeatable measures

Parallel: analyze data

Ideas and results are peer reviewed - formally and/or informally.

Parallel: peer review

Explore

Guidelines for thinking about research...

What did students learn? (assessment data)

Why did students respond a particular way? (research) Significant question?

What are the working hypotheses? Relevant theory..

What has already been done? Literature says...

How and why select methods? Direct investigation...

How to analyze and interpret data?

What do the results mean? Coherent reasoning...

Are findings replicable and generalizable? Critique by peers...

Research Designs

Data collection

Assessment GradientAssessment Gradient

High

Ease of

Assessment

Low

Multiple Choice, T/F

Diagrams, Conceptmaps, Quantitative

response

Short answer

Essay, Researchpapers/ reports

Oral Interview

Low

Potential for

Assessment of

Learning

High

Explain/Elaborate

SystemModel

Final Assessment?

IRD Team at MSU

Janet Batzli - Plant Biology [U of Wisconsin]Doug Luckie - PhysiologyScott Harrison - Microbiology (grad student)Tammy Long - Plant BiologyDeb Linton - Plant Biology (postdoc)Rett Weber - Plant BiologyHeejun Lim - Chemistry EducationDuncan Sibley - GeologyRob Pennock - PhilosophyCharles Ofria - EngineeringRich Lenski - Microbiolgy*National Science Foundation