In-class examinations in college-level science: New theory, new practice (original) (raw)
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Acta Educationis Generalis
Introduction: Assessment, historically, has been done in a summative manner in post-secondary education (HE). Whilst useful for the purposes of grading and assessment of competency, there is also increasing pressure from post-secondary education institutions to meet certain standards in terms of education quality and graduate numbers, putting pressure on teachers to produce evidence of students’ level of understanding and thus putting a greater emphasis on the use of summative assessments. The formative assessment approach for student learning is preferable in some fields, but how useful is this format for the science subjects? Purpose: To discuss the utility of either summative assessments or formative assessments (or both) in science teaching at university level. Methods: Exploration of the literature involving teaching science in university undergraduate courses (i.e., no formal search criteria). Conclusions: A new category of assessment is needed - the integration of formative a...
CBE life sciences education, 2015
Testing within the science classroom is commonly used for both formative and summative assessment purposes to let the student and the instructor gauge progress toward learning goals. Research within cognitive science suggests, however, that testing can also be a learning event. We present summaries of studies that suggest that repeated retrieval can enhance long-term learning in a laboratory setting; various testing formats can promote learning; feedback enhances the benefits of testing; testing can potentiate further study; and benefits of testing are not limited to rote memory. Most of these studies were performed in a laboratory environment, so we also present summaries of experiments suggesting that the benefits of testing can extend to the classroom. Finally, we suggest opportunities that these observations raise for the classroom and for further research.
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An assessment-oriented design-based research model was applied to existing inquiryoriented multimedia programs in astronomy, biology, and ecology. Building on emerging situative theories of assessment, the model extends prevailing views of formative assessment for learning by embedding ''discursive'' formative assessment more directly into the curriculum. Three twenty-hour curricula were designed and aligned to content standards, and three levels of assessments were developed and used to assess and enhance learning for each curriculum. These assessments included three or four informal ''activity-oriented'' quizzes and discursive formative feedback rubrics supporting collective discourse, a ''curriculum-oriented'' examination of individual conceptual understanding, and a ''standards-oriented'' test measuring aggregated achievement of targeted standards. After two designresearch cycles, worthwhile scientific argumentation and statistically significant gains were attained for two of the three packages on the exam and test. Achievement gains were comparable to or larger than those of students in comparison classrooms. Many existing innovations could be enhanced and evaluated in this fashion; designing these strategies directly into innovations could have an even greater impact on discourse, understanding, and achievement. ß
Formative Assessment for Next Generation Science Standards: A Proposed Model
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Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 2012
An assessment-oriented design-based research model was applied to existing inquiryoriented multimedia programs in astronomy, biology, and ecology. Building on emerging situative theories of assessment, the model extends prevailing views of formative assessment for learning by embedding ''discursive'' formative assessment more directly into the curriculum. Three twenty-hour curricula were designed and aligned to content standards, and three levels of assessments were developed and used to assess and enhance learning for each curriculum. These assessments included three or four informal ''activity-oriented'' quizzes and discursive formative feedback rubrics supporting collective discourse, a ''curriculum-oriented'' examination of individual conceptual understanding, and a ''standards-oriented'' test measuring aggregated achievement of targeted standards. After two designresearch cycles, worthwhile scientific argumentation and statistically significant gains were attained for two of the three packages on the exam and test. Achievement gains were comparable to or larger than those of students in comparison classrooms. Many existing innovations could be enhanced and evaluated in this fashion; designing these strategies directly into innovations could have an even greater impact on discourse, understanding, and achievement. ß
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Cell Biology Education, 2006
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