1. Assessment What are the questions? What evidence will we accept? Diane Ebert-May Department of Plant Biology Michigan State University ebertmay@msu.edu http://first2.org

2. Anonymous (Change Magazine, 2001): “I believe we would all agree that the absolute best teaching learning-assessment model is the one-on-one Socratic apprenticeship model with unlimited time with the student. But ever since Socrates took on two students rather than only one (to double his income), teachers have had to make compromises in teaching.”

3. Larry Spence, Penn State “Today’s graduates cannot meet the demands of workplace or without several more years of learning on the job. They cannot formulate and solve messy real-world problems, work well with others in high-stress team situations, write and speak forcefully and persuasively, or improve their own performance.”

4. Question 1 How important is it to use multiple kinds of data to assess student learning? Please respond on a scale if 0-100 in increments of 10:

5. How important is it to use multiple forms of data to assess student learning? % Relative Importance n=127

6. Question 2 How often do you use data to make instructional decisions? Please respond on a scale of 0 - 100 in increments of 10:

7. How often do you use data to make instructional decisions? n=127 Frequency %

8. True or False? Assessing student learning in science parallels what scientists do as researchers.

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. Ideas and results are peer reviewed - formally and/or informally. Parallel: peer review

13. 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)

14. Why do assessment? Improve student learning and development. Provides students and faculty substantive feedback about student understanding. Challenge to use disciplinary research strategies to assess learning.

15. Research Methods

16. Data collection approaches

17. Multiple Choice … … Concept Maps … … Essay … … Interview high Ease of Assessment low low Potential for Assessment of Learning high Theoretical Framework Ausubel 1968; meaningful learning Novak 1998; visual representations King and Kitchner 1994; reflective judgment National Research Council 1999; theoretical frameworks for assessment Assessment Gradient

18. Does active, inquiry-based instructional design influence students’ understanding of evolution and natural selection? Pre-Posttest Analysis

19. ■ Changes in a population occur through a gradual change in individual members of a population. ■ New traits in species are developed in response to need. ■ All members of a population are genetically equivalent, variation and fitness are not considered. ■ Traits acquired during an individual’s lifetime will be inherited by offspring. Alternative Conceptions: Natural Selection

20. Instructional Design Cooperative groups in class: Guppy Problem: sexual vs. natural selection http://www.first2.org/resources/inqui ry_activities/guppy_activity.htm - PBS film -Simulation -Analyze data -Written explanation

21. (AAAS 1999) Explain the changes that occurred in the tree and animal. Use your current understanding of evolution by natural selection.

22. Misconception: individuals evolve new traits % of Students n=80; p<.01

23. Misconception: evolution is driven by need % of Students n=80; p<.01

24. In guppy populations, what are the primary changes that occur gradually over time? a. The traits of each individual guppy within a population gradually change. b. The proportions of guppies having different traits within a population change. c. Successful behaviors learned by certain guppies are passed on to offspring. d. Mutations occur to meet the needs of the guppies as the environment changes. Anderson et al 2002

25. Posttest: Student responses to mc % of Students n=171 *

26. Animal/Tree Posttest: Gain in student understanding of fitness % of Students n=80; p<.01

27. Quantitative Data Qualitative Data Design Experiment Ebert-May et al. 2003 Bioscience

28. How do assessment questions help us determine students’ prior understanding and progressive thinking about the carbon cycle. Question

29. Instructional Design Two class meetings on carbon cycle (160 minutes) Active, inquiry-based learning – Cooperative groups – Questions, group processing, large lecture sections, small discussion sections, multi-week laboratory investigation – Homework problems including web-based modules Different faculty for each course – One graduate/8-10 undergraduate TAs per course

30. Experimental Design Two introductory courses for majors: Bio 1 - organismal/population biology (faculty A) Bio 2 - cell and molecular biology (faculty B) Three cohorts: Cohort 1 Bio 1 (n=141) Cohort 2 Bio1/Bio2 (n=63) Cohort 3 Other/Bio2 (n=40)

31. Assessment Design Multiple iterations/versions of the carbon cycle problem Pretest, midterm, final with additional formative assessments during class Administered during instruction Semester 1 - pretest, midterm, final exam Semester 2 - final exam

32. Grandma Johnson Problem Hypothetical scenario: Grandma Johnson had very sentimental feelings toward Johnson Canyon, Utah, where she and her late husband had honeymooned long ago. Her feelings toward this spot were such that upon her death she requested to be buried under a creosote bush overlooking the canyon. Trace the path of a carbon atom from Grandma Johnson’s remains to where it could become part of a coyote. NOTE: the coyote will not dig up Grandma Johnson and consume any of her remains.

33. Analysis of Responses Used same scoring rubric (coding scheme) for all three problems - calibrated by adding additional criteria when necessary, rescoring: Examined two major concepts: Concept 1: Decomposers respire CO 2 Concept 2: Plants uptake of CO 2 Explanations categorized into two groups: Organisms (trophic levels) Processes (metabolic)

34. Coding Scheme

35. Correct Student Responses (%) Cellular Respiration by Decomposers Bio1/Bio2Other/Bio2 Friedmans, p<0.01

36. Pathway of Carbon in Photosynthesis Bio1/Bio2 Correct Student Responses (%) Other/Bio2 Friedmans, p<0.05

37. IRD Team at MSU Janet Batzli - Plant Biology [U of Wisconsin] Doug Luckie - Physiology Scott Harrison - Microbiology (grad student) Tammy Long - Plant Biology Jim Smith - Zoology Deb Linton - Plant Biology (postdoc) Heejun Lim - Chemistry Education Duncan Sibley - Geology *National Science Foundation

38. What is the question? What research and instructional designs? What data collection methods? How to analyze and interpret data? Are findings valid and generalizable? What are the next questions? WHO? What evidence will we accept?