Volume 90, Number 1

Alternative Assessments in the Science Classroom

When I say “assessments,” what immediately comes to your mind? Tests, quizzes, and exams? Does it always have to be that way?

As you know, there are two main categories of assessments.

Volume 90, Number 1

Alternative Assessments in the Science Classroom

When I say “assessments,” what immediately comes to your mind? Tests, quizzes, and exams? Does it always have to be that way?

As you know, there are two main categories of assessments.

Volume 90, Number 1

Alternative Assessments in the Science Classroom

When I say “assessments,” what immediately comes to your mind? Tests, quizzes, and exams? Does it always have to be that way?

As you know, there are two main categories of assessments.

We propose cross-disciplinary learning as a construct that can guide instruction and assessment in programs that feature sequential learning across multiple science disciplines. Cross-disciplinary learning combines insights from interdisciplinary learning, transfer, and resources frameworks and highlights the processes of resource activation, transformation, and integration to support sense-making in a novel disciplinary context by drawing on knowledge from other prerequisite disciplines.

We propose cross-disciplinary learning as a construct that can guide instruction and assessment in programs that feature sequential learning across multiple science disciplines. Cross-disciplinary learning combines insights from interdisciplinary learning, transfer, and resources frameworks and highlights the processes of resource activation, transformation, and integration to support sense-making in a novel disciplinary context by drawing on knowledge from other prerequisite disciplines.

Over the past decade, researchers have developed several teaching observation protocols for use in higher education, such as the Teaching Dimensions Observation Protocol (TDOP), Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM (COPUS), Practical Observation Rubric to Assess Active Learning (PORTAAL), and Decibel Analysis for Research in Teaching (DART). Choosing a protocol for a particular need can seem daunting.

Over the past decade, researchers have developed several teaching observation protocols for use in higher education, such as the Teaching Dimensions Observation Protocol (TDOP), Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM (COPUS), Practical Observation Rubric to Assess Active Learning (PORTAAL), and Decibel Analysis for Research in Teaching (DART). Choosing a protocol for a particular need can seem daunting.

There are more STEM jobs than there are qualified graduates to fill these positions, and recruiting students into STEM majors is insufficient. Of students who enter college intending to pursue STEM, nearly half do not finish their STEM degrees. In this article, we focus on retaining students who enter college with a declared biology major. This qualitative study examines this retention issue through the lens of identity theory, situated learning, and constructivism in the context of a research-focused biology first-year seminar at a small, private university.

There are more STEM jobs than there are qualified graduates to fill these positions, and recruiting students into STEM majors is insufficient. Of students who enter college intending to pursue STEM, nearly half do not finish their STEM degrees. In this article, we focus on retaining students who enter college with a declared biology major. This qualitative study examines this retention issue through the lens of identity theory, situated learning, and constructivism in the context of a research-focused biology first-year seminar at a small, private university.

Students reasoning with data in an authentic science environment had the opportunity to learn about the process of science and the world around them while developing skills to analyze and interpret self-collected and secondhand data. Our results show that nearly 50% of the treatment group responses were accurate when describing the reason for measuring water parameters, compared with 26% in the traditional lab group.

Students reasoning with data in an authentic science environment had the opportunity to learn about the process of science and the world around them while developing skills to analyze and interpret self-collected and secondhand data. Our results show that nearly 50% of the treatment group responses were accurate when describing the reason for measuring water parameters, compared with 26% in the traditional lab group.

Active learning classrooms (ALCs) are designed to support collaborative learning in large class sections that are often taught with a lecture format. Studies on ALCs indicate that they have positive influences on student learning, but the same studies fail to look at learning differences between subgroups of students. In the current study, students enrolled in an introductory STEM course (N = 273) instructed in ALCs completed learning inventories and questionnaires designed to measure the influence of social context.

Active learning classrooms (ALCs) are designed to support collaborative learning in large class sections that are often taught with a lecture format. Studies on ALCs indicate that they have positive influences on student learning, but the same studies fail to look at learning differences between subgroups of students. In the current study, students enrolled in an introductory STEM course (N = 273) instructed in ALCs completed learning inventories and questionnaires designed to measure the influence of social context.

Recent science reform advocates for the inclusion of engineering design to teach science and represents a shift to so-called three-dimensional (3D) learning. This shift often requires science instructors to adapt their current curriculum to integrate 3D learning. To support this shift, the current study illustrates the collaborative development and use of a rubric for aligning existing curriculum with new reform. Collaborators include three undergraduate science content course (i.e., biology, chemistry, and physics) instructors who used the tool to adapt their current curriculum.

Recent science reform advocates for the inclusion of engineering design to teach science and represents a shift to so-called three-dimensional (3D) learning. This shift often requires science instructors to adapt their current curriculum to integrate 3D learning. To support this shift, the current study illustrates the collaborative development and use of a rubric for aligning existing curriculum with new reform. Collaborators include three undergraduate science content course (i.e., biology, chemistry, and physics) instructors who used the tool to adapt their current curriculum.

A rudimentary level of scientific literacy is necessary in the general public. At the undergraduate level, this literacy can be achieved through general education courses offered in areas of natural sciences. Over the past several years, practical courses have been developed to make the teaching of chemistry concepts in the laboratory more interesting and appealing to nonscience majors. This article provides insights and reflections from teaching a general education, liberal arts chemistry course at a private university using different teaching delivery modes during a pandemic.

A rudimentary level of scientific literacy is necessary in the general public. At the undergraduate level, this literacy can be achieved through general education courses offered in areas of natural sciences. Over the past several years, practical courses have been developed to make the teaching of chemistry concepts in the laboratory more interesting and appealing to nonscience majors. This article provides insights and reflections from teaching a general education, liberal arts chemistry course at a private university using different teaching delivery modes during a pandemic.

We designed a course to provide undergraduate science students and preservice teachers with authentic research and teaching experiences. Teams of students and preservice teachers complete supervised field ecology research projects and develop teaching activities based on their research in order to learn practices in both science and science teaching while improving skills in collaboration, leadership, and different forms of communication.

We designed a course to provide undergraduate science students and preservice teachers with authentic research and teaching experiences. Teams of students and preservice teachers complete supervised field ecology research projects and develop teaching activities based on their research in order to learn practices in both science and science teaching while improving skills in collaboration, leadership, and different forms of communication.

A growing number of Introductory Physics for Life Sciences courses have been developed to prepare biology, premedicine, and pre-health majors for cross-disciplinary connections between physical principles and biological systems. Many students find it challenging to apply idealized algebra-based general physics to more complex biological systems. A novel biological case study was developed to teach undergraduates to expand their energy transformation analysis of a simple system—a bouncing ball—to a more complex biological system of a kangaroo hopping.

A growing number of Introductory Physics for Life Sciences courses have been developed to prepare biology, premedicine, and pre-health majors for cross-disciplinary connections between physical principles and biological systems. Many students find it challenging to apply idealized algebra-based general physics to more complex biological systems. A novel biological case study was developed to teach undergraduates to expand their energy transformation analysis of a simple system—a bouncing ball—to a more complex biological system of a kangaroo hopping.