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Formative Assessment Probes: Birthday Candles: Visually Representing Ideas
Journal Article |
This column focuses on promoting learning through assessment. This month’s issue discusses using visual representations to support students' explanations.
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Formative Assessment Probes: Confronting Common Folklore—Catching a Cold
Journal Article |
Formative assessment probes can help teachers find out what students' ideas are before teaching lessons and use the information to adjust instructional strategies. This article gives an example teachers can use to see…
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Using Presentation Software to Integrate Formative Assessment Into Science Instruction
Journal Article |
Use the backward design process and presentation software to discover what students know.
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The Structure and Assessment of a Unique and Popular Interdisciplinary Science Course for Nonmajors
Journal Article |
Science Without Borders is a unique interdisciplinary science course that uses group and active-learning strategies and is in high demand among nonscience majors at a masters-level university. This article describes the…
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Research and Teaching: Practical Considerations for Assessing Inquiry-Based Instruction
Journal Article |
Research shows that inquiry learning promotes achievement and positive student attitudes toward science. One obstacle to implementing inquiry learning, however, is the development and use of appropriate assessments.…
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Alternative Assessment: A monthly portfolio project improves student performance
Journal Article |
As an alternative method of assessment, students create portfolios by submitting monthly entries that demonstrate and expand their understanding of science concepts. Teachers can also use the portfolios to assess the…
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Journal Article |
Active learning is a teaching methodology with a focus on student-centered learning that engages students in the educational process. This study implemented active learning techniques in an orthopedic assessment…
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A Comparison of Two Forms of Assessment in an Introductory Biology Laboratory Course
Journal Article |
Because of enrollment increases, many institutions have advocated the replacement of free-response exams with forced-choice exams as a time-saving strategy. The study in this article evaluated the replacement of free-…
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The Many Metaphors of Energy: Using Analogies as a Formative Assessment Tool
Journal Article |
This article describes how student-generated analogies are shown to be an effective means of eliciting ideas about energy in systems from biology, chemistry, and physics.
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Assessing Science Learning: Perspectives From Research and Practice (e-book)
eBook |
This book contains many essays and multiple examples of meaningful science assessment practices they explore. The collations of essays reflect work with socioeconomically and ethnically diverse populations to better…
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Research and Teaching: Assessing the Effects of Prior Conceptions on Learning Gene Expression
Journal Article |
Gene expression is a highly theoretical concept that requires advanced reasoning skills to comprehend. Often, students receive instruction but fail to replace prior conceptions and thus do not benefit. To investigate…
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E-mail–Based Formative Assessment: A Chronicle of Research Inspired Practice
Journal Article |
This article describes an e-mail–based formative assessment program, which was established to encourage students to revisit first-year general chemistry material regularly in a low-risk and supportive environment.