Transcript Assessment in Science Classes - Formative Assessment and

ASSESSMENT IN
SCIENCE CLASSES
Jacque Melin
GVSU
Sources used for this presentation:
• Assessment & Inquiry-Based Science Education: Issues in
Policy and Practice (2013) - Global Network of Science
Academies (IAP) Science Education Programme (SEP)
• Supporting Grade 5-8 Students in Constructing
Explanations in Science: The Claim, Evidence and
Reasoning Framework for Talk and Writing (2012) –
Katherine McNeill (Boston College) and Joseph Krajcik
(University of Michigan)
• Classroom Assessment FOR Student Learning: Doing It
Right – Using it Well (2012) – Richard Stiggins
(Assessment Training Institute)
Warm-up
• In groups of 4, come to agreement,
and write three (3) seven word
statements (exactly 7 words per
statement) to express what
assessment practices look like in the
science classroom.
• 5 minutes – then share
Keys to Quality Classroom Assessment
Accurate Assessment
Clear Targets
Clear Purposes
Assess What?
What are the learning targets?
Are they clear?
Are they good?
Why Assess?
What’s the purpose?
Who will use results?
Sound Design
Assess How?
What method?
Sampled how?
Avoid bias how?
Effective Communication
Effectively Used
Communicate How?
How manage information?
How report?
Student Involvement
Students are users, too.
Students need to understand learning targets, too.
Students can participate in the assessment process, too.
Students can track progress and communicate, too.
Through their science education students
should develop:
• understanding of fundamental scientific
ideas
• understanding of the nature of science,
scientific inquiry, reasoning
• scientific competences of gathering and
using evidence
• ability to communicate using appropriate
language and representations, including
written, oral and mathematical language
Global Network of Science Academies (IAP) Science Education Programme (SEP)
Through their science education students
should develop:
• understanding of fundamental scientific ideas
• understanding of the nature of science, scientific inquiry, reasoning
• scientific competences of gathering and using evidence
• ability to communicate using appropriate language and
representations, including written, oral and mathematical language
Discuss the following:
• Where are we strong, where do we need to improve?
• Moves we can/should make
• Additional resources we should consult
• Questions we should be asking
Carousal groups
Assessment & Inquiry-Based Science
Education: Issues in Policy and Practice
• In recent years there has been a rapid expansion of interest in inquiry-
based science education (IBSE). Classroom and laboratory practices
and materials which encourage students to take an active part in making
sense of events and phenomena in the world around are being promoted
and developed through pilot projects in countries across the globe.
Embracing inquiry-based education recognizes its potential to enable
students to develop the understandings, competences, attitudes and
interests needed by everyone for life in societies increasingly dependent
on applications of science. Inquiry leads to knowledge of the particular
objects or phenomena investigated, but more importantly, it helps to build
broad concepts that have wide explanatory power, enabling new objects
or events to be understood. It also engenders reflection on the thinking
processes and learning strategies that are necessary for continued
learning throughout life. There are, however, many challenges in
implementing IBSE. Central among these is the assessment of
students’ learning since this has a strong influence on what is
taught and how it is taught.
Global Network of Science Academies (IAP) Science Education Programme (SEP)
Assessment & Inquiry-Based Science
Education: Issues in Policy and Practice
• There are aspects of learning science, such as
knowledge of scientific vocabulary, conventions and
use of equipment, that are best learned through direct
instruction. Thus not all science teaching and not all
assessment will be concerned with the specific outcomes
of learning through inquiry.
• However, knowledge of facts and procedures are means
to the end of developing understanding through inquiry,
thus a major element in assessment should reflect the
understanding, skills and competences of students
being able to write scientific explanations.
Global Network of Science Academies (IAP) Science Education Programme (SEP)
Questions you probably ask yourself….
• How can I design assessment tasks that allow me to
assess my students’ abilities to construct scientific
explanations?
• How can I create assessment tasks that also align with
key science content learning goals that I need to
address?
• To do both, you will need to develop a process…..
Development Process for Scientific
Explanation Assessment Tasks
• Step 1: Identify and unpack (deconstruct) the content
standards
• Step 2: Select scientific explanation level of complexity
• Step 3: Create learning performance
• Step 4: Write the assessment task
• Step 5: Review the assessment task
• Step 6: Develop specific rubric
Step 1: Identify and unpack (deconstruct)
the content standards
• 6th grade standards….
• Rock Formation – Rocks and rock formations bear evidence
of the minerals, materials, temperature/pressure conditions,
and forces that created them. (E.SE.M.4)
• Identify common rock forming minerals (quartz, feldspar,
talc, biotite, calcite, hornblende) (E3.p2A)
• Use multiple sources of information to evaluate strengths and
weaknesses of claims, arguments, or data. (S.IA.06.15)
• Design an assessment item that will require students to
analyze data, apply their understanding of minerals, and write a
scientific explanation.
Step 2: Select scientific explanation level of complexity
• Summary of four Different Variations of the Scientific Explanation Framework
Variation
Description of Framework
Variation #1
1.
2.
3.
Variation #2
1. Claim
2. Evidence
•
Appropriate
•
Sufficient
3. Reasoning
Variation #3
1. Claim
2. Evidence
•
Appropriate
•
Sufficient
3. Reasoning
• Multiple components
Variation #4
1. Claim
2. Evidence
•
Appropriate
•
Sufficient
3. Reasoning
• Multiple components
4. Rebuttal
Claim
Evidence
Reasoning
Steps 3 and 4: Create a learning
performance & Write the assessment task
• Think about the type of item you would like
to create:
• Stand alone
• Scenario
• Prompt
• Construct/Create
• Set the context, specify the reasoning,
point the way.
Stand-Alone
Science – Sequence the stages of the water
cycle. Explain what happens in each stage.
Scenario
Science – It’s been raining! It’s been pouring! There has
been a lot of standing water all around Grand Rapids, and
the old golf course on West River Drive has looks like it
has mini-lakes. As Adam and Amy passed the golf course,
Amy casually remarked to Adam that some of the water
she sees on the old golf course could become part of the
lake she plans to swim in when she visits Lake George in
upstate New York during July. Should Adam believe her
statement? Why or why not? Justify your answer
thoroughly using scientific reasoning.
Prompt
Science
Location
Humidity Level
Miami, Florida
86%
Las Vegas, Nevada
19%
New York City, NY
74%
Palm Desert, CA
15%
Chicago, IL
82%
Phoenix, Arizona
18%
Define humidity.
Explain why some cities
have significantly higher
humidity levels than others
by comparing the humidity
levels and locations of the
cities in the chart.
Use scientific reasoning to
explain why those cities with
significantly higher humidity
levels can expect more rain
than those with lower
humidity levels.
Create/Construct
• Science –
• Draw a diagram of the water cycle. Begin your drawing
with a large body of water. Be sure to include the
energy source for the water cycle in your diagram.
• Label your diagram with explanations of what is
occurring in each stage of the cycle.
Steps 3 and 4: Create a learning
performance & Write the assessment task
• Ben has an unknown mineral and he is trying to figure out
the identity of the mineral. The unknown mineral is white,
when he rubs it across a streak plate it leave a white line,
it is shiny, and when he breaks it the pieces are smooth
and it always breaks in the same pattern. He also tested
the hardness and it is around a 6 or a 7.
• Based on the color, Ben decided that the unknown is talc,
feldspar, or quartz. He decided to look up other
information about these three minerals. He placed the
information he found in a table.
Steps 3 and 4: Create a learning
performance & Write the assessment task
Mineral
Color
Streak
Hardness
Luster
Other
Talc
White
White
1
Pearly
Greasy
feel
Feldspar
White, red, White
green
6
Glassy
Cleavage
Quartz
White,
other
colors
7
Glassy
No
cleavage,
curved
fracture
None
Steps 3 and 4: Create a learning
performance & Write the assessment task
• Using the information in the table, and data Ben collected
on the unknown, write a scientific explanation stating what
you think is the identity of the unknown mineral as your
claim. Then provide appropriate and sufficient evidence
and reasoning. Also, include a rebuttal by justifying not
only your choice, but also why you did not select the other
two minerals.
• After designing the assessment item, write a potential
ideal student response to help you think about how you
would like your students to respond.
Step 5: Review the Assessment Task:
Thinking about students’ responses
• I hope that the students will construct a claim that the
unknown mineral is feldspar and use evidence from Ben’s
investigation and the table to support the claim.
• For example, students could include as evidence that the
unknown mineral has a white streak and a hardness or 6 or 7
and feldspar has a white streak and a hardness of 6.
• In the students’ reasoning, I want them to explain that
properties help you identify minerals and the rebuttal should
include evidence or reasoning for why the unknown mineral is
not talc or quartz. For example, the students could include in
their rebuttal that talc has a hardness of 1 and quartz does not
have a streak, which are both different compared to the
unknown mineral.
Step 5: Review the Assessment Task:
Thinking about these questions
• 1. Is the knowledge needed to correctly respond to the
task?
• 2. Is the knowledge enough by itself to correctly respond
to the task or is additional knowledge needed?
• 3. Is the assessment task and context likely to be
comprehensible to students?
Step 5: Review the Assessment Task:
Thinking about these questions
• 1. Is the knowledge needed to correctly respond to the task? The
assessment item makes a match with only part of the content standard.
Students will need to understand what minerals are and how to identify
minerals to answer the question, but the item does not match well with the rock
formation aspect of the standard.
• 2. Is the knowledge enough by itself to correctly respond to the task or is
additional knowledge needed? Students need additional content information
that you can use properties to understand substances, which is not explicitly
stated in the standard. (However, based on their work in the previous
chemistry unit and the current rocks and minerals unit, students should have
an understanding of this idea).
• 3. Is the assessment task and context likely to be comprehensible to
students? This task should be comprehensible to students because
investigations during the rocks and minerals unit. Overall, I am satisfied with
the quality of the item because I feel it will allow me to assess if my students
can apply both their understanding of minerals and their understanding of how
to construct a scientific explanation.
Step 6: Develop a specific rubric
Proficient
Progressing
Unsatisfactory
Claim:
A statement or conclusion
that answers the original
question/problem
Makes an accurate and
complete claim.
Makes an accurate but
incomplete claim.
Does not make a claim, or
makes an inaccurate claim.
Evidence:
Scientific data that supports
the claim. The data needs to
be appropriate and sufficient
to support the claim.
Provides appropriate and
sufficient evidence to support
claim.
Provides appropriate but
insufficient evidence to
support claim. May include
some inappropriate evidence.
Does not provide evidence or
only provides inappropriate
evidence that does not
support claim.
Reasoning:
A justification that connects
the evidence to the claim. It
shows why the data counts
as evidence by using
appropriate and sufficient
scientific principles.
Provides reasoning that
connects the evidence to the
claim. Includes appropriate
and sufficient scientific
principles to explain why the
evidence supports the claim.
Provides reasoning that
connects the evidence to the
claim. May include some
scientific principles or
justification for why the
evidence support the claim,
but not sufficiently.
Does not provide reasoning,
or only provides inappropriate
reasoning.
Rebuttal:
Recognizes and describes
alternative explanations, and
provides counter evidence
and reasoning for why the
alternative explanation is not
appropriate.
Recognizes alternative
explanations and provides
appropriate and sufficient
counter evidence and
reasoning when making
rebuttals.
Recognizes alternative
explanations and provides
appropriate but insufficient
counter evidence and
reasoning in making a
rebuttal.
Does not recognize that an
alternative explanation exists
and does not provide a
rebuttal or makes an
inaccurate rebuttal.
Work with a partner to create your own
assessment item which will help students
write a scientific explanation
• Step 1: Identify and unpack (deconstruct) the content standards
• Step 2: Select scientific explanation level of complexity
• Step 3: Create learning performance
• Step 4: Write the assessment task
• Step 5: Review the assessment task
• Step 6: Develop specific rubric
Making a Difference Through Assessment
• My favorite assessment quotes….
• Inspirations
R. Stake
J. Hattie
R. Stiggins