The Participant has demonstrated the application of improved knowledge of educational theory in the design of assessment used in the classroom.

Introduction

Matching assessment with curricula is the goal of every chemistry teacher. We all have had students complain that they really know more than they are able to demonstrate on a multiple choice exam. But really, multiple-choice has been very synonymous with the idea of national chemistry exams.

On the other hand, I have always considered exams, quizzes to be “the” method to assess students because I always work on matching instructions with assessments and making sure, to the best of my knowledge, not to move on to the next concept until the previous concept is well digested by the students.

The two approaches; Matching assessment with curriculum using methods beside multiple choices, and finding variety of options to demonstrate the extent of which students can master the material are discussed in baseline and later reflections to show my opinion in finding a better way that works for improving my assessment methods. I used the improved knowledge of educational theories I gained through the readings of articles, listed in references, while participitationg in classes of the MCE program.

Baseline Reflection

Until last year, my grading was as follows: 60% for exams, 30% for quizzes, and 10% for homework and class participation.  In those tests/quizzes I focused on knowing if my students learned what they were supposed to learn using my instruction, my teaching materials, and my teaching process.  These kinds of summative evaluations including all multiple choice questions helped me know whether I taught what I was supposed to teach. I was satisfied with this method because the final grades students earned provided me with information on my test efficacy and also evaluates my students’ progress. For my baseline reflection I present one of the exams I used prior to my participation in the MCE program. Notice all multiple choice questions.              

  Chapter 5 test (Multiple Choice Questions)

During my participation through all classes of MCE program, I came to realize that all the courses had some kind of an independent investigation that relates strongly to the course. Examples include: book reports, project reports, web page projects, etc... This independent work takes an average 15% of the final grade and helps with the assessment of the student. For example, in my own non-pedagogy courses we had assignments such as Boyle’s Law from chemistry 501 and Web Site Project from chem. 507.  These individual independent project methods are my first experience with alternative evaluation methods. Why did I adopt the independent project/investigation into my assessment system?  I mentioned above, that I relied on tests/quizzes to evaluate my students. But after completion of my MCE courses and have been introduced to formative/independent projects I came to realize that traditional evaluations are not sufficient enough because I would not really know if the student got lucky and picked the right answer or what was the student thinking that made him pick this answer. At the best I would make some inference about what my students know and what they are able to do with what they know.  For example, notice question eleven, chapter five test baseline evidence, the definition of electronegativity is given but unless the student has clear understanding that electronegativity is a property of atoms in compounds while ionization energy and electron affinity are properties of isolated atoms, the answer may be a lucky guess. Another example is question twenty-one asking to determine element with the greatest negative electron affinity. Many students have difficulty in understanding that energy given off is donated as a negative value, so to answer this question student must pick the element with the greatest loss of energy to acquire electron. I wanted to improve my assessments to actually know if my students got the right answer through a lucky/educated guess or they got it because they really know how to reason the answer. The summative assessment I used in this test evaluates from one perspective, however, my growth in this area will be demonstrated in my later reflection to show that projects and other performance assessments are a way to evaluate these evaluations.

As I researched more about independent work to experience growth in producing new ways to assess my students, I learned that it has other common names. For example, independent work is sometimes referred to as:

- Alternative assessment; so called because it is an alternative to the traditional assessment.

- Performance assessment; so called because students are asked to perform meaningful task. I chose to apply performance assessment to further evaluate my students. (Mueller 2005) 

Later Reflection 1  

The Performance assessment was adopted and included in my assessment system.  Both individual and group setting performance assessment were applied in my honor chemistry course this year (2009-2010). This contributed heavily to my growth in designing assessments for my students. Martin (2003) in his journal article suggests that teaching students to be self regulated learners is to teach them to plan, work, evaluate and adjust goals to the plan.  I now believe that the use of alternative assessments leads to the success of self-determined learners and it is a way for them to experience independent performance where they can plan to work and evaluate their understandings. For my later evidence, I present an assignment I used in my eleventh grade honors chemistry class, wherein the tests constituted 45% of the grade and an additional 15% was allotted to the independent project shown below keeping homework and quizzes at 10% and 30% respectively.  I present one of four independent projects worked on by groups of three students from my junior chemistry class. They should submit a two page written document including figures and give a 5-10 minute oral presentation.

Here I illustrate step-by step strategy for designing such assessment through the specification of (a) reason(s) for assessment, (b) type of performance to be evaluated, (c) exercises that will elicit performance. (Stiggins 1987)

First, students work on the questions provided individually, then as part of the group. After that, students share their responses, reflections, and answers in an attempt to self-evaluate their progress based on in class discussions and corrections to major misunderstood concepts before being ready to perform. This progression should help students' confidence in their responses and encourages individual accountability. 

 Performance assessment project

In continuing, the following three evidences contain corrections and explanations of misconceptions discovered in class while discussing the given questions above and trying to construct the correct understanding before performing. I also compared each of the question discussed below with the baseline evidence to show how effective the performance was in improving the design of my new assessments. Please note the underlined "In class corrections", where I asked students to write their misconceptions.

Question nine below asks to donate a negative value to energy given off. Student here thinks of the negative change as a decrease in their balance in the bank. This kind of explanation may justify the correct answer for multiple choice question number twenty one from baseline evidence which asks to determine element with the greatest negative electron affinity. Many students have difficulty in understanding that energy given off is donated as a negative value. Students now should associate the greatest negative electron affinity with the greatest loss of energy to acquire electron.

Here I think when students are considering alternative explanations, they are also self-evaluating to reach maximum understanding. (Martin 2003)

In class correction Q. 9

Question eleven below shows deep and further understanding of electronegativity when the student is explaining in terms of atomic size and how it is related to the force of attraction between protons and electrons. Student explains that the smaller the atom, the greater the force of attraction between the nucleus and negative charges of electrons in the same atom, as well as electrons of other adjacent atoms in a compound. 

This kind of explanation may justify the correct answer for multiple choice question number eleven from baseline evidence. The clear understanding is that electronegativity is a property of atoms in compounds while ionization energy and electron affinity are properties of isolated atoms.

In class correction Q. 11

In the question below the student has no clear answer to the gradual increase in both atomic radii and the ionic radii down a group. The student simply referred to the increase force of attraction between positive and negative charges as the size decreases. In class corrections, clearly explains that outer electrons are the concern in this question and they are in high energy levels in both cations and anions, which is same as in atoms. 

In class correction

Here students had the opportunity to explain a concept to each other when time was provided and to discuss a specific idea among them.

The goal is to push students towards being self-regulated that can plans, works, self-evaluate, and make corrections to misconceptions. Adding the performance assessment to my system helped reach that goal because students had the opportunity to explain a concept to each other and attain in-class feedback when time was provided to discuss a specific concept.

Later Reflection 2

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