Download or read book The Effectiveness of a Classroom Response System as a Method of Formative Assessment in a Middle School Science Classroom written by Shannon Knodel and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Formative assessments are a great tactic to determine the level of student understanding of particular concepts taught in the classroom. However, this type of assessment may take time to plan, implement, analyze, and report back to students. Students need more immediate feedback in order for the assessment to be more meaningful. This research project focused on how effective the implementation of a Classroom Response System (CRS) into a middle school science classroom was as a method of formative assessment. The data collection took place over four complete units and alternated between non-treatment (without the CRS) and treatment (with the CRS). Data was gathered and analyzed from pre-and post-surveys, pre- and post-tests, student interviews, and teacher observations. The results showed that there was no significant gain in post-test scores, but students enjoyed using the CRS, thought that it helped clear up misconceptions, and considered it to be effective in determining if information was learned. The CRS was also effective in helping the teacher assess student knowledge gained and in helping the teacher assess teaching strategies and improve lesson delivery.
Download or read book Probing Space written by Clinton W. Anderson and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 173 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This action research thesis was performed to explore the research questions: How did the use of formative assessment affect student performance data in understanding the concepts of the Sun-Earth-Moon system?, How did the use of learning scales as formative techniques impact student self-assessment of their knowledge of the Sun-Earth-Moon system?, How did the implementation of formative assessment techniques affect student discourse on the topic of the Sun-Earth-Moon system? Formative assessment techniques including "talk-friendly" probes, sticky bars, and agree-disagree statements were used in the classroom to expose gaps in knowledge, to facilitate discourse, and promote self-assessment. A triangulation of data included a district-provided pre/post-test, teacher observation, written and oral student responses of formative assessment, self-assessment, discourse, and student self-assessment on a learning goal tracker. Data gathered from student responses to formative assessment techniques given during discourse, lab experiences, in written responses, and from the student learning scale tracker were analyzed to expose misconceptions and gaps in knowledge and guide classroom instruction. Data showed that student performance data improved overall and students narrowed gaps in knowledge of the Sun-Earth-Moon system. Improvement in student participation and skill of discourse was evident; however students needed more practice developing written explanations for phenomenon within the Sun-Earth-Moon system. Through the use of self-assessments students showed improvement in ability to self-assess and realized gained knowledge toward their learning goal.
Download or read book Investigation on the Effectiveness of Class Response Systems and Their Effect on Student Learning written by Derrick A. Rohl and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Audience response systems, student response technology, or simply "clickers" are products designed for teachers to efficiently collect multiple-choice answers from numerous students simultaneously. In large lecture halls, class response systems enable interaction where it previously would not have been feasible. In the classroom, response systems facilitate a shift from the teacher calling on 1 student to the teacher receiving responses from every student. Studies have found mixed results ranging from class response systems improving students' academic performance through the course of a unit to the occasional case of detrimental effects on students' grades compared with control groups without class response systems. These studies have explored the use of class response systems in a variety of academic subjects, comparing varying demographics including gender and varying student needs including students with anxiety or shyness. This study measured the effect of using class response systems in a secondary science classroom for 1 unit to explore whether or not the use of class response systems would have a measurable impact on students' gain scores between the pretest and the posttest for that unit. The results based on comparison of gain scores between experimental and control groups indicate that the use of class response systems does not demonstrate an effect on student learning. Keywords: clickers, engagement, learning
Download or read book Formative Assessment for Secondary Science Teachers written by Erin Marie Furtak and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2009-07-06 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'This book places students center stage in the discussion of how we know what students know. Using formative assessment to understand student learning is a theme grounded in good teaching and good assessment!' - Jo Topps, Regional Director K-12 Alliance/WestEd 'This book incorporates current research and not only provides an explanation of the necessity of formative assessment, but offers a system for planning lessons and a variety of tools to implement formative assessment in the classroom' - Susan Leeds, Science Department Chair and Gifted Studies Teacher Howard Middle School, Winter Park, FL Research has shown that when teachers use formative assessments effectively, they have a clearer understanding of what students know and are better able to design instruction that meets learners' needs. This practical guide shows teachers how to create and implement formative assessments in their middle and high school science classrooms. Grounded in extensive and solid research, this guide covers all science content areas - physics/physical science, life science/biology, earth and space science, and chemistry - as well as five types of formative assessments: big idea questions, concept maps, evidence-to-explanation, predict-observe-explain, and multiple choice. Teachers will find additional support in: - Richly detailed, concrete examples of the five types of assessments - In-depth guidelines for implementing the assessments - Brief case studies with transcript excerpts that demonstrate how teachers have used formative assessments - Easy-to-use templates to help analyze lessons in current units and identify places for inserting formative assessments With this easy-to-use, hands-on guide, any teacher can learn how to use formative assessment strategies to improve student achievement in science.
Download or read book Assessing the Impact of Formative Assessment on Student and Teacher Middle School Science Efficacy written by Timothy Michael Kessler and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Through the use of an innovative formal formative assessment measure, Developing Inquiry Based Skills (DIBS), this study sought to identify dimensions of the formative assessment process that are related to changes in student and teacher efficacy. This study also sought to bring clarity and definition to the formative assessment process while examining its impact on student and teacher efficacy in middle school science classrooms. This study also explored what dimensions of formative assessment influenced student and teacher efficacy in middle school science classrooms. This mixed-methods study utilized quantitative data, collected from a survey of science efficacy attitudes of middle school students and two science teacher efficacy attitude surveys, and qualitative data collected from teacher and science supervisor interviews. Survey data from the treatment and non-treatment schools were compared to determine the impact DIBS had on student and teacher efficacy. Interview data were used to determine the impact of formative assessment on student and teacher efficacy and to identify dimensions of the formative assessment that influenced student and teacher efficacy. Quantitative data from the study reinforced current research indicating that there is a statistically significant relationship between student achievement in science and student science efficacy. Qualitative data from the study indicated that teachers perceive that the formative assessment process does have a positive impact on both student and teacher efficacy. The use of the DIBS process brought consistency to the introduction and assessment of science process skills by the grade level teams and the school-wide science department. As students tracked their own data they not only became more aware of personal strengths and weaknesses, but they also became excited to engage in the assessment process. The DIBS process provided teachers with quantifiable data that they could use to make instructional decisions. Teachers used data to develop targeted student interventions. The DIBS process also increased the level of transparency between student and teachers resulting in the development of a common language between stakeholders. The development of this common language was a critical component for improving student engagement, student science efficacy, and teacher efficacy in the middle school science classroom.
Download or read book Using Formative Assessment to Enhance Learning Achievement and Academic Self Regulation written by Heidi L. Andrade and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-07-20 with total page 91 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is convincing evidence that carefully applied classroom assessments can promote student learning and academic self-regulation. These assessments include, but are not limited to, conversations with students, diagnostic test items, and co-created rubrics used to guide feedback for students themselves and their peers. Writing with the practical constraints of teaching in mind, Andrade and Heritage present a concise resource to help pre- and in-service teachers maximize the positive impacts of classroom assessment on teaching. Using Formative Assessment to Enhance Learning, Achievement, and Academic Self-Regulation translates work from leading specialists and explains how to use assessment to improve learning by linking learning theory to formative assessment processes. Sections on goal setting, progress monitoring, interpreting feedback, and revision of goal setting make this a timely addition to assessment courses.
Download or read book Classroom Assessment and the National Science Education Standards written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2001-08-12 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The National Science Education Standards address not only what students should learn about science but also how their learning should be assessed. How do we know what they know? This accompanying volume to the Standards focuses on a key kind of assessment: the evaluation that occurs regularly in the classroom, by the teacher and his or her students as interacting participants. As students conduct experiments, for example, the teacher circulates around the room and asks individuals about their findings, using the feedback to adjust lessons plans and take other actions to boost learning. Focusing on the teacher as the primary player in assessment, the book offers assessment guidelines and explores how they can be adapted to the individual classroom. It features examples, definitions, illustrative vignettes, and practical suggestions to help teachers obtain the greatest benefit from this daily evaluation and tailoring process. The volume discusses how classroom assessment differs from conventional testing and grading-and how it fits into the larger, comprehensive assessment system.
Download or read book Formative Assessment Strategies for Enhanced Learning in Science K 8 written by Elizabeth Hammerman and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2008-09-18 with total page 145 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Use formative assessment to guide successful teaching and learning in science! Outlining the formative assessment process and providing strategies for embedding assessment into the K–8 standards-based science curriculum, this essential resource demonstrates how teachers can use formative assessments to modify instruction, monitor student progress, and evaluate learning. This user-friendly guide offers teachers discussions, reflection activities, and classroom strategies to: Assess student understanding using observation checklists, questioning strategies, notebooks, reports, graphic organizers, projects, and performance tasks Differentiate science instruction to reach all learners Use rubrics to uncover student strengths and weaknesses Collect student data to inform instructional decisions
Download or read book Validation of Score Meaning for the Next Generation of Assessments written by Kadriye Ercikan and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-03-27 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite developments in research and practice on using examinee response process data in assessment design, the use of such data in test validation is rare. Validation of Score Meaning in the Next Generation of Assessments Using Response Processes highlights the importance of validity evidence based on response processes and provides guidance to measurement researchers and practitioners in creating and using such evidence as a regular part of the assessment validation process. Response processes refer to approaches and behaviors of examinees when they interpret assessment situations and formulate and generate solutions as revealed through verbalizations, eye movements, response times, or computer clicks. Such response process data can provide information about the extent to which items and tasks engage examinees in the intended ways. With contributions from the top researchers in the field of assessment, this volume includes chapters that focus on methodological issues and on applications across multiple contexts of assessment interpretation and use. In Part I of this book, contributors discuss the framing of validity as an evidence-based argument for the interpretation of the meaning of test scores, the specifics of different methods of response process data collection and analysis, and the use of response process data relative to issues of validation as highlighted in the joint standards on testing. In Part II, chapter authors offer examples that illustrate the use of response process data in assessment validation. These cases are provided specifically to address issues related to the analysis and interpretation of performance on assessments of complex cognition, assessments designed to inform classroom learning and instruction, and assessments intended for students with varying cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.
Download or read book Developing Assessments for the Next Generation Science Standards written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2014-05-29 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Assessments, understood as tools for tracking what and how well students have learned, play a critical role in the classroom. Developing Assessments for the Next Generation Science Standards develops an approach to science assessment to meet the vision of science education for the future as it has been elaborated in A Framework for K-12 Science Education (Framework) and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). These documents are brand new and the changes they call for are barely under way, but the new assessments will be needed as soon as states and districts begin the process of implementing the NGSS and changing their approach to science education. The new Framework and the NGSS are designed to guide educators in significantly altering the way K-12 science is taught. The Framework is aimed at making science education more closely resemble the way scientists actually work and think, and making instruction reflect research on learning that demonstrates the importance of building coherent understandings over time. It structures science education around three dimensions - the practices through which scientists and engineers do their work, the key crosscutting concepts that cut across disciplines, and the core ideas of the disciplines - and argues that they should be interwoven in every aspect of science education, building in sophistication as students progress through grades K-12. Developing Assessments for the Next Generation Science Standards recommends strategies for developing assessments that yield valid measures of student proficiency in science as described in the new Framework. This report reviews recent and current work in science assessment to determine which aspects of the Framework's vision can be assessed with available techniques and what additional research and development will be needed to support an assessment system that fully meets that vision. The report offers a systems approach to science assessment, in which a range of assessment strategies are designed to answer different kinds of questions with appropriate degrees of specificity and provide results that complement one another. Developing Assessments for the Next Generation Science Standards makes the case that a science assessment system that meets the Framework's vision should consist of assessments designed to support classroom instruction, assessments designed to monitor science learning on a broader scale, and indicators designed to track opportunity to learn. New standards for science education make clear that new modes of assessment designed to measure the integrated learning they promote are essential. The recommendations of this report will be key to making sure that the dramatic changes in curriculum and instruction signaled by Framework and the NGSS reduce inequities in science education and raise the level of science education for all students.
Download or read book The Essentials of Science Grades 7 12 written by Rick Allen and published by ASCD. This book was released on 2007-11-15 with total page 155 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Where is U.S. secondary-level science education heading today? That's the question that The Essentials of Science, Grades 7-12 sets out to answer. Over the last century, U.S. science classes have consistently relied on lectures, textbooks, rote memorization, and lab demonstrations. But with the onset of NCLB-mandated science testing and increased concern over the United States' diminishing global stature in science and technology, public pressure is mounting to educate students for a deeper conceptual understanding of science. Through lively examples of classroom practice, interviews with award-winning science teachers and science education experts, and a wide-ranging look at research, readers will learn * How to make use of research within the cognitive sciences to foster critical thinking and deeper understanding. * How to use backward design to bring greater coherence to the curriculum. * Innovative, engaging ideas for implementing scientific inquiry in the classroom. * Holistic strategies to address the complex problems of the achievement gap, equity, and resources in the science classroom. * Strategies for dealing with both day-to-day and NCLB assessments. * How professional learning communities and mentoring can help teachers reexamine and improve their practice. Today's secondary science teachers are faced with an often-overwhelming array of challenges. The Essentials of Science, Grades 7-12 can help educators negotiate these challenges while making their careers more productive and rewarding.
Download or read book Common Formative Assessment written by Kim Bailey and published by Solution Tree Press. This book was released on 2011-10-11 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Teams that engage in designing, using, and responding to common formative assessments are more knowledgeable about their own standards, more assessment literate, and able to develop more strategies for helping all students learn. In this conversational guide, the authors offer tools, templates, and protocols to incorporate common formative assessments into the practices of a PLC to monitor and enhance student learning
Download or read book Doing Good Science in Middle School Expanded 2nd Edition written by Olaf Jorgenson and published by NSTA Press. This book was released on 2014-04-01 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “We are among those who have come to enjoy the blossoming intellects, often comical behaviors, and insatiable curiosity of middle schoolers—and choose to work with them! With more than 130 years of combined experience in the profession, we’ve gathered a lot of ideas to share. We know from our interactions with educators around the country that precious few quality resources exist to assist science teachers ‘in the middle,’ and this was a central impetus for updating Doing Good Science in Middle School.” —From the preface This lively book contains the kind of guidance that could only come from veterans of the middle school science trenches. The authors know you’re crazy-busy, so they made the book easy to use, whether you want to read it cover to cover or pick out sections to help you with lesson planning and classroom management. They also know you face new challenges, so they thoroughly revised this second edition to meet the needs of today’s students. The book contains: • big-picture concepts, such as how to understand middle school learners and explore the nature of science with them; • a comprehensive overview of science and engineering practices, STEM, and inquiry-based middle school science instruction, aligned with A Framework for K–12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards; • 10 new and updated teacher-tested activities that integrate STEM with literacy skill-building; • information on best instructional practices and professional-development resources; and • connections to the Common Core State Standards in English language arts and mathematics. If you’re a new teacher, you’ll gain a solid foundation in how to teach science and engineering practices while better understanding your often-enigmatic middle-grade students. If you’re a veteran teacher, you’ll benefit from a fresh view of what your colleagues are doing in new times. Either way, Doing Good Science in Middle School is a rich opportunity to reaffirm that what you do is “good science.”
Download or read book Teaching with Classroom Response Systems written by Derek Bruff and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2009-10-22 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is a need in the higher education arena for a book that responds to the need for using technology in a classroom of tech-savvy students. This book is filled with illustrative examples of questions and teaching activities that use classroom response systems from a variety of disciplines (with a discipline index). The book also incorporates results from research on the effectiveness of the technology for teaching. Written for instructional designers and re-designers as well as faculty across disciplines. A must-read for anyone interested in interactive teaching and the use of clickers. This book draws on the experiences of countless instructors across a wide range of disciplines to provide both novice and experienced teachers with practical advice on how to make classes more fun and more effective.”--Eric Mazur, Balkanski Professor of Physics and Applied Physics, Harvard University, and author, Peer Instruction: A User’s Manual “Those who come to this book needing practical advice on using ‘clickers’ in the classroom will be richly rewarded: with case studies, a refreshing historical perspective, and much pedagogical ingenuity. Those who seek a deep, thoughtful examination of strategies for active learning will find that here as well—in abundance. Dr. Bruff achieves a marvelous synthesis of the pragmatic and the philosophical that will be useful far beyond the life span of any single technology.” --Gardner Campbell, Director, Academy for Teaching and Learning, and Associate Professor of Literature, Media, and Learning, Honors College, Baylor University
Download or read book Assessment in Science written by D.P. Shepardson and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-06-27 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Assessment in Science combines professional development and classroom practice in a single volume. The pragmatic nature of the book makes it a valuable resource for administrators and staff developers interested in designing professional development programs, and for science teachers looking for techniques and examples of classroom-based assessments. Unique features of Assessment in Science include: 1) practical strategies and tools for implementing successful professional development programs in science assessment, 2) teacher stories and case studies about classroom-based assessment practice and how these teachers changed their assessment practice, 3) examples of classroom-based assessments and scoring guides, 4) samples of student work with teacher commentary, and 5) examples of how the national reform documents in science education served as tools in professional development programs and in designing classroom-based assessments. Assessment in Science expands the existing literature on science assessment by sharing a model for professional development, and examples of teacher-developed assessments with accompanying student work and teacher commentary. Chapters written by science teachers tell how they assess students and how they have changed their assessment practice, as well as how changing assessment practice has resulted in a change in their science instruction. Assessment in Science is targeted at practising professionals in science education: administrators, staff developers, science teachers, and university science educators. Assessment in Science has applicability to graduate-level courses in science education and in-service courses for science teachers. The teacher chapters are also appropriate for use in undergraduate science methods courses to illustrate classroom-based assessments.
Download or read book Rigor in the 6 12 Math and Science Classroom written by Barbara R. Blackburn and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-11-08 with total page 134 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Learn how to incorporate rigorous activities in your math or science classroom and help students reach higher levels of learning. Expert educators and consultants Barbara R. Blackburn and Abbigail Armstrong offer a practical framework for understanding rigor and provide specialized examples for middle and high school math and science teachers. Topics covered include: Creating a rigorous environment High expectations Support and scaffolding Demonstration of learning Assessing student progress Collaborating with colleagues The book comes with classroom-ready tools, offered in the book and as free eResources on our website at www.routledge.com/9781138302716.
Download or read book Knowing What Students Know written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2001-10-27 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Education is a hot topic. From the stage of presidential debates to tonight's dinner table, it is an issue that most Americans are deeply concerned about. While there are many strategies for improving the educational process, we need a way to find out what works and what doesn't work as well. Educational assessment seeks to determine just how well students are learning and is an integral part of our quest for improved education. The nation is pinning greater expectations on educational assessment than ever before. We look to these assessment tools when documenting whether students and institutions are truly meeting education goals. But we must stop and ask a crucial question: What kind of assessment is most effective? At a time when traditional testing is subject to increasing criticism, research suggests that new, exciting approaches to assessment may be on the horizon. Advances in the sciences of how people learn and how to measure such learning offer the hope of developing new kinds of assessments-assessments that help students succeed in school by making as clear as possible the nature of their accomplishments and the progress of their learning. Knowing What Students Know essentially explains how expanding knowledge in the scientific fields of human learning and educational measurement can form the foundations of an improved approach to assessment. These advances suggest ways that the targets of assessment-what students know and how well they know it-as well as the methods used to make inferences about student learning can be made more valid and instructionally useful. Principles for designing and using these new kinds of assessments are presented, and examples are used to illustrate the principles. Implications for policy, practice, and research are also explored. With the promise of a productive research-based approach to assessment of student learning, Knowing What Students Know will be important to education administrators, assessment designers, teachers and teacher educators, and education advocates.
