Assessment and Science Education

A WebQuest for Pre-Service Science Teachers

Designed by

Brian Murfin
brian.murfin@qc.cuny.edu

Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion | Credits 

Introduction

Assessment and Science Education Web Quest

In this activity you will work in small groups to explore assessment in science education.  By the end of this activity, you should have some answers to the following question:

• How can I help my students succeed on standardized science tests, and at the same time make sure that they are scientifically literate, develop their science skills and knowledge to their full potential, and have positive attitudes towards science?
  

Good luck!  

As a small group, answer the following questions:

1. Imagine that you just started teaching a Regents science subject.  You are almost finished teaching a topic and now you have to design a test for your students.  Describe how you would go about constructing your test. 
2. Construct a few sample questions of the following types on your topic:  multiple choice and constructed response questions.  You should include diagrams, charts, or graphs with the constructed response questions. 
3. After your students take your exam, describe how you would analyze the results of your test. 
4. How would you ensure that your test is valid, reliable, and unbiased?

1. Form a group of two to four people who all teach the same science subject. 
2. Discuss the questions as a group and then post your group's answers on the discussion board in BlackBoard.
3. I will be moving around from table to table to answer questions.  You can divide up the tasks or work on them together.  Use the resources below and on our course outline under Week 10 to help you accomplish the tasks. 
   

RESOURCES

• NYS Science Learning Standards and Core Curricula http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/mst/scirg.html    
• NYS Regents Examinations http://www.nysedregents.org/  
• Draft Regents Exam samples http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/scire/hssampsci.html  
• Understanding The Process:Science Assessments and the New York State Learning Standards http://tinyurl.com/nysassess1  
• Frequently asked questions on Assessment of Science in NYS http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/part100/pages/policyqascience.html    
• Constructed response questions http://www.edteck.com/dbq/testing/const_resp.htm 
• Writing Multiple-Choice Questions that Demand Critical Thinking http://web.archive.org/web/20080728152026/http://cit.necc.mass.edu/atlt/TestCritThink.htm

Now that you have finished the tasks and are more familiar with the Regents exams, think about how you might help the following students prepare for the Regents exams:

• This student has low reading ability and isn't really interested in science.
• This student is highly motivated and wants to learn science but English is her second language. 
• This student is a visual learner and is very good at labs.
• This students loves the arts and music but isn't much interested in science.  
• This student is a sports fanatic and plays on the school basketball team but really doesn't see the need to do well in science.  

Once you have finished posting your webquest on the Discussion Board in BlackBoard and also in our Google group, take a look at the other's groups responses. 

You may want to continue and develop a complete unit test now that you can include with your unit plan.  This is also a chance for you to develop quizzes and tests on topics you might be teaching next semester during student teaching.  You should start thinking about the tools you will use to create assessments and how you will keep them organized.