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The Mini- Zam : Formative Assessment for the Physics Classroom

The Mini- Zam : Formative Assessment for the Physics Classroom. Robert W. Arts, Ph.D . Professor of Education & Physics University of Pikeville Pikeville, KY. Presented at the Spring Meeting of the Kentucky Association of Physics Teachers Elizabethtown, KY, March 2013.

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The Mini- Zam : Formative Assessment for the Physics Classroom

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  1. The Mini-Zam: Formative Assessment for the Physics Classroom Robert W. Arts, Ph.D. Professor of Education & Physics University of Pikeville Pikeville, KY Presented at the Spring Meeting of the Kentucky Association of Physics Teachers Elizabethtown, KY, March 2013

  2. What is Formative Assessment? Formative assessment is a range of assessment procedures employed during the learning process in order to modify teaching and learning activities in an attempt to improve student attainment. It typically involves frequent feedback for both student and teacher that focuses on the details of content and performance. • This differs from “summative assessment” which refers to the assessment of the learning and summarizes the development of learners at a particular time. For example, after a period of work, the learner sits for a test and then the teacher marks the test and assigns a score with no opportunity to revisit any misunderstood content. Based on the intent of formative assessment, the Mini-Zam was born!

  3. What is a Mini-Zam? • A Mini-Zam (mini combination of a quiz and an exam) is ALWAYS one multiple choice question AND one open response question related to the previous day's lecture material given EVERY CLASS DAY during the last ten to fifteen of the lecture. There are several purposes to implementing the Mini-Zam strategy: • to provide feedback for the professor to modify subsequent learning activities and experiences • to identify and remediate group or individual deficiencies • to move focus away from achieving grades and onto learning processes, in order to increase self efficacy and reduce the negative impact of extrinsic motivation • to improve students' metacognitive awareness of how they learn • frequent, ongoing assessment allows both for fine-tuning of instruction and student focus on progress

  4. Format • To receive full credit for a multiple choice question, both the correct answer and a reasonable explanation must be given. To receive full credit for a open response question, a full (all steps shown) and reasonable explanation must be given. • The key is consistency in formatting and grading: • Each of the Multiple Choice problems is worth up to 10 points • May be qualitative or quantitative • Each of the Open Response problems is worth up to 25 points • May be qualitative or quantitative • As such, EVERY mini-zam is worth up to 35 points.

  5. General Policies There are generally 41 mini-zams scheduled to be given during a term. The average of the BEST 38 of these minizams comprises 40% of a student's final course grade. However, if fewer than 41 minizams end up being administered, the total mini-zam percentage for the semester is still 40% for the group of mini-zams completed, minus the lowest THREE that will still be dropped! A missed mini-zam can be made up. However, due to the nature of these assessments, they MUST be completed BEFORE the next regular class meeting! After that time a student will have forfeited the points for that particular missed mini-zam. This policy is in place in the event that a student has a valid reason for not being in class; however, if any student seems to be abusing this policy (greater than 10% of the mini-zams having to be made up), then they will run the risk of not being able to make future ones up at all.

  6. Fall Term Sample

  7. Spring Term Sample

  8. Findings Thus Far….

  9. Interesting Tid-Bits • S2012 • 1148 total mini-zams were given • Only 6 were never made up (0.5%) • F2012 • 2470 total mini-zams were given • 128 mini-zams were not taken during class time (5.2%) • 72 mini-zams were never made up (2.9%) • S2013 • 1170 total mini-zams have been give thus far • 80 mini-zams have not been taken during class time (6.8%) • 35 mini-zams have not been made up (3.0%)

  10. Items for Further Study • Normalize the scores (reflect same % for each assignment category) • Look at average MZ score following a missed class (suspect a lower %) • Compare MWF averages • Look at post break averages (Fall Break, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Spring Break, Good Friday, Hillbilly Days) • Averages for each topic covered

  11. Thank You ! Any Questions? RobertArts@upike.edu

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