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Chemistry Assessment Update

Explore the progress and strategies to improve students' understanding of scientific methods in chemistry education, focusing on theory formulation, experimentation, and data analysis. Discover recent outcomes, implications, future plans, and acknowledgements.

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Chemistry Assessment Update

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  1. Chemistry Assessment Update Assessment Committee Mandate C101-Lecture C121-Laboratory Chemistry department expanding into C100-Lecture C120 Laboratory

  2. Outcomes • Demonstrate the ability to identify and explain how scientific theories are formulated, tested, and validated. • Demonstrate the ability to integrate and apply scientific methods which include defining parameters of problem, seeking relevant information, subjecting proposed solutions to rigorous testing, and drawing conclusions based on the process.

  3. Outcome 1 • Demonstrate the ability to identify and explain how scientific theories are formulated, tested, and validated. • Scientific theory formulation starts with an observation • That leads to a hypothesis • It is tested by controlled experimentation using the scientific method • It is validated by considerably more controlled testing

  4. Outcome 2 • Demonstrate the ability to integrate and apply scientific methods which include defining parameters of problem, seeking relevant information, subjecting proposed solutions to rigorous testing, and drawing conclusions based on the process. • This question seeks to determine that students understand all phases of the experimental method

  5. 2010-2011 • Pilot year • Tried assessment questions in lecture and laboratory • Tried different questions in Fall and Spring • New laboratory was added for Spring 2011 to address deficiencies in our pilot year results

  6. Outcome 1 • Lecture - Focused on Outcome 1 including the ability to recognize a hypothesis • Laboratory – Focused on Outcome 1 and the ability to determine what experiment tests which hypothesis

  7. Outcome 2 • Lecture focused on Outcome 2 and the ability to draw conclusions from evidence presented. • Lab focused on students ability to determine which numbers were appropriate to answer a question.

  8. Results

  9. HISTOGRAM Q1 & 3: O1 Q2 : O2

  10. Outcome 1 • Overall improvement in recent Lecture scores reflects faculty involvement in the assessment process. • Low outcome 1 score reflects that Students need to have a better understanding of the theoretical aspects of the scientific method so instructors are finding new ways to address this. • Instructors are placing more emphasis on the understanding of hypothesis formulation based on results of the data.

  11. Outcome 2 • The results show that students have a relatively better understanding the process of experimentation, which involves the design of the experiment and drawing conclusions from the results • However students still struggle with data analysis, which is being addressed in both lecture and lab.

  12. Implications • Instructors have focused their teaching on the scientific method, stressing it much more. • This has been found to be necessary to improve student internalization of the scientific method. • Instructors are using OnCourse for forums and chat rooms • We are using different approaches to assess the outcomes. • Short answer type questions • Multiple choice questions with justification

  13. 2011-2012 • Faculty were re-briefed on the importance of assessment • Committee formed to redraft assessment questions • Faculty acknowledge the importance of emphasizing the scientific method in the general chemistry courses

  14. 2011-2012 continued • An OnCourse section was created to share assessment questions • Faculty have put readings up on assessment in general • Faculty have become interested in educational research

  15. Future plans • The idea of using CPR (Calibrated Peer Review) in the classes to teach and assess the outcomes is being explored • CPR exposes the students to material multiple times as they: • Research a question • Write an essay • Learn to grade the essays • Grade their peers essays • Grade their own essay

  16. Plans Continued • The idea of using OnCourse to facilitate group projects using the scientific method are being explored • The idea of using internet assignments is being explored

  17. Plans Continued • Research is being conducted to ascertain if enrollment in the optional laboratory improves both scientific reasoning and lecture scores. • The Lawson test of scientific reasoning involves both answering questions and justifying the answer and allows researchers to assess how well our program teaches reasoning.

  18. Acknowledgements • Thanks to all our full time and part time faculty for caring enough to be part of the assessment committee • Thanks to our Department Chair who is encouraging our efforts

  19. Questions?

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