PSPH 228Assessment in K-12 Science Education

Pretest

(Unless otherwise noted, each item is worth one point. Circle the correct answer to multiple-choice questions and elaborate as directed.)

Section One – Six Facets of Understanding

According to Wiggins and McTighe, in their book Understanding by Design, there are six facets of understanding. They are: explanation, interpretation, application, perspective, empathy, and self-knowledge. Select one of those facets of understanding and answer the following questions:

State the facet of understanding that you are addressing - ______

  1. Define the facet you have selected.(2 points)
    ______
  1. Describe one way that this facet of understanding may be used in your classroom. (2 points)

______

  1. Describe one assessment implication created by targeting this facet of understanding. (2 points)
    ______

Section Two – The Vocabulary and Skills of Assessment

  1. Instruments used to assess students must be both valid and reliable. Define each term: (2 points each)

validity - ______
______

reliability - ______
______

  1. Explain why a valid question must also be reliable. (3 points)______
    ______
    ______
  1. A multiple-choice question has three parts. Label the parts of the following question. (3 points)

All dogs have which one of the following characteristics?

  1. All dogs are the same size.
  2. All dogs have short hair.
  3. All dogs have webbed feet.
  4. All dogs have 78 chromosomes.
  1. In a good multiple-choice item, the wrong answers should:
  1. be longer than the correct answer.
  2. be written in more technical language to confuse the reader.
  3. not be based on student’s misconceptions.
  1. seem reasonable to someone who is uneducated in the subject.
  1. In multiple choice questions, although a direct question is best, sometimes incomplete statements are necessary in order to:
  1. avoid awkward phrasing.
  2. mislead the test taker.
  3. maintain validity of the item.
  4. achieve reliability.
  1. After a multiple choice test is given, it is important to perform a test-item analysis. This kind of analysis gives you the information you need to:
  1. determine the effectiveness of each question.
  2. make the test more difficult in the future.
  3. identify students who cheated.
  4. calculate a Pearson Product Moment Correlation.
  1. Essay questions often require students to demonstrate their deep understanding of a subject. However, to improve the reliability of essay questions, teachers need to be careful when scoring student responses. You must require students to answer all items. Allowing students to select a subset of questions to answer prevents comparison because it detracts from:
  1. complexity.
  2. difficulty.
  3. validity.
  4. reliability.
  1. Embedded assessment is part of all teaching and learning experiences in our classrooms. All teachers do it whether or not they are aware of it. Which of these techniques is an example of embedded assessment?
  1. A pop quiz on material presented yesterday.
  2. Exit cards at the end of the lesson.
  3. Listening to students as they discuss a problem.
  4. Journal entries by engaged students.
  1. Embedded assessment provides some of the richest data available to teachers about the depth of their students’ understanding. Why do most teachers not include these data in their evaluation of student performance?
  1. Embedded-assessment data are not valid.
  2. Embedded-assessment data are not recorded.
  3. Embedded-assessment data are not reliable.
  4. Embedded-assessment data are not correlated with student success.
  1. The following multiple-choice question contains a fatal flaw. Do not answer the question! Instead, identify the flaw and explain why it is a flaw. (2 points)

Every organism is made of cells and every cell comes from another cell. This is the:
a) Relativity Theory
b) Evolution Theory
c) Heat Theory
d) Cell Theory

The flaw is ______

This is bad because ______

  1. What is meant by the phrase Extended Constructed Response? ______

Section Three – Grading Issues

  1. The use of median grading supports learning by __?__ .
  1. allowing lazy students to get good grades too.
  2. rewarding students who can demonstrate mastery of most subject domains.
  3. giving students high grades even if they do not understand.
  4. guaranteeing good grades for all students.
  1. There are certain Grading Policies and Standards that are more likely to support learning. According to some experts, teachers should:

Sample student performance—do not include all scores in grades.

This means __?__.

  1. that grades should be based on effort, participation, attitude, and other behaviors. Grades based on achievement should not be included in grade calculations.
  2. providing feedback on formative assessment and mainly using summative assessments to determine students’ grades.
  3. providing only one assessment opportunity for each concept being taught.
  4. using learning goals as the basis for grade determination.

Section Four – Equity, Assessment, and Opportunity to Learn

  1. Historically, the phrase Opportunity to Learn(OTL)has referred to all but one of the following: (Circle the one that does not belong.)
  1. content taught
  2. allocation of educational resources
  3. teaching strategies used
  4. learning styles
  1. A democratic concept of school defines OTL in terms of the conditions within the school that lead to an open flow of ideas and an examination of real-world problems.Which of these assessment strategies preferred by this model:
  1. standardized tests
  2. short-answer teacher-made tests
  3. portfolios and demonstrations
  4. laboratory reports
  1. When schools are viewed from a sociocultural perspective, learning is viewed as specific to each learner and the concept of OTL becomes much more complex. Therefore, any sociocultural definition of OTL must include the traditional elements and all of the following but __?__.
  1. students’ prior knowledge
  2. students’ prior experience
  3. students’ vocabulary
  4. students’ age
  1. Game-like learning has been shown to have a great advantage in preparing students for assessments that test students' __?__.
  1. memory and understanding.
  2. prior knowledge and vocabulary.
  3. reflexes and muscle tone.
  4. conceptual knowledge and their ability to apply that knowledge.

Section Five – Enduring Understanding

  1. Which one of the following statements qualifies as an enduring understanding?
  1. The five food groups are: grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, and meats and beans.
  2. Viruses, bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms can cause infectious diseases.
  3. A balanced diet contributes to good physical and mental health.
  4. Vitamins A, C, D, and K and certain minerals (iron, calcium, phosphorus) are important for maintaining good health.

Section Six – Designing a Unit for Understanding

  1. There are three strategies for designing units that lead students to a deeper understanding of fundamental concepts. These strategies involve organizing units around essential questions, the teaching for understanding model, or authentic tasks. Select one of these strategies, and explain what it means, tell how it focuses students on understanding, and why assessments are more likely to measure understanding. Write your answer below. (10 points)

Name of the Unit-Design Strategy selected (essential question, teaching for understanding, or authentic task) ______

Explain what this strategy means: ______

______

How does this strategy focus students on understanding? ______

______

Why will assessments be more likely to measure understanding if a unit is designed this way?

______

PSPH 228: Assessment in K-12 Science Education PretestPage 1