The Geoscience Concept Inventory WebCenter provides new means for student assessment
5 Jul 2010.
7767 visits
Authors
Emily M. Geraghty Ward, Research Associate , Department of Geological Sciences
Julie C. Libarkin, Director, Geocognition Research Lab
Stuart Raeburn, Instructional Technology Researcher/Systems Developer, State University
Gerd Kortemeyer, Assistant Professor of Physics Education and Director, LON-CAPA Project
Faculty adopt information and communication technologies (ICT) with the assumption that they enhance student learning. In the geosciences, new curricula employ tools such as Google Earth to aid in the interpretation of three-dimensional landscapes and the processes that create them. In many cases, the evaluation of learning that occurs with this technology use is neither explicit nor necessarily matched with the overarching curricular goals of ICT.
Arguably, assessment should be embedded in curriculum design according to the Backward Design model (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005) for effective instruction. We propose embedded assessment appropriate to ICT, specifically online assessment that takes advantage of automated scoring and feedback mechanisms through the Geoscience Concept Inventory (GCI) WebCenter.
As an instructional tool, the WebCenter contains concept inventory questions that are carefully designed to ascertain student’s conceptual understanding in a range of geology subtopics. The WebCenter’s customized LON-CAPA platform facilitates the inclusion of digital images created by ICT technologies to assess student learning. The WebCenter’s online venue encourages community participation in assessment development by allowing users to review existing questions and submit their own. Furthermore, the WebCenter’s testing function provides an authentic online assessment experience that aligns with ICT practice and takes advantage of its technological capabilities to provide immediate feedback and detect fine-grained data such as time-on-task.
Currently, user activity in the portal is limited to viewing and student evaluation on a small scale, with only a small fraction participating in the development of new concept inventory questions. Thus, it may be that on-site teacher training workshops are needed to help initiate collaborations and use of the technology. However, the WebCenter has already made an impact with its online, open-source nature; encouraging participation from around the globe, as evidenced by the number of users (n=130) and range of institutions using the GCI. Statistics collected via online testing with a variety of student populations
As an instructional tool, the WebCenter contains concept inventory questions that are carefully designed to ascertain student’s conceptual understanding in a range of geology subtopics. The WebCenter’s customized LON-CAPA platform facilitates the inclusion of digital images created by ICT technologies to assess student learning. The WebCenter’s online venue encourages community participation in assessment development by allowing users to review existing questions and submit their own. Furthermore, the WebCenter’s testing function provides an authentic online assessment experience that aligns with ICT practice and takes advantage of its technological capabilities to provide immediate feedback and detect fine-grained data such as time-on-task.
Currently, user activity in the portal is limited to viewing and student evaluation on a small scale, with only a small fraction participating in the development of new concept inventory questions. Thus, it may be that on-site teacher training workshops are needed to help initiate collaborations and use of the technology. However, the WebCenter has already made an impact with its online, open-source nature; encouraging participation from around the globe, as evidenced by the number of users (n=130) and range of institutions using the GCI. Statistics collected via online testing with a variety of student populations
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The WebCenter’s customised LON-CAPA platform facilitates the inclusion of digital images created by ICT technologies to assess student learning
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