Assessment Strategies in Science Education

What is the purpose of formative assessment?

• To assist teaching and learning

• To answer questions about student performance

• To inform parents and future teachers

• To evaluate student understanding

What is the main purpose of summative assessment?

• To assist teaching and learning

• To evaluate student understanding

• To inform parents and future teachers

• To answer questions about student performance

What does a rubric describe?

• The criteria for assessing a child's performance

• The purpose of formative assessment

• The purpose of summative assessment

• The effectiveness of assessment tools

What is a performance assessment based on?

• Observations of students as they demonstrate a specific task or problem-solving skill

• Written records of student behavior

• Direct observation of student behavior

• Lab reports and worksheets

What is the purpose of a portfolio in assessment?

• To collect data about students' procedures and conclusions

• To assess changes in student affect

• To provide an organized collection of a student's best work

• To assess student understanding of concepts

What do anecdotal records show?

• What a student has learned

• How well individual students are mastering inquiry process skills

• Changes in student affect

• How well the teacher is executing the lesson plan

How can science conferences with children help assess learning?

• By providing a quick and reliable way to assess student understanding

• By determining whether students are developing favorable attitudes toward science

• By listening carefully and probing to discover if students have grasped science concepts

• By reflecting on formal investigative elements and new concepts learned

What is the purpose of a science notebook?

• To assess student understanding of concepts

• To reflect on formal investigative elements and new concepts learned

• To uncover student understanding of a rule of interaction

• To assess changes in student affect

What is the purpose of a science probe?

• To assess student understanding of concepts

• To reflect on formal investigative elements and new concepts learned

• To uncover student understanding of a rule of interaction

• To assess changes in student affect

What is the purpose of concept mapping?

• To assess student understanding of concepts

• To reflect on formal investigative elements and new concepts learned

• To uncover student understanding of a rule of interaction

• To make what is learned explicit and show relationships between concepts