Technology-supported Performance Assessment for Inquiry-based Science Learning

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A major challenge for the implementation of inquiry-based science learning is the implementation of assessment approaches that can capture the rich forms of conceptual learning and strategic reasoning that inquiry learning is designed to foster. To address the challenge, science education reformers are advocating performance assessment approach, in which students are evaluated on the quality of their performance on cognitively demanding tasks. The goal of this research is to identify strategies to support performance assessment with technology, taking advantage of the Progress Portfolio, an inquiry-support tool developed at Northwestern University. The Progress Portfolio was designed initially to foster inquiry by providing tools for learners to create a visible record of their activities as an object for reflection, but prior studies revealed that the features that make the Progress Portfolio effective as a scaffold for reflective inquiry also make it a valuable support for assessment.. Accordingly, this research will conduct a pilot investigation of: a) the design of performance assessment frameworks to take advantage of technology supports, b) the design of technology supports for performance assessment c) the application of these technology-supported performance assessment frameworks in the design of inquiry-based science curricula, d) support for teacher implementation of performance assessment, and e) the effectiveness of the technology-supported performance assessments at capturing student progress and providing reliable feedback to teachers and students. The project will benefit from a collaboration between researchers from Northwestern University with expertise in technological supports for inquiry learning, and researchers from the University of California, Berkeley and SRI with expertise in performance assessment and curriculum development. This project addresses the ROLE themes of Research on SMET learning in educational settings and Research on SMET learning in complex educational systems.