ASSISTments Meets Inquiry

伍斯特理工学院(WPI)的五年提案针对的是中学生？需要通过提高探究性科学评价来更深入地学习科学。S建议的主要目标是建立一个严格的、基于技术的、符合中学标准的系统，用于评价六个物理科学内容领域(即物质的性质；元素、化合物和混合物；物体的运动；能量的形式和热能)的探究技能(即，解释数据、提出假设和预测、进行实验、收集数据、数学化、交流和辩护假设)。评估将与马萨诸塞州课程框架和国家科学教育标准保持一致。这项拟议的努力的创新方面在于它的意图是既评估学生？为学生提供智能、系统(而不是猜测)和明确的辅导，在他们使用基于计算机的操作模型(微观世界)时，就他们的选择提供反馈，从而增加他们的科学学习。参与者包括来自伍斯特公立学校系统的学生和教师，该系统具有不同的种族和SES学生人口的特点。本研究提出了五个研究问题：(1)探究性辅导是否有助于提高探究性技能？(2)探究性辅导是否会增加国家测量的内容学习？S的评价体系？(3)学生之间的关系是什么？模型的认识论及其对模型的探究？(4)通过六项技能中每一项更好的探究技能来衡量探究技能是否在六个科学主题之间迁移？以及(5)学生测量的探究之间有什么关系？日志，以及通过内容前后测试来衡量的内容学习？预期的产品包括：(A)能够评估学生的智能辅导系统？(B)六个物理科学领域的一套评估项目。评价将强调通过多种统计方法全面发展与内容学习有关的探究性评估和辅导系统。传播包括会议、学术期刊上的出版物和网站。

The Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) five-year proposal addresses middle school students? need to learn science more deeply through the improvement of inquiry science assessment. An outgrowth of the WPI-developed ?ASSISTments Systems for Math?, and REC-funded ?Modeling Across the Curriculum?, the proposal?s main goal is to develop a rigorous, technology-based system for middle school standards-aligned assessment of inquiry skills (i.e., interpreting data, formulating hypotheses and predictions, conducting experiments, collecting data, mathematizing, and communicating and defending hypotheses) in six physical science content areas (i.e., Properties of Matter; Elements, Compounds, and Mixtures; Motion of Objects; Forms of Energy; and Heat Energy). Assessments will be aligned with the Massachusetts Curricular Framework and the National Science Education Standards. The innovative aspect of this proposed effort resides in its intent to both assess students? inquiry skills and to provide students with intelligent, systematic (as opposed to guessing), and explicit tutoring, providing feedback on their choices as they work with computer-based manipulative models (microworlds), thus increasing their science learning. Participants include students and teachers from the Worcester Public School System, characterized by its diverse ethnic and SES student population. Five research questions drive this research: (1) Does inquiry tutoring lead to improved inquiry skills?, (2) Does inquiry tutoring lead to increased content learning as measured by the State?s assessment system?, (3) What is the relationship of students? epistemologies of models and their inquiry with models?, (4) Do inquiry skills transfer across the six science topics as measured by better inquiry skills in each of the six skills?, and (5) What is the relationship between inquiry as measured by students? logs, and content learning as measured by pre- and post-tests on content? Anticipated products include (a) an intelligent tutoring system capable of assessing students? skills, and providing teachers with data by class and students by inquiry skill, and (b) a set of assessment items in six physical science areas. Evaluation will emphasize the overall development of the inquiry assessments and tutoring system in relation to content learning through multiple statistical methods. Dissemination includes conferences, publications in scholarly journals, and a website.