RCN-UBE Incubator: Conceptual Assessments in Biology: Tools for Learning

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This project addresses two problems, first identified in the 1980s, that persist today. First, students have many misconceptions that are at odds with scientific ideas and that are tenacious, persistent, and resistant to change. Second, with the advent of large lecture classes and multiple-choice testing, many college students can earn good grades simply by superficial memorization that results in no long-term retention or modification of underlying misconceptions. Conceptual assessments in biology (CABs) are designed to examine the ways students are reasoning and applying scientific principles to solve scientific problems. This project will support planning and initial development of a network focused on the use of conceptual assessments to help biology faculty transform instruction to promote students' meaningful understanding and problem-solving abilities. Goals of the network will be to strengthen the community of CAB developers and create a central repository on the web to serve the needs of both CAB developers and faculty who use CABs. Broader impacts of the network will include broad dissemination of CAB materials and training of faculty in the development and use of CABs. This project is supported jointly by the Biological Sciences Directorate and the Division of Undergraduate Education.