Assessing Student Transfer and Retention of Learning in Mathematics, Physics, and Engineering Courses

这个项目是基于这样一个主题：当评估在形式和时间上最接近教学时，评估是最有用的。项目结束时的总结性评估提供了必要的反馈，但通常在指导改进成果方面价值有限。这种评估是在基本概念的教学之后几年进行的，在此期间教师和教学的变化可能会使反馈显得无关紧要。此外，由于教师缺乏对评估程序的第一手知识，他们往往不信任报告。为了最有效地改进实际课程的设计和实施，课程的讲师应该自己使用评估工具，最好是在课程实施过程中使用。由于STEM专业学生学习核心工程科学课程的主要原因是为他们未来的课程做准备，因此评估的最重要方面是学生在以后的课程中将所学知识转移到新环境中的能力。评估不应该仅仅服务于教师或学校的目的，它还应该帮助学生认识到自己的成就，并指导学生提高他们的理解。本项目的目标是设计能够轻松融入核心工程科学课程的在线评估工具，并能够回答以下问题：学生在核心工程科学课程中学习了哪些具体的数学和物理材料？学生对所学材料的理解程度如何？它只是不相关的事实和程序，还是通过对细节的仔细理解而形成的一个广泛的概念图景，还是介于两者之间？如果介于两者之间，我们能否更准确地描述他们获得了什么样的理解？在特定的课程结束后，学生们保留了多少（以及什么类型）的知识。学生能否在专业课程的新情境中运用所学的材料？当他们在新的环境中遇到这些想法时，他们如何始终如一地运用在核心工程科学课程中发展起来的理解？在最好的情况下，我们能否提前预测学生是否获得了必要的理解，成功地将他们的知识应用到新的环境中？这些备受追捧的评估工具的早期版本是在NSF ROLE项目（REC-0087788）资助的“基于技术和模型的概念评估：学生在物理和数学中模型应用的研究”项目下开发的。模型分析用于开发和验证工具。这些工具有助于深入了解学生的概念理解和学习方式，本项目正在将其应用于更多的核心课程，并将重点从对学生学习的基础研究扩展到对学习和概念理解的评估。我们正在开发的评估工具为教师和学生提供实时反馈，使他们能够调整教学和学习过程，以提高学生在概念理解和将学习转移到新环境的能力方面的成绩。

This project is based on the theme that assessment is most useful when it is closest to instruction, in both form and time. Summative assessments at the end of a program provide necessary feedback, but are often of limited value in guiding improved achievement. Such assessment takes place several years after instruction in basic concepts and changes in instructors and instruction during the intervening time may make the feedback appear irrelevant. In addition, faculty members are often distrustful of reports where the faculty members lack first hand knowledge of the assessment procedure. To be most effective in improving design and conduct of actual courses, the instructors in the course should use the assessment tools themselves, preferably during the conduct of the course. Because the main reason for STEM majors taking core engineering science courses is to prepare them for future courses, the most important aspect of assessment is the ability of students to transfer their learning to new contexts in later courses. Assessment should not only serve the purpose of the instructor or the institution it should also aid the students in recognizing their own achievements and in guiding the students to improve their understanding. The goal of this project is to design online assessment tools that can be easily integrated into core engineering science courses and that are capable of answering the following questions: What specific material have the students learned in core engineering science courses in mathematics and physics? What understanding do the students have of the material they have learned? Is it just disconnected facts and procedures, a broad conceptual picture informed by careful understanding of the details, or something in between? If it is something in between, can we describe more exactly what understanding they have gained? How much (and what type of) knowledge do the students retain after specific classes have ended. Can the students use the material they have learned in new situations in their professional courses? How consistently do they use the understanding developed in core engineering science courses when encountering these ideas in new contexts? In the best case, can we predict in advance whether students have gained the necessary understanding to successfully apply their knowledge in new contexts?Early versions of the sought after assessment tools have been developed under an earlier grant: "Technology & Model- Based Conceptual Assessment: Research on Students Applications of Models in Physics and Mathematics" funded by the NSF ROLE program (REC-0087788). Model Analysis is being used to develop and validate the tools. These tools are providing great insight into student conceptual understanding and learning styles, and this project is expanding their use to more core classes, and extending the focus from basic research on student learning to assessment of learning and conceptual understanding. The assessment tools we are developing are providing real-time feedback to both instructors and students, enabling both to adjust the teaching and learning process to improve student achievement in terms of conceptual understanding and the ability to transfer learning to new contexts.