NUE: Nanoscience Based Supplementary Items for ACS Exams Institute Assessment Materials

本科教育中的纳米技术（NUE）奖授予密尔沃基的威斯康星州大学的托马斯A Holme教授，由数学和物理科学理事会化学部和教育和人力资源理事会本科教育部制定多项选择评估项目，测试学生在传统子学科中发现的化学内容知识，而是用纳米科学的例子。这些项目将被收集到一个基于纳米科学的补充项目小册子，由美国化学学会化学教育部考试研究所出版。这些小册子将印刷并免费提供给订购普通化学、有机化学、物理化学和无机化学传统考试的教育工作者。为了方便使用这些问题作为传统考试的补充或补充，还将开发一个交互式网站，允许用户确定通过使用基于纳米科学的项目（基于所有相关项目的项目统计数据）调整的考试规范。该项目的智力价值主要在于对这些项目的开发和分析。撰写和编辑这些项目的主要任务将由一个志愿教育工作者委员会执行。一旦项目已经写好，他们将进行试验测试，这些试验的结果将进行统计分析。这些分析将允许确定什么类型的纳米科学内容为学生提供困难，并确定是否有任何项目在可定义的学生亚组内有差异。该项目更广泛的影响主要与差异项目功能分析有关。作为拟议评估工具开发的一部分，将调查DIF，如果发现，将进一步研究，以阐明纳米科学相关内容对可定义的种族或性别群体构成学习障碍的方式。 这些信息可以通过确定更好的方式为这些群体提供纳米科学相关内容，帮助解决少数群体在科学领域代表性不足的问题。 该奖项的提案是为了响应纳米科学与工程教育公告，NSF 03-044，NUE类别。

This Nanotechnology in Undergraduate Education (NUE) award to Professor Thomas A Holme of the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee is made by the Division of Chemistry in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences and the Division of Undergraduate Education in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources to develop multiple choice assessment items that test student knowledge of chemistry content found in traditional subdisciplines, but uses nanoscience examples. These items will be collected into a supplementary nanoscience-based items booklet to be published by the Examinations Institute of the Division of Chemical Education of the American Chemical Society. These booklets will be printed and provided free of charge to educators that order traditional exams in General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry and Inorganic Chemistry. To facillitate the use of these questions as complements to or supplements in the traditional exams, an interactive web site will also be developed that allows users to determine norms for exams adjusted by the use of the nanoscience based items (based on items statistics for all items involved.) The intellectual merit of this project lies largely in the development and analysis of these items. The major task of writing and editing the items will be carried out by a committee of volunteer educators. Once items have been written they will be trial tested, and the results of these trials will be subjected to statistical analysis. These analyses will allow for determination of what types of nanoscience content provide difficulties for student and the determination if any items operate differentially within definable subgroups of students. The broader impact of the project is related primarily to this differential item functioning (DIF) analysis. As part of the development of the proposed assessment instrument, DIF will be investigated, and, if found, studied further to elucidate ways in which nanoscience related content presents learning barriers for definable ethnic or gender groups. Such information can help address issues of underrepresented minorities in science by determining better ways to present nanoscience related content for these groups. The proposal for this award was received in response to the Nanoscale Science and Engineering Education announcement, NSF 03-044, category NUE.