Practical Strategies for Assessment in the Sciences, PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A 2 DAY EVENT

Friday, January 30, 2009
5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Bannow NEW Core Science Room

TWO DAY WORKSHOP - Friday Evening January 30th and Saturday January 31st 2009 Where: New Resource Center for Core Science Integrated Lecture/Laboratory, BNW 332 How do students learn science? Does it matter how we teach science? What have we learned about students’ abilities to construct mental models, and to turn those models into understanding of basic ideas in biology, chemistry, and physics? How can we move beyond exams and quizzes to assess student learning? This workshop will bring together faculty from diverse science disciplines to discuss and discover ideas about assessing student learning. Three off-campus speakers will work with us: · Eugenia Etkina, Associate Professor of Science Education in the Department of Learning and Teaching at Rutgers University, will discuss strategies for classroom assessment. She will work with you using artifacts that you bring in order to evaluate traditional and new methods of in-class assessment of student understanding. · Tyson Miller, Assistant Professor of Chemical Education from the University of Connecticut, will explore how students come to understand stereochemical (the 3-D arrangement of atoms in space) information and the disconnect between their perceptual interaction with the models and drawings we employ to transmit this information. · Trace Jordan Associate Professor of Chemistry and Associate Director of NYU’s Morse Academic Plan (think Core), will discuss the challenges we face when assessing entire programs as versus individual courses or concepts. Although focused on the natural sciences, any faculty member interested in exploring the alternative strategies we can use to try to better understanding the teaching and learning process will be challenged and informed by these workshops. Friday evening will include dinner and one session. (Approximately 5:00 – 8:00pm) Saturday will feature two more sessions and lunch. (Approximately 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 pm) This workshop is part of our on-going NSF-CCLI grant in support of coupled core science courses and the development of the Resource Center for Core Science. Participants will receive a $100 stipend for participating in both parts of the two-day workshop, as well as dinner Friday night and breakfast and lunch on Saturday