Measuring how a college education lays the foundation for "thinking like an expert"

This article from authors Louise Yarnall, Larry Gallagher and Geneva Haertel examines the idea of how a college education can improve individuals' capacity to grasp the "big ideas" of different disciplines. The authors introduce the concept of an "evidence-centered assessment design" or ECD. This educational approach is discussed in depth in this report. The document is available for download in PDF file format

The International encyclopedia of educational evaluation /

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Assessing model-based reasoning using evidence-centered design: a suite of research-based design patterns

This Springer Brief provides theory, practical guidance, and support tools to help designers create complex, valid assessment tasks for hard-to-measure, yet crucial, science education standards. Understanding, exploring, and interacting with the world through models characterizes science in all its branches and at all levels of education. Model-based reasoning is central to science education and thus science assessment. Current interest in developing and using models has increased with the release of the Next Generation Science Standards, which identified this as one of the eight practices of science and engineering. However, the interactive, complex, and often technology-based tasks that are needed to assess model-based reasoning in its fullest forms are difficult to develop. Building on research in assessment, science education, and learning science, this Brief describes a suite of design patterns that can help assessment designers, researchers, and teachers create tasks for assessing aspects of model-based reasoning: Model Formation, Model Use, Model Elaboration, Model Articulation, Model Evaluation, Model Revision, and Model-Based Inquiry. Each design pattern lays out considerations concerning targeted knowledge and ways of capturing and evaluating students’ work. These design patterns are available at http://design-drk.padi.sri.com/padi/do/NodeAction?state=listNodes&NODE_TYPE=PARADIGM_TYPE. The ideas are illustrated with examples from existing assessments and the research literature

Getting on the Same Page Using Scenario-Based Learning: An Alignment of Education and Industry Goals for Technician Education

This 42-page report is provided by SRI International and examines the results of a scenario-based alignment study. "The current report examines the alignment of a set of scenario-based learning materials with two sets of relevant industry standards. This review deepens knowledge about the range and types of knowledge and skills that scenario-based materials have the potential to address." In this report, the materials relate to the field of bioinformatics. This report includes a table of contents and the following sections: Executive Summary, Introduction and Background, Findings, Summary and Discussion, References, and Appendices. The Introduction and Background section includes the following subsections: Project Context, Destination SBL Project, SBL-Bioinformatics Instructional and Assessment Materials, Research Questions, Methodology, Sample, Face-to-Face Panel, Online Panel, and Analysis.Â