Assessment Ideas

When students interact with simulations, they are engaged in a very different type of learning that when they are reading. The goal of the PSI Sim™ designers was to promote the development of deeper, more personal ways of thinking about science. To help address the differences between rote memorization and interactive, inquiry-based methods for assessment purposes, we believe it is necessary to go beyond typical questioning strategies used in most text books. That is, different types of learning require different types of assessment. Of course, assessment must relate directly to program goals and course objectives.

You may find it convenient to use the PSI Sims™ themselves as part of assessment. For example, the teacher might set up a scenario in the PSI Sim™ and print it out along with a "What-if" or "What will happen now" question. Be warned that non-traditional questioning strategies need to be introduced carefully so that students "learn" that you expect them to think differently about their responses. It is wise to try out new assessment strategies with self-assessments before using them for grading purposes.

Let's consider some basic examples of alternate assessment strategies. In a rote learning assessment, a student might be asked to state a definition of "electrolyte". Another method of assessment might be to "give an example of an electrolyte and an example of a non-electrolyte." Perhaps the students might "draw a diagram of an electrolyte being used in a practical way." Another example might be, "what problems might arise in an experimental situation if a non-electrolyte were replaced with the electrolyte by accident." PSI Sims™ sometimes include real-time graphing components. In these cases, students might be asked to make connections between reading a meter and reading a graph. When should one be used rather than the other? PSI Sims™ often allow the student to manipulate more than one variable. Questions can be asked to see how the student would anticipate the result of modifying the two variables in certain ways, noting the relationship between the variables. The advantage of the PSI Sim™ in this case is that it offers a concrete, interactive example of the model.

Below we present concrete examples of a few types of assessment that you may find useful when using PSI Sims™.

Case Assessment

A fish farmer believes he keeps his ponds adequately aerated. For the past year, the dissolved oxygen content in the water has been at optimum levels. It is October and the daytime temperatures have been averaging 78 degrees F with nighttime temperatures averaging 55 degrees F. There was one heavy rainstorm in the past 2 weeks dumping 3 inches of rain in the area. Fertilizer was spread on the areas around the ponds 3 weeks ago to encourage plant growth to limit the amount of bank erosion. In the last 3 days, the farmer has noticed large numbers of fish dying. The water has a foul smell and the bottom of the ponds are very mucky. What is killing the fish?

Comprehensive Achievement Test

Given the following data table, what happens to the concentration of oxygen dissolved in water as the temperature increases?

(a) The dissolved oxygen concentration decreases.
(b) The dissolved oxygen concentration increases.
(c) The dissolved oxygen concentration remains the same.
(d) The dissolved oxygen concentration cannot be determined.

Discrepant Event Assessment

You've been told that oxygen (a gas) dissolves in water (a liquid). While it is easy to see a solid dissolve in a liquid, how can a colorless gas dissolve in a liquid? You can't "see" it, so how do you know if it really happens? Design an experiment to answer this question.

Socratic Assessment

You have learned that colder temperatures of water tend to have higher concentrations of dissolved oxygen than warmer temperatures of water. Likewise, you have learned that the lower the oxygen content, the faster a fish's respiration will be. How can this information be used to help us understand respiration rates in humans?

Project-Based Assessment

Design an experiment to show the relationship between weather patterns and dissolved oxygen content in water. Determine whether seasons have distinct patterns in regards to the amount of oxygen in the water.