Angela H. DeBarger PI Carlos Ayala PI Jim Minstrell PI

Chemistry Facets: Formative Assessment to Improve Student Understanding in Chemistry

This material is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under grant DRL-0733169 (Chemistry Facets: Formative Assessment to Improve Student Understanding in Chemistry). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

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Development Goals

Content Development Goal: Develop chemistry content for Diagnoser system: facet clusters, elicitation questions, developmental lessons, diagnostic assessments, and prescriptive activities

Technology Development Goal: Extend Diagnoser content management and authoring system to facilitate assessment implementation

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Research Goals

Document the process of creating this system of diagnostic assessments and pedagogical resources in chemistry

Validate content, assessments and diagnostic approach

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Atomic Structure of Matter Facet Clusters

Facet Cluster 1.1. Atoms Facet Cluster 1.2. Model of an Atom Facet Cluster 1.3. Elements Facet Cluster 1.4. Electrons Facet Cluster 1.5. Precursor to Bonding Facet Cluster 1.6. Ways Atoms are Held Together

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Changes in Matter Facet Clusters Facet Cluster 2.1. Describing Changes Facet Cluster 2.2. Changes that Result in New

Substances Facet Cluster 2.3. Changes Where the Kind of

Substance Stays the Same Facet Cluster 2.4. Energy and Rates of Chemical

Reactions

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Content of Clusters Conceptual and foundational knowledge at the high

school level Describing what is happening to matter at the

atomic level rather than overgeneralizations to classify interactions among atoms and molecules

Problematic facets are stated to reflect student thinking

Grain size of facets Refine facets and clusters based on how well they

work for assessment and lesson design purposes

Facet Cluster Design Principles

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Elicitation Questions Motivate student interest and connect with prior

experiences Focus questions on making inferences about

observable phenomena, when possible Ask more questions, limit feedback

Diagnoser Questions Use paired questions to elicit multiple ways of

reasoning Frame feedback in terms of what the student may

know or understand to be true

Question Design Principles

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Paired Questions from Electrons ClusterQuestion 2.Where in the atom can electrons be found?

(a) In electron clouds that surround the nucleus. [Paired] with question: 2a(b) In electron shells that surround the nucleus. [Paired] with question: 2b(c) In three dimensional (3D) regions determined by the electron's energy. [02](d) In circular orbits around the nucleus. [52]

Question 2a.Which statement best describes an "electron cloud"?(a:a) It is an area of space where an electron can probably be found. [02][02](a:b) It is like a rain cloud with electrons suspended it in like droplets of water. [40][40](a:c) It is an area within which electrons move so fast that they create a cloud. [41][41]

Question 2b.Which statement best describes an "electron shell"?(b:a) It is like a thin hard eggshell with electrons embedded in it. [61][61](b:b) It is a region where an electron can probably be found. [02][02](b:c) It is a thin flexible membrane with electrons embedded in it. [62][62](b:d) It is a path that the electron takes around the nucleus. [52][52]

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Facet Clusters and Facets Examined of student responses to open-ended questions

to confirm presence of hypothesized facets

Elicitation Questions Examined written response with >100 students per

question to confirm that responses elicited a range of intended facets

Diagnoser Questions Conducted think alouds of paper-pencil versions with

small student sample Online versions will be piloted in classes of current high

school chemistry teachers

Lessons Piloted in current high school chemistry classes to

examine student engagement and to clarify instructions to teachers and students

Overview of Validation Activities

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Diagnoser System Development

Increased system reliability and security Improved monitoring of system performance Developed tools for editing learning goals,

elicitation questions, developmental lessons, and prescriptive activities

System will allow authors to create, edit, and publish facets and question sets remotely via the web