Performance Assessment Tasks in Science: What Are They Measuring?

Erickson, Gaalen; Meyer, Karen

doi:10.1007/978-94-011-4940-2_49

Cited by 7 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Although student laboratory work is an established technique, the use of performances as summative assessment is new. In addition, assessment experts have proposed the use of performance assessments for statewide assessment of science learning, and, in many places, this has been done (Aschbacher, 1991;Erickson & Meyer, 1998;Ferrara, Huynh, & Baghi, 1997;Lomask, Baron, & Greig, 1998).…”

Section: Assessment In the Practical Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In 1992, Erickson et al reported on a largescale performance assessment in science education, done in British Columbia in 1991, that departed significantly from decontextualized assessment forms for the first time. More recently, Erickson and Meyer (1998), retrospectively more critical, reported again on the original performance assessment of 1991. The performance assessment was one of four components of the overall assessment of science learning that took place for grades 4, 7, and 10, which consisted of two individual investigations and six experimental station tasks, performed in 7 min each.…”

Section: Assessment In the Practical Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(Erickson et al, 1992, p. 20) Teachers did the scoring of the tasks on a standard scoring form that called for assessment of the students' ability to observe accurately and the ability to explain well. Erickson and Meyer (1998) reported that it was obvious that students drew on their prior out-ofschool experience with stringed instruments in describing the differences observed and in attributing the differences in pitch to the tension in the strings-a response that was not anticipated. The task had been designed with the expectation that the differences in pitch would be attributed to the observed differences in the thickness of the strings.…”

Section: Assessment In the Practical Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To attempt to interpret the results, Erickson and Meyer (1998) postulated the existence of three cognitive resources used by the students in performing the various tasks. They were (a) science-specific general cognitive abilities, (b) school-related science knowledge, and (c) everyday science content knowledge.…”

Section: Assessment In the Practical Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Of these, the existence of science-specific general cognitive abilities is controversial, as there is an ongoing debate as to the existence of science-specific skills (Erickson & Meyer, 1998;Selley, 1989). From the study, Erickson and Meyer (1998) made two conclusions: first, it is not possible to separate out unique skills from the task assessment and it is, therefore, not possible to claim to be measuring any of the conventional unitary traits, such as "science process skills"; and second, it is not possible to determine whether responses are based on school-acquired knowledge or out-of-school experiences. The Erickson and Meyer study, due to the thoroughness and depth of its analysis, is a valuable resource for evaluating performance assessment.…”

Section: Assessment In the Practical Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Contextual assessment in science education: Background, issues, and policy

Klassen

2006

Sci. Ed.

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Contemporary assessment practices in science education have undergone significant changes in recent decades. The basis for these changes and the resulting new assessment practices are the subject of this two-part paper. Part 1 considers the basis of assessment that, more than 25 years ago, was driven by the assumptions of decomposability and decontextualization of knowledge, resulting in a low-inference testing system, often described as "traditional." This assessment model was replaced not on account of direct criticism, but rather on account of a larger revolution-the change from behavioral to cognitive psychology, developments in the philosophy of science, and the rise of constructivism. Most notably, the study of the active cognitive processes of the individual resulted in a major emphasis on context in learning and assessment. These changes gave rise to the development of various contextual assessment methodologies in science education, for example, concept mapping assessment, performance assessment, and portfolio assessment. In Part 2, the literature relating to the assessment methods identified in Part 1 is reviewed, revealing that there is not much research that supports their validity and reliability. However, encouraging new work on selected-response tests is forming the basis for reconsideration of past criticisms of this technique. Despite the major developments in contextual assessment methodologies in science education, two important questions remain unanswered, namely, whether grades can be considered as genuine numeric quantities and whether the individual student is the appropriate unit of assessment in public accountability. Given these issues and the requirement for science assessment to satisfy the goals of the individual, the classroom, and the society, tentative recommendations are put forward addressing these parallel needs in the assessment of science learning.

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Section: Assessment In the Practical Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Assessment In the Practical Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Assessment In the Practical Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Assessment In the Practical Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Assessment In the Practical Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Contextual assessment in science education: Background, issues, and policy

Klassen

2006

Sci. Ed.

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The characteristics of formative assessment in science education

2001

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Formative assessment, in this article, is defined as "the process used by teachers and students to recognize and respond to student learning in order to enhance that learning, during the learning." The findings of a two-year research project in New Zealand indicate that formative assessment has the following characteristics: responsiveness, sources of evidence, a tacit process, using professional knowledge and experiences, an integral part of teaching and learning, formative assessment is done by both teachers and students, the purposes for formative assessment, the contextualized nature of the process, dilemmas, and student disclosure.

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Student Views of Concept Mapping Use in Introductory Tertiary Biology Classes

Buntting

Coll

Campbell

2005

Int J Sci Math Educ

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ABSTRACT. Introductory tertiary level science classes (i.e., at the university or postcompulsory school level) including those for biology face increasing diversity in intake. Previous research has indicated university level teachers assume a certain level of prior knowledge which may or may not be possessed by such students. This report focuses on the use of concept mapping in introductory biology tutorial classes. The research findings suggest that the students found the use of concept mapping enjoyable and that it can enhance meaningful learning for topics that require students to link concepts.

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Performance Assessment Tasks in Science: What Are They Measuring?

Cited by 7 publications

References 21 publications

Contextual assessment in science education: Background, issues, and policy

Contextual assessment in science education: Background, issues, and policy

The characteristics of formative assessment in science education

Student Views of Concept Mapping Use in Introductory Tertiary Biology Classes

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