Field Experience Assessment Inventory

Field Experience Assessment Inventory

Assessment Name and Type	Description, and Means by Which Administered	Outcomes Being Assessed	If/How Assessment Improved Teaching or Learning
Warm-Up Drill Questions -Formative	Formative assessment questions (usually multiple choice) posted on a PowerPoint slide. Answers to the questions were discussed after students had some time to write their individual answers.	Many outcomes, depending on what was learned the previous day(s). An example of a drill question was: “The characteristics listed below can be used to describe some molecules. 1.      inorganic 2.      supplies energy and fiber 3.      component of plant cell walls 4.      part of DNA 5.      made of nucleotides Which of these sets of characteristics describes a carbohydrate?” The answer was B. 2,3,4	Yes! These assessments were entirely formative in nature. The questions were never graded, rather, the teacher used them to get the students thinking and determine if they understood the material from the previous class. If they, as a whole, seemed to do well, the teacher would move on. If not, the teacher took the time to review the material and clarify any misconceptions the students had. The questions therefore served as opportunities for the students to test their knowledge and the teacher to determine if/how to modify instruction.
Student Questioning and Observation -Formative	Informal verbal questions and observations throughout class to ensure students are engaged and learning.	Any material being learned at the time. For example, one question asked frequently during the first unit of the course was “what are the independent and dependent variables of this experiment?”	Yes! These questions and observations were entirely formative in nature. Students can become disengaged if they do the same thing for a long time, and some students are shy and unwilling to participate. Therefore, the teacher would break up the PowerPoint or video lectures with questions, walk around the room and ask questions to individual students or groups of students, and make observations regarding student learning that can be used to improve his teaching. If there was something many students didn’t understand, the instructor could elaborate.
Kahoot Quizzes -Formative	Short quizzes in which students participated via smartphones or desktop computers in the classroom. Questions were mostly multiple choice or true/false, and had a time limit of 15 seconds. After each question, the class is provided with a breakdown of how many students selected each possible response.	Multiple topics. The teacher used Kahoot quizzes for membrane transport (hypo/hyper/isotonic solutions, osmosis vs. diffusion, active vs. passive transport, etc.), mitosis and meiosis (diploid vs. haploid, names and descriptions of the phases, etc.), and different cell types (eukaryotic cells vs. prokaryotic cells and the cell parts found in each type) among other topics.	Yes! Kahoot quizzes were entirely formative in nature. These quizzes were not graded, but the teacher took the time to stop the quiz and discuss a topic if the students struggled with it. For example, many students incorrectly answered a question that asked what would happen to a cell placed in a particular solution, given the molarities of the intracellular fluid and extracellular fluid. Students didn’t quite grasp that water moves from low molarity to high molarity, while salts move from high molarity to low molarity, so the teacher addressed this difference between solute and solvent by drawing images on the whiteboard and explaining the mathematical formulas. Such quizzes inform the teacher how well students have learned thus far, so that adjustments can be made to improve learning.
In-class packet: DNA and Mutations Webquest -Mostly formative	In-class formative assessment packet in which students were required to go to a website in groups, watch the required videos, read the required readings, fill in the blanks of their notes, and respond to questions. Some of the questions were answered via computer to advance the activity, while others were completed on the corresponding worksheet and turned in for a grade.	Different types of DNA mutations, including deletions, insertions, substitutions, and frameshift mutations. Knowledge of specific diseases caused by mutations, including sickle cell anemia and hemophilia.	Yes! This assessment was mostly formative in nature, as it was used to teach the students about DNA mutations and provide instant feedback as they responded to questions. Students used the online activities to learn the material for the first time and take notes. In other words, this more engaging assessment replaced the lecture that would traditionally be used to introduce the material. Some of the questions they answered, however, were turned in for a grade, but it was a relatively low-stakes assignment. This activity was therefore a discovery based lab that utilized computers to have students engage in material that would otherwise be inaccessible in a normal high school classroom, such as sickle blood cells and their DNA.
Worksheet: Protein Synthesis and Mutations -Formative	In-class formative assessment worksheet students could complete individually or in groups. Students were given an original DNA sequence (TACGATACT) and a key for converting mRNA codons to amino acids. They were asked to write the complementary DNA sequence, mRNA sequence, tRNA sequence, and amino acid sequence, as well as list the name of each step and where it occurs in a cell. Then, they were asked to repeat the process if one base was changed, and answer some follow-up questions.	Knowledge of the components of gene expression, including transcription and translation: complementary base pairs (A-T and C-G in DNA, and A-U in RNA), where the processes occur, and how a mutation may affect protein structure.	Yes! This worksheet was the first chance for the students to try the full process of gene expression from start to finish, and the teacher pointed out a few learning tips towards the end. For example, he pointed out that because the DNA coding strand and mRNA codon sequence (notice the letter “C”) are both complementary to the DNA template strand, the two should have the same base sequence, with U’s in RNA and T’s in DNA. Similarly, the DNA template strand and tRNA strand (notice the letter “T”) would have the same sequence. This tip improved student understanding of the whole process. The worksheet was formative in nature, as it was not turned in for a grade, and the class discussed the answers to improve student understanding of gene expression.
Classwork/Homework Packet: Making Karyotypes -Summative	A summative packet in which students were required to use scissors to cut chromosomes out of a “cell” and assemble them like they would if they were a scientist making a karyotype. They then compared their karyotypes to other images given, and were required to identify if their karyotype was normal, or if there was a genetic disorder present.	Knowledge of karyotyping, including: chromosomes are ordered by size, there should be 23 pairs of chromosomes, and how to identify certain genetic disorders, such as Turner Syndrome (female with one X chromosome) and Trisomy 21 / Down syndrome (three 21st chromosomes).	No formative component. The first part of the assignment was treated like a performance assessment, as the students were required to create and turn in a karyotype. The follow-up questions were answered and graded as summative constructed-response questions. Because the assessment was used to evaluate student understanding of karyotyping and not improve instruction or learning, this assessment would be considered summative rather than formative.
Lab Assignment: Testing for Macromolecules -Summative	In-class summative assessment. Students were given a sample of a McDonald’s Happy Meal that was blended together. They were required to test known solutions using the Benedict’s test for monosaccharides, Lugol’s test for polysaccharides, Biuret test for proteins, and the Sudan III test for lipids. After, students tested the blended meal to determine which macromolecules were present. Finally, students completed a worksheet with post-lab questions.	Knowledge of the different macromolecules and how to test for their presence, as well as proper lab procedure, including wearing goggles, properly heating substances, cleaning test-tubes between trials, and drawing conclusions from tests conducted on known and unknown substances	Very little formative component. This assessment was primarily summative in nature, as it was given towards the end of the unit on macromolecules. Students already knew the characteristics of the different macromolecules and how to test for them in solution, so this assignment gave them the opportunity to put their knowledge and skills to the test as a real scientist would. It was not used to improve teaching or learning in a significant way, and the grade assigned to this lab activity was weighted more heavily than the others listed.
Lab Assignment: Dialysis Tubing -Formative	In-class formative assessment. Students set-up two dialysis experiments. In the first, starch and water were added to an enclosed dialysis tube and suspended in a beaker of plain water. In the second, glucose and water were added to an enclosed dialysis tube and suspended in a beaker of water. Students took the mass of the bags before suspension in water and after 24 hours, then conducted tests in the beaker of water for the presence of monosaccharides and polysaccharides. Students completed a worksheet after the experiment.	Knowledge of macromolecules and membrane properties. For example, students were supposed to conclude that because the bag with glucose decreased in mass, and glucose was detected in the beaker of water, that glucose could pass through the membrane (bag) and diffused into the hypotonic solution that surrounded it. Starch is too large, causing water to move into the bag via osmosis and increase the mass of the bag.	Yes! This lab was used before membrane transport was covered in detail. Students were introduced to the plasma membrane before the lab in basic detail, but this lab was used as a teaching opportunity that allowed students to see firsthand how osmosis and diffusion work together to maintain homeostasis (osmolarity), and how smaller molecules more readily move through the membrane. A more detailed discussion of membrane transport and a Kahoot quiz followed the lab activity, for additional learning. Post-lab questions were turned in for a small grade, but the assessment should still be considered formative in nature.
Lab Assignment: Introduction to Microscopes and Prokaryotic vs. Eukaryotic cells -Formative	Students were introduced to the basics of microscopes, and used a slide with the letter “e” on it to learn how to operate a microscope. This was followed by an activity that allowed students to look at and draw different types of cells, including animal cells, plant cells, protist cells, and bacteria cells. Their drawings were turned in and graded mostly for completion.	Proper lab technique regarding use of microscopes (focus at each magnification before zooming in, don’t use coarse adjustment knob at high power, etc.). Knowledge of the differences between types of cells, including plant cells (box-shaped, chloroplasts, cell walls, large central vacuoles), animal cells (round-shape, lack chloroplasts and cell walls), protist cells, and bacteria cells (lack membranous organelles and nuclei, have cell walls, often have cilia or flagella).	Yes! After being introduced to the basics of microscopes, students could see the principles in action. For example, they would notice how the image gets larger and the field of vision gets smaller when the magnification is increased, and that the “e” would be flipped upside-down and backwards based on how the light-rays are magnified. Students were also able to see with their own eyes the key differences between the main cell types discussed, and were shown a Venn diagram comparing the cell types afterwards. The lab had a worksheet that was turned in for a grade, but this assessment was mainly used to improve learning by showing students real examples of principles of microscopy and differences in cell types.
Worksheet: Cell Membrane Coloring Worksheet -Formative	In-class formative assessment worksheet. Students were asked to identify the parts of the cell membrane on an image, color code each part according to a key, and match the structure name to the appropriate function.	Knowledge of parts of a cell membrane and their functions, including: phospholipid bilayer, integral protein, fatty acid tails, phosphate heads, peripheral protein, cholesterol, glycoproteins, and glycolipids.	Yes! The teacher checked the worksheets in-class and addressed the class for misconceptions, such as the difference between integral and peripheral proteins, which many students confused. The worksheet was ultimately turned in for a grade, but the primary purpose of the assessment was to improve student understanding of the cell membrane, making it formative in nature.
Unit Test- Skills and Processes and Biological Molecules -Summative	Summative written assessment composed entirely of multiple choice questions administered on paper via scantron. Students were given an hour to answer the fifty-question test individually.	Knowledge of basics of science, including independent vs. dependent variables, control groups, lab safety rules, scientific notation, the scientific method, etc. Knowledge of basic biological molecules including water, vitamins, proteins and enzymes, amino acids, lipids, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, etc.	No formative component; completely summative in nature. Meant to measure learning, but not necessarily improve learning or teaching. Rather, this assessment was used to evaluate student learning at the end of the first unit of the course.
Biology HSA -Summative standardized test	Written assessment containing multiple choice, true/false, and matching questions.	All knowledge students are meant to acquire in Biology I, including basics of science, molecular biology, cell biology, heredity and evolution, organismal diversity, and ecology.	No formative component at all. This assessment is a state-wide test used to evaluate students, but it is given at the end of the course. Teachers may be able to use the results to adjust their teaching for future classes, but they are unable to use the results to improve the learning of the students who took the test, making it summative. The Biology HSA is also considered standardized because the same assessment is given to every student in the state under the same conditions. Furthermore, students receive norm-referenced data weeks after taking the exam.

Interesting things I noticed:

-Most of the assessments were turned in for a grade, but were primarily formative in nature. The worksheets and lab activities, for example, provided students with opportunities to test the knowledge they learned in class before taking a more high-stakes summative assessment.

-I noticed more “informal” assessments than I perhaps would have before I took this course. I remember most of my assessments in school being worksheets, quizzes, and tests. In my field experience, however, I noticed drill questions, Kahoot quizzes, and some worksheets that were never graded. They were instead used to improve learning.

-I didn’t notice any examples of affective assessment. Perhaps the teacher could incorporate affective assessment questions into Kahoot quizzes to evaluate student values and beliefs.

-I also didn’t notice many performance assessments, presentations, or projects. While this may be due to the limited time I’ve spent in the classroom, these assessments are crucial for assessing skill development and knowledge application.

-Lab activities were used in this class far more than any of the courses I took in high school. These were used both before primary instruction, as a sort of inquiry-based engaging activity, and after primary instruction, to allow students to test their knowledge.