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Assessing Geoscience Concepts, Skills, and Attitudes

Geoscience Concepts

Geoscience Concepts Overview

• Geoscience Concept Inventory
  • Access the Geoscience Concept Inventory (GCI) WebCenter
  • Libarkin, J.C. and S.W. Anderson, 2005, Assessment of Learning in Entry-Level Geoscience Courses: Results from the Geoscience Concept Inventory JGE v53 n4 p. 394.
  • An Assessment-Based Approach for Evaluating Learning in Natural Science General Education Classes (Acrobat (PDF) 42kB Apr28 05) - David Steer, University of Akron describes the use of the Geology Concepts Inventory (GCI) in evaluating the learning students achieve in the general education class, Earth Science at The University of Akron. This essay was written for the Observing and Assessing Student Learning Workshop.
• Geoscience Knowledge Surveys
  • The Value of a National Effort to Understand Geoscience Learning (PowerPoint 16.6MB May17 05) Karl Wirth (Macalester College). This presentation from the Observing and Assessing Student Learning Workshop describes the effort to utilize geoscience knowledge surveys.
• Supporting Geoscience Assessments with an Assessment Resource Management System (ARMS) (PowerPoint 2MB May17 05) Edys Quellmalz (SRI International), from the Observing and Assessing Student Learning Workshop
• 100 Difficult Concepts (Microsoft Word 36kB May18 05): Workshop Breakout Session, from the Observing and Assessing Student Learning Workshop. Mary Savina, Priscilla Laws, Vanessa Svihla
• Geoscience Concept Map/Geoscience Concept Crystal

A breakout group (Aaron Yoshinobu, Dan Zalles, Christine Massey, Erin Klauk, Mimi Fuhrman, LeeAnn Srogi, Dan Murray, Scott Linneman, Jenelle Hopkins, Kaatje Kraft, Bob Filson, Bruce Herbert) from the Observing and Assessing Student Learning Workshop drafted a Geoscience Concept Map (Acrobat (PDF) 46kB May18 05), to articulate an understanding within the geoscience community as to what common knowledge and skills are important for students to master by the end of a program (for majors) or an introductory geoscience course (for non-majors). An additional purpose for the map was to provide guidance for departments who are developing or designing curricula and courses.

Members of this group then reorganized and refined these concepts into the Geoscience Concept Crystal (GCC). The group envisions at least two important applications of the Geoscience Concept Crystal: 1. as a guide for curriculum and course development; and 2. the development and evaluation of assessments aligned with the map and therefore with the most important knowledge and skills in geoscience.

Publications and related materials:

• Fuhrman, Miriam; Srogi, LeeAnn; Kraft, Katrien J.; Linneman, Scott; Yoshinobu, Aaron S.; and Zalles, Daniel (2005): The Geoscience Concept Crystal: A Map To Facilitate Development Of Well-Aligned Undergraduate Geoscience Curricula And Assessments. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 37, No. 7, p. 223. Geoscience Concept Crystal GSA Poster 1 (PowerPoint 87kB Nov17 05) and Geoscience Concept Crystal GSA Poster 2 (PowerPoint 40kB Nov17 05).
• Earth as a System: a sample visual course map (Microsoft Word 230kB Nov17 05)
• Sample GCC Assessment Items (Microsoft Word 686kB Nov17 05)
• Concept Crystal Application in a large lecture setting (Microsoft Word 38kB Nov17 05)

Climate Change

• A Concept Mapping Assessment of Climate Change Concepts Dave Dempsey, Activity from the Observing and Assessing Student Learning Workshop
• Assessing Students' Knowledge about Global Climate Change Using Concept Maps (Acrobat (PDF) 728kB May10 05): Catherine Gautier, from the Observing and Assessing Student Learning Workshop.
• Rebich, S. and C. Gautier, 2005, Concept Mapping to Reveal Prior Knowledge and Conceptual Change in a Mock Summit Course on Global Climate Change JGE v53 n4 p. 355.

Earthquakes

• Earthquake Analysis Paper Kaatje Kraft, Assessment Activity from the Observing and Assessing Student Learning Workshop
• Earthquakes, Plate Tectonics, and People (Microsoft Word 25kB May18 05), from the Observing and Assessing Student Learning Workshop

Mountain Building

• Mountain Building Web Activity Scott Linneman, Activity from the Observing and Assessing Student Learning Workshop

Plate Tectonics

• Gobert, J.D, 2005, The Effects of Different Learning Tasks on Model-building in Plate Tectonics: Diagramming Versus Explaining JGE v53 n4 p. 444
• Making Thinking Visible: Assessing Students Knowledge and Reasoning in Plate Tectonics (PowerPoint 1.6MB May17 05), from the Observing and Assessing Student Learning Workshop;
• A Typology of Causal Models for Plate Tectonics: Inferential Power and Barriers to Understanding (Acrobat (PDF) 624kB May10 05), Janice Gobert, The Concord Consortium, 2000.
• Steer, D.N, C.C. Knight, K.D. Owens, D.A. McConnell, 2005, Challenging Students Ideas about Earth's Interior Structure Using a Model-based, Conceptual Change Approach in a Large Class Setting JGE v53 n4 p. 415

Time

• Understanding Time Frames in Geosciences (Microsoft Word 28kB May18 05), from the Observing and Assessing Student Learning Workshop
• Understanding Time Frames in Geosciences (2nd Group) (Microsoft Word 55kB May18 05), from the Observing and Assessing Student Learning Workshop

Volcanoes

• Lab using Volcano Scenarios: Hazard Maps and Communicating Risk LeeAnn Srogi, Activity from the Observing and Assessing Student Learning Workshop.
• Promoting the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning Activities: An Integrated Hazard Management Approach Sue Heard, Poster from the Observing and Assessing Student Learning Workshop. Additional information about the activity

Water

• Ben-zi-Assart, O. and N. Orion, 2005, A Study of Junior High Students' Perceptions of the Water Cycle JGE v53 n4 p. 366
• D.P. Shepardson, J. Harbor, B. Wee, 2005, Water Towers, Pump Houses and Mountain Streams: Students' Ideas about Watersheds JGE v53 n4 p. 381
• Streams: An End of Unit Activity (Microsoft Word 24kB May18 05), from the Observing and Assessing Student Learning Workshop
• Dickerson, D., T.J. Callahan, M. Van Sickle, G. Hay, 2005, Students' Conceptions of Scale Regarding Groundwater JGE v53 n4 p. 374

Weathering

• Physical Weathering Map Exercise David McConnell, Assessment Activity from the Observing and Assessing Student Learning Workshop.

Geoscience Skills

Complex Dynamic Systems

• Raia, F. Students Understanding of Complex Dynamic Systems (Acrobat (PDF) 381kB Apr18 06) This presentation describes research on how students address complex systems with a linear, mono-causal approach that is insufficient to understand complex dynamic systems.
• Assessing links between climate, active deformation, & geomorphology (A two-part pre-curriculum assessment is utilized to evaluate intuitive and learned knowledge of concepts relating to tectonic geomorphology, climate studies, and the formation of active geologic structures.) Aaron Yoshinobu, Activity from the Student Learning Observing and Assessing Workshop.

Data Literacy

• Designs for Assessing Foundational Data Literacy (Acrobat (PDF) 189kB May24 05) - Daniel Zalles, Center for Technology in Learning, SRI International,wrote this essay describing assessments developed and piloted at SRI International that measure data literacy for the Observing and Assessing Workshop.

Maps and Field Work

• Writing for Revealing Topographic Understanding (Microsoft Word 30kB May18 05), Observing and Assessing Student Learning Workshop
• Draw the Outcrop David Steer, Assessment Activity from the Observing and Assessing Student Learning Workshop

Spatial Reasoning

• Assessment of Spatial Reasoning Needed to Comprehend Geologic Histories (Microsoft Word 24kB May18 05), from the Observing and Assessing Student Learning Workshop
• Black, A.A., 2005, Spatial Ability and Earth Science Conceptual Understanding JGE v53 n4 p. 402
• N. Orion, and Y. Kali, 2005, The Effect of an Earth-Science Learning Program on Students' Scientific Thinking Skills JGE v53 n4 p. 387

Geoscience Attitudes

• Survey of Student Attitudes Towards General Science and Geology from the Dickinson College Geology Department
• Affective Learning (Microsoft Word 40kB May18 05): Bill Slattery, Dexter Perkins, Meg Streepey, Karl Wirth, Jim McDougal, Steve Semken, Dave Mogk, Ed Nuhfer, Mike Giodano, Dave Dempsey, Catherine Gautier, Federica Raia, Paul Bierman
• Sense of Place and Place-Based Geoscience Learning: Assessment in the Cognitive and Affective Domains (Acrobat (PDF) 5.8MB May10 05): Steve Semken, poster from the Student Learning: Observing and Assessing Workshop.
• Nufler, Ed, Harnessing the Affective Domain Center Nutshell Notes, Idaho State University Center for Teaching and Learning, Volume 13, Number 6, October, 2005.

Other Geoscience Assessments:

• See the abstracts from the Methods of Assessing Teaching and Learning in the Geosciences 2005 GSA Annual Meeting Presentations.
• See the abstracts from the Methods of Assessing Teaching and Learning in the Geosciences (Posters) 2005 GSA Annual Meeting Poster Session I.
• See the abstracts from the Methods of Assessing Teaching and Learning in the Geosciences (Posters) 2005 GSA Annual Meeting Poster Session II.