Using Technology to Improve Assessment

Technology can improve data gathering for assessments and provide a format for student and faculty to archive information.

Resources

• Classroom Response Systems (or clickers) have been used to effectively assess students in both large and small classes.
  
• Using Technology to Support Alternative Assessment and Electronic Portfolios has a well developed set of web pages about electronic portfolios.
• Assessing Assessment, William H. Graves, Campus Technology, 1/1/2005.
• Real-Time Analysis of Student Comprehension: An Assessment of Electronic Student Response Technology in an Introductory Earth Science Course, Lisa Greer, Peter J. Heaney, September 2004 Journal of Geoscience Education v52 n4 p345-351.
• Rethinking Course Assessment: Creating Accountability with Web-Based Tools Kent J. Crippen, December 2003 Journal of Science Education and Technology v12 n4 p431-438.

  Related Links

  Classroom Response Systems (Clickers) - learn more about this teaching method.

  
  

Geoscience Examples

• The Role of E-Portfolios and Academic Roadmaps (i.e., Concept Maps) in an Outcome- and Assessment-Based Geoscience Curriculum (Acrobat (PDF) 79kB May10 05) - Daniel Murray, University of Rhode Island
  The University of Rhode Island began an electronic portfolio system, as a means to efficiently track the assessment component of the new outcomes-based curricula that was emerging within the college. The school joined a group of schools using TRUE-OUTCOMES, an electronic portfolio program that manages assessment-based science and engineering curricula. This essay refers to several additional files: CE-DPM-COURSE.pdf (Acrobat (PDF) 86kB May10 05), CE-DPM-OUTCOMES.pdf (Acrobat (PDF) 116kB May10 05), GEO_OUTCOMES_MATRIX.xls (Excel 25kB May10 05), CE-DPM-ROADMAP.xls (Excel 117kB May10 05). Additional information is also on the author's Workshop Poster (Acrobat (PDF) 791kB May11 05).
• Wine Tasting, Physics, and Formative Evaluation: Using Technology for Assessing Learning in Large (and Small) Classes (Acrobat (PDF) 114kB May3 05) - Michael Giordano, University of Michigan
  In this essay the author describes the use of a classroom response system including the process of selection and installation, using this technology in formative assessment and some applications to the geosciences.
• Earth Data, Science Writing, and Peer Review in a Large general Education Oceanography Class (Acrobat (PDF) 4.9MB Apr28 05) - William A. Prothero, Jr., University of California, Santa Barbara
  In this essay, the author discusses the how technology has aided in the integration of writing and peer review into the curriculum for a large general education oceanography class.
• Technology-Based Assessments of Student Learning (Acrobat (PDF) 110kB May10 05) - Edys Quellmalz, SRI International
  This paper summarizes design principles forged and some of the assessments developed at the Center for Technology in Learning at SRI International that are particularly relevant to geoscience.