InTeGrate Modules and Courses >Systems Thinking > Assessment
 Earth-focused Modules and Courses for the Undergraduate Classroom
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These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The materials are free and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
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Initial Publication Date: October 24, 2016

Assessment of Module Goals

Below, you will find a list of assessments for each unit of the module, as well as assessments for the module as a whole. Each unit has associated with it formative and/or summative assessments to measure student progress toward individual unit learning outcomes. We also identify the unit assessments which specifically ask students to reflect on their their own learning by indicating that they address metacognition. To assess overall learning in this module, you will find a summative assessment question directly related to the overriding module goal of increasing students' abilities to think about complex systems from a systems perspective. This question directly assesses how well students can integrate difficult-to-connect ideas using this approach.

Overall Module Assessments

Summative Assessment

This broad synthesis question can be used on a final exam or as a take-home writing assignment. As an exam question, completion time is about 20 minutes. In the question below substitute "ocean" for "Earth" or "climate" or other more relevant term for the course.

Imagine it is some months from now and you have applied for a job as an ocean science writer for a new popular science magazine called Our Changing Ocean. In the interview, the Editor asks you:

"People say 'everything is connected,' but I rarely get specific examples. Will you convince me of the connectedness and complexity of the ocean?"

Write what you would say in response by picking any three seemingly unrelated concepts from this course and relating them in the the context of human interaction with the ocean. Be sure to use systems thinking language and specific examples.

Unit Assessments

List of Assessments by Unit:

The assessments used in each unit are listed below, along with the module goals which they assess. Note: Rubrics for these unit assessments are presented on the individual unit pages.

Unit 1 Assessments:

Unit 2 Assessments:

Unit 3 Assessments:

  • Systems modeling worksheet (Microsoft Word 80kB Sep12 16), equilibrium and residence time. Addresses: Module goals 1–3 and metacognition.
  • Systems modeling homework (Microsoft Word 43kB Sep12 16), equilibrium and residence time. Addresses: Module goals 1–3.

Unit 4 Assessments:

Unit 5 Assessments:

  • Inclusion of quantifiable data in system diagram. Addresses: Module goals 1–3.
  • Writing About Complexity Assignment (Acrobat (PDF) 88kB Oct17 16). Addresses: Module goals 2 and 3.

Unit 6 Assessments:

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These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
Explore the Collection »