Assessment in Various Learning Settings
Initial Publication Date: October 4, 2005
Building Scientific Literacy through Assessment
Teaching Introductory Geoscience is both a challenge and an opportunity. In settings as diverse as large lecture classes, field trips and laboratory sessions we strive to build student geoscience content knowledge and an understanding of how science works. Of course, most of the students we teach won't become geoscientists but they need to be scientifically literate citizens. Quite possibly they will vote on global issues affecting the environment, regional public policy on such issues as water resources and local issues as well. Using assessment to engage their interest in geoscience, to focus their learning and to develop communication skills are excellent opportunities to increase their scientific literacy and to give them a view of science as a way of knowing.
Specific examples of assessment are provided for each of the learning settings below. Additional assessment strategies are provided in the resource lists on each page.
