BRUSSELS24-26 OCTOBER2 0 1 4

Strategies for Assessment of Inquiry Learning in Science

Eilish McLoughlinCASTeL, Dublin City University

The SAILS project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme [FP7/2007-2013] under grant agreement n° 289085

SAILS - A European approach

FP7: 2012-2015Coordinator: Dr. Odilla Finlayson, Dublin City University

IBSE skills and competences

Unified approach of implementing all the necessary components fortransforming classroom practice - sustainable model for IBSE.

• Provide materials incorporating inquiry assessment strategies and frameworks.

• Partner with teachers to identify and implement assessment strategies and frameworks to evaluate key IBSE skills and competences in the classroom.

• Prepare teachers not only to be able to teach through IBSE, but also to be confident and competent in the assessment of their students’ learning through inquiry.

SAILS OBJECTVES

SAILS Approach

Review and Mapping• role of inquiry in national curriculum and assessment

• national projects or initiatives on IBSE

• links between IBSE and skills/competences

Assessment frameworks and instruments• evaluate inquiry skills, scientific reasoning, scientific

literacy in a specific context

• paper-and-pencil / computer-based assessment.

Piloting and evaluation• expert IBSE practitioners

• physics, chemistry, biology concepts

What is inquiry?

“[Inquiry is] the intentional process of:

diagnosing problems, critiquing experiments,

distinguishing alternatives, planning investigations,

researching conjectures, searching for information,

constructing models, discussing with peers

and forming coherent arguments.”

Linn, M. C., Davis E.A., & Bell, P. (2004).

Curriculum and Assessment –Lower Secondary

Diagnosingproblem

Critiquingexperiments

Distinguish alternatives.

Plan Investigations

Researchingconjectures

Search for information

Constructing models

Debating with peers

Forming coherent

arguments

Belgium

DenmarkGermany

Greece

Hungary

Ireland

Poland

Portugal

Slovakia

Sweden

TurkeyUK

Curriculum OnlyCurriculum and Assessment

Diagnosingproblem

Critiquingexperiments

Distinguish alternatives.

Plan Investigations

Researchingconjectures

Search for information

Constructing models

Debating with peers

Forming coherent

arguments

Belgium

Denmark

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Ireland

Poland

Portugal

Slovakia

Sweden

Turkey

UK

Curriculum OnlyCurriculum and Assessment

Curriculum and Assessment –Upper Secondary

SAILS assessment in science

Focus on:

– scientific reasoning

– scientific literacy

– planning investigations

– developing hypotheses

– working collaboratively

– forming coherent arguments

The assessment of skills in a way that teachers can:(1) diagnose whether students possess an appropriate level of that skill, and

(2) provide feedback and guidance to their students in order to improve students’ performance.

Planning investigations

(a) decide what you want to do to find out the answer to the question,

(b) decide what materials you need,

(c) decide how to record the information,

(d) decide how to analyse the information,

(e) decide how to report the findings.

Fradd, S.H., Lee, O., Sutman, F.X., & Saxton, M.K. (2001). Promoting science literacy with English language learners through instructional materials development: A case study. Billingual Research Journal, 25 (4), 417-439.

.. intentional thinking processes necessary before beginning an experiment ..

SAILS Units

Collision of an egg

Ultraviolet radiation

Electricity

Light

Speed

Floating orange

Global warming

Up there… how is it?

Physics

Polymers

Acids, bases, salts

Black tide: Oil in the water

Reaction rates

The proof of the pudding

Which is the Best Fuel?

Household vs natural environment

Chemistry

Food labels

Plant nutrition

Sports nutrition

Wood lice

Natural selection

Biology

Inquiry skills assessed: planning investigations

developing hypothesesworking collaboratively

forming coherent arguments

Unit Overview

• Topic/Concepts

• Teaching Approach

• Inquiry Skills

• Scientific Literacy / reasoning

• Assessment

Draft Unit

• Rationale of approach used

• Proposed learning sequence

• Skills assessed

• Proposed assessment

Case Study 1 Case

Study 2Case

Study 3

SAILS Unit Structure

Case studies (Teacher Stories)

(i) How was the learning sequence adapted?

Teachers’ reasons for their approach. What questions they used? How did the learners respond? What did the teacher notice?

(ii) How were the skills assessed?

How did they plan to make their judgements (during/after the inquiry? What model of assessment was used?

(iii) Criteria for judging assessment data:

What were the teachers looking for in terms of satisfactory response to the inquiry? What were their expectations?

(iv) Evidence Collected:

Teacher opinion, Observer notes, Sample Student artefacts.

(v) Use of Assessment Data

What did the teachers do next? How did they feed back to their learners? How did doing the inquiry affect their planning and decisions about next steps in learning?

The student gives recomendations on how the experiment should be carried out, but is unable to proceed and does not understand the process.

The student gives recomendations on how the experiment should be carried out and understands the process, but is unable to proceed

The student gives recomendations on how the experiment should be carried out and understands the process, can proceed with the planing of the experiment.

E.g. teacher judgementPlanning an investigation

Teacher questions: How can the experiment be implemented? Which physical variable should be studied? How can connection be found between variables? What can you do in order to accurately fix the measurements? More exact questions in teacher support.

Skill: Student can formulate hypothesis (predictions) based on a question. Hypothesis may include comparisons (eg. metal will provide brighter light than graphite).

Teacher Oral Feedback:• Student can formulate an appropriate hypothesis and state it

appropriately (eg. gold will provide the brightest lamp).

• Student can formulate a hypothesis but with an inappropriate statement (e.g. lamp will light with salty water)

• Students cannot formulate a good hypothesis.

E.g. teacher feedback, Electricity Unit

1 2 3 4 5 6Student

doesn’t draw

mind map or

draws it

putting words

not

connected to

topic (can’t

explain the

connection to

the topic).

Student can

draw a mind

map containing

5 words

connected to

the topic, but

there is a lack of

connections

and relations

between them.

Student can draw a

mind map containing

more than 5 words

connected to the

topic and the

majority of the words

are from common

language. There is a

lack of connections

and relations

between words.

Student can draw a

mind map with

more than 8 words

connected to the

topic (majority of

words are from

common language).

Student draw the

connections

between some

words.

Student can draw a

mind map with

more than 10

words connected to

the topic (most of

words are from

common language).

Student draws

connections

between words but

the structure is not

very much

expanded.

Student can

draw a mind

map with more

than 10 words

connected to

the topic and

most of words

are scientific.

Student draws

proper relations

and

connections

between words.

E.g. teacher criteria, Electricity Unit

Skill: assess scientific literacy using mindmaps

Skill: assess scientific literacy using mindmaps

Teacher Oral Feedback:Student A – mark: 3 – mind map with more

than 10 words. Mind map only included

a few scientific terms.

Student D – mark: 6 - drew the mind map using

more than 10 words with a lot of key words.

Student used a lot of scientific terminology

and showed the relations between them.

E.g. teacher feedback, Electricity Unit

Forms of evidence

18

Worksheet

Student-teacher dialogue

Peer assessment

Teacher observation (Listening / Watching)

Progress Report

Student experimental workings, journal, plan, predictions,

results, experiment report etc.

Ample Cups / Traffic Light System

Worksheet

Summative test

Portfolio

Poster

Peer assessment

Student experimental workings, journal, plan, predictions,

results, experiment report etc.

Newspaper story

Presentation

During Activity:

Post Activity:

SAILS Teacher Education Programmes

• Experience inquiry and experience / realise assessment opportunities

• Support teachers trialling in school -planning, implementing, reflecting

• Support teachers developing own units/materials

• Based on SAILS Units

– Teacher approach and rationale– Modes of Assessment– Teacher judgements and criteria– Evidence collected– Feedback to students

BelgiumDenmarkGermanyGreeceHungaryIrelandPolandPortugalSlovakiaTurkeySwedenUK

Getting Involved - SAILS CoP

COP members avail of the following benefits: – Publications Access to units and other publication from

the SAILS project

– Forums Discuss Inquiry-based Science Education (IBSE) issues with other likeminded contributors (nationally and internationally)

– Events Access to information on upcoming events as well as the opportunity to promote them

1 international CoP + 12 National CoPs

Overall PurposeTo encourage practitioners throughout Europe in the use of IBSE and the assessment frameworks developed in the project.

BelgiumDenmarkGermanyGreeceHungaryIrelandPolandPortugalSlovakiaTurkeySwedenUK

All Contributions

Thinking Assessment in Science and Mathematics Conference, Dublin 2014

SAILS Community of Practice

• Framework for assessment of inquiry skills including scientific literacy and scientific reasoning and illustrative examples.

• SAILS Units

>20 science topics presenting inquiry and assessment activities and case studies of teachers classroom practice.

• Models for teacher education

culturally adapted programmes in inquiry and integrated assessment.

• European Community of practitioners

active in the teaching, learning and assessment of inquiry in science and sharing classroom experiences.

Outcome of SAILS

SAILS Collaborators • Odilla Finlayson, Eilish McLoughlin, Paul van Kampen, James Lovatt, Sarah

Brady, Deirdre McCabe, Dublin City University

• Marian Kires, Zuzana Jeskova, et al, Safarik University in Košice, Slovakia;

• Pawel Bernard, Dagmara Sokolowska et al, Jagiellonian University Poland;

• Paul Black, Christine Harrison, Brian Matthews, King's College London, UK;

• Beno Csapo, Csaba Csíkos, et al, University of Szeged, Hungary;

• Gunnar Friege, Maximilian Barth, Universität Hannover Germany;

• Mats Lundström, Malmö University, Anders Jönsson, Kristianstad University, Sweden;

• Claus Michelsen, Morten Rask Petersen, University of South Denmark,

• Cecília Galvão, Cláudia Gonçalves, Instituto de Educação da Universidadede Lisboa, Portugal;

• Gultekin Cakmakci , Yalcin et al Hacettepe University Turkey;

• Simeos Retalis, Yannis Psaromiligkos, University of Piraeus, Greece;

• Sally Reynolds, Joasia van Kooten, Mathy Vanbuel, ATiT; Wim Peeters, Belgium;

• Mark Melia, Joe Greene, Intel PLS Limited, Ireland.

www.sails-project.eu