Assessment Ideas

When students interact with simulations, they are engaged in a very different type of learning that when they are reading. The goal of the PSI Sim™ designers was to promote the development of deeper, more personal ways of thinking about science. To help address the differences between rote memorization and interactive, inquiry-based methods for assessment purposes, we believe it is necessary to go beyond typical questioning strategies used in most text books. That is, different types of learning require different types of assessment. Of course, assessment must relate directly to program goals and course objectives.

You may find it convenient to use the PSI Sims™ themselves as part of assessment. For example, the teacher might set up a scenario in the PSI Sim™ and print it out along with a "What-if" or "What will happen now" question. Be warned that non-traditional questioning strategies need to be introduced carefully so that students "learn" that you expect them to think differently about their responses. It is wise to try out new assessment strategies with self-assessments before using them for grading purposes.

Let's consider some basic examples of alternate assessment strategies. In a rote learning assessment, a student might be asked to state a definition of "electrolyte". Another method of assessment might be to "give an example of an electrolyte and an example of a non-electrolyte." Perhaps the students might "draw a diagram of an electrolyte being used in a practical way." Another example might be, "what problems might arise in an experimental situation if a non-electrolyte were replaced with the electrolyte by accident." PSI Sims™ sometimes include real-time graphing components. In these cases, students might be asked to make connections between reading a meter and reading a graph. When should one be used rather than the other? PSI Sims™ often allow the student to manipulate more than one variable. Questions can be asked to see how the student would anticipate the result of modifying the two variables in certain ways, noting the relationship between the variables. The advantage of the PSI Sim™ in this case is that it offers a concrete, interactive example of the model.

Below we present concrete examples of a few types of assessment that you may find useful when using PSI Sims™.

You Grade It - Based on the question in the first panel below, have the students grade the student responses in the next three panels.

Comprehensive Achievement Test

Talea did some experiments on water fleas. She summed up her results as follows:

Chemical x given to a water flea, slows its heart rate down when the water flea is placed in a beaker of warm water.

Chemical x given to a water flea, slows its heart rate down when the water flea is placed in a beaker of cold water.

What can you conclude from her results?"

Discrepant Event Assessment

Some students have a disorder that causes them to have a very hard time sitting still and keeping their attention on the task at hand. This condition is sometimes called hyperactivity (and many other names) because the student is usually "overly active" Which of the following types of drugs do you think is usually given to these students to help calm them and focus their attention?

(A) stimulants (B) depressants (C) relaxing drugs (D) hallucinogens

Discussion: Unlikely as it may seem, hyperactive students are often given stimulants. This discrepant event is explained by the fact that stimulants such as Ritalin work by acting on the neurotransmitters that release the chemical dopamine. Greater amounts of dopamine help to curb the hyperactive and impulsive behaviours typical of the child with ADHD.

Quotation Assessment

Directions: Read the following quotation. Write a one-paragraph summary and analysis of the quotation.

"All who drink of this remedy recover in a short time, except those whom it does not help, who all die. Therefore it is obvious that it fails only in incurable cases" - Galen, 2nd century

Project-Based Assessment

Use software to create a model of the human heart computer. Then create a simulation that shows the effects of different drugs
on the human heart . Your simulation does not have to be as elaborate as the water flea simulation we provided. Research the various drugs used in the water flea simulation and find their impact on the human heart. Make sure that your simulation is anatomically and physiologically correct.