Invited Talks

3:30 pm - 5:00 pm,    Wednesday,    July 26

Bridging Session: Invited Talks & Panel Discussion

Where          :    HBC Gifford
Discussant   :    Michael Loverude, California State University Fullerton

3:30-4:00   Ronald L. Miller, (rlmiller@mines.edu) Colorado School of Mines

Use of Concept Inventories to Identify Misconceptions in Thermal Sciences

Abstract:  Building on the proven success of the Force Concept Inventory, we have developed a concept inventory instrument to identify engineering student misconceptions in the thermal and transport sciences (i.e. fluid mechanics, heat transfer, mass transfer, thermodynamics). In this presentation, I will describe the process of identifying important and robust misconceptions in these disciplines, developing multiple-choice questions which assess the presence of the misconceptions, and field testing the instrument, known at the Thermal and Transport Concept Inventory (TTCI). Important findings about specific misconceptions based on TTCI beta test data will also be discussed in terms of relevant cognitive theories of concept formation. If time permits, we will also interactively discuss how concept inventories can be used for formative assessment in engineering and science classes and other potential assessment applications for these types of instruments.

4:00-4:30   Chris L. Rasmussen, (chrisraz@sciences.sdsu.edu) San Diego State University

Student Thinking About Rate of Change in Differential Equations

Abstract:  Analyses of student thinking from cognitive and situated perspectives in mathematics education tend to highlight different aspects of the same phenomenon. For example, while cognitive models typically detail conceptual obstacles and mental processes needed at a given level for progressing to higher levels, they seldom involve the purposes and goals of the learner and they obscure the ways in which cognition is often carried out in connection with resources in the environment. On the other hand, by relying on thick, rich narrative accounts, situated accounts often lose sight of the bigger picture of the milestones that characterize important shifts in reasoning. Drawing on a multi-year research project in differential equations, I will present an analysis of student thinking about rate of change that takes into account cognitive milestones while also describing the ways in which aspects of the situation (tasks, goals, interaction patterns) constrain and afford particular ways of thinking.

4:30-5:00  Michael W. Klymkowsky, Rachel Gheen, Rebecca Koopman, Isidoros Doxas & R. Kathy Garvin-Doxas, The Bioliteracy Project, University of Colorado, Boulder

Building the Biology Concept Inventory using Ed's Tools, an on-line response analysis system

Abstract:  To build the Biology Concept Inventory (BCI), we developed a suite of java-based web tools (Ed's Tools @ bioliteracy.net) to help recognize and map the conceptual landscapes students inhabit. Based on the analysis of over 11,000 student responses to more than 50 open-ended essay questions, we have generated an ~30 item inventory that has been refined through the use of student "talk-alouds to generate the BCI 2006. The BCI covers areas of biology related to genetics, evolution and molecular mechanisms, and will be available in August 2006 for use in pre-/post- instruction assessment. To enhance the usefulness of the BCI we are developing a complementary web-based interface that enables students to take the BCI on-line, and then provides a conceptual diagnosis based on their answers. Work supported by a grant from the NSF..

5:00-5:30    Panel Discussion

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm,     Wednesday,     July 26

Where      :    To be Announced
Presider   :    Rebecca Lindell, Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville

Jay Labov, NRC/NAS

Title to be Announced

Abstract:  To be Provided.

10:00 am - 12:00 pm,     Thursday,     July 27

Invited Talks & Panel Discussion

Where            :  To be Announced
Discussant     :  Chandralekeh Singh,  University of Pittsburgh

10:00-10:30   Michael Sanger, (mjsanger@mtsu.edu) Middle Tennessee State University

The Effects of Inquiry-Based Instruction on Elementary Teaching Majors’ Chemistry Content Knowledge and Their Views about Teaching Science

Abstract:  Although science educators have suggested that pre-service elementary teaching majors should take chemistry content courses using inquiry-based methods, many chemistry teachers believe that these courses are merely “watered down” versions of traditional lecture-based introductory chemistry courses. This study compared the chemistry content knowledge of elementary teaching majors enrolled in an inquiry-based physical science course and science majors enrolled in traditional lecture-based introductory chemistry courses. It also compared the views of how science is taught for the elementary teaching majors in the physical science course and for secondary science teaching majors enrolled in two science-specific methods courses. This talk will describe the results of these comparisons, and the implications these results have on whether elementary teaching majors would be better served by taking inquiry-based science courses as part of their pre-service preparation or traditional lecture-based courses.

10:30-11:00   Julie Libarkin, (libarkin@ohio.edu) Michigan State University,          Steven W. Anderson, (StevenAnderson@bhsu.edu) Black Hills State University

Rasch Analysis and the Geoscience Concept Inventory

Abstract:  The Geoscience Concept Inventory (GCI) is a multiple-choice assessment instrument developed for use in entry-level college Earth Science courses. A pool of 69 test items cover topics related to general physical geology concepts, as well as underlying fundamental ideas in physics and chemistry, such as gravity and radioactivity, that are integral to understanding the conceptual Earth. Each question has gone through rigorous reliability and validation studies (Libarkin et al., 2005; Libarkin and Anderson, 2005), with careful analysis of item stability and bias via Rasch approaches. Rasch analysis was completed with the one parameter logistic model, with analysis of bias via Mantel-Haenszel differential item functioning (DIF). A Rasch scale and methodology were developed for creation of 15-item GCI sub-tests that can be scaled to equivalent scores. Five items were removed due to gender and/or racial bias determined via DIF. Overall, students in the test population found the test difficult. For example, during 2002 testing students had similar but statistically different pre- and post-test means (pre = 42.2±12; post = 45.8±13; n=1295 student). Analysis of sub-populations indicates that students with low pre-tests (<40%, n = 388) dominate this effect (pre = 32±7, post = 41±10), with extreme significance on a t-test (t_stat = 1.96 < t_crit =15), and an effect size of 0.46. Faculty nationwide can now create GCI sub-tests that are aligned with course content, facilitating the comparison of learning gains for a wide range of geoscience courses.

11:00-11:30   Beth Hufnagel,  (brhufnagel@aacc.edu) Anne Arundel Community College

Astronomy Concept Inventories: Foundations and Frontiers

Abstract:  It has been my privilege to do astronomy education research (AER) for the last ten years. I will share some career-changing events and the evolution of AER during those ten years, particularly in the subfield of astronomy 'concept inventories (CI's).' Included are the influence of physics education research (PER) on astronomy CI's, and a discussion of differences (research culture, student body, et al.) that prevent AER from being merely a subset of PER. I'll explore the implications of the recent challenging duality in the consumers of astronomy CI's, as CI's become both more sophisticated and more accepted by the astrophysical research community.

11:30-12:00    Panel Discussion